- I'd like to call this a special meeting of the Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals. Now, is this a
- formal meeting or an executive meeting? Yes, this will be a formal meeting. Okay, so to order. And if
- you would kindly call the roll. Sure. Margaret Clements. Here. Skip Daley. Pamela Davidson. Here.
- Guy Loftman. Here. Jeff Morris. Here. Okay, so we have four members attending in person and a quorum.
- Is there a motion to approve the agenda? I move to approve tonight's agenda. Today's agenda. Second.
- It's been moved and seconded to approve tonight's agenda. A vote yes is a vote to approve the only item
- on the agenda, which is administrative business findings of fact for VAR-25-48. A vote yes is a vote
- to approve the agenda. Pamela Davidson? Yes. Guy Loftman?
- Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Okay, motion is approved, four to zero. If you would kindly
- read and allow the introduction of the evidence for tonight's hearing. Yes, I'd like to introduce the
- following items into the evidence. The Monroe County Development Ordinance as adopted and amended.
- The Monroe County Comprehensive Plan is adopted and amended. The Monroe County Zoning Ordinance and
- Subdivision Control Ordinance as adopted and amended. The Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals Rules
- of Procedure as adopted and amended. And the cases that were legally advertised and scheduled for a
- hearing on tonight's agenda. I move that we introduce that evidence. Approve the evidence. Second.
- Okay, it's been moved and seconded to approve the introduction of evidence as stated. A vote yes is
- a vote to approve. Guy Loftman? Yes. Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Pamela Davidson? Yes.
- Okay, that motion is approved, four to zero. Okay, and the first item on our agenda is administrative
- business and that includes the findings of fact for VAR dash
- VAR 25-48A and VAR 24-48B concerning William J. Huff and Nicole E. Huff's request for variance approval.
- And I'll make one quick correction. The second
- iteration is VAR-25-48B. It was incorrect on the paper copy, but it's correct on the screen. But if
- we want to just take a moment, I will scroll through these if you want me to read them out loud or we
- can take a moment to just read them individually.
- Personally, I'm reading them and I will understand them better if I read them than if I listen to somebody
- read them. They are extensive and I made it to paragraph 25. Okay. I'll go ahead and scroll through
- these for the audience online. Oh, excellent.
- What is it? Reach in there.
- Well, since this is administrative business, we don't have to hear from the petitioner, but I wonder
- if you have questions for staff or for legal. I've got several little things I'd want to address. It's
- some of what you're ... Anyway, in paragraph 15, huffs are parties to a lawsuit.
- I would just like it better if that had a citation. It just seems to float out there. And if somebody
- wants to know what this is about, is there any reason not to do that? No. No. OK. I would ask that that
- be inserted. In paragraph 25, the last line
- be the least amount of land disturbance, should be the least amount of land disturbance. It's not a
- lease we're discussing. Just above 26, the last portion of that has a typo. I edited it. Thank you.
- Oh yeah, there it is.
- And in paragraph 28, there's another typo, which is the new road, not he new road, which should read
- the new road.
- They've included that citation on their petition for judicial review, so we'll take it right off of that.
- So are we, I got a couple of more little things, are we still looking at the, okay. Page four, the first,
- the top printing where it says C, I think there's an omitted important word, the character, the property
- included in the variance, should that, would not be altered? Or is that, wouldn't it? That's what it's
- supposed to say.
- But, and I'm, I think we can just take that out because I don't, I think I didn't put any findings in
- there to address that even though I think it would be beneficial because there's a typo in our ordinance,
- at least in the version I have. If you can, yeah.
- It should say would not be. Yeah, I think it should be would not be. Yeah. Oh, I think you put that
- in brackets rather than parentheses. I don't have either. No, but I mean if the original ordinance has a typo.
- It's the same on yours. So, yeah, we'll just take, we'll strike that out. Okay, strike out. We'll strike
- out C because I didn't put any findings related to that anyway. Okay. After I saw that. Except that
- I think that's an important. So, can you just put in brackets like SIC and brackets not or no?
- Okay. If we were up against anybody else. Yeah. Okay. Just so I understand it, this is a quotation from
- our ordinance and the ordinance where we might in retrospect wish that it included the word not, didn't
- include the word not, right? Yes, that's correct.
- So it's awkward to find, you know, so I get it. And I have now stricken paragraph C at the top of page
- four. That standard is almost replicated in a following criteria. And so I've kind of used that perfect
- to cover the same thing.
- Perfect. So a little redundancy sometimes is helpful. And we've covered it in a redundant, quasi-redundant
- portion. So it's another reason we don't need the benefit of this misleading and flawed ordinance. OK,
- I'm done with page four. Page five. I'm glad for your editing skills. Yeah. I'm glad for you. Me too.
