Board delays vote on shifting Board of Adjustment duties to Planning Commission, seeks volunteers

Clay County staff presented a proposed amendment to the land development code (Article 12) to shift the duties of the Board of Adjustment (BOA) to the Planning Commission. The proposal responds to BOA membership vacancies and recent instances where BOA lacked quorums, which delayed hearing variance and administrative-appeal matters.

Staff explained the Planning Commission already functions with seven members and that other Florida jurisdictions use this approach. Commissioners asked about meeting length, conflicts of duties and recruitment efforts; staff said planning commissioners could close and reopen the meeting as the BOA and suggested meeting time impacts would be modest (30–45 minutes) but acknowledged that some planning commissioners expressed reluctance. Several commissioners urged a two‑week delay to recruit volunteers and amplify a public outreach push through county communications.

The board opened and then closed the final public hearing with no public speakers on the matter and later voted unanimously (motion and second; 5–0) to defer the decision to the Sept. 26 meeting and mobilize recruitment efforts. Commissioners instructed staff to post the openings and work with communications to solicit applicants.

Next step: staff will continue outreach to recruit BOA members, return with any newly filed applications, and bring the code amendment back for final action on the board’s revised hearing date.