Board postpones vote on proposed training requirement for Board of Adjustments members

The St. Tammany Parish Board of Adjustments discussed a draft resolution on Feb. 3 to add recurring training requirements for members and voted to postpone the measure until the March meeting so staff can reconcile language about frequency, acceptable outside training, and total hours.

The chair introduced the draft amendment to the Parish Unified Development Code to require board members to complete recurring training. Board members asked whether training could be satisfied by accredited outside providers (for example, Louisiana planning training or American Planning Association conferences) and whether training should be annual or biannual. Planning staff and the director noted the draft contained inconsistent language (yearly vs. biannual) and other edits were suggested; the chair and legal counsel recommended postponing to allow incorporation of director and counsel comments.

A motion to postpone the resolution until March was moved by Mister Swindell and seconded; the board voted and the chair announced, "Motion carries." The board scheduled the next meeting for March 9 at 2 p.m. to consider the revised resolution.

The postponement gives staff time to clarify whether approved outside training sources will count toward the requirement and to finalize language on required hours (the draft discussed a total of four hours over two years).