A public hearing is required for each consolidated
transit funding application. Combining the required public hearing
with another hearing (such as that related to the TIP or another
agency's transit applications, etc.) is permissible, so long as
the notice and proceedings adequately address the funding request
that is the heart of the transit funding application. The hearing,
and the hearing notice, should cover all projects for which money
is being sought through the consolidated grant application, including
formula and discretionary funds, operating and capital projects.
Any capital projects which are candidates for statewide capital
funding should be individually listed, and described sufficiently
that a member of the general public will have an idea as to what
is being proposed. Project descriptions should include the programmed
total cost and the amount (or percentage) of funding being requested
to assist with the project. Projects programmed to come out of
the formula STA funds should be based on the project value of the
STA formula rather than just stating a share of the use tax receipts
which would not be meaningful to the public.
The public hearing notice should be published approximately 30 days in advance
of the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation serving the project area.
The notice should also be submitted to the Office of Public Transit for inclusion
in the Private Sector Clearinghouse mailing. An affidavit of publication is required.
Proceedings of the hearing must be included with the application. This may be
a formal transcript or it may be minutes of the board meeting at which the hearing
was held, etc., so long as any comments made at the hearing are recorded.
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