2023 Tennessee Code › Title 13 - PUBLIC PLANNING AND HOUSING (§§ 13-1-101 — 13-30-120) › Chapter 7 - ZONING (§§ 13-7-101 — 13-7-606) › Part 2 - MUNICIPAL ZONING (§§ 13-7-201 — 13-7-212) › Section 13-7-205 - Board of appeals - Creation - Appointment of members - Terms - Rules governing organization - Training and continuing education

(a)
(1)
The chief legislative body may create a board of zoning appeals of three (3), five (5), seven (7), or nine (9) members, may specify the mode of appointment of members of such board and their terms, which terms shall be of such length and so arranged that the term of one (1) member shall expire each year, or the chief legislative body may designate the planning commission of the municipality as the board of zoning appeals. The compensation of the members of the board shall be as affixed by the chief legislative body; provided, that in those counties having a metropolitan government the chief legislative body may create a board of three (3), five (5), seven (7), or nine (9) members, at least two (2) of whom shall be selected from minorities as well as members of the sex which historically have been under-represented on the board of zoning appeals, subject to this section. If a county with a metropolitan form of government having a population of not less than four hundred seventy thousand (470,000) nor more than five hundred thousand (500,000), according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, creates a board of zoning appeals consisting of nine (9) members, at least two (2) of the members thereof shall be appointed consistent with this subsection (a).
(2)
In the county town of any county having a population of more than two hundred eighty thousand (280,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, the chief legislative body may create a board of zoning appeals of nine (9) members, and may specify the mode of appointment of members of such board and their terms. Such terms shall be of a length and so arranged that the term of one (1) member shall expire each year. This subdivision (a)(2) shall not apply to a county having a charter form of government or any county having a metropolitan form of government.
(3)
A municipality having a population of not less than thirty-two thousand eight hundred fifty (32,850) nor more than thirty-four thousand (34,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, may increase its board of zoning appeals from five (5) members to seven (7) members, with the terms of such members being arranged in accordance with this subsection (a).
(b)
(1)
The chief legislative body may provide and specify, in its zoning or other ordinance, general rules to govern the organization and procedure and jurisdiction of the board of appeals, which rules shall not be inconsistent with this part and part 3 of this chapter, and the board of appeals may adopt supplemental rules of procedure, not inconsistent with this part and part 3 of this chapter or such general rules.
(2)
The supplemental rules of procedure may address, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(A)
Maintenance of a record of the board's resolutions, transactions, motions and actions, which shall be a public record;
(B)
Election from its membership of a chair and other officers as the board deems necessary; and
(C)
The inclusion of statements of reasons for the board's actions as part of each motion or action, including such findings of fact and statements of material evidence as the board may deem pertinent.
(c)
(1)
Each board of zoning appeals member shall, within one (1) year of initial appointment and each calendar year thereafter, attend a minimum of four (4) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (c)(5).
(2)
Each full-time or contract building commissioner or professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the board of zoning appeals shall, each calendar year, attend a minimum of eight (8) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (c)(5). A professional planner who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) shall be exempt from this requirement.
(3)
Each of the individuals listed in subdivisions (c)(1) and (2) shall certify by December 31 of each calendar year such individual's attendance by a written statement filed with the secretary of such individual's respective board of zoning appeals. Each statement shall identify the date of each program attended, its subject matter, location, sponsors, and the time spent in each program.
(4)
The legislative body of the municipality shall be responsible for paying the training and continuing education course registration and travel expenses for each board of zoning appeals member and full-time building commissioner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the board of zoning appeals.
(5)
The subjects for the training and continuing education required by subdivisions (c)(1) and (2) shall include, but not be limited to, the following: land use planning; zoning; flood plain management; transportation; community facilities; ethics; public utilities; wireless telecommunications facilities; parliamentary procedure; public hearing procedure; land use law; natural resources and agricultural land conservation; economic development; housing; public buildings; land subdivision; and powers and duties of the board of zoning appeals. Other topics reasonably related to the duties of the board of zoning appeals and the building commissioner or other administrative officials whose duties include advising the board of zoning appeals may be approved by majority vote of the board of zoning appeals prior to December 31 of the year for which credit is sought.
(6)
Each local board of zoning appeals shall keep in its official public record originals of all statements and the written documentation of attendance required to comply with these provisions for three (3) years after the calendar year in which each statement and appurtenant written documentation is filed.
(7)
Each board of zoning appeals member and each building commissioner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the board of zoning appeals shall be responsible for obtaining written documentation signed by a representative of the sponsor of any training and continuing education course for which credit is claimed, acknowledging the fact that the individual attended the program for which credit is claimed.
(8)
If a board of zoning appeals member fails to complete the requisite number of hours of training and continuing education within the time allotted by this subsection (c) or fails to file the statement required by this subsection (c), then this shall constitute a cause for the removal of the board of zoning appeals member from the board of zoning appeals.
(9)
The legislative body of the municipality may, at any time, opt out of this subsection (c) by passage of an ordinance. Further any such legislative body that has opted out may, at a later date, opt in by passage of an ordinance.
Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 693,s 2, eff. 3/24/2016.
Acts 1935, ch. 44, § 5; C. Supp. 1950, § 3407.5; Acts 1979, ch. 324, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 13-705; Acts 1988, ch. 845, §§ 1, 2; 1998, ch. 721, § 1; 1999, ch. 78, § 1; 2002, ch. 862, § 6; 2009, ch. 47, § 11; 2011, ch. 279, § 2.