BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Bay Minette city planners recently headed to Mobile to attend a series of classes that should prove helpful in carrying out their duties.

Bay Minette Mayor Jamie Tillery, along with Bay  Minette City Councilman John Biggs, Bay Minette Planning Commission Chairperson Karmen Still and city planners Todd Stewart, A.C. Ulmer, John Peavy and Kathy Smith attended classes with Certified Alabama Planning and Zoning on June 10 and 11 with the final class held last Friday.

The city paid $79 per person, per class for four classes and $159 per person, per class for one course, according to Certified Alabama registration information provided by the Bay Minette Building Department.

Classes that city planners attended focused on legal foundations; powers, duties and responsibilities; comprehensive planning; basic zoning and subdivision regulations; and meeting management, according to information provided by the Bay Minette Building Department.

Peavy said courses were mainly about “planning for your comprehensive report for projected growth involving infrastructure and utilities.”

“The city has comprehensive plans through 2020 and 2030,” he said. “It’s about projected growth and how it will affect things like needing new streets, new utilities, new parks.”

Peavy explained that much of the course time was spent on zoning regulations, since the main function of the Bay Minette Planning Commission is to review site plans.

“We have guidelines for the city,” he said. “If  we approve a subdivision, we have to maintain roads, drainage, be sure everyone has permits.”

According to Peavy, attending the workshops provided city planners with the necessary skills to fulfill their duties.

“(The training is to) try to keep us on the right path,” he said. “That way, we won’t make decisions that will be a detriment to us down the road.”

Peavy pointed out that among important lessons learned were those that came from the management-training class.

“It told us to read, prepare and research, like go out to look at property,” he said, "”nt get to the meeting and then start looking — (to) keep it professional.”

In addition to traveling to Mobile, city planners also took a home-study class in ethics, and will take an additional course at a cost of $139 per person, Peavy explained.