Sec. 2-79. - Zoning administrator—Appointment, designation, and authority.

A.

Established. The office of zoning administrator is created pursuant to Government Code Section 65900.

B.

Designation. The director of permit Sonoma shall be the zoning administrator. In that capacity the director may designate one (1) or more permit Sonoma employees to act as zoning administrator and carry out the duties and functions of the zoning administrator. The director may also replace, remove or change employees designated to act as zoning administrator, in the director's discretion. Where "zoning administrator" is referenced anywhere in this code, the term shall include any employee designated and acting as zoning administrator.

C.

Duties and Authority. The zoning administrator shall:

Perform the duties and functions of the zoning administrator as provided in this code, including the review of specified discretionary land use permits and variances, coastal development permits, and subdivisions creating less than five (5) lots;

Adopt and amend, as necessary and desirable, rules and procedures for the conduct of public hearings conducted by the zoning administrator, and any other policies and procedures necessary or desirable to carry out the functions of the zoning administrator;

Perform any other responsibilities assigned by the director.

D.

Independent Decision Maker. An employee designated to act as zoning administrator shall not be under the supervision, direction or control of the planning director when carrying out the quasi-adjudicative duties and functions of the zoning administrator, but shall be subordinate and directly responsible to the director and any intermediate supervisory staff in the performance of all other duties.

E.

Referral. The zoning administrator shall hear and decide applications assigned to the zoning administrator by this code, provided that the zoning administrator may, in his or her discretion, refer any matter to the jurisdiction of the planning commission for hearing and action. A zoning administrator referral to the planning commission shall not require prior notice or hearing, is final and jurisdictional, and not subject to appeal.

F.

Automatic Referral. A discretionary project application that meets or exceeds any of the following thresholds shall be automatically submitted to the jurisdiction of the planning commission without zoning administrator action.

Conversion of three (3) or more acres of timberland.

Subdivision creating five (5) or more lots.

Four (4) or more periodic special events in any twelve (12)-month period.

Generation of twenty-five (25) or more average daily trips, based on trip generation rates in the most current ITE Trip Generation Manual.

Telecommunications facilities.

(Ord. No. 6523, § III(Exh. A), 6-3-2025)

Editor's note— ; Ord. No. 6523, § III(Exh. A), adopted June 3, 2025, repealed the former § 2-79, and enacted a new § 2-79 as set out herein. The former § 2-79 pertained to the composition of board of zoning adjustments-appointment, term and removal of appointees, and derived from Ord. No. 1204, § 4.

The director of permit Sonoma shall establish a rotation schedule such that each appointee for a district serves as active commissioner for six (6) months each year and as alternative commissioner for six (6) months each year. No two (2) appointees from the same supervisorial district shall simultaneously participate as active commissioner in any public hearing.

In the event that an active commissioner gives notice to the planning director prior to the meeting that the active commissioner will not attend a meeting, or will not participate in one (1) or more meeting items, the alternate commissioner from the same supervisorial district may participate in place of the absent active commissioner in that meeting or for a particular meeting item. Any active commissioner who does not wish to act on a matter because that active commissioner not been present throughout the entire hearing due to the rotation schedule, may refuse to participate on the matter and the other appointee from the same supervisorial district may sit and act on the matter.

(Ord. No. 1959 § 1)

(Ord. No. 6523, § III(Exh. A), 6-3-2025)