Board clarifies administrative-meeting trigger and automatic referral to hearing examiner

Board members clarified and updated draft language about how administrative meetings are scheduled and when a petition is referred to the hearing examiner. Under the revised procedure, the administrator sends the file to members and, if at least three members request an administrative meeting within a five-day period, the chair shall call the meeting. If three members do not request it within five days, the petition is automatically referred to the hearing examiner.

"If an administrative meeting is not requested by at least 3 zoning board members within the 5 day period, the petition will automatically be referred," staff read from the draft, and members confirmed that language reflected the intended default. Legal counsel also noted the draft previously read as if the board was making a preemptive decision; the clarified wording treats the absence of expressed interest as a default referral rather than an affirmative board decision not to hold the meeting.