[ApaIllinois] APA-IL Chapter Update - September 2011

Tue Sep 20 08:57:36 CDT 2011

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Evanston: Only 19 Days Until the 2011 Conference is Underway!
Registration is winding down! Only 19 more days until the 2011 APA-IL State Conference kicks-off! Are you registered? Have you signed up for mobile workshops? Be sure and tie up any lose ends soon - online registration ends on September 26, 2011 at 11:59 PM CT. Registration rates will increase after September 26th! 

APA President Selected for 
Hunter College's First Robert C. Weaver Distinguished Service Award 
APA President Mitchell Silver, AICP, is the first recipient of Hunter College's Robert C. Weaver Distinguished Service Award through the department of urban affairs and planning. The faculty-created award recognizes individuals who, like the late Dr. Weaver, have made exceptional use of their talents and expertise to shape policies, implement plans, and serve as leaders in the urban professions....read more 

Mr. Kowalski Goes to Washington...APA's Fall Leadership Meeting 
by Rob Kowalski, AICP, APA-IL Chapter President

National APA hosts leadership meetings twice a year. The Spring meetings are held in conjunction with the National Conference and the Fall meetings are held in Washington DC in conjunction with the Federal Program and Policy conference and Planners Day on the Hill. The meetings bring APA and AICP board members, Chapter Presidents, Division leaders and others together to discuss the priorities of the organization and to conduct various business meetings. As Chapter President my primary responsibility is to represent the APA-IL on the Chapter Presidents Council (CPC).  Here are some highlights from this year’s Fall Meeting in Washington DC, September 17th and 18th:

AICP Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT)
On September 17th I participated in the AICP Community Planning Assistance Team workshop in the NoMa (North of Massachusettes Avenue) neighborhood of DC. Modeled as a pro-bono activity the CPAT program brings together professional planners, residents and community leaders to problem solve identified needs of a neighborhood. In the case of NoMA, the problem is a lack of parkspace in this rapidly growing community. Following a...
(read the rest of Rob's column below...) 

September 2011 APA-IL Board Highlights

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2011 APA-IL State Conference, Oct. 5-7, Hilton Orrington/Evanston, Evanston, IL. 
Last day for online registration: September 26, 2011!

Fall AICP exam testing window: November 7-21, 2011. If you would like to apply for an exam scholarship, please email Jamie Simone, AICP, APA-IL's Professional Development Officer at pdo at ilapa.org for more information. 

APA-IL CMS November Event: Law and Ethics Workshop, November 16, 2011. Details TBA.

The APA-IL ISS Spring 2012 Conference will take place on March 22-23, 2012 at the Decatur Conference Center in Decatur, IL. Stephanie Ashe, AICP, the conference coordinator, is looking for a key note speaker, and plans to have  law and ethics sessions. If you have any suggestions on speakers or topics, please email her at SAshe at decaturil.gov.
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES - Sharon Caddigan, AICP 

The fall veto session will begin October 25, 2011. 
Bills we were monitoring, that were still alive at end of the last session, included:

HB1056 – Zoning Decisions – Establishes procedural rules when zoning decisions are under judicial review because of actions taken by affected parties. Passed both Chambers on 5/29; signed by the Governor on August 25 as PA97-0552.
HB1091 – Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation – Allows IDOT and ISTHA to enter into public-private partnerships for the development, financing, and operation of transportation projects through public-private agreements. Passed both Chambers on 5/28; signed by Governor on August 23 as PA97-0502.
HB1730 – Economic Development – This fairly broad bill allows corporate authorities to appropriate and expend funds for economic development purposes. Passed both
Chambers on 5/22/; signed by the Governor on July 11 as PA97-0094.
HB1716 – Freedom of Information Act (FIOA) - Makes changes to the Act concerning
procedures for dealing with "recurrent requesters," commercial requests, and predenial procedures. Probably the most significant provision in the amendment is to eliminate the pre-denial procedures concerning the exemptions for personal privacy and for draft documents. Public bodies will no longer be required to submit pre-denial letters to requesters and the PAC when using these exemptions. Passed both Chambers on 5/31; signed by the Governor on August 28 as PA97-0579.
PLANNING OFFICIALS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE - Michael Blue, FAICP, Chair

Champaign / Urbana September 14
Hoffman Estates September 21
Peoria / Tri County October 13
Franklin Park October 26; 
Collinsville November 9; 
Bloomington November 18; 
Glenview and Lake Zurich – Pending.
ILLINOIS STATE SECTION – Phil Dick, AICP, ISS Director

Five citizen planner workshops are tentatively planned for this year. 

