Councilman James Torrance, chair of the Housing and Economic Development Committee, opened a hearing on a bill to transfer the office of the zoning administrator from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to the Department of Planning. The committee heard agency reports supporting the transfer but paused after a last‑minute verbal amendment on civil‑service protections prompted procedural objections and was withdrawn for later consideration.

The chair said the change would "streamline" processes and improve review times; Council Vice President Middleton, sponsor of the bill, told the committee that transferring the zoning administrator "makes sense" because the Department of Planning "has a strong planning commission that deals with zoning on a regular basis." Jeff Hockstetter of the city law department said the draft bill is "approved for form and legal sufficiency," and Gabriel Stewart Zygwitz from the finance department said the move is already accounted for in the 2026 budget and includes seven positions.

In committee debate, Chair Torrance read a proposed verbal amendment into the record that would require the Civil Service Commission to provide "reasonable advance notice to the city council" before approving any reclassification of the zoning administrator position out of civil service. Torrance said the amendment was intended to protect civil‑service employees who make decisions that affect residents' lives. Councilman Zach Blanchard objected to voting on an amendment that had not been formally drafted in writing, citing council rules requiring written amendments and members' ability to review legal sufficiency.

Tensions continued until Torrance withdrew the verbal amendment and said the committee would hold a separate voting session the following Tuesday to consider the bill and any drafted amendments; he also asked legislative reference staff to be prepared for any advertising that might be required. The law department told the committee it could approve the amendment, but multiple members emphasized that council rules favor written amendments so members and agencies can review language before a vote.

During public comment, a speaker identified as Miss Floyd raised a procedural concern about appeals. Floyd said the City's Board of Municipal Zoning Appeals (BMZA) currently requires a "negative appeal" to be filed "within 10 working days of issuance of the permit by the zoning administrator," and asked how the triggering event for that appeal period would be defined once permits and zoning decisions move between agencies. Torrance said staff would provide a written response to Floyd's question.

Next steps: no formal vote was taken on the bill or the amendment at the hearing. The committee recessed the bill for a brief period and the chair scheduled a voting session for the committee the following Tuesday so the amendment language can be finalized and agencies can review it.

Ending: The committee recorded support from DHCD and Planning for the transfer and requested formal written amendment language and a staff memo clarifying appeal timelines before voting. That response is to be provided to the public and the committee in writing prior to the next session.