Discuss American Planning Association AICP Exam Topic 2 Question 41

Scenario

An oil company is interested in building a refinery on several thousand acres of waterfront property that the company owns. The general plan classifies this area as recreational and residential. The oil company files a re-zoning application to change this area to a heavy industrial classification. The planning director opposes the rezoning amendment stating that the scenic area is a valuable natural resource. Assume that the planning agency acted legally in all respects (proper notice, etc.). However, the county commissioners approve the amendment.

A group of residents who live near the proposed refinery site take the case to court and subpoena the planning director to testify. The planning director provides some information to the citizens' group as they prepare their case and also testifies truthfully in court about the value of the property to the community. Under the AICP Code of Ethics, all the following are true about the behavior of the planning director EXCEPT:

AThe director was acting in an ethically responsible manner in trying to protect the integrity of the natural environment.

BThe director should not have testified in court. The Code of Ethics requires planners to accept the decisions of their employers.

CThe director served the public interest by providing information to citizens preparing their case.

DThe director exhibited a concern for the long-range consequences of the proposed land use changes.

Suggested Answer: B

See Ethical Principle 1, Rules of Conduct 1 and 25. Members of AICP must comply with the law.

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15 comments · newest first

Margery 11 months ago

The director definitely served the public interest by speaking up!

Fabiola 11 months ago

Isn't it questionable for the director to testify against their employer?

Corazon 12 months ago

Wow, I can't believe the county commissioners approved that!

Kami 12 months ago

I disagree, the director should follow the employer's decisions.

Gertude 12 months ago

The planning director was right to protect the environment!

Oretha 1 year ago

This scenario reminds me of a similar practice question we had about planners balancing public interest and employer directives. I wonder if that applies here too.

Anjelica 1 year ago

I think the director's concern for the environment aligns with ethical responsibilities, but I’m not clear if testifying in court is a breach of ethics.

Oneida 1 year ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like the Code of Ethics might have some guidelines about accepting employer decisions. Could that be why option B seems questionable?

Junita 1 year ago

I remember discussing the importance of planners serving the public interest, so I think the director's actions in providing information were justified.

Cory 1 year ago

This seems straightforward enough. Setting the "is Extensible" property to false and creating a new enum for MUV should do the trick. I'm pretty confident this solution meets the requirements.

Chau 1 year ago

This is a tricky one. I'll need to think carefully about the company's policies and the potential consequences of each action.

Ming 1 year ago

I've got this! Enabling snapshots, deploying services securely, and using VPNs for remote access - that should cover the main points.

Olen 1 year ago

I think entity services are designed first because they focus on the core business logic, but I'm not completely sure.

Gene 1 year ago

I'm not totally sure, but I'm going to give it my best shot. Eliminating the options that don't seem to fit the description is a good place to start.

Tegan 1 year ago

I've got a hunch on this one. I'm leaning towards option C, but I'll double-check my understanding to make sure.

American Planning Association AICP Exam - Topic 2 Question 41 Discussion