Abilene Board of Adjustments holds executive session under attorney‑consultation statute, approves minutes and adjourns

The chair of the Abilene Board of Adjustments called the Dec. 9 meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. and the board approved the minutes from the prior meeting after a motion and a second were made.

The chair then announced the board would move into executive session at 8:36 a.m. “pursuant to Texas government code annotation section 551.071 of the Open Meetings Act to seek advice from our city attorney with respect to consultation with attorney, legal issues, and standards of the board of adjustments,” the chair said. The board discussed legal issues related to an agenda petition during the closed session.

Upon returning to open session, the chair said, “We are returning from executive, session where no decisions were made, just discussions.” The board then moved to adjourn; a committee member made the motion to adjourn, it was seconded, and the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 9:40 a.m.

At the start of the meeting the chair reviewed procedural rules for applicants and appeals: a quorum of four of five members is required for favorable votes; if the board grants a special exception or variance an applicant generally has 180 days from the approval date to obtain a building permit if one is required; a denied request may not be reconsidered by the board for 12 months; and appeals of board decisions may be made to a court of record within 10 days, the chair said.

No formal votes with individual roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript; approvals and the adjournment were handled by voice motion, second and verbal affirmation during the open session.