Agenda

Agenda

Orientation Training for

Local Government Planning/Zoning Officials and Employees

Sponsored by the South Carolina Association of Counties

in cooperation with the S.C. ETV Public Services Network

This Orientation Training has been structured to equip local government planning and zoning officials and employees with the tools needed to perform their duties in the most responsible and effective manner, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the planning process to the benefit of the community and its citizens. This is the first of two teleconferences to satisfy the six-hour orientation requirement.

PART I: Let’s Get Started!

SC ETV Public Services Network, ETV Digital Channel 322

Part I is designed to get officials and employees started in the right direction by providing an overview of the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act; how to conduct effective meetings, hearings and requirements of the Freedom of Information Act; and the importance of ethics and ethical decision-making.

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OVERVIEW OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ENABLING ACT

Segment Length: One Hour, 10 Minutes (One Hour + 10 Minutes for discussion, questions)

This discussion will provide an overview of the Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 as the foundation for local government planning. The various components of the planning process and the elements of the comprehensive plan will be examined. Particular emphasis will be given to the major players in the planning process. The powers and duties of the local planning commission, the board of zoning appeals, and the board of architectural review will be explained, as well as their relationship with the zoning and planning staff, the county council, and with each other.

Instructor: Mark Tollison, Esq., Greenville County Attorney and Part-Time Lecturer, Clemson University

Mr. Tollison holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He was a co-author of the Comprehensive Planning Guide for Local Governments.

— 15-MINUTE BREAK —

Segment Length: One Hour, 10 Minutes (One Hour + 10 Minutes for discussion, questions)

Local government planning commissions and boards cannot operate at an optimum if they cannot effectively manage and conduct meetings. This discussion will stress the importance of rules of procedure, bylaws, and their relationship to the conduct of successful planning and zoning commission and board meetings and work sessions. Tips for efficiently managing the agenda will be provided. The roles of the chair, the public, and the staff will be explained. Parliamentary procedure will be discussed, with an emphasis to Robert’s Rules of Order.

Statutory requirements and practical means for conducting public hearings will be explained to ensure that fair hearings are conducted. Requirements of the Freedom of Information Act as they relate to public meetings and public records will be stressed. Emphasis will also be given to pitfalls to avoid in the meeting, hearing and decision-making process so that the local government’s liability and that of its appointed officials and employees are not compromised.

Instructors: M. Clifton Scott, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney, S. C. Association of Counties

Mr. Scott holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Old Dominion University and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is the author of Model Rules of Parliamentary Procedure for South Carolina Counties. Mr. Shetterly holds a Juris Doctor from American University and served as Executive Director of the S.C. Association of Counties for 17 years. He is a regular instructor on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and Public Record Act for the Institute of Government for County Officials.

Segment Length: 40 Minutes (35 Minutes + 5 Minutes for discussion, questions)

Ethics is much more than the law: making ethical decisions and conducting oneself in an ethical matter requires an understanding of what constitutes ethical (and unethical) behavior. This session will provide an overview of the South Carolina Ethics Act and will explore the ethical environment in which planning and zoning officials and employees must function and the standards they are expected to meet. Topics will include a discussion of ethical values and principles, models for resolving ethical dilemmas, and conflicts of interest. Rules of conduct for public employees in South Carolina will be reviewed along with the American Planning Association’s Code of Ethics.

Cathy L. Hazelwood, Assistant Director & General Counsel, South Carolina Ethics Commission

Ms. Hazelwood holds a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.