Yes; appeals are made to the circuit court and generally must be filed with the court soon after the decision has been made.

No. The members on the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals are similar in many respects to a judge. They hear and evaluate evidence in a public forum and render a decision within the context of local, state, and, in some cases, federal law. This is referred to as a "quasi-judicial" decision. It is not proper for anyone - the applicant, a proponent, or an opponent - to contact a board member regarding a potential or pending application. Because these private conversations, referred to as "ex parte communication" should not occur, all parties can be assured of an unbiased proceeding, even if they don't agree with the outcome.

Application fees are not refundable. They are intended to cover the costs necessary to review the application. 

For some types of development reviews, the Village charges the applicant for the time spent by the Village engineer, attorney, planner, or other professional in reviewing their application. In that way, taxpayers aren't paying for the cost of development activities. Invoices are mailed periodically to the applicant as the Village incurs such costs.

A public hearing is intended to allow the petitioner the opportunity to describe their proposed project and interested parties the opportunity to share their concerns with the reviewing authority. While all public comments are welcome, speakers should focus on those elements of the project that are within the review authority's scope of authority. Consistent with established policies, public comments may be limited in duration to make sure everyone can be heard.