Escanaba council adopts ordinance cutting ZBA membership from six to five

The Escanaba City Council on April 2, 2026, adopted Ordinance No. 1318, the ZBA membership ordinance of 2026, reducing the Zoning Board of Appeals from six seats to five.

City officials presented the ordinance during a second-reading public hearing that included a clarification from administration that the change would reduce the number of seats from six to five. No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and the council closed the public comment period before taking a vote.

A motion to approve Ordinance No. 1318 was made and the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. Councilmember Boschaw, Councilmember Floth and Mayor Emma were recorded voting yes; two members had been excused earlier in the meeting. The council adopted the ordinance.

The ordinance is described in the meeting record as an amendment to chapter 3 of Appendix A of the code of ordinances governing planning and zoning. The council did not record additional substantive amendments to the ordinance during the hearing.

The next procedural step is the ordinance’s adoption on second reading; any effective date or administrative steps (such as updating board bylaws or member terms) were not specified in the meeting record.