The county board of adjustment shall be composed of three resident property owners of the county to be appointed by the board of county commissioners. At least one member shall be a resident of the county seat of such county and at least one member shall be duly licensed as an attorney in the State of Oklahoma. The term of each member shall be three (3) years except that the terms shall be overlapping and the membership of the board first appointed shall be for terms of one (1), two (2) and three (3) years, respectively. The board of county commissioners is hereby authorized to fill vacancies which may occur in the board and to appoint a substitute or substitutes to serve in a particular case in which a member or members shall certify his disqualification. Members may be removed by the board of county commissioners for cause after a public hearing held for that purpose, and vacancies shall be filled by additional appointments. All members of the county board of adjustment shall serve as such without compensation.
The county board of adjustment shall elect its own chairman and shall adopt rules of procedure consistent with the provisions of the zoning regulations and the provisions of this act. The chairman, or in his absence the acting chairman, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. All hearings of the county board of adjustment shall be open to the public, and minutes shall be kept of all proceedings and official actions, which minutes shall be filed in the office of the board and shall be a public record. The board of adjustment shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing of any appeal and every appeal shall be heard within sixty (60) days from the date of filing.
Notice of hearings before the county board of adjustment shall be given by at least one (1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and by mail to the record owners of lands contiguous to the affected area at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of such hearing.
Added by Laws 1972, c. 244, § 3, emerg. eff. April 7, 1972.