BZA replacements to fill Konick, Matthews seats

Stephanie Ridder and Howard “Bill” Tieckelmann are the newest additions to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). On Thursday, July 9, the Rappahannock Circuit Court appointed Ridder and Tieckelmann to replace David Konnick and Jennifer Matthews, respectively.

Konick’s ve-year term expired on Dec. 3, 2019 and Matthews’s on Feb. 4, 2020, but because the coronavirus outbreak forced the judiciary to postpone non-essential proceedings, the Circuit Court delayed the BZA appointments.

Now Konick, who serves as the BZA representative to the Planning Commission, nds himself in the peculiar position of speaking on behalf of the Board even though he is no longer a member of it.

“The County Attorney should review the local and state code to con

rm my quick review that there are no issues with Mr. Konick’s continued membership on the Planning Commission until a new BZA representative is appointed next January,” wrote County Administrator Garrey Curry in an email to the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors.

When asked whether the timing of this decision had anything to do with the recent Planning Commission quarrel in which Konick, along with planners Al Henry, Ron Frazier and Brian Scheulen, voted to bar planners Mary Katherine Ishee and Gary Light from participating electronically, County Supervisor Chris Parrish said, simply, “No.”

“David’s term expired in December and Steph Ridder put in for it. Meanwhile, Jennifer Mathews’s term expired in February and there was no applicant for that position,” Parrish said. “I’m just guessing, but apparently the judge waited until there were two applicants before he made a decision to replace the [board members] whose terms had expired.

“Jennifer Matthews did not want to be reappointed. I do believe David would have stayed, if given the opportunity,” Parrish said.

Konick delivered an o cial statement to the Rappahannock News on Friday. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the BZA for the past ve years,” he said. “I congratulate the new appointees and wish them well.”

Ridder, of Flint Hill and Tieckelmann, of Washington, will begin their terms upon swearing in.