Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute

The State Association of Boroughs offers a variety of in-person and online training courses for municipal elected and appointed officials.

IN-PERSON TRAINING:

The Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute (PMPEI) was developed as a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs to provide unique educational services to municipal elected officials and staff.

There are four core courses in the PMPEI Planning and Zoning Course Program. Each is an in-depth 10 hour course taught by two PMPEI Certified Instructors. Participants receive the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a Course Handbook with related information and thumbnail visual aids, and other materials they use for hands-on experience with the course content. All courses are continuously updated to include the latest amendments to the PA Municipalities Planning Code, current state and national trends, and recent court decisions affecting planning and zoning. The courses are:

•           The Course in Community Planning  
•           The Course in Zoning 
•           The Course in Subdivision & Land Development Review 
•           The Course in Zoning Administration

The Delaware County Planning Department periodically hosts one of the in-person course offerings, usually in the spring and fall. Please check back here to see any upcoming course offerings.

Online Training:

PMPEI continues to offer online courses as a precaution to prevent exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus. The sessions below are being offered online.

Building a Strong Planning CommissionLimits to Zoning

Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

A strong and well-organized planning commission is the key to a successful planning program. While MPC Article II provides the authori ty to have a planning commission it offers no guida nce for how to be an effective unit s erving the elected governing body and the community. Using hands-on activities and interactive discussions this course explores the full ra nge of a planning commission's work, how it can be organized to accomplish more of its goals, and what is needed to prepare members to get involved in the group's work.

For questions on registration, contact Dani Baker-Papinchak at dbaker@boroughs.org.

Register for this class at www.myaccount.boroughs.org; click on register for training.

 

The Limits to Zoning

Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Zoning is a powerful tool of local government used in over 2000 Pennsylvania municipalities, but its power is not unlimited. Community expectations for zoning are high but ordinance drafters and administrators must know what the limitations are and the effect they have on a municipality’s zoning program. This course will explore these limitations such as those in the MPC itself, the Police Power, non‐conforming use property rights, and state and federal laws impacting local zoning. This is not a zoning case law update, but it is an interactive discussion of common zoning issues with an opportunity to look at them in the context of the course.

For questions on registration, contact Dani Baker-Papinchak at dbaker@boroughs.org.

Register for this class at www.myaccount.boroughs.org; click on register for training.

 

Managing the Subdivision Review Process

Thursday, February 13, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Subdivision and Land Development ordinances are the most common land use regulation in the commonwealth. For many local planning commissions reviewing development applications takes up most of their meeting time. This course looks at the important work of a commission in managing the review process. The review process is tightly structured by the Municipalities Planning Code and many procedures can easily be misunderstood and create problems for municipal planners and officials. This course examines the complex review process and points out problem areas and how to avoid them. It describes how planning commissions, with project applicants, are engaged in a collaborative process to build the future community. Included in the course are hands-on discussions of problem situations.

For questions on registration, contact Dani Baker-Papinchak at dbaker@boroughs.org.

Register for this class at www.myaccount.boroughs.org; click on register for training.

The Zoning Officer & zoning hearing board

Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Thursday, April 24, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

The MPC states that every municipality that enacts a zoning ordinance shall create a zoning hearing board and it must have an official who handles the day-to-day work of administering the ordinance. This online class will review the job each is responsible for, along with the basic terms used in zoning, special exceptions, variances, nonconformities, notice of violation of the ordinance, plus the basic of the zoning hearing process.

For questions on registration, contact Dani Baker-Papinchak at dbaker@boroughs.org.

Register for this class at www.myaccount.boroughs.org; click on register for training.

For information about these courses and other PMPEI offerings, please visit the PMPEI website.

Questions about a PMPEI workshop? Contact the Planning Department at 610-891-5200 or Planning_Department@co.delaware.pa.us.