New members appointed

3 approved to join Zoning Appeals Board

Fairport Harbor’s Zoning Appeals Board is back to full strength.

Village Council, at its March 19 meeting, approved resolutions to fill three vacant seats on the five-member panel.

Chad Jordan, Ellen Brown and Michael Gladding all were appointed to two-year terms on the Zoning Appeals Board that expire Dec. 31, 2020. New terms for each seat actually began Jan. 1, but resolutions for the three nominees weren’t introduced until council’s March 5 meeting.

During that first meeting in March, council was poised to fill a total of five vacancies on village panels. Council launched into the series of resolutions by appointing Albert Paolino to the village Port Authority and Karen Bidlack to the community’s Tree Commission.

But council delayed action on the three appeals board seats to await clarification on which village officials were designated to nominate each prospective board member.

Councilman Anthony Bertone asked at the March 5 meeting if the incoming members were mayoral or council appointees. Neither village Mayor Timothy Manross nor Solicitor James Lyons could provide an immediate answer. With no upcoming meetings scheduled anytime soon for the board, council decided to postpone voting on the three nominees until Lyons could research the issue.

After the meeting, Bertone explained that Village Council and the administration decided years ago that when vacancies needed to be filled on the board, council and the mayor each would make certain appointments.

“That way, it was reassuring to everybody that a good representation to the village was selected,” Bertone said.

Updated resolutions at the March 19 meeting showed that Gladding is considered a mayoral appointee, while Brown and Jordan are classified as council appointees.

Gladding, Jordan and Brown will replace, respectively, board members Shannon Barnhill, Marc Komendat and Barb Bonelli. Barnhill moved out of the village, while Komendat and Bonelli decided not to seek reappointment.

“Marc and Barb both served on the board for many years,” said village Administrator Amy Cossick.

The newcomers will join current members Mary Javins and Brian Hites on the board.