Section 6.680  Hearing Procedures

a)         The Hearing Officer has the authority to conduct and preside over the hearing, to take all necessary action to avoid delay, to maintain order, to ensure compliance with all notice requirements and to ensure the development of a clear and complete record.  The Hearing Officer shall have all powers necessary to conduct a fair and impartial hearing including, but not limited to, the power to:

1)         Administer oaths and affirmations;

2)         Regulate the course of hearings, set the time and place for continued hearings, fix times for filing of documents, and in general conduct the proceedings, according to recognized principles of administrative law and the provisions of this Part;

3)         Examine witnesses and direct witnesses to testify, limit the number of times any witness may testify, limit repetitious or cumulative testimony, and set reasonable limits on the amount of time each witness may testify;

4)         Rule upon all motions and offers of proof and receive relevant, material evidence admissible under the rules of evidence applied in civil cases in the circuit courts of the State, including evidence not admissible under those rules, but that is of a type commonly relied upon by reasonably prudent people in the conduct of their affairs;

5)         Direct parties to appear and confer for the simplification of issues, or presentation of evidence that may be received in written form without prejudice to the parties, and otherwise conduct pre-hearing conferences;

6)         Dispose of procedural requests or similar matters;

7)         Issue orders relating to pre-hearing discovery to the extent authorized by and permitted under this Part; and

8)         Enter any order that further carries out the purpose of this Part.

b)         The Hearing Officer has the authority to extend the date of any hearing, provided that the Hearing Officer may condition the granting of a contractor's request for an extension on the imposition or extension of an interim suspension should the circumstances warrant such action.

c)         Any party to the hearing shall have the right to direct any other party to produce for inspection, copying, reproduction or photocopying written documents relevant to the subject matter of the hearing.  Such request for documents shall be in writing and served on the party from whom production of documents is sought.  A copy of the request shall be sent to the Hearing Officer and shall become part of the record of the case.  The request shall specify a reasonable time, place and manner of making the inspection and copying.

d)         The parties shall be afforded the opportunity to present, examine and cross-examine witnesses.

e)         In cases where it has been established by admission or conviction or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction that the contractor has engaged in conduct warranting a suspension or where it has been established by findings made in accordance with law by another public agency that the contractor has engaged in conduct warranting a suspension, the sole issue before the Hearing Officer shall be the receipt of evidence as to the appropriate length of a suspension.  In such cases the Hearing Officer shall not receive evidence relating to the merits of the prior judicial or administrative decision or findings.

f)         The Hearing Officer shall make a report containing findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall transmit the entire record, including such findings and conclusions, to the CPO for review and final decision.  If the CPO will not review the record prior to rendering a decision, the Hearing Officer will serve upon the parties a proposed decision to which the parties may file a brief containing exceptions.

g)         Testimony at the hearing shall be recorded either by a certified court reporter or a mechanical recording device, but need not be transcribed unless requested by a party who shall pay for the transcription of the portion requested.  The transcript and the record offered in connection with the hearing shall constitute the official record.

h)         The record shall include:

1)         All pleadings, motions, and rulings;

2)         Evidence received;

3)         A statement of matters officially noticed;

4)         Offers of proof, objections and rulings thereon;

5)         Any proposed findings and exceptions to the report of the Hearing Officer, and the decision.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 16518, effective September 30, 2011)