(A) All board, commission, and committee members shall attend at least one annual meeting, to be offered by the city, to review general ethical considerations.
(B) All members the Board of Zoning Appeals, Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and all professional planning employees are subject to additional requirements as follows:
(1) Without exemption each appointed official and professional employee of the city must: (a) attend a minimum of six hours of orientation training within one year after the initial appointment, or hire date; and (b) after the first year of service, attend annually at least three hours of continuing education in an area directly related to the employee's field of expertise or in the case of an appointed official in a field related to their appointed position.
(2) Unless exempted, each appointed official and professional employee with planning and zoning duties must: (a) attend a minimum of six hours of orientation training six months to one year after initial appointment; and (b) annually after the first year of service attend at least three hours of continuing education in an area directly related to current developments in planning and zoning.
(3) Subjects for education programs shall include but shall not be limited to: land use planning, zoning, floodplains, transportation, community facilities, transportation, ethics, public utilities, wireless telecommunication facilities, parliamentary procedure, administrative law, economic development, housing, public building, building construction, land subdivision, and powers and duties of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, or Design Review Board.
(4) A person who attended six hours of orientation training for a prior appointment is exempt from the orientation requirement for a subsequent appointment after a break in service, but must comply with the annual three-hour requirement (S.C. Code § 6-29-1340).
(5) Annual certification of compliance with education requirements shall be filed with the Municipal Clerk in the form prescribed by S.C. Code § 6-29-1360. The form is a public record.
(6) Those appointed officials and professional employees who have one or more of the following qualifications are exempt from the educational requirements:
(a) certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners;
(b) masters or doctorate degree or specialized training or experience in planning or a field related to planning as determined by the advisory committee;
(c) license to practice law in South Carolina. Certification of exemption shall be filed no later than the first anniversary or appointment or employment.
(7) It shall be the responsibility of the city to provide approved educational programs, or provide funding for attendance of approved educational programs provided by others. The City Administrator or Mayor must approve all educational programs.
(Ord. 25-17, passed 9-26-17)