ALL BOARDS/COMMISSIONS MEET AT THE HOMER VILLAGE OFFICE, 130 EAST MAIN S
PLANNING COMMISSION
Meets the Second Thursday of every month, 5:00 PM
7 members, including a member of the Village Council to serve as an “ex officio” member, not to exceed the term of the member.
Six members of the Planning Commission shall be appointed by the Village President for three-year terms, subject to approval of the Village Council by majority vote.
Possesses powers and functions required of Planning Commissions under the provisions of PA 285 of 1931, State of Michigan, as amended, including, but not limited to, comprehensive planning, initiating zoning amendments, granting special use permits…
The ideal candidate will possess some of the following skills and experience: Interest in the Community or Community Service, Building Construction, Real Estate, Real Estate Development, Land Use Planning and/or Zoning.
Decisions based on land can have lasting implications and, as such, must be based on long term interests of the community.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS (ZBA)
Meets the Third Thursday of every month, 5:00 PM
Three members as a Village with less than 5,000 population. Two members appointed by Village Council serve three year terms and one Planning Commission member, appointed by the Planning Commission and confirmed by Village Council, to a one year term.
The ideal candidate will possess some of the following skills and experience: Interest in the Community or Community Service, Building Construction, Real Estate, Real Estate Development, Land Use Planning and/or Zoning.
A community that has adopted a zoning ordinance must have a zoning board of appeals (ZBA)
to provide relief for properties that cannot adhere to the specific requirements of the
ordinance. The ZBA has the quasi-judicial function of interpreting the zoning ordinance to
ensure that it has, or will, be properly applied. The basic responsibilities of the ZBA include:
- Appeals of administrative decisions;
- Variance requests;
- Ordinance interpretations (text and map);
- Sometimes nonconforming situations; and
- Appeals of special land uses and planned unit developments (only if provided for in the
ordinance).
The zoning board of appeals also has the responsibility to hear and decide on appeals of any
decision or determination of an official or body charged with the administration of the zoning
ordinance. Functions that may be appealed include: Processing of zoning applications; Ordinance enforcement; and Site plan review.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (DDA)
Meets the Second Monday of every even month, 2:00 PM
The Homer Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is a special purpose district, created and operated under the auspices of the Village Council, intended to foster economic development and revitalization of downtown areas and attracting new private investments to the DDA area.
The Homer DDA board members, 8-12 members, will be appointed by the Village President, subject to approval by the Village Council, for a term of four years. A majority of the board members must have an interest (owner, principal, employee, etc.) in the property located within the DDA boundaries.
The board positions and responsibilities are as defined in the DDA bylaws, which is shared with new board members. As the need arises, the Village Manager, with the help of the board will recruit new members. Generally, community activity of the DDA makes involvement readily available and accessible, including recruitment.
Approved Meeting Minutes, Board Members, DDA Map, FAQ’s and scheduled meetings are posted on the Village of Homer website. Other activities are available online and are often published in the local newspaper. DDA board meetings are governed by “Open Meetings Act” (OMA) and “Robert’s Rules of Order”.