TITLE 2: NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION 7: BUILDING AND ZONING CODES
§ 7222. Zoning Administrator: Creation, Responsibilities, Staffing. (a) Creation of Position. There is established in the Commonwealth government the position of zoning administrator. The administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the Zoning Board. The administrator shall have at least a baccalaureate degree, but preferably a graduate degree, in planning or a related field, and five years of progressive experience in land use planning, comprehensive planning, or land use administration. All other qualifications of applicants being equal, preference in hiring will be given the applicant with the most advanced degree in planning or a related field. (b) Responsibilities. The zoning administrator shall have the following duties: (1) To act as staff to the Zoning Board; (2) To maintain and keep custody of the dockets, files and records of the Zoning Board; (3) To prepare and maintain all necessary land use and zoning maps; and (4) To carry out the directives of the Zoning Board. (c) Staffing. The zoning administrator may, subject to legislative appropriation, staff an office in order to execute the purposes of this chapter. Hiring and firing of staff shall be the sole responsibility of the zoning administrator. (d) Annual Report. The zoning administrator shall secure from the Commonwealth Superior Court, office of the Recorder, on an annual basis, a detailed inventory of all land transactions, involving one or more parties of non-Northern Mariana Islands descent, and report this information to the Zoning Board and to the legislature. The report shall indicate the name of each individual involved in the land transaction, amount and location of acreage involved, period of lease, and intended use, if known. The Commonwealth Superior Court shall cooperate in assisting the zoning administrator in securing the information for this annual report. Source: PL 6-32, § 1 (§ 7222), modified. Commission Comment: With respect to the references to the “Zoning Board,” see Executive Order 94-3 (effective August 23, 1994), reorganizing the executive branch, changing agency names and official titles, and effecting other changes, set forth in the Commission comment to 1 CMC § 2001; see also the comment to 2 CMC § 7211.