Holding Effective Public Meetings
What are the most important things a planning commission or planning staff can do in order to hold an effective public meeting or hearing? Results from our survey.
Making Meetings Work
Running productive, civil meetings can sometimes be a challenge — but it's essential if the planning commission is going to be effective. These articles and postings focus on meeting management and how to deal with contentious public hearings.
Continue to older articles & posts — or return to newer ones — where you see the green buttons at the bottom of the page.
Most Recent Articles
Frequency & Duration of Planning Commission Meetings
We meet too often! We don’t meet often enough! Our meetings are too long! No, they’re too short! See what our survey respondents told us.
A Backward Glance … A Forward Look
In her final column after a 23 year stint writing for the Planning Commissioners Journal and PlannersWeb, Elaine Cogan takes a look back … and forward … at what’s changed, and what has not.
How to Facilitate a Meeting Successfully — A Baker’s Dozen Tips
Thirteen tips on how you can become an effective meeting facilitator — from long-time meeting facilitator Elaine Cogan.
Ten Things You Should Know About Project Opponents
In the old days, most people thought you could not fight progress or City Hall. But after 20 years of high-profile development fights all over the country, every man and woman now believes they can fight back and win.
Ten Things You Should Know About Project Applicants
This week, Patrick Fox considers ten important things you should know about project applicants. On Wednesday he’ll return with a look at what you should know about project opponents.
Are Your Procedures Fair?
Greg Dale explores why fairness may require more than the legal minimum.
Does Your Planning Commission Have Bad Apples? – Part 1
“One Bad Apple can spoil the barrel.” Just as in any other group, planning commissions can have their share of Bad Apples, whose unaddressed behavior can range from a breach of basic courtesy to violations of ethics and, in extreme situations, even criminal actions.
“Ma’am, We’re Here for You.”
Just who does the planning commission serve? — Applicants? Citizens opposing a project? The “public”? We resume our ethics & the planning commission series with a look at this question.
Open Meeting Laws – Part 2: Avoiding Open Meeting Law Violations
Attorney Alan C. Weinstein provides an overview of how to avoid violating Open Meetings laws — including situations that are particularly troublesome: meetings in executive session, site-visits, “informal” meetings with staff, and electronic communications.
Open Meeting Laws – Part 1: An Overview
An introduction to the goals and structure of open meeting laws — including a look at the key question: what constitutes a “meeting”?
Can a Planning Board Be Too Organized?
Yes, planning your agendas and having structure to meetings are both important. But there’s also often good reason to have some flexibility in how you run your planning commission meetings.
Planner and Commissioner — The Relationship Between Staff & Commissioners
Our series wraps up, as our seven participants point to ways of strengthening the relationship between staff planners and planning commissioners.
