(1) In any proceeding, the presiding officer upon his/her own motion or upon request by board staff or the respondent or their counsel, may direct the board staff or respondent to appear at a specified time and place for a conference to consider:

(a) Simplification of issues;

(b) The necessity of amendments to the hearing notice;

(c) The possibility of obtaining stipulations, admissions of facts and of documents;

(d) Limitation on the number of witnesses;

(e) Authorizing discovery by any party;

(f) Scheduling order; and

(g) Procedural and such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the proceeding.

(2) Prehearing conferences may be held by telephone conference call or at a time and place specified by the presiding officer.

(3) Following the prehearing conference, the presiding officer shall issue an order reciting the action taken and decisions made at the conference. If no objection to the order is filed with the presiding officer within seven days after the date the order is mailed, the order shall control the subsequent course of the proceeding unless modified for good cause by subsequent order.