Requires certain municipal planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to receive environmentally conscious planning training

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Michelle Hinchey says this is needed

Planning and Zoning Boards across the state have an incredible responsi- bility to create the character of a community and ensure it's set up for success well into the future. These boards also play an important role in the state's achievement of the goals set forth in the Climate Leader- ship and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA), as the state cannot meet these goals without the help of local governments. Zoning, plan- ning, and permitting, typically decided by localities and their boards, will help shape New York's regenerative future and determine how we adapt to the effects of climate change over the long term. This work, however, is made more complicated by rapidly changing guidelines and expanding opportunities for state and federal funding and assistance in the climate leadership space. The importance of training for board members has already been estab- lished in statute: over fifteen years ago, the state required four hours of training for planning and zoning board of appeals members to ensure a foundational base of knowledge and background information on the compli- cated workings of permitting and zoning. Serving on a zoning or plan- ning board was known then to require technical expertise and continued education, but the challenges and complexities added by the worsening climate crisis make an updated training necessary. This bill will require all local officials serving on planning boards or zoning boards of appeal to receive at least one hour of environmentally conscious training per year. This continued education will help local planning and zoning boards make environmentally sound decisions to ensure communities are best prepared to respond to climate change's challenges and help guide the state in achieving the goals set forth by the CLCPA.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.