- Well, thank you.
- Page five, I've got nothing. Page six, paragraph 68 seems to be incomplete. What I'm proposing here,
- and I'll ask Justin for your input on this, one of the things that I meant, one of the findings that
- I meant to put in but I didn't get in relates to
- private agreements where we say the Board of Zoning Appeals doesn't enforce private agreements and does
- not consider private agreements in determining whether to grant a variance. And we could stick that
- in there because I left that out. I think one of the issues in this case is whether the private easement
- agreement that might preclude the clause
- the house from developing, accessing the Chumley property through easement one. You know, I think there's
- case law that says, hey, when there's private covenants, private agreements, the Board of Zoning and
- Appeals doesn't consider that because that's up to the private parties to enforce and it's not part
- of the ordinance. So that's why. That's certainly our practice in my understanding. I don't see, so
- what would
- paragraph 68 say after R. The other roads and drives in the area are? Well, that was something that
- I had put in there and then I did the next two and forgot to take 68 out. Okay, so we want to delete
- 68 and renumber appropriately. We can renumber appropriately and if you want to have that statement
- about the BZA does not enforce private agreements,
- and does not consider such agreements when determining whether to grant a variance, I can stick that
- in there. I would rather have that in there. Does that make sense to you? Okay. How about you? Yeah,
- yeah. I know I don't like it like it is. And if it's, if you want to say, so it's going to say something,
- well, it can either be. He's going to work it out. Yeah, yeah. Stick it right. I'm sorry.
- So do we need to know what the language will be or can we leave it to you to fill something in? We're
- going to type it right now. We're typing it right now and we can print a new version off pretty quickly.
- Well, I don't think we'll need to do that unless it's quite long. Let's see what you can do and then
- we can probably do it by oral. The seventh page will be re... But I mean, I think we have to sign this
- before we leave. Oh, I see. Oh, okay. Yeah, well, right. It can be reprinted.
- Justin, is there anything I left out? We'll drive that far. We'll take two days. Okay. No, you're still drafting.
- Okay, so we've made the change that I'd like to go over with you all. So we deleted 68 and then we added
- what's on the screen is 75 and I'll just read that out loud. It says the BZA does not enforce private
- agreements and in reference CDO 801-4C.
- and does not consider such agreements when determining whether to grant a variance. So that's from our
- ordinance that the board does not have to enforce private agreements. So that's the addition. Okay,
- so. I think we don't enforce private agreements and I think that's good to have in here. Is that what
- it was gonna say in 68?
- No. I was thinking about, I've got to put something in there about the roads. And so I started to type
- and I went down and saw some of Jackie's findings and I just took both of them and stuck them on there
- and I forgot to take what I wrote on. That was a placeholder that was going to refer to private easements,
- but it didn't. Okay. I've used those a hundred times and then said, why is that there? Okay. So we're
- taking out 68.
- putting in a new 75, would you mind reading it to me one more time? Sure, 75 reads as the BZA does not
- enforce private agreements, CDO 801-4C, and does not consider such agreements when determining whether
- to grant a variance. But I like that, and I now, I have nothing else to say except when we're ready, I move.
- Anyone else have any questions or comments or revisions? I want to compliment the staff for how thorough
- this is. It lays out things in a very matter of factly, findings of fact recitation, and I appreciate
- that. You do? Yes, we all do. So with that being said, I think since the discussion is concluded, if
- someone would like to make a motion?
- And do we want to wait till the reprinted one gets here? Are we all going to have to sign it today?
- Let's just wait till we have the corrected one, because I don't think it's going to take any longer
- if we're going to have to wait anyway. I would rather have the final one in my hand, because I don't
- think it's going to take long to vote. I don't know the outcome, but it won't take long to vote.
- beer in there? No. Oh darn it. You might be out of luck. I took the gold beer down yesterday for that
- party and I have some more beer in my bar for them. That doesn't do anybody any good. No it doesn't.
- by definition, not warm. It's not hot, it's not cold, it's not cool, it's not... Especially in the summer.
- In the winter, it's not so critical. But in the summer, a cold one is really good.
- In the winter too. In the winter too. I will be drinking one or two tonight. There's just a question.
- I find that braising lamb shanks in Guinness is better than braising it in wine. That would be so good.
- It's so good. When we were in Dublin, we went to the Guinness factory and we were the last people to leave.
- Even the draft Guinness in Bloomington is nothing like the draft Guinness at Guinness.
- That's right. But at the time, that wasn't even an option. But if it is in a keg and it's taken six
- months of transport, it's not the same thing. What it used to be. It was just so delicious. That would
- be a very good idea. Very good. Oh, it's really good. Braised with carrots and potatoes and Guinness. Yeah.
