BELLA VISTA — City officials are searching for volunteers to serve on two boards that will answer directly to the Bella Vista City Council.

The first is a Board of Zoning Adjustments.

The members, according to information provided by the city, will serve three main functions in administering any future zoning codes:

Hear appeals of interpretation of the zoning code by the administrative and enforcement authority;

Decide petitions for variances from the literal interpretation of the code; and

Interpret zoning district boundaries where uncertainty exists.

The board consists of five members, two from the membership of the Planning Commission and three from the public at large. All board members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council.

Initial appointments include one member for a term of one year; two members for a term of two years, and two members for a term of three years. Thereafter, board members will serve for a term of three years.

Candidates must be registered voters in the city and not serving in any other municipal office aside from the Planning Commission.

While desirable, there is no requirement for a professional background in architecture, construction, law, civil engineering, real estate, surveying or landscape architecture.

The second group is the Board of Construction Appeals.

The main duties of this board are to hear appeals of interpretation by the administrative and enforcement authority regarding technical codes regulating building and system construction, and decide petitions for variances from the literal interpretation of the technical codes.

The board consists of five members, all of whom are appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. Initial appointments to the board include one member for a term of one year; two members for a term of two years, and two members for a term of three years. Thereafter, Board members would serve for a term of three years.

As with the other group, candidates must be registered voters in the city and hold no other municipal office.

All members must have experience and training to pass on matters pertaining to building construction.

A professional background in architecture, engineering, home building, plumbing, HVAC installation, electrical and general contracting is desirable.

Applications are available at City Hall, in Town Center East, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The document is available for downloading at www.bellavistacityar.com.

All applications should be returned by Nov. 30.

In addition, The City of BellaVista will assume responsibility for building plan review and inspection on Nov. 1.

In April, the City adopted the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, which regulates building construction.

In September, the City adopted the National Electric Code, Arkansas Fuel Gas Code, Arkansas Plumbing Code, Arkansas Energy Code, and the Arkansas Mechanical Code that govern building systems.

In October, the City adopted fees for the filing of building plans and for obtaining permits within the City.

As of Nov. 1, the Bella Vista Village Architectural Control Committee, will, as a contractor for the City, collect fees, review plans, issue construction permits, and conduct all necessary inspections for all construction in the City. This process will apply to construction in both areas within the Bella Vista Property Owners Association and areas outside the BV POA as long as the area is within the City limits.

Applicants for building and construction permits will still be obtained and processed with fees paid at the ACC location, 305 Town Center West.

Inquiries should be directed to Christopher Suneson at the City administrative offices, 416 Town Center Northeast between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ordinances-adopting technical codes have been placed on the City’s Web site at www.bellavistacityar.com.

News, Pages 11 on 11/04/2009

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