Court Opinion

ID: 9671849
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:43:55.883969+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:12.577630
License: Public Domain

SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, C.J.
¶ 41. (concurring). The majority opinion is careful to explain that "[a] board may not simply grant or deny an application with conclusory statements that the application does or does not satisfy the statutory criteria." Majority op., ¶ 32. I agree with the rule advanced by the majority opinion.
*23¶ 42. The majority opinion analyzes each of the dissenters' rationales and leaves an important question unanswered: When there is no adequate written opinion, does one board member's explanation of his or her reasoning for granting or denying an application speak for a member who is silent, offering no reasoning, offers conflicting reasoning, or offers invalid or unclear reasoning?
¶ 43. A written opinion that adequately expresses reasoning in which the requisite number of board members joins is, without question, the reasoning of the Board. When there is no adequate written opinion and the court looks at the transcript of the proceedings, majority op., ¶ 3, the court no longer looks at the rationale of the board as an entity but rather looks at the rationales of individuals who comprise the board.
¶ 44. The majority opinion has left uncertain whether each member's reasoning must be analyzed when there is no written opinion of the board.
¶ 45. Here, only one of the three proponents of the variance, Board Member Winkler, expressed any reasoning prior to casting his vote. A second proponent, Board Member Cameron, asked, "What was the alderman's [position] on this?" Board Member Jackson seconded Board Member Winkler's motion to grant the variance, without more.
¶ 46. The majority opinion has left uncertain the procedure each member of a board must follow to ensure that the Board as a whole has provided adequate reasoning for granting or denying an application when the Board does not offer a written opinion.
¶ 47. For the foregoing reasons, I write separately.