Meetings for the Board of Adjustment shall be held at the call of the chairman and at such other times as the Board may determine. Such chairman, or in his absence the acting chairman, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. The Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question or, if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact, and shall keep records of its examinations and other official actions, all of which shall be immediately filed in the office of the Board and shall be a public record. All testimony, objections thereto and rulings thereon shall be taken down by a court reporter employed by the Board for that purpose. The cost of the court reporter and legal publications shall be taxed against the applicant, who shall pay a deposit in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200.00) against such cost at the time of the filing of the application.

Any application fees or deposits required by the City in conjunction with any application for action under this section is intended to defray the cost of review, analysis and consideration of same. Such costs may include, but not be limited to, legal or informational publications, signage, legal reviews, engineering and architectural reviews, ordinance preparation, hearings, surveys, studies and any other direct, indirect or third party costs. In the event that such fees are insufficient to cover such total costs for a specific application, the applicant shall deposit with the City such additional sums to cover the entire cost of such review upon request by the City.

To hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is an error in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the building commissioner in the enforcement of this chapter.

To permit the erection and use of a building or the use of premises in any location for a public service corporation or for public utility purposes necessary to the public convenience or welfare.

To interpret the provisions of this Chapter in such a way as to carry out the intent and purpose of the plan, as shown upon the zoning district map fixing the several districts, where the street layout actually on the ground varies from the street layout as shown on the map.

Permit a variation in the yard requirements of any zoning district, or the setback line requirements for location or placement of signs near highway rights-of-way, or the building or setback lines for major highways as provided by law where there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships in the carrying out of these provisions due to an irregular shape of the lot, topographic or similar conditions, provided such variation will not seriously affect any adjoining property or the general welfare.

Permit a variation in the sign requirements of any zoning district for business signs only up to thirty percent (30%) increase in sign size and up to twenty-five percent (25%) increase in height where the petitioner files a plot plan and scaled layout design in duplicate and demonstrates that otherwise there would be a hardship to the public seeking this particular commodity or service and where the petitioner demonstrates that the increased sign size and height would not be injurious to the neighborhood or otherwise detrimental to the public welfare. In the case of a pole sign, the measurement as the basis for a variation in height shall begin at the point of the pole which is at the elevation of the adjacent road pavement. In making its decision the Board must be satisfied that the granting of such variance will not merely serve as a convenience to the applicant but will alleviate such demonstrable and unusual hardship or difficulty, which is unique to the petitioner in his use, so great as to warrant a variation from the sign regulations as established by this Code and at the same time place conditions upon such variance if necessary so that the surrounding property will be properly protected.

Authorize, upon appeal, a variation in the use provisions of this Chapter whenever a property owner can show that a strict application of the terms of this Chapter relating to the use, construction or alteration of buildings or structures, or the use of land, will impose upon him practical difficulties or particular hardships. Such variations of the strict application of the terms of this Chapter as are in harmony with its general intent and purpose may be authorized only when the Board is satisfied that the granting of such variation will not merely serve as a convenience to the applicant, but will alleviate some demonstrable and unusual hardship or difficulty so great as to warrant a variation from the comprehensive plan or any zoning ordinance passed or enacted by the Board of Aldermen, and at the same time the surrounding property will be properly protected.