Public notices in a general circulation newspaper cite the time, date, and place of a hearing. The period between notice and hearing dates provides time for preparing comments for submission to an agency. During this period, the agency accepts questions and provides clarification. Meetings and hearings are forums for receiving community com ments. Both are widely used to achieve a basic level of community input and to exchange information with a wide representation of community residents.
Public meetings are optional events and thus tailored to agency and com mu nity needs.
Public hearings, by contrast, are frequently used to fulfill regulatory requirements. Meetings and hearings can, however, be linked. Public meetings are flexible and can be held as part of MPO or statewide planning or part of a single project. Meetings can be held in multiple locations, as can hearings. A public hearing is a single opportunity for people to be heard.