Board of Adjustment

The Clay County Board of Adjustment is a five-member board of Clay County residents appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The Board holds public meetings to hear requests from property owners who wish to vary from the standards of the Clay County Development Code due to a practical difficulty. The Board also hears appeals of administrative decisions (e.g., building permit denials).



Meetings

(dates / deadlines at a glance (PDF)) The board meets on an as-needed basis, and meetings are generally scheduled for late afternoons. View the meeting schedule and deadlines for submission of applications.

Meetings are held on the 3rd floor of the Courthouse. Please enter through the main security doors on the east side of the building. The County provides the means for persons to electronically participate in  meetings remotely. Visit  https://claycountymn.gov/323/Planning-Zoning for information on how to participate in the meeting remotely.  For questions, please contact the Planning & Zoning office at 218-299-5005.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.
Most Recent Agenda | View All Agendas and Minutes

Getting on the Agenda

If you need to schedule agenda items or public hearings for an upcoming meeting, please contact Planning and Zoning at 218-299-5005.

Membership

The Board of Adjustment is a 5-member committee. Members serve 3-year terms, are appointed by the Board of Commissioners, and may serve as many as 3 terms. The chair of the Planning Commission also chairs the Board of Adjustment.

Current Members

  • Ezra Baer, Chairperson
  • Tim Brendemuhl
  • Dennis Loock
  • Leo Splonskowski 
  • Travis Bouton

Public Hearings

The board conducts public hearings for written requests for variances (PDF) and appeals of an administrative decision (PDF) (made by either the Clay County Planning Director or the Clay County Planning Commission), in accordance with Minnesota Statute 394.27. Applicants have the right to appeal any decision made by this board to District Court within 30 days after receipt of notice of the decision.

Notice of Public Hearings

Public hearings are advertised in the legal county paper (rotates annually between the Hawley Herald, Barnesville Record Review, and Ulen Union) at least 10 days before the hearing; as well as in the legal section of The Forum.

Property owners within ½ mile of the area of the request are notified of a public hearing by mail.

Meeting Conduct

Meetings are conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules, and are open to the general public. The applicant or authorized agent shall be present at the public hearing.