A Kalamazoo Township Zoning Board of Appeals member has hired a lawyer to sue the Township, while still sitting on the board.
Township Supervisor David Combs says that creates a conflict of interest the board will now be asked to resolve.
Shawn Blue, whose term on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) runs through December 2026, filed the legal action after the zoning board made a decision on a personal matter he had brought before it. According to Combs, Blue remains an active member of the board even as his attorney pursues action against the Township.
“To be on a board representing the Township and also to have retained legal counsel to take action against the Township,” Combs told trustees at the June 22nd meeting, “strikes me as a fairly clear conflict of interest.”
Under Michigan state law, the Township Board, which appoints members to the ZBA, is also the only body that can remove them. The law requires that any ZBA member facing removal receive at least 10 days’ written notice before a formal hearing. Combs said that notice has been sent, and a public hearing is scheduled for the July 27th Board of Trustees meeting.
Blue will have the opportunity to speak at that hearing. He was also informed in the notice letter that resignation is an option, which would cancel the hearing.
The ZBA has a meeting on the calendar for July 15th, but trustees confirmed there are no items currently scheduled for that meeting. The board also noted that even without Blue present, the ZBA retains enough members to constitute a quorum.
The Township currently has openings on several boards, including two alternate positions on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Kalamazoo Township residents who are not currently serving on the Board of Trustees can apply by contacting Supervisor Combs directly.
The Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees meets at 1720 Riverview Drive, Kalamazoo. The July 27th meeting, where the removal hearing is scheduled, begins at 7:00 PM.
