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City attorney briefs Fenton Board of Adjustment on variances, appeals, Sunshine Law and ethics
Summary
City attorney Aaron led a detailed training at the Sept. 17 Board of Adjustment meeting, outlining the board’s quasi‑judicial role, evidence rules, how variances and appeals differ, notice requirements under the Sunshine Law, and recusal/ethical obligations.
City attorney Aaron provided the Fenton Board of Adjustment with an extended training on Sept. 17, walking members through the board’s authorities, evidentiary requirements, and ethical obligations when deciding appeals and variance requests.
Aaron told members that the board acts in a quasi‑judicial capacity and must treat hearings like trials: testimony should be on the record, ordinances and staff reports must be entered into evidence, and the chair’s opening statement and written findings of fact and conclusions of law are vital to preserve decisions on appeal. "So everything that you rely on needs to be put into evidence," he said, citing a recent case in which failing to introduce an ordinance into the…
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