Zoning Board Meeting Wednesday 1/13/2021

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting — January 13, 2021 ATTENDEES: Maddie Hynes, Fred Simons, John Leo, Kristen McDonald, and Kim Morris were recorded as present; Jeff James was absent. • The board approved the minutes from its August 12 meeting. The motion passed after roll-call voting; the meeting had audio-feedback issues involving Kim Morris’s microphone, and the chair asked her to use the Zoom chat when needed. • The board elected Kristen McDonald as chair for the 2021 calendar year. John Leo nominated McDonald and the nomination received a second. The motion passed following roll call. • Members approved the 2021 meeting schedule. Staff said the schedule retained the existing 5:30 p.m. time on the second Wednesday of each month, with application deadlines tied to the prior month’s meeting. • In member comments, John Leo asked when members would learn whether a meeting would occur, given the advance application-submittal deadline. Staff said it would email members when a public notice for a meeting has been generated. Outside of the January organizational meeting, a meeting would generally be held only when an applicant requires notice. • Staff said a potential application was unlikely to be heard in February because the application required significant changes to its plan before it could be resubmitted. Staff said the board might see that application in March. • Before adjournment, the board corrected an omitted remote-meeting requirement by recording participants’ locations. Each listed participant was recorded as participating from Harbor Springs. The meeting then adjourned. Worth watching: • Whether staff follows through on emailing members once public notices are generated. • Whether the applicant with required plan changes resubmits in time for possible March consideration. • Whether the board’s remote-meeting audio and chat procedures are sufficient for future votes. Upcoming: No specific next meeting date was announced; staff said a revised application might be considered in March. Why it matters: The board completed its annual organization and set notice expectations that affect when members and the public learn about future zoning appeals.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.