Commission considers dissolving ZBA

The Longboat Key Town Commission will review an ordinance at its 7 p.m. regular meeting tonight at Town Hall that asks voters to approve a charter amendment that would dissolve the town’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The ordinance, if approved, would ask voters to delete from the charter the town’s requirement for a permanent Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Currently, the charter states the permanent boards of the town need to include a Planning and Zoning Board, a Zoning Board of Adjustment and a Code Enforcement Board.

The commission wants to dissolve the board because it cannot hold regularly scheduled meetings to consider petitions because not enough board members can get together to hold meetings.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment is charged with considering appeals by affected property owners in town zoning and land use decisions. Town staff has recommended those duties and responsibilities can be carried out by the Planning and Zoning Board.

Also at its regular meeting, commissioners will establish the election date for the municipal election on second reading as March 25, 2014. Commissioners will also consider an ordinance that will allow a 13-day early voting period, that begins Monday, March 10 and runs through Saturday, March 22. The hours for early voting will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].