Planning Commissioners Academy

Registration Open

9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Breakfast on your own.

Walking Tour

9:00-11:00 a.m.

Pre-Conference Trainings

10:00 a.m.-noon

Take this opportunity to complete one of your state-mandated biennial trainings before the conference officially kicks off. Sign-in will begin 45 minutes prior to the session, and you must be present for the full two hours to receive the certification of attendance. Entry will be prohibited once sessions begin.

Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws and Principles (AB 1234)

State law requires elected and appointed officials to receive two hours of training in specified ethics laws and principles every two years. Newly elected and appointed officials must receive this training within one year of becoming a public servant. Join us to learn from an expert on how to navigate ethics laws and principles.

Speaker
Matthew Summers, City Attorney, Barstow, Calabasas, Ojai, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC

Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and Officials (AB 1661)

This informational and interactive workplace harassment prevention training will focus on current and emerging issues, and teach officials and supervisors how to identify, prevent, and properly respond to workplace harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and abusive conduct in order to avoid personal and agency liability in compliance with AB 1825, AB 2053, AB 1661, and SB 396.

Speaker
Jennifer Martinez, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Hanson Bridgett LLP

The Institute for Local Government is a State Bar of California minimum continuing legal education (MCLE) approved provider and certifies this activity meets the standards for MCLE credit by the State Bar of California in the total amount of two hours (general credits). Provider #13881

Lunch on your own

noon-1:00 p.m.

Opening General Session: Navigating Change Without Losing Focus

1:00-2:30 p.m.

Welcoming Remarks
Debbie Chamberlain, President, Planning and Community Development Department and Community Development Director, San Ramon

Keynote speaker, Berké Brown will guide planning commissioners through a series of motivational concepts and an exploration of how their personal and work values can produce unshakeable resilience in the face of challenges and clarity in the face of change. Participants will leave feeling inspired to serve as true leaders and will be equipped with the necessary tools to navigate the unknowns with confidence while strengthening their community’s bonds.

Speaker
Berké Brown, Global Speaker, Organizational Coach, and Behavior Change Specialist

Concurrent Sessions

2:45-4:00 p.m.

Fundamentals Session

CEQA: Basics

Hear an introduction about the role of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and join us as we pull back the curtain on parts of the process, including the types of documents you will see, how environmental decisions are made, and the responsibilities of staff and the commission at each stage in the process. The tools and approaches taken by those who prepare the documents for your review will also be discussed.

Speakers
Mark Teague, Managing Principal, PlaceWorks
Shannon George, Vice President/Principal, David J. Powers & Associates

Networking Reception

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Make new friends and catch up with old ones while enjoying delicious appetizers and tasty beverages during the evening networking reception. It’s the perfect opportunity to form support networks inside your profession.

Registration Open

7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Networking Breakfast and Visit with Sponsors

7:45-8:45 a.m.

Joint Session

Processing Housing Development Applications under SB 330

9:00-10:15 a.m.

In this interactive session, learn about the constraints and requirements in processing housing development applications under SB 330. SB 330 amended the Permit Streamlining Act by imposing new timing requirements in considering housing projects and amended the Housing Accountability Act by imposing limits on an agency’s consideration and approvals/disapproval of housing projects. In addition, SB 330 created a new streamlining process and vesting mechanism by creating a preliminary housing application. This session will highlight what staff and planning commissioners need to know and be watchful for in processing and considering housing projects.

Moderator
Debbie Chamberlain, President, Planning and Community Development Department and Community Development Director, San Ramon

Speakers
Patricia Curtin, Land Use Attorney, Fennemore Wendel
Barbara Kautz, Partner, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP
Amara Morrison, Director, Fennemore Wendel

Concurrent Sessions

10:30-11:45 a.m.

Fundamentals Session

Relationship Between Planning Commission, City Council, and Planning Staff

As a city official, there will be various competing values and priorities that drive you and your colleagues within your city. Your success on the planning commission requires an effective relationship with your planning staff and city council, where everyone’s values are respected and represented. Learn how to work together while cultivating each of your diverse roles.

Moderator
Meghan McKelvey, Department and Member Services Manager, League of California Cities

Speakers
Debbie Chamberlain, President, Planning and Community Development Department and Community Development Director, San Ramon
Ray Marquez, Council Member, Chino Hills
Eric Nelson, Department Director, Planning and Community Development Department and Planning Commissioner, Dana Point

Emerging Issues Session

CEQA: Advanced

This session assumes some familiarity with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Hear an in-depth discussion on the process of crafting mitigation measures, long- and short-term impacts, and how the CEQA landscape changes with legislation, court decisions, and agency preferences. Dive into why CEQA documents look the way they do, the role of findings, and what to do with late-hit letters. Finally, some of the more technical sections of the document will be demystified.

Speakers
Mark Teague, Managing Principal, PlaceWorks
Shannon George, Vice President/Principal, David J Powers & Associates

Networking Lunch

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Joint Session

Planning Commissioner Jeopardy

1:15-2:30 p.m.

