Commission approves BZA rule allowing commission liaison to vote when full board not present

The Sandusky City Commission on Aug. 25 held and closed a public hearing and approved an amendment to the planning and zoning code (chapter 1111) to allow the city commission liaison to serve as a voting member at Board of Zoning Appeals meetings when the full board is not in attendance. Eric Blair, the city’s chief planner, presented the proposal and told commissioners the amendment would allow the commission liaison “to become a voting member for the duration of any meeting where there is not full board attendance.” He said the Planning Commission recommended the language be broadened from “any meeting without a quorum” to “any meeting where there’s not the full board in attendance.” Commissioners discussed the change briefly. One commissioner noted that when he served on the planning commission they sometimes had only two or three members available; another asked staff to provide, at a later time, the legal rationale for why some liaisons vote on some boards and not others. Staff said each board is controlled by separate ordinance and the commission should review other boards case by case. The commission adopted the ordinance in accordance with Section 13 of the city charter. The public hearing was closed at the end of the presentation. Why it matters: the amendment aims to reduce delays for applicants and improve BZA efficiency when attendance is limited; staff emphasized it aligns with municipal service goals and the strategic plan’s service-efficiency objective. What’s next: the ordinance moves forward under the charter provision cited and staff said the commission can consider similar changes to other boards as needs arise.