A. If a hearing is required or permitted under these rules, the county administrator shall act as a hearing officer or appoint a hearing officer.
B. If a hearing is required or permitted under these rules, the hearing officer shall arrange for a prompt hearing and notify the parties in writing of the time and place of the hearing.
C. The hearing shall be conducted in an informal manner without formal rules of evidence or procedure.
D. The cause for debarment must be established by a preponderance of the evidence. This standard shall be deemed to have been met when the proposed debarment is based upon a conviction or civil judgment.
E. The hearing officer may:
1. Hold pre-hearing conferences to settle, simplify or identify the issues in a proceeding or to consider other matters that may aid in the expeditious disposition of the proceeding;
2. Require parties to state their positions concerning the various issues in the proceeding;
3. Require parties to produce for examination those relevant witnesses and documents under their control;
4. Rule on motions and other procedural items on matters pending before such officer;
5. Regulate the course of the hearing and conduct of participants;
6. Establish time limits for submission of motions or memoranda;
7. Impose appropriate sanctions against any person failing to obey an order under these procedures, which may include:
a. Refusing to allow the person to assert or oppose designated claims or defenses, or prohibiting that person from introducing designated matters in evidence,
b. Excluding all testimony of an unresponsive or evasive witness, and
c. Expelling persons from further participation in the hearing;
8. Take official notice of any material fact not appearing in evidence in the record, if the fact is among the traditional matters of judicial notice; and
9. Administer oaths or affirmations.
F. A copy of the record of the hearing shall be made available at cost to the requesting party.
(Ord 1997-45 § 3 part, 1997; Ord. 1991-102 § 1 (part), 1991)