News

Registration for the Advanced Facilitative Leadership: Navigating Your Way through Conflict workshop is now available

Published on April 6, 2023
Michigan State University Extension is offering the “Advanced Facilitative Leadership: Navigating Your Way through Conflict” workshop June 27-29, 2023, in Okemos, Michigan.
Sustainable living series offered by three land-grant universities

Published on April 3, 2023
Together, experts from all three institutions will help national attendees to help strengthen critical thinking skills related to future actions and decision making with sustainability in mind through this multi-topic series.
Administrative decisions require careful application to ordinance standards: Part 1

Published on March 21, 2023
Base decisions only on explicit standards in the ordinance to avoid a challenge of being unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.
Administrative decisions require careful application to ordinance standards: Part 2

Published on March 21, 2023
Base decisions only on explicit standards in the ordinance to avoid a challenge of being unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.
The importance of your Zoning Board of Appeals

Published on March 17, 2023
Maintaining a properly organized and functioning Zoning Board of Appeals is critical to ensure the integrity of the board’s decisions and to avoid potentially serious and costly legal issues.
Critical training for Zoning Board of Appeals members

Published on March 17, 2023
Acting properly, a community's Zoning Board of Appeals protects the interests of all parties and upholds due process, but when poorly trained, the board can be a serious legal risk to the community.
Accessory dwelling units – Coming to a neighborhood near you?

Published on September 9, 2022
With interest in urban living on the rise, more communities are considering amending local regulations to allow accessory dwelling units in traditional neighborhoods.
New Commissioner School 2022

Published on August 31, 2022
New Hybrid format available. Flexible self-paced learning and in-person discussion.
The inherent value of a charrette: A discussion with Bill Riddick

Published on March 7, 2022
According to author and facilitator Bill Riddick, charrettes offer transformative opportunities for public engagement and policy-change.
Conflict of interest rules apply to all communities, regardless of size

Published on February 24, 2022
Often a small community struggles to avoid a “conflict of interest” situation – particularly hard because of its small size. But there are not any exceptions or special dispensation due to the size of a community.