VLCT staff members are available to deliver customized on-site workshops in municipal offices across the state. Workshops usually last around two hours and can be delivered in place of a local board or commission's regularly scheduled meeting.
We offer two types of on-site workshops.
Training for Municipal Officials. See list of topics below and click here for more information. On-site workshops cost $800, though members of VLCT PACIF are eligible for a 50 percent reduction.
Training for Local Land Use Boards. The Municipal Education Grant (MEG) Program provides funding for on-site workshops. See list of topics below and click here to view full descriptions of our MEG-eligible workshops). The grant application form and more information is available from the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Affairs.
Additional workshops can also be developed upon request. To discuss a possible workshop, or schedule one listed below, please contact Abigail Friedman or call 800-649-7515.
Municipal Education Grant-eligible On-site Workshops
Core Topics
- Capital Planning and Budgeting
- Conducting Effective Meetings and Hearings
- The Effective Land Use Board [new]
- Effective Zoning Enforcement
- Field Guide to Adopting and Amending the Town Plan and Bylaws
- How to Interpret Development Plans
- How to Make and Write an Effective Land Use Decision
- Managing Conflicts of Interest in Local Land Use Decisions [new]
- Major Types of Development Review
Specific Topics
- Adopting Local Act 250 Review
- Is a Development Review Board Right for Our Town?
- Planning for Ancient Roads – What Every Municipality Should Know
- Should Our Town Adopt On the Record Review?
- Should Our Town Adopt Zoning?
- Understanding Homeowner’s Associations
On-site Workshops for Municipal Officials
- Improving the Relationship Between Independent Officers and the Selectboard
- Roles and Responsibilities of Town Officers
- Conducting Effective Selectboard Meetings
- Conducting Effective Tax Appeal Hearings
- A Field Guide to the Open Meeting Law
- How to Write a Good Hearing Decision
- The Role of the Manager and the Role of the Selectboard
- An Orientation to Local Government for New Selectboard Members
- Leadership and Management Roles of the Selectboard
