SC Appalachian Council of Governments

Planning Officials Education and Trainings

The State of South Carolina requires that all planning commission members, board of architectural review board members, board of zoning appeals members and all staff that deal with zoning and/ or planning functions attend an initial six hour orientation upon appointment and three hours of annual continuing education training for the length of their service.

The six hour orientation must be taken within 365 days of the member’s appointment to the board or the hiring date of the staff member. The six hour course covers roles and responsibilities of each board, ethics, planning law, planning tools, and how to conduct effective meetings.

After the completion of the orientation, the board members and staff members must attend a three hour continuing education training annually. The continuing education topics must be planning and/or zoning related and be approved by the state advisory board. Topics cover a wide range of planning topics including comprehensive planning, regulatory tools, planning administration strategies, and planning law and ethics to name just a few.

ACOG Planning staff members have been approved as facilitators by the State Planning Education Advisory Committee. Orientation classes are offered twice a year at the ACOG offices. A wide variety of continuing education topics are offered at the ACOG once a month and at least once a year in each county. Orientation is $25 per person and continuing education is $25 if held at the ACOG and $35 if held outside the ACOG.

Please contact Jennifer Vissage for more information or see the schedule for upcoming trainings.