This training is designed especially for local officials who are involved in both the planning and zoning aspects of local land use. It includes a mix of legislative and hot topic updates in addition to nuts-and-bolts training relevant for newly appointed members of:

• planning commissions
• zoning boards of adjustment
• development review boards
• planning and zoning staff.

This virtual training will take place in two sessions on different days, for a total of five training hours. Can’t attend one or both sessions? Register anyway, and, like the real-time attendees, you will receive an email with the recorded training videos, slide decks, and Q&A responses after both parts of the training are complete.

June 14 – Part One: Planning Focus 9:30 AM – 12 PM

1. Housing Legislation Update
   Ted Brady, VLCT Executive Director, will explain the outcome of the housing legislation (S.100) which stayed in play up to the final days of the 2023 legislative session and what it means for municipalities.
2. Planning Commission Legal Roles and Responsibilities
   Kail Romanoff, VLCT Municipal Assistance Center Staff Attorney I, will provide an overview of the planning commission’s legal roles and responsibilities, including:

• the legal framework and functions of a municipal land use program
• the municipal (town) plan
• the legal parameters for meetings

June 22 – Part Two: Zoning Focus 9:30 AM – 12 PM

1. Regulating Short-Term Rentals (STRs)
   As more towns consider regulating short-term rentals through local zoning bylaws, it is important that they first understand the statutory parameters and also learn from other municipalities’ experiences. David Rugh is a municipal attorney who is generally well versed in the bylaw adoption process and is specifically familiar with short-term rental regulations . He will present an overview of the legal framework and considerations for regulating short-term rentals. We will also hear stories from municipalities that have adopted or are in the process of adopting such regulations. Bring your questions and comments to this timely panel discussion.
   Panelists:
   David Rugh, Esq., Stitzel, Page, & Fletcher P.C.
   Jim Haff, Planner for Killington, VT
   Tabi Freedman, Zoner for Killington, VT
2. The Legal Roles and Responsibilities of Development Review Boards (DRB) and Zoning Boards of Adjustment (ZBA)
   Garrett Baxter, VLCT Municipal Assistance Center Senior Staff Attorney, will review the fundamental role a ZBA/DRB plays in a town’s effective land use program, with a focus on conducting effective hearings and issuing effective decisions.