Creation and membership of Zoning Board of Review

A. The Zoning Board of Review of the Town of Johnston is hereby created. The Zoning Board may engage legal, technical, or clerical assistance to aid in the discharge of its duties. The Zoning Board shall establish written rules of procedure, a mailing address to which appeals and correspondence to the Zoning Board shall be sent, and an office where records and decisions shall be filed.
B. The Zoning Board shall consist of five members, each to hold office for the term of five years; provided, however, that the original appointments shall be made for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively. The Zoning Board shall also include two alternates to be designated as the first and second alternate members. These alternate members shall sit and may actively participate in hearings. The first alternate shall vote if a member of the Zoning Board is unable to serve at a hearing and the second shall vote if two members of the Zoning Board are unable to serve at a hearing. In the absence of the first alternate member, the second alternate member shall serve in the position of the first alternate. No member or alternate may vote on any matter before the Zoning Board unless they have attended all hearings concerning that matter.
C. Members of the Johnston Zoning Board of Review serving on the effective date of adoption of this chapter shall be exempt from provisions of this section respecting terms of originally appointed members until the expiration of their current terms.
D. Upon the expiration of terms of office of the existing members, the Town Council shall appoint one member of the Board to succeed the member whose term has expired and said regular appointee shall thereafter hold office for a term of five years. The alternate members shall be appointed for a term of one year. All members shall serve until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. Members of the Zoning Board shall be legal residents of the Town of Johnston and no member shall be an elected official or a salaried employee of the Town of Johnston. If any vacancy occurs in the membership of the Board, the Town Council shall appoint a new member to fill the vacancy of the remainder of the unexpired term.
E. Once each year the Zoning Board shall organize by selecting from its membership a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary.
F. Meetings of the Zoning Board shall be held at the call of the Chairperson and at such other times as the Zoning Board may determine. The Chairperson or, in his absence, the Vice Chairperson, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses and the submission of explanatory data. All hearings of the Zoning Board shall be open to the public.