9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-780-55

Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 4, October 8, 2024

Section 9VAC25-780-55 - Public participation in regional water supply plans

A. The draft regional water supply plan developed by the regional planning unit shall be publicly noticed once in a newspaper of general circulation in each county, city, and incorporated town in the regional planning area. A public notice in a newspaper of general circulation that covers multiple localities within a regional planning area shall satisfy this requirement for each local government included within that area of general circulation. The public notice shall include the following:

1. Brief description of the purpose of the draft regional water supply plan, including a list of all localities included in the regional planning area;

2. Identification of means for the public to obtain copies of the draft regional water supply plan in electronic and paper formats;

3. Announcement of a comment period of at least 30 days following the date of publication for interested persons to submit written comments to their respective local government;

4. Brief description of how to submit comments; and

5. Either (i) notice of a public informational meeting or (ii) a statement informing persons of their right to request a public informational meeting.

B. If 15 or more individual requests for a public informational meeting are received from commenters in any county, city, or incorporated town, the county, city, or incorporated town shall publish a second public notice of a public informational meeting to be held no sooner than 15 days from the date of the notice. Local governments may hold joint informational meetings.

C. A public informational meeting shall include a presentation summarizing the draft regional water supply plan and a reasonable opportunity for interested members of the public to offer comments or questions on the draft plan.

D. The local government shall accept any additional written comments received up to 15 days after the public informational hearing.

E. Written comments received by any local government shall be circulated to the designated representative for the other local governments in the regional planning area. Responses to public comments shall be prepared in either of the following ways, as determined by the regional planning unit:

1. Each local government shall prepare a written summary of any comments it has received and a response to those comments; or

2. The regional planning unit shall prepare a joint document providing a summary and response to all comments received by each local government in the regional planning area.

F. The regional planning unit shall give due consideration to public comments and may revise the draft regional water supply plan. The revised regional water supply plan need not be publicly noticed.

9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-780-55

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 41, Issue 2, eff. 10/9/2024.

Statutory Authority: §§ 62.1-44.15 and 62.1-44.38:1 of the Code of Virginia.