Public Hearing Requirements

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.