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Board trims holiday language, agrees to reference county policy for hearing dates
Summary
After debate over adding new religious holidays to the board's prohibited‑hearing list, the Board of Appeals removed a proposed 'Moon Festival' listing and directed staff to reference county code/policy (section 6.305) while forwarding rules to council.
Board members spent significant time on Dec. 19 debating whether to expand the board's list of prohibited hearing days to recognize additional religious observances. The board decided to remove a proposed "Moon Festival" entry and rely on the county's existing code/policy language that prohibits hearings on days set by county policy.
Miss Yu proposed adding lunar and South Asian observances so community members who do not work those days would not be excluded; Miss Phillips and others cautioned that listing specific holidays could be open‑ended and create equity concerns. Chair Jean Ryan said section 6.305 of the county code already prohibits hearings on days "prohibited by code or policy," and the board ultimately agreed to carry forward language referencing the code and county policy while removing the Moon Festival item from its draft.
The board directed staff to include code references and to prepare the draft for submission to County Council. Members also discussed practical scheduling: the chair will consider board availability and room scheduling, and the board will set a tentative annual calendar each December.
