§ 8. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT  


Latest version.
  • 1.

    Establishment and membership of the board of adjustment. A board of adjustment is hereby established. The board shall consist of five (5) members, each to be appointed for a term of three (3) years by the city commission. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term of any member whose term becomes vacant. Each member may be removed for cause by the appointing authority upon written charges and after a public hearing.

    2.

    Meetings, procedure and records. Meetings of the board shall be held at the call of the chairman and at such other times as the board may determine. Such chairman, or in his absence the acting chairman, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. All meetings of the board shall be open to the public.

    The board shall adopt and publish its own rules of procedure and keep minutes of its proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question, or, if absent and failing to vote, indicating such fact, and shall keep records of its examinations and of other official actions, all of which shall be immediately filed in the office of the board and shall be a public record.

    3.

    Appeals. An appeal shall be taken within a reasonable time, as provided by the rules of the board, by filing with the officer from whom the appeal is taken and with the board of adjustment a notice of appeal specifying the grounds thereof.

    The officer from whom the appeal is taken shall transmit forthwith to the board all papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed was taken. An appeal stays all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the officer from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the board of adjustment after the notice of appeal shall have been filed with him, that by reason of facts stated in the certificate a stay would, in his opinion, cause imminent peril to life or property. In such case, proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order which may be granted by the board of adjustment or by a court of record on application, on notice to the officer from whom the appeal is taken and on due cause shown.

    4.

    Hearing. The board of adjustment shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing of the appeal, give public notice thereof, as well as due notice to the parties in interest, and decide the same within a reasonable time. Upon the hearing any party may appear in person or by agent or by attorney.

    5.

    Powers and duties. The board of adjustment shall have the following powers and duties:

    a.

    to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by an administrative official in the enforcement of this article or of any ordinance adopted pursuant thereto;

    b.

    to hear and decide special exceptions to the terms of the ordinance upon which such board is required to pass under such ordinance;

    c.

    to authorize upon appeal in specific cases such variance from the terms of the ordinance as will not be contrary to the public interest where, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship, and so that the spirit of the ordinance shall be observed and substantial justice done. In exercising the above mentioned powers, such board may, in conformance with the provisions of this article, reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirement, decision or determination appealed from and may make such order, requirement, decision or determination as ought to be made, and to that end, shall have all the powers of the officer from whom the appeal is taken. The concurring vote of four (4) members of the board shall be necessary to reverse any order, requirement, decision, or determination of any such administrative official, or to decide in favor of the applicant upon any matter upon which it is required to pass under any such ordinance, or to effect any variation in such ordinance.

    6.

    Appeals from action of the board of adjustment. Any party aggrieved by any final judgment or decision of the board of adjustment may, within fifteen (15) days thereafter appeal therefrom to the circuit court or court of like jurisdiction by filing with the board a written notice of appeal specifying the judgment or decision from which appeal is taken. In case of such appeal, the board shall cause a transcript of the proceedings in the cause to be certified to the court to which the appeal is taken and the cause in such court to be tried de novo.