Okay.

Yeah, my apologies.

He's there.

Scat dropped or something.

Just come back.

Let's see if he gets in now.

Well, I I think we might uh, you know, fingers crossed, have our technical difficulties for our auditable buttons.

Uh, zoning board of appeals.

Uh, before we get started on tonight's business, um, I usually like to give a little bit of background on the ZBA and uh the procedures uh tonight, um, uh especially for anybody who might be new to the meeting or might be watching uh from home.

It is a responsibility of the zoning board of appeals to authorize on appeal in specific cases a variance from the terms of the city zoning regulations to hear and decide special exceptions to the subterns of the zoning regulations to hear and decide appeals of a grieved party where it's alleged there's an error in any order requirement decision determination made by an administrative officer in the enforcement of the land use article, the annotated code of Maryland or any law adopted under that article, which includes the City of Fredericks Land Management Code.

And of course, the members of the ZBA conduct all of our responsibilities in accordance with the city's land management code and applicable Maryland state law.

Members of the board are all volunteers, and we are all residents of the city.

Members are appointed by the mayor, and those appointments are confirmed by the Board of Aldermen.

The board is typically comprised of five voting members.

We have one vacancy, so we have four voting members with us tonight, and all four of those members are present.

Three members constitutes a quorum of the board.

And so we certainly have enough members present here to proceed with tonight's business.

The board is also supported in our activities by members of the city staff for everyone's benefit.

I'd like to introduce those individuals who are supported us supporting us tonight.

From the planning department, we've got uh director Joe Atkins with us here tonight, as well as office manager Carrie Ann Eiler who are supporting us.

Um possibly, though I don't see on the line yet, um uh we may have Stephen Davis from this uh I see him popping in right now.

Uh and so we have Stephen Davis uh from the city's legal department uh who supports the ZBA in our activities.

Um please bear with me.

I'm gonna go over tonight's procedures.

Of course, since we are still operating in a virtual and remote environment, this is uh a little bit more involved uh than it typically is when we're in uh person.

Um for tonight's proceedings.

Uh tonight's meeting is being conducted virtually due to our ongoing health emergency in accordance with the governor's executive orders and decisions by the county executive and the mayor of the city of Frederick.

Um members of the ZBA, staff, and applicants are all attending uh this meeting remotely.

The complete proceedings are televised on channel 99 and also available for streaming via the city's website.

Public comment will still be accepted on each agenda item.

Those wishing to make public comment will be asked to call Area Code 301 600 1213.

Um if they would like to make a public comment, um, we would appreciate that they call during the item on the agenda immediately preceding the item that they would like to uh make comment on.

We will repeat that number several times uh here during the meeting.

So if you didn't happen to scribble it down, um we'll certainly uh get it again.

Uh calls will be answered in the order that they are received and be transferred to the live feed of the meeting accordingly.

Uh, just so everyone's aware, um, each person making to wishing to make public comment tonight will be asked to state their name and their address, um, and then we'll be sworn in by myself before providing testimony to the ZBA.

Uh I would say for applicants, please join the meeting uh during the item that immediately precedes your item on the agenda.

Um, however, we've got one item on the agenda, and we've already got our uh applicants uh checking in, so that's fantastic.

Um we call for the applicant's presentation, which will immediately follow the staff presentation.

Um, we'll ask that the applicant uh announce their name as well as any members of the team that are presenting.

Uh at that time, I will also uh read the oath and swear uh in each member of the team uh that are going to participate.

Umbs of the team should answer by stating their name and signifying uh after words and but when uh team members aren't speaking, uh we're gonna ask them to please uh mute their microphones.

Um item has been voted on uh as well.

Typically, we would ask everybody to leave the meeting uh uh right away, uh, the applicant as well to make sure that we're not overtaxing the technology.

That being said, we've got one item on the agenda for tonight, so I think that we uh probably don't have to worry about that.

Uh under these unusual conditions, uh staff, board members, myself.

Uh of course, we're gonna do the very best we can under the circumstances.

Um anybody who joined us a little early will assuredly know that there are going to be some glitches and some mistakes.

Um, we certainly appreciate everybody's patience and bearing with us uh as we work through any difficulties that might uh happen to arise.

The general order of business for each case will be first.

I will call and announce the case number.

I will conduct a roll of the members of the ZBA so we confirm that they're here.

They will respond with answering with their name and present so that we have that for the record.

Second, I will ask for the presentation of the staff.

Um the staff members presenting will introduce themselves.

Uh the staff members will then be sworn in by me uh uh as the chair.

Staff will enter the staff report into the record, and at the end of the staff report, they may make a recommendation or recommendations regarding the case.

Once again, members of the public who wish to get public comment on this particular case.

Um this is about the time that you should be calling area code 301-600-1213 if you do wish to give comment on this agenda item.

Uh after the staff report, during the staff report, members of the board myself.