How to Send, View and Print Public Comments and Sign
Up Online to Speak at the Board Hearing
This page last reviewed October 12, 2011
The ARB encourages public input to its regulatory and non-regulatory items being worked on by ARB staff ( ARB
Workshops, etc., Public Comments ) and ultimately presented to the Board ( ARB
Board Meeting Public Comments ). Submitting comments is easy.
Transparency in our decision-making processes is important to us and the following explains how easy it is
to submit your comments or to view/print the comments of others, as well as sign up online to speak
at the Board hearing.
Sign Up Online to Speak at the Board Hearing (more information)
Submit Your Comments to ARB
Here are a few steps to follow:
- At the ARB homepage,
click on 'Send
Us Your Comments'. It is located on the left under 'Popular
Pages'.
- Click on the 'Board
Item' of interest. This takes you directly to the 'Submit Your
Comments to the Board' page for that item.
- Complete all sections of
the form (phone number and affiliation are optional). If you have
a separate document, you can upload an attachment here.
- Click on 'Send Comment'.
- Be on the look-out for an email acknowledgment notifying you that your comment was received by ARB. If you do not receive this email, please click on our disclaimer webpage for action items.
Sign Up Online to Speak at the Board Hearing
Here are a few steps to follow:
- At the ARB homepage, click on 'Send Us Your Comments'. It is located on the left under 'Popular Pages'.
- Click on the 'Board Item' of interest. This takes you directly to the 'Submit Your Comments to the Board' page for that item. NOTE: Please sign up one time only for each Board item on which you would like to speak.
- Complete all sections of the form (phone number and affiliation are optional). If you have a separate document, you can upload an attachment here.
- Once the form is completed, check the box next to "I plan to attend and request to speak at the Board hearing". Doing this will add your name to the list of those requesting to address the Board.
- You also need to indicate your position on the agenda item (i.e. in support, in opposition, neutral).
- Click on 'Send Comment'.
Please click here for more information about the online sign-up feature.
Deadline for Submitting Public Comments
ARB Board Meeting Public Comments:
These are accepted via ARB's web-based docket system during an initial
"45-day" comment period or a "15-day" supplemental comment period up
until the date and time identified in the column reading "
Deadline for Comments
." Once the comment deadline is reached (note, Californa's time
zone will apply), the item
will no longer be shown on the "Send Us Your Comments" page.
For many years, ARB's hearing notices have stated that email comments
and written comments not presented at the Board hearing, must be
submitted by noon of the day before the hearing to be considered by the
Board. This deadline is reflected in the "
Deadline for
Comments
" column and is necessary to assure that ARB's
Clerk of the Board has sufficient lead time to compile all of the
pre-hearing comments
for each Board member.
As an accommodation, the Clerk of the Board has nevertheless generally
accepted comments submitted by mail or facsimile through the day of the
hearing, and has tried to provide those comments to Board members at
the hearing. As of the July 2006 hearing, this practice will no longer
be followed and the Clerk will strictly adhere to the process described
in the hearing notice. This means that written comments not received by
the Clerk by noon of the day before the hearing will not become part of
the rulemaking record unless they are presented to the Clerk at the
hearing prior to the Chair's closure of the record for the item.
ARB Workshops, etc., Public Comments:
These are accepted until the date and time listed in the
Deadline
for Comments
column.
Viewing and/or Printing Public Comments
Please note that under the
California Public Records Act (Govt. Code Section 6250 et. seq.), your
written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact
information (e.g. your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the
public record (
ARB
Board Meeting Public Comments or ARB
Workshops, etc., Public Comments ) and can be released to the
public upon request.
Simply click on the "Comment Log" for your subject area of interest.
Then select an individual comment of interest to view or print. Or,
scroll down to the bottom of the list of comments and click on the link
"Compilation of all Printable Comments" and then view and/or print the
resulting PDF file which will include all comments processed to date
for that subject.
* * * * *
If you have any questions regarding any of the above, please contact the Clerk of the Board at (916) 322-5594 for Board Hearings or Office of the Ombudsman at (916) 327-1266 for ARB Workshops, etc.
