Advanced Training Agenda

8:30 a.m.	Sign-in and Coffee
9:00-9:15	Welcome & Instructions Bruce Hyde, UConn CLEAR, Land Use Academy Director About Bruce Hyde University of Connecticut, Land Use Academy Director, Land Use Educator bruce.hyde@uconn.edu 860-345-5229 Bruce Hyde is an AICP certified planner who has worked in the planning field for over 30 years. He has served in a wide variety of positions including city planner, regional planner, private sector consultant and local planning commissioner.
9:15-10:45	Bias, Pre-disposition (predetermination) and Conflicts (click for details) This section will cover the following: How bias and conflicts are defined Ex-Parte communications Appearance and representation by Commission members Financial or other interests Relatives Conduct during the meeting Recusal Instructor: Robin Messier Pearson, Shipman, Sosensky & Marks, LLC About Robin Messier Pearson Attorney at Law, Shipman, Sosensky & Marks, LLC rpearson@shipso.com 860-606-1706 Robin Messier Pearson, Esq. practices land use law, including zoning and environmental matters. She is a frequent lecturer on various land use topics and is a prior Editor of the Connecticut Real Estate Law Journal. She is a graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut (B.A., with Honors, 1973) and the University of Connecticut (J.D., 1980). She joined the firm of Levy & Droney, P.C. in 1981 becoming a principal in 1986. Ms. Pearson is currently a partner at Shipman, Sosensky & Marks, LLC. Ms. Pearson is a past Chairperson (1991-1994) and current member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Planning and Zoning Section. She served on the 1999/2000 State of Connecticut Blue Ribbon Commission to Study Affordable Housing. She is a past President of The Real Estate Exchange, a statewide membership organization of professionals within the commercial real estate industry. She was admitted as a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers in 2006 and has been rated one of the best land use attorneys in Connecticut by New York Magazine, Connecticut Super Lawyers® Magazine and the Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Pearson has been active in several civic and charitable organizations. She served on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Ballet (1985-1997) and as President from 1993-1995. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce from 1985-1995, serving as legal counsel from 1992-1995. She was president of the West Hartford Women’s Soccer League from 1996-1998. She resides in East Hartford. Ms. Pearson is admitted to the Connecticut bar and the United States District Court, District of Connecticut. Ms. Pearson is a member of the Hartford County, Connecticut and American Bar Associations. Ms. Pearson is “AV” Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory.
10:45-11:00	Break
11:00-12:30	Conditions & Modification (click for details) This section will cover the following: Limits on use of conditions Variances Special Permits/Exceptions Off-site improvements Construction of public improvements Bonds Parking (reductions, waivers, shared) Open space requirements Payments in lieu Instructors: Kenneth R. Slater, Jr., Halloran & Sage, LLP, Connecticut Bar Association About Kenneth R. Slater, Jr. Partner, Halloran & Sage, LLP Member, Planning and Zoning Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association slater@halloran-sage.com 860-297-4662 Kenneth Slater practices primarily in the areas of land use and environmental law. Mr. Slater has extensive experience in land use matters, and he is frequently consulted to prosecute and defend administrative appeals to the Superior Court regarding the issuance or denial of zoning, planning and wetland permit approvals and enforcement matters. He also regularly serves as counsel to municipalities in land use matters. He is also experienced in complex land use matters involving constitutional and environmental claims and statutory remedies. He also has significant experience in environmental law matters. He routinely represents current and former owners of real property regarding legal issues relating to transfer or remediation of contaminated properties and in the prosecution and defense of environmental cost recovery actions. He advises businesses, property owners, municipalities and individuals regarding environmental regulation, permitting and enforcement. He appears regularly before federal and state environmental regulatory and siting agencies and federal and state courts regarding environmental matters. He served as lead counsel in several appeals to the Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Courts involving important issues in land use law. He also lectures on a variety of environmental and land use law topics.
12:30-1:15	Lunch
1:15-3:00	Running a Meeting & Making a Decision (click for details) This section will cover the following: Pre-application meetings Keeping control of the meeting (who speaks, when, hostile crowd control, etc.) Voting by commissioner who misses a meeting Seating alternates Running a public hearing Evaluation of evidence 22a-19 Environmental interventions Standards and criteria Proper motions Findings Keeping the record What to do with reports (IWWC, traffic, CTDEP, neighboring towns, RPAs, consultants, etc.) Instructor: Mark Branse, Branse, Willis and Knapp, LLC, CT Bar Association About Mark Branse Attorney at Law, Branse, Willis & Knapp, LLC MBranse@bransewillis.com 860-659-3735 Mark Branse is an attorney practicing law in Glastonbury where he is Senior Partner in the Law Firm of Branse, Willis & Knapp, LLC. Mr. Branse was a former planning director, holding a Masters Degree in government from the Fels Institute of Local and State Government., Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also a former member of the Glastonbury Town and Planning and Zoning Commission and also a former member of the Glastonbury Redevelopment Agency. Mr. Branse provides or has provided, representation and/or legal consultation to land use agencies in more than two dozen municipalities and has represented applicants and neighborhood associations in more than seventy towns. He is currently Town Attorney of Griswold and Scotland, as well as Special Land Use or Planning Counsels of Andover, Canterbury, Eastford, East Haddam, Middlefield, Montville, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook and Willington. Mr. Branse is a past Chairman and Secretary of the Planning & Zoning Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, and a current member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Branse is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Land Use Academy.
3:00	End