The Bay City Zoning Board of Appeals voted during its Dec. 18 meeting to change its regular meeting start time to 6:00 p.m., beginning in January 2026, citing staff scheduling burdens and alignment with other city boards. The voice vote was recorded as five yeas and no nays.

Chair Jan Rais said the earlier start would reduce late-night demands on staff and align more closely with other boards. Adam Pruitt, the new community development planner, asked members to note known absences on the record at the end of meetings to help staff avoid quorum issues.

The board also agreed to form a small committee to update its bylaws; Chair Rais appointed herself and Commissioner Larry Elliott to work on the bylaws and report back to the full commission. The board closed the meeting after taking those administrative actions and wished members a happy holiday.