Learn about CEQA, SB 9 (Atkins, 2021), and more at the 2022 Planning Commissioners Academy

The League of California Cities has returned to partial, in-person programming after more than a year of virtual learning and meetings. Scheduled for March 16-18 in San Ramon, the Planning Commissioners Academy is designed for new and seasoned planning commissioners and provides city officials with updates about recent legislative and regulatory changes, as well as an overview of the roles and responsibilities of a planning commissioner.

The conference covers introductory and advanced California Environmental Quality Act procedures, tips on how to navigate SB 9 (Atkins, 2021) processes, planning commission role and responsibilities, relationships between commission, staff, and city council, and key housing legislation. 

Keynote speakers

This year's opening keynote speaker is former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, who left office having produced 100,000 new jobs and more than 9,600 new businesses. Cornett also successfully lobbied for Oklahoma City's first major league sports team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the passage of a $777 million quality-of-life infrastructure program for Oklahoma City. Additionally, he helped lower the city's obesity rates and helped revitalize several neighborhoods.

Cornett served as President of The United States Conference of Mayors between 2016-2017 and as national President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials. He also served as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Urban Economic Affairs Committee until 2007.

Closing out this year's conference is Berké Brown, an organizational change consultant and executive performance coach. During his time at the University of California, Berkeley, Brown was awarded three grants to research intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which culminated in the development of a UC Berkeley course on the psychology of behavior change and wellness.

During his keynote address, Brown will demonstrate how planning commissioners can go from "checking off boxes” to making small but impactful actions that create equitable communities. The presentation also includes a workshop about the tools and strategies leaders can use in everyday interactions with community members to make this vision a reality.    
Additional information is available in the “program at a glance” section of the conference webpage.

Registration and hotel information 

Registration for the full conference starts at $625 for city officials from any Cal Cities member city. Conference registration includes admission to all educational sessions, the Wednesday reception, Thursday breakfast and lunch, Friday breakfast, and access to all program materials. The deadline to register is March 9, after which officials must register on-site. 

The Planning Commissioners Academy will be held at the San Ramon Marriott, located at 2600 Bishop Drive in San Ramon, California. The Marriott is within walking distance of the Bishop Ranch City Center, 23 miles from the Oakland International Airport, and has free self-parking for guests staying at the hotel. A limited number of hotel rooms are available at a reduced rate for conference attendees that register through Feb. 23. Discounted hotel rooms often sell out early, so advance registration is encouraged.

COVID-19 continues to change, and our number one priority will continue to be the health and safety participants. More information about our new health and safety protocols — which are subject to change — is available on the event and meeting policies section of the Cal Cities website.

For more information, visit the Planning Commissioners Academy webpage. Direct all questions or comments to Megan Dunn.