Permit Process

City Officials' Intentional Misconduct - Mount Pleasant, MI Zoning

Monday, August 8, 2011

City Commission : Illegal Hearings/Actions

City officials recast administration from perpetual confusion to felony misconduct, intentional breach of positive statutory duty.

Minutes of the special joint meeting of the City Commission, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals held Monday, August 8, 2011, at 6:02 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

Commissioner Jim Holton

"... if there is a large amount of variances that are being approved or being brought to the Zoning Board of Appeals you need to take a look at your ordinance ... that's what I was trained on."

Commissioner Sharon Tilmann

"... when I saw the variances coming through I stepped back and said what's going on here ... is the process that we're utilizing the best process to do what we want to get done."

Commissioner Kathleen Ling

"... the Zoning Board of Appeals is supposed to be upholding, it’s not a way around, the ordinance ... the Zoning Board of Appeals is making policy, it’s not a policy making board, it is an interpretation board."

Commissioner Jon Joslin

"... I don't think we should be doing these type of variances in the ZBA ... I just don't like the way it’s happening right now I'd rather see us look at doing something with the zoning ordinance."

Commissioner Nancy English

"... I am concerned with the process; just want to make sure the process is transparent, sustainable, we can duplicate it and that the decision making and the policy setting are in the right courts."

Zoning Board Commission Chairman Jack White opened the meeting at 6:02 p.m.

City Commissioners Present: Mayor Kilmer and Vice Mayor Ling; Commissioners English, Holton, Joslin, Robinette and Tilmann

City Commissioners Absent: None

Planning Commissioners Present: Brockman, Holtgreive, Kostrzewa, Lux, Orlik, Quast and Shellady

Planning Commissioners Absent: Rautanen and Smith

Zoning Board of Appeals Members Present: White, Kulick, Brockman, Ellertson and Palm

Zoning Board of Appeals Members Absent: Rowley

Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman White, Planning Commission Chairperson Orlik and Mayor Kilmer all stated they had a quorum of their Board or Commission present.

Staff Present: City Manager Grinzinger, City Clerk Howard, Director of Planning & Community Development Gray, Building Official Kench and City Attorney Smith


Chairman White began the discussion on concerns regarding review and approval of redevelopment of student housing projects over the past year. Discussion ensued.

There was general agreement that the outcome of the projects was very desirable. Several City Commissioners suggested that they were concerned about the process being followed and asked whether it was time to amend the Zoning Ordinance to better reflect the changing housing needs in that section of the City.The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted, Jeremy Howard, City Clerk

Perpetual Confusion

Autonomous Bureaucracy

Monday, August 8, 2011

City Commission : Illegal Hearings/Actions

City officials recast administration from perpetual confusion to felony misconduct, intentional breach of positive statutory duty.

Minutes of the special joint meeting of the City Commission, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals held Monday, August 8, 2011, at 6:02 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

Commissioner Jim Holton

"... if there is a large amount of variances that are being approved or being brought to the Zoning Board of Appeals you need to take a look at your ordinance ... that's what I was trained on."

Commissioner Sharon Tilmann

"... when I saw the variances coming through I stepped back and said what's going on here ... is the process that we're utilizing the best process to do what we want to get done."

Commissioner Kathleen Ling

"... the Zoning Board of Appeals is supposed to be upholding, it’s not a way around, the ordinance ... the Zoning Board of Appeals is making policy, it’s not a policy making board, it is an interpretation board."

Commissioner Jon Joslin

"... I don't think we should be doing these type of variances in the ZBA ... I just don't like the way it’s happening right now I'd rather see us look at doing something with the zoning ordinance."

Commissioner Nancy English

"... I am concerned with the process; just want to make sure the process is transparent, sustainable, we can duplicate it and that the decision making and the policy setting are in the right courts."

Zoning Board Commission Chairman Jack White opened the meeting at 6:02 p.m.

City Commissioners Present: Mayor Kilmer and Vice Mayor Ling; Commissioners English, Holton, Joslin, Robinette and Tilmann

City Commissioners Absent: None

Planning Commissioners Present: Brockman, Holtgreive, Kostrzewa, Lux, Orlik, Quast and Shellady

Planning Commissioners Absent: Rautanen and Smith

Zoning Board of Appeals Members Present: White, Kulick, Brockman, Ellertson and Palm

Zoning Board of Appeals Members Absent: Rowley

Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman White, Planning Commission Chairperson Orlik and Mayor Kilmer all stated they had a quorum of their Board or Commission present.

Staff Present: City Manager Grinzinger, City Clerk Howard, Director of Planning & Community Development Gray, Building Official Kench and City Attorney Smith


Chairman White began the discussion on concerns regarding review and approval of redevelopment of student housing projects over the past year. Discussion ensued.

There was general agreement that the outcome of the projects was very desirable. Several City Commissioners suggested that they were concerned about the process being followed and asked whether it was time to amend the Zoning Ordinance to better reflect the changing housing needs in that section of the City.The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted, Jeremy Howard, City Clerk

Perpetual Confusion

Autonomous Bureaucracy

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