Columbia City zoning board reelects Catherine Fenner as chair; Colton Driver wins vice chair after tied ballot

Columbia City — The Columbia City Board of Zoning Appeals completed officer elections and routine business at its January meeting, reelecting Catherine Fenner as board chair and selecting Colton Driver as vice chair after an initial tie.

Staff announced the board had "reelected Ms. Fenner as the board chair," and the board then held ballots for vice chair. The transcript records an initial tie between Colton Driver and a candidate identified in the meeting as "Jonathan Vang"; after a second round of voting staff announced, "After the second round of voting, the vice chair is Mr. Driver." The transcript also contains an earlier introduction of a board member named Jonathan Bang, and the record shows an inconsistency in how that name is presented in different segments of the transcript.

The board also approved its consent agenda earlier in the meeting. Staff presented the consent items as the December minutes, an application for 6113 David Street (special exception to permit a beauty salon as an accessory use to a single‑family residence) and 611 Laurel Street (a variance to minimum parking standards for a two‑family residence). A motion to approve the minutes and the consent agenda was moved and seconded and the board voted to adopt them.

After elections, a board member moved to adjourn; the motion passed and the chair declared the meeting adjourned.

The meeting record does not show further substantive public testimony on the contested items beyond what was included in the consent agenda and the single regular‑agenda variance discussed during the session.