A workshop designed to help local government officials respond to planning and zoning issues will be offered in 13 Iowa cities beginning later this month. The three-hour session is sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Regional Councils of Government, and is intended for city council members, county boards of supervisors, planning and zoning commissioners, boards of adjustment, and other officials who handle zoning requests.
Gary Taylor, extension specialist in community and regional planning at ISU, said the program will cover land use planning and the basics of zoning ordinances. Elected officials and citizen-led boards and commissions make up the backbone of the local planning and zoning process, he said, and unfortunately, the issues surrounding land use, and the tools and techniques available to address them, are becoming increasingly complex. At the same time developers, landowners and residents are increasingly likely to litigate over unfavorable decisions.
The workshop will begin with registration at 5:30 p.m. and will include a light supper. For more information contact the nearest ISU Extension county office, or Gary Taylor (515) 294-2973. Information, including a registration form, also is available online at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/pandz.html
The workshops are scheduled in the following communities on the dates indicated.
Ames, Monday, July 18, Gateway Hotel and Conference Center
Bettendorf, Tuesday, June 14, Scott County Extension Office
Calmar, Thursday, May 19, Northeast Iowa Dairy Center
Cedar Rapids, Tuesday, May 24, Kirkwood Community College Main Campus
Council Bluffs, Thursday, May 26, West Pottawattamie County Extension Office
Creston, Tuesday, May 24, Union County Extension Office
Dubuque, Wednesday, May 18, Northeast Iowa Community College
Mason City, Wednesday, June 22, Mason City city hall
Mount Pleasant, Wednesday, June 15, Iowa Wesleyan College
Oskaloosa, Tuesday, May 31, Mahaska County Extension Office
Sioux City, Wednesday, June 8, Western Iowa Community College
Spencer, Tuesday, June 7, Spencer School Administration Building
Waterloo, Thursday, June 2, Waterloo Center for the Arts
-30-