NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL WATER BOARD
Thursday, January 5, 2006
895 Aerovista Place, Suite 101 San Luis Obispo, CA  93401
[See Page 5 for location map]

CONDUCT OF MEETING AND HEARING PROCEDURES

A -       The primary duty of the Central Coast Water Board is to protect the quality of waters within the Region for all beneficial uses.  This duty is implemented by formulating and adopting water quality plans for specific ground or surface water basins and by prescribing and enforcing requirements on all domestic, municipal, and industrial waste discharges.  Specific responsibilities and procedures of the Regional Water Quality Control Boards and the State Water Resources Control Board are outlined in the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act (Division 7), California Water Code.

B -       The purpose of the meeting is for the Board to obtain testimony and information from staff and concerned and affected parties and make decisions after considering the recommendations made by the Executive Officer.  The Board will vote only on matters listed on the agenda.  The Board may give direction to the Executive Officer on any matter discussed during the meeting.

C -       Agenda items are numbered for identification purposes and will not necessarily be considered in the order listed.

D -       RULES FOR LATE SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN MATERIALS:  This paragraph applies only if there are no deadlines for written testimony or comments in a separate hearing notice for an item.  Written material received after the due date on the first page of the agenda and before noon on the Monday of board meeting week generally will not be provided to Board members until the day of the meeting, but will become part of the record unless the Chair rules that the late submission would prejudice the Central Coast Water Board staff or any party.  Written material received after noon on the Monday of board meeting week will not be provided to Board members or become part of the record, unless the Chair rules that exclusion would create a severe hardship and that no party (including Central Coast Water Board staff) will be prejudiced by the late submission.  The Chair will rule at or before the hearing.  Late submissions that consist of evidence (as opposed to policy statements or comments) will generally be deemed prejudicial unless all designated parties (see below) have time to consider the evidence before the meeting.

E -        The Board and staff welcome information on pertinent problems, but comments at the meeting should be brief and directed to specifics of the case to enable the Board to take the appropriate action.  Whenever possible, lengthy testimony should be presented to the Board in writing and only a summary of pertinent points presented verbally.  In order to give everyone an opportunity to be heard, comments should have been previously submitted in writing and a time limit on presentations may be imposed on any agenda item.  Speakers should plan to summarize key points within three minutes.  Please notify staff three weeks prior to meetings of a request for presentations planned for longer than three minutes, for scheduling purposes.  The Chair will decide if the request should be granted.

F -        Material presented to the Board, as part of testimony (e.g., photographs, slides, charts, diagrams, etc.) that is to be made part of the record must be left with Executive Assistant, Carol Hewitt.  Photographs or slides of large exhibits are acceptable.  If you plan to use visual aids such as PowerPoint, contact the Central Coast Water Board staff prior to the meeting to arrange for equipment set-up.

G -       HEARING RULES FOR CONTESTED HEARINGS ON WASTE DISCHARGE OR WATER RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS, NPDES PERMITS, ADMINISTRATIVE CIVIL LIABILITY ORDERS AND INVESTIGATION OR ENFORCEMENT ORDERS [CWC §§ 13267, 13300-13308, 13383]:  This paragraph applies unless there are different requirements in a hearing notice for an item. Only designated parties will have these rights: to call and examine witnesses; to introduce exhibits; to cross-examine opposing witnesses; to impeach any witness; and to rebut the evidence against him or her.  Designated parties are any persons named in the proposed order. Central Coast Water Board staff is a designated party for administrative civil liability complaints, and for cease and desist orders that establish monetary liability and that are not issued concurrently with waste discharge requirements.  All other persons wishing to testify or provide comments are interested persons and not designated parties.  Such interested persons may request status as a designated party for purposes of an item by submitting such request in writing to the Central Coast Water Board no later than two weeks after the draft order is available for public comment .  The request must explain the basis for status as a designated party and in particular how the person is directly affected by the discharge.

H -       The Board Chair may specify a time limit for oral presentations and testimony. Board members may interrupt a presentation with questions or comments.  The time for Board member questions and witnesses’ answers will not count toward the time limit for a presentation.

I -        All Board files, exhibits, and agenda material pertaining to items on this agenda are hereby part of the record.

J -        Any person affected adversely by a certain decision of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region (Central Coast Water Board), may petition the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) according to Water Code section 13320 and Title 23 California Code of Regulation section 2050.  The Petition should be addressed to Office of Chief Counsel and must be filed within 30 days of the Executive Officer’s or the Board’s action or failure to act.  The State Board must receive the petition within 30 days of the Central Coast Water Board's meeting at which the action was taken.  Copies of the law and regulations applicable to filing petitions will be provided upon request.

K -       A copy of the procedures governing Regional Water Quality Control Board meetings may be found at Title 23, California Code of Regulations, Section 647 et seq., and is available upon request.  Hearings before the Central Coast Water Board are conducted pursuant to Government Code sections 11400 et seq. but not Government Code sections 11500 et seq.  The Chair may waive any procedural statutes or regulations that are not required by the U.S. or California Constitutions.

L -       The facility is accessible to people with disabilities.  Individuals who require special accommodations are requested to contact John Goni (805/542-4728) at least five working days prior to the meeting.  TTY users may contact the California Relay Service at 1-800-735-2929 or voice line at 1-800-735-2922.

M -      All persons who actively support or oppose the adoption of waste discharge requirements or an NPDES permit pending before the Central Coast Water Board must submit a statement to the Board disclosing any contributions of $100 or more to be used in a federal, state, or local election, made by the action supporter or opponent, or his or her agent within the last 12 months to any Central Coast Water Board Member.

N -       All permit applicants or persons who actively support or oppose adoption of a set of waste discharge requirements or an NPDES permit pending before the Central Coast Water Board, are prohibited from making a contribution of $100 (or more) to any Board Member for three months following a Central Coast Water Board decision on the permit application.