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Consultant warns trustees about volunteer shortages for zoning board, recommends zoning-hearing officer option
Summary
Frank Heiligenstein told the board many small towns struggle to staff a seven-member zoning board; he recommended considering a zoning hearing officer (an attorney) to act in that role while final decisions remain with the village board.
Frank Heiligenstein reviewed the draft zoning provisions and raised a recurring problem: communities often struggle to find enough volunteers to staff a full zoning board.
"One of the biggest problems with that lately is they cannot find seven people to serve on the zoning board," Frank said, describing the approach used in towns that appoint a zoning hearing officer (an attorney) to hear matters and forward recommendations to the board for final action. He outlined the difference between a variance (which runs with the land) and a special use (which can carry conditions that the zoning board can enforce) and recommended trustees expect a longer, separate process to modernize zoning if they choose to do so.
Trustees discussed manufactured-home provisions in the draft and the need for careful special-use conditions; Frank said he will provide a more detailed zoning template for the board to consider if they elect to pursue a comprehensive zoning update.