- and bay leaf. I'll just add the recipe here. Are we still on the record? Yes. And some thyme. If you
- want the recipe, you have to put some thyme in there and some bay leaf as well. That's delicious. That's
- really good stuff. Sounds delicious. Do you have a bay leaf plant? No. Should I? We're right on the
- border of where it can grow and survive through the winter.
- Generally, it would die. So I find myself a frustrated gardener. I would like to have a bay leaf. Well,
- Eve has one that's this big. Who does? Our daughter. But where does she live? With us. Oh, she lives
- with you. Yeah. So I can come get her. Anytime. I can't take you to Thanksgiving in Georgia, but you're
- welcome to come over for a bay leaf. Not this year. The bay leaf, you can come over this year. OK. You
- can come over.
- You know, call, make sure we're home. What does she do special to keep it alive in the winter? Well,
- she just bought it. OK. Yeah. But it's inside. It's in a little pot. And all the literature says you
- can raise bay trees in pots, and they'll live a long time. Yeah, because I'm in my garden. And then
- in the winter, you put them out. In the summer, you put them out. Yes.
- You know, some people have relatively big ones that you can roll in and out on a car. That's like an
- aspiration. But this is one that you can pick up and carry with no trouble whatsoever. I aspire to that.
- Well, I think, why don't you tell Santa? Santa? I think she spent like $12. But I don't know.
- I'll see if I can find out any substantial information about the bay leaf project. Twenty years. We've
- been living together for 20 years. Absolutely.
- Connie can fry catfish filets. He made an amazing potato, spinach, feta cheese, dill, chicken, ground
- chicken soup. It was just astonishing. We had it for the third day in a row. We wish we had it every
- day. Show you a photo.
- And chicken fajitas. I want to show you a photo from Switzerland of the cheese case and just the section
- for raclette cheeses. I mean, and there are so many other cheeses. Let's get back here. Could you bring
- any home or could you not bring it in your factory? Cheese, I didn't bother because there are so many
- other things to bring home like chocolate, you know. But cheese has to be kept.
- Yeah, you can get some okay cheeses. If you must suffer, you can get the cheese from Kroger, you know.
- We're working on it, yes. You know, there's a lot of little things here. And if there's any time I don't
- want to have it not right,
- What is that? This is the case to the, dot the I across the D. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna, okay. So,
- swipe here, you'll just see all these raclette types of Jesus. Oh my God. It's just for raclette. It
- doesn't include Gruyere, it doesn't include Comté, it doesn't include, this is just for raclette.
- And what is raclette? Melted cheese. So that's like fondue might be. No, it's not. Fondue is different.
- So it's just like if you're going to take it and put it in the oven. You take a wheel like this. Yes,
- right. And you have an apparatus that has a flame. And you heat the cheese. And somebody scrapes it
- off the wheel of cheese onto your plate. And you eat that. Fondue has wine and garlic and. Right.
- And a different cheese. Now, here you have to choose between the cheese made from the cow that is in
- the mountains or the one that is in the valley and which type of grass they eat. Yeah, how they've been
- yodeled to. You know, you just, how heavy are the bells around their neck? You know, you just,
- it's just, look at this.
- Did you eat cheese every day? Every day. Every single day. That's the grocery store. Okay,
- I don't understand. Are these little paper bags full of cheese? Those are packages of cheese and down
- on the bottom it's the round of cheese that you would put on that apparatus that you would scrape
- This looks like a big bowl that's got a lot of things in it. That's a refrigerator case. And just in
- the left corner, it looks like little paper bags. Yeah, that may have had, that particular one may have
- had a blend. Okay, I see. We have now changed and I'm looking at the one you wanted me to look at,
- the wheels, got it, the raclette wheels. The raclette wheels.
- It's a different kind of cheese. That says made in USA, no. But I was there for five and a half weeks.
- I was Swiss. Where did you stay? With my friends. I said, I'm going to go, I said to France and Italy,
- and they said, no, stay here with us. And they convinced me. And then we went to 11 concerts, one play.
- If you go to seven cities in Switzerland, I take it the longest one is an hour and a half. The farthest
- one is an hour and a half.
- I've been there before. I have a friend who lives there. Stay with friends. I did. They want me back.
- Of course they do.
- Yep. Well, good. Pretty luscious. You know, the John Adave Foundation had an exhibit of Picasso and
- Monet paintings. There was an exhibit of Polish Impressionists that I'd never seen or heard of before.
- And their style was slightly different than the French and American Impressionists.
- And then the Rosengart Foundation in Lucerne had a wonderful collection of Picasso's clay, Chagall.
