Puslinch councillor Susan Fielding is hoping for training for members of the township’s planning advisory committee.
She said the issue was discussed some months ago and, “the belief was that it would be useful not only for the committee, but members of council and staff who would like to learn more and get a handle on making better decisions or recommendations.”
Mayor Dennis Lever said he and Fielding attended a training session in London recently. He added there were two exceptional trainers under contract with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Lever said while Fielding contacted one of those trainers at that time, he had also spoken to one after the presentation.
“I explained to him exactly what we were looking for,” Lever said.
He noted he believes other municipalities might be interested in similar training. He said the trainers tend to offer somewhat generic lessons.
The trainers had asked to think about the idea before coming to council with a proposal.
Wellington County planner Sarah Wilhelm indicated she would be interested in putting something together as well. The difference between the two approaches, Lever said, is one might be very generic regarding the Planning Act and its process. The other would be customized to the way local councils actually implement the Planning Act.
He believes there are positives and negatives to both approaches and he suggested waiting until hearing from the AMO trainers, at which point council could chose to utilize both, or work with Wilhelm.
Lever said he has already spoken with Wellington County’s director of planning Gary Cousins, who also supports that strategy.
Lever said while it may take some time to develop, he thinks local municipal representatives and committee members do need something for training.
Fielding added “this is an area where people do not feel confident. I’m a life-long learner, and I think it’s good we can all learn more.”
