3 AAC 110.520 - Departmental public meetings

(a) During its investigation and analysis of a petition for incorporation, the department shall convene at least one public meeting within the boundaries proposed for incorporation. During its investigation and analysis of a petition for a change other than incorporation, the department may convene at least one public meeting within or near the boundaries proposed for change.

(b) Notice of the date, time, and place of the public meeting under (a) of this section must be mailed, postage prepaid, to the petitioner and to each respondent at least 15 days before the public meeting. The department shall publish the notice at least once each week, for two consecutive weeks, immediately preceding the date of the meeting, in a newspaper of general circulation selected by the department to reach the people and entities within or near the boundaries of the proposed change. If the department determines that a newspaper of general circulation, with publication at least once a week, does not circulate within or near the boundaries of the proposed change, the department shall provide notice through other means designed to reach the public. The petitioner shall post notice of the meeting in at least three prominent locations readily accessible to the public within or near the boundaries proposed for change, and at the same location where the petition documents are available for review, for at least 14 days immediately preceding the date of the meeting. On or before the date of the public meeting, the petitioner shall submit to the department an affidavit certifying that the posting requirements of this subsection have been met.

(c) Staff assigned to the commission shall preside at the public meeting. If the public meeting is held within the time period established under 3 AAC 110.640 for receiving written comments, the presiding staff person shall accept written materials submitted at the public meeting. However, except in extraordinary circumstances, the petitioner and the respondents may not submit further written materials at the meeting. The public meeting must be recorded and must be summarized in the department's preliminary or final report prepared under 3 AAC 110.530.

(d) The department may postpone the time or relocate the place of the public meeting by conspicuously posting notice of the postponement or relocation at the original time and location of the public meeting. If the meeting is relocated, the new location must be within the same vicinity, and be rescheduled no more than 72 hours after the originally scheduled time.

(e) The department staff presiding at the public meeting may request that respondents with similar positions coordinate their participation and use a single spokesperson to present their common views or positions. The department staff presiding at the public meeting may request the same coordination by commentors with similar positions.

Notes

3 AAC 110.520

Eff. 7/31/92, Register 123; am 5/19/2002, Register 162; am 1/9/2008, Register 185

Authority: Art. X, sec. 12,

AS 29.04.040

AS 29.05.080

AS 29.06.040

AS 29.06.090

AS 29.06.110

AS 29.06.480

AS 44.33.020

AS 44.33.812

Ak Const.

Art. X, sec. 14,

Ak Const.