PMPEI
The Pennsylvania Municipal
Planning Education Institute
2011
Pennsylvania Municipal Planning
Education Institute [PMPEI]
• An educational collaboration of Penn State
Cooperative Extension and the Pennsylvania
Chapter of the American Planning Association
• The Institute was created in 1992
• Administrative assistance is provided by the PA
State Association of Boroughs
The PMPEI Mission
• The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal
Planning Education Institute is to educate local
and county planning, zoning, and elected
officials to do the best job for the people who
live and work in their community.
There are about
10,000 planning commissioners
7,500 zoning board members
1,000 zoning administrators
Every year about 15-25%
are new in their position
PMPEI in 2010
25 courses
17 counties
573 participants
5,730 hours of instruction
The PMPEI
Planning & Zoning Course Program
Currently 4 courses* -
♦ The Course in Community Planning
♦ The Course in Zoning
♦ The Course in Zoning Administration
♦ The Course in Subdivision & Land
Development Review
* A new 2-session “Course in the Official Map” is in development
PMPEI Course features
♦ In-depth instruction in topic
♦ 10-hour courses; 3 sessions*
♦ Based on municipal authority in the
Municipalities Planning Code
♦ Varied: lecture, discussion, exercises
♦ Limited class size: 20-30
♦ Informal, interactive, cooperative
environment for learning
•most common format
PMPEI Course features
♦ Taught by 2 PMPEI “Certified
Instructors”
♦ Instructors have minimum 5 yrs
experience in subject
♦ All instructors take a “Train-the-Trainer
program
♦ Instructors are compensated
PMPEI Course Contents
The Course in Community Planning
TOPICS
♦ The Municipalities Planning Code
♦ Planning Agencies
♦ Comprehensive Planning
♦ Planning Implementation
♦ How to Have an Effective Planning
Commission
The Course in Community Planning
In 2010 a new teaching
component was added to the
course to highlight how to
integrate Marcellus Shale
natural gas development into
the comprehensive planning
process.
Instruction in the basics of this
new land use and exercises to
practice comprehensive
planning were added.
The Course in Zoning
TOPICS
▪ Zoning in Pennsylvania
▪ The Authority to Zone
▪ Drafting the Zoning Ordinance: 1
▪ Drafting the Zoning Ordinance: 2
▪ Ordinance Enactment & Amendment
▪ Administering the Zoning Ordinance
▪ Monitoring Your Zoning Ordinance
The Course in Subdivision &
Land Development Review
TOPICS
♦ A Planning Approach to
Subdivision & Land Development
♦ Rationale for Regulation
♦ Overview of the Review Process
♦ Agency Reviews and Information Sources
♦ “Red-Penciling” a Plan
♦ Project Design Standards
♦ Between Preliminary and Final Plan Approval
♦ Better Project Design
The Course in Zoning Administration
TOPICS
▪ The Foundations of Zoning
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Basic Zoning Terms
The Zoning Administration Team
The Zoning Officer & Enforcement
The Zoning Hearing Board
Variances
Special Exceptions, Nonconformities
& Others
▪ The Zoning Hearing Process
▪ Mock Zoning Hearing
PMPEI Train-the-Trainer
PMPEI Train-the-Trainer
To maintain statewide uniformity of
instruction all instructors take an
intensive “train-the-trainer” program.
▪ In-depth review of course content
• Practice “team teaching”
• Learn key ideas of adult education
• Learn from experienced instructors
PMPEI Instructors
There are 54 Certified Instructors statewide38 Planners
5 zoning administrators
4 practicing attorneys
3 municipal managers
4 “other”
PMPEI Continuing Education
PMPEI Continuing Education
All PMPEI courses are accepted for continuing education
credit by-
▪ Penn State University
▪ PA Continuing Legal Education Board
▪ State Bd of Certified Real Estate App.
▪ State Real Estate Commission
▪ State Registration Bd for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors & Geologists
[1 CEU]
[9 cr.]
[10 cr.]
[10 cr.]
[10 cr.]
“Master Planner” Certificate Programs
• Three counties—Berks,Chester, and Lycoming—
have set up “Master Planner” certificate
programs
• Participants take 3 PMPEI courses over 2 yrs
• They earn a certificate of recognition for their
achievement; Berks County holds an annual
induction dinner
• In Berks County there are 2 program sponsors;
Chester County has 4 sponsors; Lycoming has 5
Information
There are several sources of information about
PMPEI and courses:
ECD
www.economicdevelopment.psu.edu
PSAB
www.classes.boroughs.org
PA APA www.planningpa.org
PMPEI http://cax.psu.edu/pmpei/