Attend the Planning Directors’ Roundtable Videoconference, September 24, 2020

Please join the Maryland Department of Planning’s fall Planning Directors Roundtable videoconference on September 24 from 10:00 to noon to learn about some of the initiatives the department is working on and share your experiences of local planning during a pandemic.  Join Secretary McCord, Assistant Secretary Lazdins, and other Planning staff to discuss the following topics: 

Land Preservation, Parks & Recreation Plan Guidelines  

The updating of county Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plans (LPPRPs) is beginning now. The Departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Planning have updated guidelines to assist counties, in coordination with municipalities, in the preparation of new LPPRPs. Andrew Mengel from DNR will review the guidance document and new tools that you can use in updating your new LPPRP. DNR and Planning staff will be available for any questions.

Rethinking Maryland’s Growth Model Tools  

Chuck Boyd, Director of Planning Coordination, and Al Sundara, Projections and State Data Center Manager, will share our new approach to providing growth monitoring and development capacity tools to local governments, which integrates national, regional, state, and local information. We will be looking for your input in how we can include as much information collected at the local level as possible.   

Housing Element Models and Guidelines   

Planning has published its new online Housing Element Models and Guidelines (M&G) to assist local governments comply with the 2019 HB 1045 legislation that mandates the inclusion of a housing element in all new or updated Maryland comprehensive plans.  Joe Griffiths, Local Assistance and Training Manager will walk you through the major components of the M&G and get your suggestions on how to improve the website.

Local Planning Best Practices During a Pandemic   

Learn about the strategies and technologies Maryland jurisdictions are using to communicate with their residents and engage them in planning activities and public meetings in the age of social distancing. If you would like to be a part of the presentation and share the successes and lessons learned of your jurisdiction, please contact Joe Griffiths at joseph.griffiths@maryland.gov or Joe Rogers at joseph.rogers@maryland.gov by September 15.  

Please register at our GoToWebinar web page.  Please forward this invitation to other planning professionals or citizen planners who may be interested in joining the roundtable discussion.  All participants must register.  This is a video conference, so we encourage you to join the video conference using your computer. 

To learn more, contact Joe Griffiths, Manager, Local Assistance and Training at Planning: (410) 767-4553 or joseph.griffiths@maryland.gov.