The session will run in a show game format similar to Jeopardy. Attendees will be presented with an answer and will be given an opportunity to respond in a question format. The Jeopardy hosts will work through five different categories with difficulty ranging from 100 points to 500 points. Categories will include: Brown Act (with emphasis placed on Social Media), Conflicts of Interest, Housing, Parliamentary Procedure, and Constitutional Issues. Winning participants will be eligible for prizes!

Moderator
Joel Rojas, Immediate Past President, Planning and Community Development Department and Development Services Director, San Juan Capistrano

Facilitators
Henry Castillo, Associate, Best Best & Krieger
Albert Maldonado, Associate, Best Best & Krieger

Concurrent Sessions

2:45-4:00 p.m.

Fundamentals Session

Planning Commission: Roles, Responsibilities and Restrictions

Planning commissioners will walk away having learned the answers to the following questions: What is the role of the planning commission as defined by state laws, city charter or local ordinance? What is the planning commission’s role in policy making versus policy recommendations? What are the responsibilities of the planning commission that it must understand and implement as a local agency body? What are the restrictions placed on the planning commission, such as new housing laws, Brown Act, Public Records Act, and conflicts of interest regulations?

Moderator
Anita Gutierrez, Second Vice President, Planning and Community Development Department and Development Services Director, Pomona

Speakers
Jolie Houston, Los Altos City Attorney, Berliner Cohen
Nick Zornes, Development Services Director, Los Altos

Extended Speed Sessions

Moderator
Benjamin Yee, First Vice President, Planning and Community Development Department and Planning Commissioner, Fremont

Emerging Issues Session

Surplus Land Act: Know the Impact Before You Transact

2:45-3:15 p.m.

California is faced with a housing crisis. The state has revved up enforcement to accelerate the production of affordable housing including the use of public agency-owned land. Effective in 2020, the Surplus Land Act (SLA) requires all public agencies to follow a process to sell or lease any public property by first offering it to a state-controlled list of affordable housing developers. Learn how the SLA process impacts local land use and how to navigate the sale/lease/licensing of public agency property to pursue public-private projects that are compliant with state requirements and produce preferred community and economic development.

Speaker
Larry Kosmont, Chairman and CEO, Kosmont Companies

Emerging Issues Session

Burning Questions, No Judgment

3:30-4:00 p.m.

Have a question that you are afraid to ask in a public meeting, or feel that you should already know the answer to? Join us in a safe environment and receive answers to your most burning questions.

Speakers
Debbie Chamberlain, President, Planning and Community Development Department and Community Development Director, San Ramon
Robert Combs, Planning Commissioner, Danville

Joint Session

Objective Standards: How to Apply Objective Standards to Comply with State Law and Retain Local Control

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Recent state housing legislation requires that certain housing projects be reviewed only against objective standards such as “objective zoning standards,” “objective subdivision standards,” and “objective design standards.” As a result, objective standards are the only basis that a jurisdiction may use to deny or reduce the density of certain projects. This session will present alternative approaches for developing objective standards that comply with state law and ensure the appearance of new development is compatible with a jurisdiction’s vision. Learn how to measure design objectively, how to differentiate between a design guideline and a design standard, and how to apply a variety of approaches for developing standards that are measurable and verifiable.

Moderator
Joel Rojas, Immediate Past President, Planning and Community Development Department and Development Services Director, San Juan Capistrano

Speakers
Julia Malisos, Principal - Planning/Community Design, WHA
Isaac Rosen, Associate, Best Best & Krieger

Registration Open

7:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Networking Breakfast

7:45-8:45 a.m.

Joint Session

Legislative Update

9:00-10:15 a.m.

Learn about recent bills that have passed, as well as top issues that are trending in the legislature, and their significance for planning commissioners.

Speaker
Jason Rhine, Assistant Director, Legislative Affairs, League of California Cities

Joint Session

Closing Keynote: State-Local Relationships in an Era of Hyper-Politics

10:30 a.m.-noon

Closing Remarks
Benjamin Yee, First Vice President, Planning and Community Development Department and Planning Commissioner, Fremont

Land use was once the exclusive province of local governments, but for a variety of reasons, including climate change and housing shortages, the state has assumed an ever-larger role in deciding how land is developed. No one knows how far this trend will reach, and it creates tension between state and local officials, because land use decisions often have impacts on local government revenues.

Speaker
Dan Walters, Political Columnist for CALmatters, Author

• CEQA 101 From the Beginning
• CEQA: In the Weeds
• From Dangerous Discourse to Extraordinary Engagement Changing the Conversation on Inclusion
• Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms - Acronyms and Abbreviations
• How to Prepare Findings and Conditions of Approval
• In The Trenches with Your General Plan - Amsden
• Legislative Update - Enright
• Legislative Update - Rhine
• Planning Commission 101 The Nuts and Bolts of Planning - Early
• Planning Commission 101 The Nuts and Bolts of Planning - Roberts
• Planning Commission 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Planning - Anderson
• The Planning Commission's Role and State Limits on Its Discretion
• Value Capture Zoning and Entitlements as Currency Generators for Cities
• You Got Your RHNA - Now What - Follow-up
• You Got Your RHNA - Now What?