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APA Utah Fall Conference Speaker

Wilf Sommerkorn

Deputy Executive Director
Utah Land Use Institute

Wilf Sommerkorn retired as the Director of Regional Planning and Transportation for Salt Lake County in 2019, where he served from 2014. Prior to that, he was Salt Lake City Planning Director from 2008 to 2014, and Director of the Davis County Community & Economic Development Department for 14 years prior to that. He was a planner in various positions with that Department from 1981. Wilf has also served as the Community Development Director for Centerville City, and as an adjunct professor of urban planning at the University of Utah, where he taught a class in The Politics of Planning, something every planner should know! Wilf has served as Legislative Chair for the Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association since 1990, where he has had a role in writing the state codes regarding land use. He was President of the APA Utah Chapter from 1986 to 1988. Wilf holds a BS in Physical Geography and Geology from the University of Utah, and an MS in Urban Planning from the University of Tennessee. Wilf now works with the non-profit Utah Land Use Institute as Deputy Executive Director, and also does planning consulting work through his firm, Sommerkorn Consulting. He is currently serving on the Kaysville City Planning Commission.

Session(s):

Handle with Care: Planning Commission Meeting Management »

2023 Fall Conference, September 29, 2023 2:40 pm

Planning Commission's are a vital piece of orderly development within your community. From public hearings vs. public meetings to administrative vs. legislative decision-making—join us in discussing strategies and stories that highlight how to best manage your meetings and ensure efficiency and consistency in your process.

It Ain’t Over Yet: More Changes Coming from the State Legislature »

2023 Fall Conference, September 29, 2023 1:30 pm

Zoning reform as a way to deal with the housing affordability crisis has been the emphasis of the state legislature for the last couple of years, and it looks like it will continue, certainly for next year’s session. What might we have to look forward to?

APA Utah and Idaho's legislative chairs Wilf Sommerkorn, Scott Hess, and Jonathan Spendlove will be joined by ULCT's Legal Director Jared Tingey and Policy Director, Karson Eilers for a panel discussion on the possible changes to the land use code for next year.

Land Use Jeopardy »

2023 Fall Conference, September 29, 2023 11:10 am

Pick a topic, any topic, and learn about the planning principles involved, related court cases, and best practices from the state’s ombudsman and two “experienced” planners.

Annexation/De-Annexation »

2023 Spring Conference, May 12, 2023 10:15 am

In all our discussions about planning for and managing growth, we don’t often talk about the process by which cities actually grow in area – annexation of new land into the city’s boundaries. Utah state code has an entire section dealing with this topic, and it is … a mess! Over the years, competing interests have jostled back and forth over how annexations should be allowed to work, and the result is what wee have in state code today. It needs an overhaul. Fortunately, there has been an effort underway since last year to do just that, and it appears that the next legislative session may be the time. In the meanwhile, in this session, we’ll talk about some of the processes required for annexation that must be followed today, and maybe what they should be. And particularly, how should areas just outside of current city boundaries be treated, because these areas are often the sites of significant new growth.

Legislative Update »

2023 Spring Conference, May 12, 2023 8:15 am

We’re calling it the Year of the Planner, or maybe the Planners Full Employment Acts. So much happened during this year’s legislative session regarding land use, planning and housing. We will recap the bills that were passed by the legislature this year and talk about what it will require of local officials and staff to comply with all the new requirements. We’ll also talk about some of the implications of these legislative actions, and what to maybe expect in the future.

= Keynote

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