September 14 - Champaign, lorrie.pearson at ci.champaign.il.us, 217-403-8800

October 13 - East Peoria, nhayward at tricountyrpc.org, 309-673-9796 x227

November 5 - Belvidere, wayne.dust at rockfordil.gov, 815-987-5636

November 9 - Collinsville, pellis at columbiaillinois.com, 618-281-7144 x118

November 18 - Bloomington, philip.dick at mcleancountyil.gov, 309-888-5160

To be determined - Carbondale, cwallace at ci.carbondale.il.us, 618-457-3248
STUDENT SECTIONS – Meridith Klekotka, UIC and John Whalen, UIUC, Student Representatives
Summer/Fall 2011 Events

Park(ing) Day, Sept. 16, 2011, UIC

Planners' Writing Exchange Noon Lectures, Sept 28, Oct 12, Nov 9, UIUC

CUPPA Alumni Holiday Party, Dec. 5, 2011, UIC

Mr. Kowalski Goes to Washington--continued
Rob Kowalski, AICP, APA-IL President

...neighborhood tour and short presentations, about 40 participants broken into working groups and vetted ideas for land acquisition and park design concepts. An understanding of the dynamics of the neighborhood from residents was key in the discussions. The purpose of the event was not to forward a preferred alternative but to engage in a dialogue with residents and business leaders that will give them more insight as they pursue their goal. I found the event immensely rewarding and I look forward to visiting the neighborhood in years to come. The one-day CPAT process is a model AICP is looking to establish for Chapters to use. I look forward to seeing how it can be applied in Illinois with our existing Pro Bono efforts.

Lead, Inspire, Innovate!
APA President Mitch Silver spoke to attendees several times during the meetings and hit home his message for members to: "Lead, Inspire and Innovate". These are words you will hear frequently during his term. His presentation, and those of others, emphasized the importance of planners stepping up to be leaders and to refine our message to be concise and meaningful. Particular emphasis was given during the meetings about the need for planners to “tell our story” in a concise and meaningful way so people can understand not only why planning is relevant but crucial for the rebuilding of the economy. This is more important than ever as the profession continues to see attacks from groups, such as the Tea Party and others. Refine your message and tell your elected officials why planning is important. Look for a revised Planners Communication Guide from National to come out soon which will give us the tools to do just that.

Chapter President’s Council
Not much to report on from the CPC this Fall. The Council did recommend approval of APA National’s upcoming budget which remains fairly flat. No National membership dues increases are planned for 2012 but a modest increase is likely for 2013. APA membership is at 40,000 which represents a 10% decrease in recent years.

National Conference
As you know, the 2012 National Conference will be in Los Angeles. The conference organizers presented some new ideas that will add to the flavor of the conference including vending carts (with healthy food options), a photo contest and silent auction. The conference will also feature the full slate of sessions and over 60 mobile workshops. Learn more at planning.org. In 2013 the Illinois Chapter gets to host the National Conference in Chicago (April 13-16). The conference will again be held at the Chicago Hyatt Regency on Wacker Drive along with partnering venues. Efforts are just getting underway by the APA-IL to form a Local Host Committee. This committee is responsible for organizing mobile workshops, hosting social events, providing orientation tours, selling merchandise and more. If you are interested in being a part of the team please email me and let me know.

Volunteer Opportunities
Make a difference by giving back to your planning community.

Kim Porter, new Diversity Committee Chair, is looking for committee members and ideas. Contact Kim for more details.

The ISS is currently looking for Region 3 and 4 Coordinators (Region 3: east-central Illinois, covering Iroquois, Rod, Livingston, McLean, DeWitt, Piatt, Champaign, Vermilion, Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar, and Clark;  Region 4: western-central Illinois, covering Adams, Pike, Brown, Schuyler, Scott, Morgan, Cass, Menard, Sangamon, Logan, De Witt, and Macon counties). The ISS appoints a Regional Coordinator from each IL region to help disseminate information to local planners, commissioners and others about the work of the Illinois Chapter and ISS. Contact Phil Dick, AICP, ISS Director for details.

The CMS is looking to fill the section's position of Secretary. Contact Vijay Gadde, AICP, CMS President if interested.

APA-IL is beginning to form a Local Host Committee for the 2013 APA National Conference in Chicago. This committee is responsible for organizing mobile workshops, hosting social events, providing orientation tours, selling merchandise and more. If you are interested in being a part of the team please contact Chapter President Rob Kowalski, AICP.

2011 BOARD MEETINGS

●  January 7  ●  March 4  ●  May 6 ●  July 8  ●  September 9  ●  November 4 ● 

2012 BOARD MEETINGS

●  January 13  ●  March 2  ●  May 4 ●  July 13  ●  August 24  ●  November 2 ● 
 an archive of previous board minutes can be found at ilapa.org

Calendar of Events
Click here for a full view of the APA-IL Calendar.

2011-2012 APA-IL Board Roster
Click here for a full view of the APA-IL Board Roster.

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