(A) A board of county commissioners or a board of township trustees may adopt access management regulations or any amendments to those regulations after holding at least two public hearings at regular or special sessions of the board. The board shall consider the county engineer's proposed regulations prepared under division (B) of section 5552.04 or 5552.05 of the Revised Code and all comments on those regulations. The board, in its discretion, may, but need not, adopt any or all of those proposed regulations. After the public hearings, the board may decide not to adopt any access management regulations.

The board shall publish notice of the public hearings in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or township, as applicable, once a week for two weeks or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, immediately preceding the hearings. The notice shall include the time, date, and place of each hearing. Copies of any proposed regulations or amendments shall be made available to the public at the board's office and, if the county engineer administers or is proposed to administer a point of access permit, in the engineer's office.

(B) In addition to the notice required by division (A) of this section, not less than thirty days before holding a public hearing, a board of county commissioners shall send a copy of the county engineer's proposed regulations, a copy of the advisory committee's recommendations, and a request for written comments to the board of township trustees of each township in the county, the department of transportation district deputy director for the district in which the county is located, a representative of the metropolitan planning organization, where applicable, and at least the local professional associations representing the following professions:

(1) Homebuilders;

(2) Realtors;

(3) Professional surveyors;

(4) Attorneys;

(5) Professional engineers.

(C) In addition to the notice required by division (A) of this section, a board of township trustees shall send a copy of the county engineer's proposed regulations, a copy of the advisory committee's recommendations, and a request for written comments, not less than thirty days before holding a public hearing, to the department of transportation district deputy director for the district in which the township is located, a representative of the metropolitan planning organization, where applicable, and at least the local professional associations representing the professions listed in division (B) of this section.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 10-24-2002 .