Section 33:4727 - Board of adjustment; membership; powers and procedures; appeals from decisionsA.(1) The local legislative body may provide for the appointment of a board of adjustment, and in the regulations and restriction adopted pursuant to the authority of R.S. 33:4721 through R.S. 33:4729 may provide that the board may determine and vary their application in harmony with their general purpose and intent and in accordance with general or specific rules contained therein.(2) The board of adjustment shall consist of five members, and may include two alternate members, all of whom shall be landowners and qualified voters. The membership of the first board shall serve respectively, one for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years and one for five years. Thereafter members shall be appointed for terms of five years each.(3) Of the two alternate members first appointed, one alternate member shall be appointed for a term of three years and the other for a term of two years. Thereafter each alternate member shall be appointed for a term of three years. Alternate members shall serve only when called upon to comprise a full five-member board when a quorum is present. When so serving, alternate members shall have all the powers and duties of regular members.(4) All members shall be removable for cause by the appointing authority upon written charges and after public hearings. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term of any member whose term becomes vacant. The board shall elect its own chairman, who shall serve for one year.(5) The board shall adopt rules in accordance with the provisions of any ordinance adopted pursuant to R.S. 33:4721 through 33:4729; however, any rules adopted by a board of adjustment, zoning administrator, or other official or official body appointed by the governing authority shall not be effective until approved in writing by the governing authority.B.(1) In the parish of Orleans, effective January 1, 1984, the positions of alternate member are abolished and thereafter the board of adjustment of the parish of Orleans shall consist of seven members, all of whom shall be residents and electors of the parish.(2) However, the members serving on the effective date of this Subsection shall continue to serve the terms to which they were originally appointed.(3) The two additional members shall be appointed in the same manner as the initial five members of the board and shall serve respectively, one for four years and one for five years. Thereafter each additional member shall be appointed for a term of five years.C.(1) Meetings of the board shall be held at the call of the chairman and at such other times as the board may determine. The chairman, or, in his absence, the acting chairman, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. All meetings of the board shall be open to the public. The board shall keep minutes of its meetings, showing the vote of each member upon each question, or if absent or failing to vote, indicating that fact and shall keep records of its examination and other official actions, all of which shall be filed immediately in the office of the board and shall be public records. All testimony, objections thereto, and rulings thereon, shall be taken down by an auditory recording or by a reporter employed by the board for the purpose.(2)(a) Appeals to the board of adjustment may be taken by any person aggrieved or by any officer, department, board, or bureau of the municipality affected by any decision of the administrative officer. Appeals shall be taken within a reasonable time, as provided by the rules of the board, by filing with the officer from whom the appeal is taken, and with the board of adjustment a notice of appeal specifying the grounds thereof. The officer from whom the appeal is taken shall forthwith transmit to the board all the papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed from was taken, after all transcript costs and all other costs of appeal are paid by the person or entity taking the appeal, the appellant.(b) An appeal stays all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the officer from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the board of adjustment after the notice of appeal shall have been filed with him, that, by reason of facts stated in the certificate, a stay would, in his opinion, cause imminent peril of life or property. In such case proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order that may be granted by the board of adjustment or by a court of record on application or notice to the officer from whom the appeal is taken and on due cause shown.(c) The board of adjustment shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing of the appeal, give public notice thereof, as well as due notice to the interested parties, and decide the appeal within a reasonable time. Upon the hearing any party may appear in person or by agent or by attorney.(3) The board of adjustment shall have the following powers: (a) To hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by an administrative official in the enforcement of R.S. 33:4721 through R.S. 33:4729 or of any ordinance adopted thereto.(b) To hear and decide all matters referred to it or upon which it is required to pass under the ordinance.(c) In passing upon appeals, where there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships in the way of carrying out the strict letter of the ordinance, to vary or modify the application of any of the regulations or provisions of the ordinance relating to the use, construction, or alteration of buildings or structures or the use of land so that the spirit of the ordinance shall be observed, public safety and welfare secured, and substantial justice done.D.(1) In exercising the above mentioned powers the board may, in conformity with R.S. 33:4721 through R.S. 33:4729, reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirement, decision, or determination appealed from and may make such order, requirement, decision, or determination as ought to be made, and to that end shall have all the powers of the officer from whom the appeal is taken.(2) The concurring vote of a majority of the members of the board present and voting shall be necessary to reverse any order, requirement, decision, or determination of any administrative official, or to decide in favor of the applicant on any matter upon which it is required to pass under any ordinance, or to effect any variation in the ordinance.E.(1) Any person or persons jointly or severally aggrieved by any decision by the board of adjustment of any officer, department, board, or bureau of the municipality, may present to the district court of the parish or city in which the property affected is located a petition, duly verified, setting forth that the decision is illegal, in whole or in part, specifying the grounds of the illegality. The petition shall be presented to the court within thirty days after the filing of the decision in the office of the board.(2) Upon the presentation of such petition the court may allow a writ of certiorari directed to the board of adjustment to review the decision of the board of adjustment and shall be prescribed therein the time within which a return may be made and served upon the relator's attorney, that shall be not less than ten days but which may be extended by the court. The party requesting the appeal or writ shall bear the costs of transcribing the auditory recording of the meeting in which the adverse board of adjustment decision was rendered.(3) The board of adjustment shall not be required to return the original papers acted upon by it, but may return certified or sworn copies thereof or such portions thereof as may be called for by the writ. The return shall concisely set forth such other facts as may be pertinent and material to show the grounds of the decision appealed from and shall be verified.(4) If, upon the hearing, it shall appear to the court that testimony is necessary for the proper disposition of the matter, it may take additional evidence or appoint a referee to take such evidence as it may direct, the cost of which shall be borne by the party who initiated the appeal, and report the same to the court with his findings of fact and conclusions of law, which shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made.(5) The court may reverse or confirm, wholly or in part, or may modify the decision brought up for review. Costs shall not be allowed against the board unless it appears to the court that it acted with gross negligence, in bad faith, or with malice in making the decision appealed from. All issues in any proceedings under this Section shall have preference over all other civil actions and proceedings.F. In the city of Slidell the positions of alternate members are abolished and hereafter the board of adjustment of the city of Slidell shall consist of seven members, all of whom shall be landowners and qualified voters. The members serving on the effective date of this Subsection shall continue to serve the terms to which they were originally appointed. The two additional members shall be appointed in the same manner as the initial five members of the board and shall serve respectively, one for four years and one for five years. Thereafter each additional member shall be appointed for a term of five years.Acts 1983, No. 537, §1, eff. 7/14/1983; Acts 1985, No. 259, §1, eff. 7/6/1985; Acts 1990, No. 758, §1; Acts 1991, No. 852, §1, eff. 7/23/1991; Acts 1991, No. 1032, §1, eff. 7/26/1991.