Poll: Public sector planners & continuing ed funding

[SGB]

As inspired by El Guapo's lonely splendor.

This is for public sector planners only. (Sorry, laypeople and consultants.)

Just how bad is it out there right now?

My employer will only pay for conferences or training that is either a) in county, or b) paid for by grant administration funds.

I pay my way to anything else, and have to use my own time (vacation or personal) to boot!

 

[Seabishop]

I get something like $60 per year for conferences. Its good for one or two small local things - but not APA conferences 1000 miles away. I think if asked for tuition reimbursement I'd be laughed out of the building. The one big conference I might go to would be paid for through grant money earmarked for that purpose.

 

[Richmond Jake]

I've worked in jurisdictions that have paid all expenses. But my current employer only pays about half.

 

[biscuit]

Right now the city isn't paying for anyone to go to any conferences because of our budget situation. They paid for the Director to go to Denver this year but that's it. They do however have a great tuition reimbursement program and I'm expecting them to pick up a lot of the cost when I go back for my masters in a year or two.

 

[Gedunker]

What funding?

We did go to a Zucker planning workshop when he came nearby and the City picked up 100% of the registration, but no per diem.

It's likely to get worse: this is the third straight year (and fourth out of five) without a raise. All but 7 non-bargaining employees are getting a minimum of $750 or max of $1,000, except the professional planning staff. The total works out to 0.0003% of the municipal budget.

Morale is quite




low.

 

[donk]

I get to go to our local CIP affiliate meetings, plus the CIP conference when it is in our area. Everything is paid for.

i think one of the reasons I am permitted to go is that I sit on teh affilaite's board so a portion of my lodging and travel are covered by someone else.

I am starting the hints that I'd like to go to Washington in the spring. I hope to get work to pay registration, and give me the time off of work. I'd be willing to pay the rest. This is hopefully going to be a none issue as I hope to be out of here by then.

What annoys the hell out of me here is that the Building Inspectors typically go to 2 courses a year, everything paid for, but if I want to go to a conference it is like pulling teeth to get the go ahead.

 

[giff57]

They pay for everything, but it's my budget to manage and there isn't much for travel and such.

 

[NHPlanner]

Other than food, the Town covers all expenses.

 

[Seabishop]

What annoys the hell out of me here is that the Building Inspectors typically go to 2 courses a year, everything paid for, but if I want to go to a conference it is like pulling teeth to get the go ahead.

This is one area where it sucks to be the "young guy" in city hall. No matter how serious you really are, people assume you want to go somewhere just to drink, and party on the beach.

 

[biscuit]

people assume you want to go somewhere just to drink, and party on the beach.

Do you not want to?

 

[nerudite]

My employer pays for all conferences (travel, food, registration, training pay, transit to hotels... the works). I went to two national conferences (APA and CIP) this year. I came back from CIP with a low opinion of what I got out of it compared to what I spent. We probably won't send anyone again to a national CIP conference until it is in Calgary in a few years.

I have a budget request in for Washington, but they may crack down on out of country conferences for middle managers. After going to APA in Denver, my boss is trying to convince the City that US conferences are more bang for the buck, because there is just so much more to learn and bring back with us, which is totally true (sorry canadian planners).

 

[Cardinal]

I have $1000 in training/conferences and another $2800 in travel. Training is interpreted loosely, as it may include an ICSC dealmaking session, which you might argue should come from marketing. Travel includes all work travel for the year, not just conferences. I tend to make several of the in-state functions and one national each year. The travel money is usually the first to run out, so there are several times when I have let work pick up the registration and paid my own travel.

 

[Seabishop]

Do you not want to?

Well, it would be fun to party it up at Cabo Wabo or someplace, but I wouldn't use company/city money to do it. But you know how it is, if one guy in the office gets to go to a conference in Vegas or Miami, everyone else thinks "sure he's at the conference" when he's gone.

 

[Chet]

I have 5 staff that splits a $13,600 training and conferences budget. Basically we each get a national, state, and 2-3 regional events each.

Its on the chopping block though - we have a $700,000 budget shortfall citywide next year. Its not goign to be pretty.

 

[donk]

nerudite observed

my boss is trying to convince the City that US conferences are more bang for the buck, because there is just so much more to learn and bring back with us, which is totally true (sorry canadian planners).

And this one was far better than the PEI conference three years ago.

 

[MD Planner]

I've worked three places and the first one and the current one both pay for conferences. The middle one didn't even send us a Christmas card so conferences were definitely out. My first employer even paid for grad school courses up front! All I had to do was turn in a grade report at the end of the semester with a "B" or better.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

This past year I got 2 multi-day conferences within commuting distance, and am going through some expensive grants training. Next year, probably state APA. No out of state, though. They pay it all, but meal reimbursement is not adequate to eat decently, and may require we stay in a cheaper hotel than the conference hotel, if available.

 

[Cardinal]

This past year I got 2 multi-day conferences within commuting distance, and am going through some expensive grants training. Next year, probably state APA. No out of state, though. They pay it all, but meal reimbursement is not adequate to eat decently, and may require we stay in a cheaper hotel than the conference hotel, if available.

We get the federal per diem rate on meals. In Mauston, Wisconsin, that works out pretty good. In Chicago or San Francisco, forget it. Wine and appetizers usually exceed the allocation before I even got to the entrees. We usually charge meals to the room or credit card in expensive places, and just forget about the per diem.

 

[Mastiff]

I get to make my own budgets...

Since I have dedicated water, sewer & street funds, no one makes comments about my travel and training line items.