Structure

The Village of Lake Odessa was incorporated in 1889.

General Law Village  The Village of Lake Odessa is incorporated as a general law village with a Council/Manager form of government.  The Village Council is the highest elected body.  It consists of a President and six Council members all elected at large.  The clerk and treasurer are appointed by the village council.

The President  is the Chief Executive Officer - the highest elected official of the Village and presides at meetings of the Council.  The President shall be considered a member of the Council, and shall have the right to vote upon any question before the Council.

The Village Manager  is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Village and serves at the pleasure of the Council.  The Council may assign to the Manager only those powers and duties not required by law to be assigned to or performed by another official of the Village.

The Village Clerk  shall keep the corporate seal and all documents, official bonds, papers, files and records of the Village.  The clerk attends Council meetings and maintains a record of all the proceedings and resolutions of the Village.

The Village Treasurer  shall have custody of all monies, funds, bonds, and other than official, mortgages, notes, leases, and evidences of value belonging to the Village; he/she shall receive all monies belonging to, and receivable by the corporation, and keep an account of all receipts and expenditures thereof. The Village Treasurer is also in charge of all utility billing for the Village.

The Planning Commission  is an advisory body to the Village Council.  The Commission has both advisory and administrative responsibilities related to planning and zoning matters.

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is designed to be a catalyst in the development of a community’s downtown district. Funded through Tax Increment Financing (TIF), DDA members are appointed to the Board by the Village President, with the support of the Village Council. For more information on the DDA, please click here.

The Lake Odessa Area Arts Commission (LOAAC) is a nine-member Village Board that was created by the Lake Odessa Village Council through the adoption of Village Ordinance 2-141. For more information on the LOAAC, please visit their page by clicking here.

The Zoning Board of Appeals  shall hear and decide such matters as described in the Village’s Zoning Ordinance.  The Board of Appeals shall have the power to interpret the zoning map; hear and decide appeals where it is alleged that an error was made by the Zoning Administrator in any order, requirement, permit, decision or refusal; the Board also has the power to approve variances from the provisions of this ordinance.