Public Hearing

Public hearings are formal meetings used to gather comments and positions from interested parties. Often, state and federal statutes require public hearings. A typical public hearing consists of people presenting official statements of their positions on an agency proposal or decision, with those statements being formally recorded, often by a court reporter. Depending on the format and number of participants, anyone who wishes to speak may be required to sign-in and adhere to certain ground rules such as the amount of time they are allowed to speak. Public hearings work best when they are apart of an extended public participation process and complemented by other participation tools. Public hearings should be publicized in advance to ensure that interested parties have the opportunity to participate. In addition to oral comments received at the public hearing, state and federal statutes also often require opportunities for people to submit written comments.

While sometimes legally required, public hearings are often not effective forms of public participation. They can further polarize disagreements, can be dominated by organized groups, and do not create space for identifying creative solutions or areas of agreement. Potential upsides include equal opportunity for participation and the opportunity to hear other comments.