A. 
Before any public hearing is held, parties of interest must be notified. The details of this notification vary depending on the hearing's purpose. Hearings are required for the following actions:
(1) 
Special permits; reference Article V.
(2) 
Subdivisions; reference Article IV.
(3) 
Bylaw amendments; reference Article VIII.
(4) 
Scenic road consents; reference Article VII.
B. 
Notice.
(1) 
Notice of the hearing shall be published by the Board in a newspaper of general circulation once in each of two successive weeks. The first such publication shall appear not less than 14 days before the day of the hearing and a copy of the notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the Town Hall for a period of not less than 14 days before the date of the hearing.
(2) 
The applicant will be required to pay a local newspaper of general circulation for the current cost of advertising the hearing. The applicant will be billed directly from the newspaper for the cost of the advertised hearing.
C. 
In addition, the Board shall send copies of the notice to all parties of interest at least 14 days prior to the date of the public hearing.
All hearings shall be open to the public. No person shall be excluded unless he/she is considered by the Chair to be a serious hindrance to the workings of the Board.
An applicant may appear in his/her own behalf, or be represented by an agent or an attorney. In the absence of any appearance on behalf of an applicant, the Board shall decide on the matter using the information it has otherwise received.
A. 
The objective of a public hearing is to provide parties of interest the opportunity to have their opinion heard by a public decision-making body. In order to encourage informed opinions, it is important that the petition in question be presented to the public in a thorough but concise manner; unduly lengthy presentations do not inform the public any better than short, concise, accurate presentations. Also, lengthy presentations often take up the time that could be better used by the public to provide its comment. Therefore, the following conduct of a hearing is intended to promote a well-prepared, brief, and accurate presentation of the petition, thereby providing the public with maximum opportunity to speak on issues of concern. Any party, whether entitled to notice thereof or not, may appear in person, by agent or by attorney.
B. 
The hearing shall start no earlier than the time specified in the printed notice.
C. 
The Chair will open each hearing by reading the notice as published and providing an explanation of procedures the hearing will follow.
D. 
The applicant will then present his/her petition. The Chair shall not allow any person in attendance, including members of the Board, to interrupt the applicant during the presentation.
E. 
Upon conclusion of the presentation by the applicant, the Chair will allow members of the Board to ask questions of the spokesperson related to any points made during the presentation. In addition, members of the Board may direct appropriate questions at any point during the hearing.
F. 
Upon completion of questions from the Board, the Chair will allow all those present to speak on the matter under consideration. Upon recognition by the Chair, individuals shall give their name and address before proceeding with their questions or comments. Questions or comments shall be directed to the Chair and not directly to the applicant, the applicant's representative or any other persons with the express permission of the Chair.
G. 
No cross-examination will be allowed, although questions seeking information and deemed relevant by the Chair may be allowed at the discretion of the Chair.
H. 
Rebuttals may only be allowed at the discretion of the Chair.
I. 
When all the facts have been presented and all persons wishing to speak on the application have been heard, the Board shall close the public hearing and inform the applicant and others present that the applicant will be notified, by certified mail, of the Board's decision.
J. 
If new information is to be made available, the public hearing must be continued to another time, with proper notice given to allow interested parties the opportunity to review and comment on such matters.
The Board may continue a public hearing if the Board finds that the continuance is necessary or appropriate to allow the applicant or others to provide additional information. In such a case, the Chair shall announce to those present, prior to the adjournment of the hearing, the specific date, time, and place where the hearing will be continued, and the subject matter to be discussed at the continued hearing. The Board may require the applicant to re-advertise where it deems such an action to be in the public interest.
In no case shall the Board allow new evidence to be admitted after the close of the public hearing. However, written information may be submitted after the close of the public hearing, provided the information does not contain new evidence and is intended to clarify existing factual evidence. In any case, the Board shall have the right to refuse admission or receipt of information that, in the Board's opinion, constitutes new evidence or which is otherwise deemed inappropriate.