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Prattville BZA BylawsPage 1 of 3 Prattville Board of Zoning Adjustment Rules and Bylaws Adopted August 11, 2020 1. Powers, Duties, and Composition The powers, duties, and composition of the Prattville Board of Zoning Adjustment (hereafter referred to as “the Board”) shall be as specified in Title 11, Chapter 52 of the Code of Alabama 1975, as amended, and those powers and duties delegated to the Board by the City Council of the City of Prattville, Alabama. 2. Officers and Their Duties a. The officers of the Board shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and a Secretary. b. The Board shall elect its Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among the regular members. The term of office of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be one year or until a new officer is duly elected, with eligibility for reelection. Officer elections shall be held during the first meeting of each year, and the new officers will begin their office at the next meeting after their election. c. In the event the Chairman resigns or is no longer able to continue the office for any reason, then the Vice-Chairman shall fill the unexpired term of the office of Chairman and the Board shall elect a new Vice-Chairman for the remainder of the unexpired term of Vice-Chairman. d. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings and hearings of the Board and shall decide all points of order or procedure and perform any duties required by law, ordinance, these rules, or the Board. The Chairman shall have the authority to appoint and charge any committees as necessary. The Chairman may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses, and shall call upon the supernumerary members as needed. The Vice-Chairman shall preside in the absence of the Chairman. In the event that neither the Chairman nor Vice-Chairman is present or is unable to act, an Acting Chairman shall be chosen from among the members present for that meeting. e. The Secretary of the Board shall be the Director of the Planning and Development Department, or a staff member as designated by the director. The Secretary shall keep the minutes and records of the Board, prepare the agenda of meetings with the Chairman, provide and arrange notice of meetings, attend to correspondence of the Board, and to other duties as are normally carried out by a Secretary. 3. Meetings a. Meetings of the Board shall be held at the call of the Chairman and at such other times as the board may determine. Typical meeting dates and times shall be on the second Tuesday of the month at 4:00pm, at Prattville City Hall in the council chambers. Additional meetings may be scheduled by the Chairman as needed. If meetings need to be rescheduled for holidays or other events, the new date and time shall be duly posted. Page 2 of 3 b. Four members shall be a quorum for the conduct of official business. c. The Board shall follow the rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order in cases they are applicable and not inconsistent with these rules, or other applicable rules, regulations, or laws. d. The order of business at regular meetings should generally follow the order stated below, but may be changed at the discretion of the Chairman: i. Call to order ii. Roll call and establishment of a quorum iii. Committee reports iv. Old business v. New business, including any public hearing required with each agenda item. vi. Approval of minutes of previous meeting(s) vii. Other and miscellaneous business viii. Adjournment e. Presentation of items should generally follow the order stated below, but may be changed at the discretion of the Chairman: i. The Chairman calls for the next agenda item ii. The Planning Director or designee provides a summary of the request iii. The applicant or petitioner presents his or her request and provides information in support of the application, and answers any questions from the Board iv. If a public hearing is needed, the Chairman will ask for anyone present who would like to provide input regarding the request v. The Board members may discuss details and issues raised, and may ask questions of the applicant, city staff, or other parties vi. The Chairman will call for a motion establishing the findings of fact, a second, and a vote vii. The Chairman will call for a motion regarding the request to be read and a second, and the Chairman may ask if further discussion is needed viii. The vote will be called, and the Chairman announces the result f. Meeting Decorum i. Speakers shall observe the commonly accepted rules of courtesy, decorum, dignity, and good taste. All comments, questions, or remarks shall be addressed to the Chairman or the Board as a body and not to members of the audience or the petitioner. Interested parties or their representatives may address the Board by written communications, a copy of which shall be provided to the Secretary either before or during the meeting. ii. Those wishing to speak for or against the petition will be allowed to do so during the public hearing, provided that the Chairman has the discretion to rule out of order any abusive or irrelevant statements. At the discretion of the Chairman, a speaker may address the Board a second time, but only after all others have been given an opportunity to speak. iii. The Chairman reserves the right to require an individual wishing to speak on behalf of another person, group, or entity to provide written authorization from the person, group, or entity being represented. g. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. Page 3 of 3 h. Notice of meetings and public hearings shall be performed as specified in Title 11, Chapter 52 of the Code of Alabama 1975, as amended, and/or as required by the Alabama Open Meetings Act. The Secretary may employ supplemental notification procedures (yard signs, electronic notification, etc) to ensure that interested parties are aware of pending cases, but the failure of any such supplemental notification procedures shall not invalidate any lawful action or decision of the Board. 4. Conflicts of Interest and Member Conduct a. In the case a Board member has a direct personal interest, pecuniary interest, or other conflict, the member shall recuse himself or herself and not participate in the case. A supernumerary member may be called upon to serve in the regular member’s stead and exercise the same power and authority as the regular member. b. Board members are advised not to discuss pending cases with members of the public outside of the public meeting, and if attempted ex parte contact persists, the member should disclose such contact at the Board meeting. Any written material received by members shall be given to the Secretary for incorporation into the files. c. Board members shall avoid all improper conduct and the appearance of impropriety including showing bias for or against a petitioner, individual, or group, or criticizing the vote or comments of any member of the Board. 5. Amending and Review of Rules a. Amendments to these rules shall require the affirmative vote of four members of the Board. b. The Board shall review these rules annually at the same meeting as officer elections.