The City of Emporia Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals will be taking a break from discussing the city’s new zoning regulations following action during its monthly meeting Tuesday evening.
The board voted unanimously to postpone a public hearing on the new document for the time being at the behest of legal counsel Jim Kaup due to an impending staff change for the city next week. It was announced Tuesday that City Zoning Administrator Joe Foster will be stepping down from his current role effective next Friday.
As such, Kaup stated it would be in the best interest of the commission to hold on any future discussion or action on the regulations until a suitable replacement was found and given sufficient time to review the regulations.
The commission chose to adhere to the request, a decision Foster agreed with due to the complex nature of the zoning document and the fact that the City Zoning Specialist is a team of one.
Foster has served in his current role since August of 2015 when he replaced former City Zoning Administrator Kevin Hanlin. Foster is stepping down from his current position to assume his new role as Assistant Facilities Manager at Emporia State University beginning in early August.
A search for Foster’s replacement is expected to begin in the coming days, however, a timeline has not yet been announced. City Housing Specialist Jeff Lynch will handle Foster’s duties on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found.
In other business, commissioners reviewed the annual capital improvement plan review. There were no changes made to the plan and Foster says the review is just a formality each year to ensure the plan is in line with the comprehensive plan.
The commission will reconvene on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 6 pm inside the Municipal Courtroom at White Auditorium.
