Bee Cave restructures makeup of its zoning board of adjustments

Bee Cave City Council members comprised the city’s zoning board of adjustments until Dec. 10, when the body approved an ordinance that changes its makeup to comply with state law.

The board, a body that hears and decides on requests for variances from current zoning ordinances, will now consist of five board members and two alternates who are residents of Bee Cave or its extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to city information.

Council has discussed action on the matter during recent meetings and included language in the ordinance to also include staggered terms. That language limits three of the regular board members and the two alternates to a one-year term for their first year on the board, two years thereafter. The other two regular board members will begin with two-year terms.

"I think that was one of the largest changes made within the ordinance," City Manager Clint Garza told council.

City documents state this measure will help avoid potential replacement of the board at the same time. The ordinance also states any City Council member or the mayor may nominate members to the board, and each nominee must be approved by a simple majority from council.

Garza said there is one application for the board, and the city is now collecting more applications to fill the body.

"We'll take applications up until we're full," Garza said.