(1) Hearings shall be public, except where a protective order is issued under WAC
10-08-200(7), and shall be limited to matters concerning the determination of a question concerning representation.
(a) The parties shall be responsible for the presentation of their cases.
(b) The hearing officer shall ascertain the respective positions of the parties, to obtain a full and complete factual record upon which the agency may discharge its responsibilities under the applicable statute. The hearing officer has authority, under WAC
10-08-200 (8) and (9), to ask questions, call witnesses, and explore matters not raised or only partially raised by the parties.
(2) Once a hearing has been declared closed, it may be reopened only upon the timely motion of a party upon discovery of new evidence which could not with reasonable diligence have been discovered and produced at the hearing.
(3) The hearing officer may allow or direct the filing of briefs as to any or all of the issues in a case. Arrangements and due dates for briefs shall be established by the hearing officer. Any brief shall be filed with the hearing officer as required by WAC
391-08-120(1), and copies shall be served on all other parties to the proceeding as required by WAC
391-08-120 (3) and (4).
(4) A party filing a brief under this section must limit its total length to twenty-five pages (double-spaced, twelve-point type), unless:
(a) It files and serves a motion for permission to file a longer brief in order to address novel or complex legal and/or factual issues raised by the objections;
(b) The executive director, his or her designee, or hearing officer grants such a motion for good cause shown; and
(c) A motion for permission to file a longer brief may be made orally to the hearing officer at the end of the administrative hearing, and the hearing officer has the authority to orally grant such motion at such time.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
28B.52.080,
41.56.090,
41.58.050,
41.59.110,
41.76.060,
41.80.080. WSR 08-04-058, § 391-25-350, filed 1/31/08, effective 4/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW
28B.52.080,
41.56.090,
41.59.110,
41.58.050,
28B.52.030,
34.05.437,
41.56.060,
41.56.070,
41.59.070 and
41.59.080. WSR 01-14-009, § 391-25-350, filed 6/22/01, effective 8/1/01; WSR 00-14-048, § 391-25-350, filed 6/30/00, effective 8/1/00; WSR 98-14-112, § 391-25-350, filed 7/1/98, effective 8/1/98; WSR 96-07-105, § 391-25-350, filed 3/20/96, effective 4/20/96. Statutory Authority: RCW
41.58.050,
28B.52.080,
41.56.090,
41.59.110,
41.56.060,
41.56.070,
41.59.070,
41.59.080 and
53.18.015. WSR 90-06-072, § 391-25-350, filed 3/7/90, effective 4/7/90. Statutory Authority: RCW
28B.52.080,
41.56.040,
41.58.050,
41.59.110 and
47.64.040. WSR 80-14-046 (Order 80-5), § 391-25-350, filed 9/30/80, effective 11/1/80.]