Thank you to everyone who attended our Section Meeting today, especially those new to our section; it was great to see you! For everyone who was unable to attend, we hope you can join us next time. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 13th at noon on Microsoft Teams.
Meeting Highlights
Welcome Chapter President Leah Eppinger!
- Thank you to our Chapter President Leah Eppinger for attending our meeting and learning more about our section’s upcoming events! She shared a few updates for the group:
- Registration is open for the National Planning Conference, held in Denver March 29-April 1 and online April 23-25.
- The Chapter’s 2025 Conference will be held in Harrisburg; details about sessions and proposals will be coming soon.
- An RFP for the new Chapter Website is coming soon, refreshing the site to match the National APA design.
- The Chapter is always looking for volunteers to get involved at the state-level committees, write articles for the newsletter, or share updates. Please feel free to reach out if you are interested.
- If anyone has any questions about APA or planning, feel free to reach out to [email protected]
National Planning Conference
- A big congratulation goes to David Manhardt and his team for being selected as a Session Presenter at the NPC in Denver! He will be speaking on geospatial technologies to support comprehensive planning. Please try and support by attending, either online or in-person!
2025 Section Budget and Workplan
- The Section Council voted to adopt the proposed Section Budget and Workplan for 2025. Highlights include:
- Increased revenue from event registrations; sponsorships for events will be explored as well
- Funding for social mixers and networking events, as well as school outreach
- Launching an AICP scholarship program, reimbursing the cost for AICP Test Registration or Essays
- The budget and workplan can be found on our website at www.apapalvb.org
Berks County Planning Commission
- BCPC is working on many joint comprehensive planning initiatives across the county, including their County Comprehensive Plan update launching later this year
- BCPC will be relocating to a new office this spring; more information to come.
- BCPC shared that the Berks County Smart Growth Alliance will be hosting their next meeting on Wednesday, January 22nd
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
- LVPC and the LVTS adopted the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Plan and Eastern PA Freight Alliance Freight Infrastructure Plan yesterday.
- LVPC will be beginning a 30-day public comment period for a TIP amendment regarding Riverside Drive, opening at the end of the month.
- LVPC will soon be announcing a kick-off event for the Housing and Attainability Strategy. The event details are being finalized, but will likely be held in early February at DeSales University; more information to come.
- LVPC is starting work on the Regional Climate Action Plan, funded by EPA. The first WorkshopLV: Environment meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 22nd, and a public survey is out now to gain public input.
DCED Office of Community Planning
- DCED is asking people to take and share a survey for the PA Housing Action Plan, which will start being developed this year.
- DCED is also asking every County and Municipality to have at least one person complete their survey for the State Land Use and Growth Management Plan, to be completed this year.
Lehigh Valley Consortium of Professional Organizations
- LVCPO will be holding a post-holiday networking event tonight at the Barristers Club.
Professional Development Committee Representative
- PDC’s next Webinar Wednesday will be on February 5th at noon on Climate Change Adaptation Planning in the Great Lakes.
- PDC will soon be announcing the Spring 2025 AICP Exam Prep session; more information to come.
Section Meetings
- The meeting dates for 2025 are listed on our Section’s website.
- New this year, in-person meetings will be held quarterly, with virtual meeting occurring in between. We will try to invite guest speakers and presenters for in-person events, as well as offer light lunch or refreshments.
Education Committee
- Our Education Committee will be starting to explore student engagement opportunities with our local colleges and universities; more to come!
- To find out more or get involved with our Education Committee, please reach out to Chair Molly Wood at [email protected].
Events Committee
- Working with Chris S. and Dave M., the Events Committee is working on planning an Agricultural Panel for CM credits, as well as a community-based Land Planning 101 class to teach the public about what’s involved in planning.
- If anyone has ideas or knows of good speakers for agricultural zoning and land use planning, reach out to [email protected].
- A few other ideas in the works: an Elected Officials Panel, Social Events (coffee, happy hour, etc.), and Local Walks and “Field Trips”
- To find out more or get involved with our Education Committee, please reach out to Chair Samantha McLean at [email protected]
Upcoming Events
- LVCPO Post Holiday Networking – Thursday, January 16 from 5-7 pm
- DCED Municipal Assistance Program Webinar – Wednesday, January 22 at 12pm
- MAPC Webinar: Affordable Housing in the Mid-Atlantic – Thursday, January 30 at 12 PM
- Webinar Wednesday: Climate Change Adaptation Planning – Wednesday, February 5 at 12 PM
To view more events and CM credit opportunities, visit our website at https://apapalvb.org/events/
Employment Opportunities
- Director of Planning and Zoning – City of Bethlehem
- Director of Community Development – City of Reading
- Township Planner/Zoning Officer – North Whitehall Township
- Township Planner – Lower Macungie Township
- Zoning Administrator – City of Reading
- Community and Regional Planner – Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
- RFP Opportunity – City of Bethlehem – Complete Streets Plan/Bike Infrastructure Feasibility Study
To view more job opportunities, visit our website at https://apapalvb.org/jobs/
Yours truly,
Craig
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