Kurt H. Schindler
About
Kurt H. Schindler is the Regional Land Use Educator for northwest and west central lower peninsula of Michigan and also co-chair of the MSU Extension Land Use Team. From 1999 to 2007 he was County Extension Director for Michigan State University's Extension office in Wexford County.  He specializes in land use and water quality aspects of community development within Extension.  Currently he is co-chair of the MSU Extension Land Use team. Schindler has been a practicing planner in Michigan for over 20 years.  As a county planner he was responsible for development of county comprehensive plans, land use, economic development, solid waste management, transportation, recreation, facility plans, and more.  He has been instrumental in development of a county-wide geographic information system (GIS), development and implementation of county wide addressing system (for 9-1-1), Renaissance [tax free] zones, numerous park acquisitions and developments, construction of a new county jail, new road construction, prepared environmental assessments for public projects, overseeing and negotiation of landfill expansion, soil erosion inspection, technical grantsmanship, zoning and planning assistance to municipalities.  Mr. Schindler also owned his own planning and zoning consulting firm providing services to city and township governments, expert witness services, and zoning administration.
He has served as president of the Michigan Society of Planning (formerly MSPO), the state’s premiere professional planning organization.  He now serves on their Education Committee.  Schindler is a charter a member of Improving Michigan Access to Geographic Information Network (IMAGIN) was is a former member of the IMAGIN board of directors, and was formerly a governor appointed member of the Michigan Resource Inventory Advisory Committee to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.  He has also served on legislative advisory committees on the subdivision control act, Great Lakes setbacks for protection from high risk erosion, state natural rivers, and GIS.  He has been active with the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments’ Planners Review and Advisory Committee, Betsie River Wild and Scenic River Review Board, and a founding member of the Points Betsie to Sable Conservancy, Inc.  He is currently a member of the township planning commission where he lives in the Manistee National Forest. 
Schindler has been published on groundwater protection, comparison of New Zealand and Michigan land use and environmental laws, oil and gas regulation, land use, planning and economic development, open meeting act for planning commissions, a sample zoning administrator office manual, regulatory takings, preparing minutes, avoiding regulatory takings, and dealing with accumulated junk. 
Schindler is a graduate of Michigan State University (BA) with studies in journalism and geography (cartography).  He has continuing education in computer sciences, GIS, jurisdictional delineation of wetlands, and soil erosion.  He graduated from Cass Tech High School in Detroit. 
Other interests include photography, ornithology, books and book collecting, canoeing, forest management and gardening. 
More Detail:

Experience:
  • Economic development, successful Michigan Renaissance Zone (tax-free economic development area) applicant; 
  • land use mapping and planning; resource inventory mapping, operation and management of a Geographic Information System (G.I.S.); 
  • solid waste management and planning; 
  • technical assistance to municipalities in zoning and other ordinance writing, zoning administration, community planning, land use planning, grantsmanship; 
  • recreation planning; 
  • plan for and oversaw construction of new jail and sheriff's department; 
  • transportation planning; 
  • administration of a county wide house numbering (address) system; 
  • soil erosion administration; 
  • computer skills; 
  • staff recommendations for planning reviews, capital improvement planning, open space and farmland preservation application reviews, administration of a county subdivision control ordinance; 
  • public relations; 
  • office administration, budget.

Work History:
  • County Extension Director, Michigan State University Extension, Wexford County; with an Area of Expertise in Land Use, Water Quality.  March 29, 1999 to present.
  • Director of Planning, Manistee County Planning Department, employed by the Manistee County Planning Commission, October 13, 1978 to March 26, 1999:
  • Self Employed off and on from August 1986 to present as consulting planner with Kurt H. Schindler Consultants, Inc.
  • Reporter, photographer; Manistee News-Advocate, June 1976-October 13, 1978; summer 1995.

Organizational Activities: 
  • vice chair, Norman Township Planning Commission, April 1999-present.
  • City of Cadillac Wellhead Protection Committee 1999-present.
  • City of Cadillac/Cadillac Rotary Clam River Greenway Committee, 1999-present.
  • Michigan Society of Planning board of directors (formerly MSPO), 1987-1993 (president 1991-1992 (former treasurer/secretary, vice president), member of Education Committee 1999-present; 
  • charter member of Improving Michigan Access to Geographic Information Network (IMAGIN), former member of the IMAGIN board of directors 1993-2001; 
  • Senator Vernon J. Ehlers' G.I.S. Legislation Advisory Committee, May 1992-1993; 
  • Michigan DNR Ad Hoc Committee on the Great Lakes Shorelands High Risk Erosion Area Rules (Feb.- June 1991); 
  • Points Betsie to Sable Conservancy, Inc. (founder, Treasurer) 1990-1994); 
  • Michigan Department of Commerce Task Force on Subdivision Control Act; 
  • Inventory Advisory Committee to the Natural Resources Commission (a Governor appointment) Aug. 1985-1993; 
  • Betsie River Wild and Scenic River Review Board (co- chair) January 1979-present; 
  • Northwest Michigan Council of Government's Planners Review and Advisory Committee (Vice Chairman, Chairman) October 1978-1999).

Publications: 
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; Genschaw, Sara; Wood, Robert; "How to Deal With Accumulated Junk;" Planning & Zoning News; Vol. 19, No. 9.; July 2001; pp. 5-14.
  • Schindler, Kurt H. and Galvin, Joseph; "How To Avoid Regulatory Takings;" Planning & Zoning News; Vol.. 19, No. 1; November 2000; pp. 13-16.
  • Schindler, Kurt H. and Judge Corwin, Charles D.; "How to Take Minutes for Administrative Decisions;" Planning & Zoning News; Vol. 18, No. 3; January 2000; pp.5-9.
  • Schindler, Kurt H. and Wilson, Richard; Model Zoning Administrator Office Manual, March 1985 (privately published), updated May 1995 Manistee County Planning Department, updated/rewritten as an MSU Extension pamphlet 1999.
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; Manistee County Site Plan Review for Groundwater Protection; Manistee County Planning Department; May 1995.
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; "Lessons from New Zealand's Land-Use Laws" Land Use Law & Zoning Digest; American Planning Association; August 1994, Vol. 46 No. 8 p2+. 
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; "Planning and Development Regulation in New Zealand Contrasted to Michigan" Planning & Zoning News; June 1994, Vol. 12 No. 8, p. 5+.
  • Schindler, Kurt H. and Williams, Kristine; "Regulation of Oil & Gas Activities in Michigan" Planning & Zoning News, June 1988, Vol. 6 No. 8, p. 4+.
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; "Manistee Works With Land Use" Michigan Planner , APA/MSPO, Summer 1985, Vol. 5 No. 3, p. 11+.
  • Schindler, Kurt H.; "Organizing for Planning and Economic Development" Planning & Zoning News, January 1985 Vol. 3 No. 3, p. 6+.
  • Several other articles on running a meeting and the open meeting act for planning commissions.

Other interests: 

 photography; ornithology; books; printing; seamanship; genealogical research; cross country ski; forest management; Master Gardener.

Schindler home ; About Schindler ; Links . (home stuff)


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