(a) Membership and Terms.
The Board of Zoning Appeals shall consist of one (1) elector appointed by the Mayor, one member of the Council to be elected by the Council and three (3) electors of the Municipality not holding other elective or appointive office in the Municipality to be elected by a majority of the members elected to the Council. The citizen member appointed by the Mayor shall serve a two (2) year term at the pleasure of the Mayor. The three (3) citizen members elected by Council shall be appointed for terms of two (2), four (4), and six (6) years respectively commencing January 1, 1960, and their successors shall be appointed for terms of six (6) years thereafter. A vacancy occurring during the term of any member of the Board of Zoning Appeals shall be filled in the same manner for the unexpired term. Any citizen member elected by Council may be removed by a majority of the members elected or appointed to the Council. At its first meeting in January, following each regular municipal election, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall elect one of its members as Chairperson to serve for a period of two (2) years. (Approved by voters November 4, 1975.)
(b) Duties.
The Board of Zoning Appeals shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon it by ordinance of the Council concerning appeals from decisions of any officer of the Municipality in the administration of the zoning ordinance and applications for exceptions to and variances from the zoning ordinance. Such exceptions or variances may be granted only when there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships in the way of carrying out the strict interpretation of the zoning ordinance and when the granting of such exception or variance will not violate the spirit, purpose or intent of said ordinance.