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Membership of zoning appeals board

J

JKopp

Member
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Does anyone have any insight into the preferable makeup of Zoning Appeals Boards? Our city's board is comprised of three city employees (city engineer, city solicitor, employee of housing department.) That has raised questions re: the propriety of their ruling on appeals by other city employees and elected officials notwithstanding whether or not their decisions were impacted by the relationship. It is a public trust and appearance of conflict of interest issue.
 
M

mike gurnee

Cyburbian
Messages
3,066
Points
30
I have seen evidence of staff serving on BZA's--from decades ago. Check your state zoning statutes, they usually proscribe membership criteria. Ask a lawyer other than your solicitor.A board as you describe could serve for administrative hearings, but ought not make final decisions on variances and appeals.

In small towns, staff sometimes has to serve on boards just to keep them going. We should not be on ones that make legallly binding decisions with the public exposure of a BZA however.[/QUOTE]
 
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