York zoning board discloses agenda was not posted 24 hours; parties offered option to postpone

The Chair of the City of York Zoning Hearing Board opened the June meeting by informing attendees that the meeting agenda had not been posted on the city website at least 24 hours in advance as required under the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. The Chair warned that a violation of the Sunshine Act can lead to an agency action being invalidated and offered any parties the opportunity to postpone their case to a later meeting.

The Chair said the board would "entertain anybody who wishes to delay having their case heard," but also noted that for the first case the record was continued from the prior month and the parties had notice of the continuation, so the board was prepared to proceed if the attending party had no objection. Chris Springdale told the board they were "pleased to have the court proceed with decision on our case," and the board moved forward with the agenda.

The announcement and the board’s option to continue were procedural safeguards: the Chair emphasized the board’s intent to preserve the public record and offered individual applicants a choice whether to proceed that evening or reschedule. The board took no immediate remedial action beyond offering postponement; it proceeded to hear several cases after one participant agreed to continue.

The board’s disclosure highlights a routine Sunshine Act compliance issue and the remedy the board used — offering to continue cases — which parties can accept or decline. The earliest public discussion of the posting error and the Chair’s explanation appeared during initial announcements at the start of the hearing.