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Dinwiddie County Board of Zoning Appeals names 2025 leadership, adopts bylaws and introduces new planning staff
Summary
At an organizational meeting to set leadership for 2025, the Board of Zoning Appeals appointed Tracy Sheets chair, named Wilson Yaeger vice chair and Alvin Gurley secretary, adopted bylaws under the Dinwiddie County code and heard introductions from new zoning administrator Matthew Culbreth and planner Haley Keane.
Tracy Sheets was appointed chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals of Dinwiddie County for 2025, the board decided at its organizational meeting to set leadership for the year. The panel also elected Wilson Yaeger as vice chair, named Alvin Gurley secretary, adopted the board's bylaws as written, set the regular meeting schedule and received introductions from new staff.
The appointments were put to voice roll-call votes and recorded as affirmative by the five members present. The board read a resolution appointing Sheets "as the chairman of the board of zoning appeals of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, for the year 2025, or until she resigns or is unable to hold office." A similar resolution named Wilson Yaeger vice chairman and Alvin Gurley secretary; each resolution was moved and seconded and approved.
The board adopted its bylaws citing section 22-39 of the zoning ordinance and the Dinwiddie County code, which directs the board to adopt rules and regulations it considers necessary. A motion to accept the bylaws as written was approved unanimously. The board also adopted a regular meeting calendar that will use the third Wednesday of each month as the standard meeting date; members said meetings will be canceled if there is no business to hear.
New zoning administrator Matthew Culbreth introduced himself to the board and described his approach to intake and education for zoning applicants. "I'm a lifelong resident of Dinwiddie County," Culbreth said. He said he previously served as planning director for the city of Emporia and that his intent as zoning administrator is to reduce unqualified applications by educating residents about the variance criteria. "Everybody has the right to apply," Culbreth said. "I view it as my job . . . to educate them on why they don't qualify, so therefore they're not coming in here and wasting their time." Culbreth said a new planner, Haley Keane, started the same day and will assist applicants.
Board members noted that the county staff has worked to resolve many nonconforming-lot issues administratively so fewer applicants must appear before the board. A board member also remembered a past member, saying Gerald Maskell had contributed substantially to the appeals process and would be missed.
There was no substantive old or new business to consider at the meeting; the zoning administrator said he has had only a few inquiries since taking the role and that he has discouraged some applicants from filing when they do not meet variance criteria. The board agreed to a biennial practice suggested by a member to read the code of ethics and standards of conduct into the record at least every other year.
The meeting ended with a unanimous motion to adjourn.