- It's just lovely. It's dreamy. Usually when you go to a country, it's three or four days, so the thought
- of staying
- For me, because I had lived in Italy for eight years, it was like going home to be in Europe again.
- I've known these friends for 25 years. They've been here, I've been there.
- They did. Yeah. Good friends. It's wonderful. Yeah. So that was nice. All those cheeses. And then I
- come back home and I go into the Kroger cheese gates. And it's generous for. And it's so much better
- than it used to be. There we go. Murray's. But they've cut down at least the South Kroger as a fraction
- of what it used to be.
- The east side has a big section, doesn't it? It's big, but it's not what it used to be. And they're
- quite expensive compared to ... They'll tell you, we'll sell you this cheese today, but it's not ready
- for two more days.
- but you can buy it today, but don't eat it for two more days. And that's with the camembert and the
- brie, it's not ready, sorry. They mark it down because there's only got two days left? No, they're waiting
- for it to be sold to us. Right, but then does it become overripe eventually?
- what they're doing. The tariffs are hurting. 85% of their groceries are grown in country. They don't
- export their wine. They drink it internally. No, this was specifically the cheeses. I heard something
- say that the Swiss cheeses were good.
- It's not, to them it's not. There are other markets, you know, their product is in demand. Good point,
- yeah. Yeah. They're engineers, so they have a lot of machines, you know, that might have a big territory.
- The little device that shaves the raclette is a knife. A knife and a heating element that you bring
- out onto your table top. And it rotates the cheese over the flame
- until it's melted, and when it's melted just right, scrape it off onto the plate. I've never experienced
- that. Raclette. Raclette. Here they sell machines where you can put the little squares underneath the
- broiler and assimilate the effect.
- Did you ever mimeograph? No. Geez, what a process. I had an English literature seminars where there
- were 14 people in the class, 12 to 14 people, and every week you'd write one, I don't know how many
- page paper. Probably, in my mind I think it was a 20 page paper.
- every week and we mimeograph it off for every other member of the class. So we'd have to go in before
- class and mimeograph it. You had to cut it on a stencil. You had to write it on a stencil. Oh my God.
- My own manual typewriter that I brought. That is cruel. That is absolutely cruel. Did you have an Olympia
- typewriter?
- I did too. Still do. I still do. My high school graduate. Thank you. All right, this is the old one.
- Well, I'm going to compare them.
- I'm going to write old on it. And then we'll have a motion. Yes. And then we'll have a motion. I'm comparing.
- I'm sorry. I'm this way. It's OK. We love you. We're glad you're that way. You're keeping us straight.
- minutes are going to have a recipe in there. I hope to move to strike the comments made while we were
- off the record to declare that off the record. Exactly. We didn't talk about this before, Dave,
- but on 79, the very last one, the Huff
- variants, requests, or denied, is that a summation of everything that's come before? Is that why it's
- short and sweet like that? Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. I've reviewed my suggestions, and
- I think they've all been properly incorporated, so I am ready to proceed to the final vote. Okay.
- If, do you have a recommended motion or shall we just do it? I don't have the cause number before me,
- but if, Guy, if you're able to make a motion. Sure. I move that the, we approve and adopt the, as written,
- the Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals written findings of fact and conclusions
- On docket items, variance 25-48A and 25-48B, William J. Huffs and Nicole Huffs requests for variance
- approval as presented to us for our consideration. I'm going to second that. Okay. It's been moved and
- seconded to approve the Monroe County
- Board of Zoning Appeals written findings of fact and conclusions for docket items VAR-25-48A and VAR-25-48B.
- A vote yes is a vote to approve the findings as amended and presented to you via paper and on screen
- here. Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Pamela Davidson? Yes. Guy Laughman?
- Motion is approved, four to zero. And are we going to sign one master copy? Yes. Or do we sign all of
- these? Just sign one copy. OK. I did the right thing. So we've got one going around here. There we go.
- It'll work.
- Do we make a motion to adjourn? Do we have any other business before us? We do not. I do not have any
- reports or other business. Can I seriously say that from the time that we asked for it to be reprinted,
- we've had a lot of personal conversation on many issues, some of which, and I move we have that stricken
- from the record until we come back to consider this.
- I think the tech services was muted during that time period, but we can check the record. Well, it certainly
- appeared here when we were talking about the qualities of draft as opposed to canned Guinness. I see.
- We might not be able to omit certain parts of the record, but we can look into that and see. Well, we
- were certainly off the record, though we may not have gone formally off the record. There's a recipe
- in there, kind of, so the public is interested.
- They're welcome to it. Well, thank you very much. I'm going to stop the share. And is there a motion
- to adjourn motion? I move that we adjourn this special meeting or this normal special special regular
- special. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, thank you.