HomeMy WebLinkAbout993025.tiff From: jmfolsom <jmfolsom@ecentral.com>
To: <charding@co.weld.co.us>
Date: 12/15/99 7:48am
Subject: requests for hearing continuances
7050 Loma Linda Ct.
Longmont CO 80504
303 833 2992
December 14, 1999
Weld Board of County Commissioners
P O Box 758
Greeley CO 80632
Subject: Hearing Cancellations and Continuances
Dear Commissioners:
From time to time applications scheduled to be heard by the Board for
rezonings, USRs, etc. are continued, in many cases at the last minute
request of the applicant or agent. It is understood that a continuance
can only be granted by the Board. However, in many cases it is granted.
This results in many citizens and other interested parties coming to the
hearing only to be turned away as the hearing at this time is canceled.
Many come long distances and have had to make work or other
arrangements in order to be present. Even if they call before the
hearing, sometimes information as to a request for continuance is not
available to them at either the Board or Planning Services office. Some
are discouraged from or cannot make arrangements to attend the hearing
on a subsequent date.
I would like to suggest as one possible solution that a regulation be
instated that 48 hour notice before the hearing date is required to
request a continuance or the hearing will proceed. Since the Board
decides on requests anyhow, it can decide whether there are sufficient
extenuating circumstances to suspend such a 48 hour rule if the request
is made later than that.
Some of the requests for a continuance have legitimate, unavoidable,
substantial causes. Some involve reasons or changes known to the
applicant or agent long before the hearing date, but due to a lack of
understanding of the effects on others, including staff, of short notice
request for a continuance, do not make their request until the last
moment. There might even be suspicion that late notice might be a
tactical move, in some cases, to discourage future attendance of
opponents to their application.
In addition, if the applicant or agent fail to appear, it might be made
a part of the same rule that the Board might be consider, if
circumstances warranted, proceeding with the hearing under the
assumption that the applicant or agent has forfeited his opportunity to
present his case or respond to inquiries by his absence from the
proceedings.
(lima).* d 993025
Very truly yours,
John S. Folsom
hearings.doc
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