(a) In administrative hearings:

(1) The administrative hearing officer shall admit and give probative effect to evidence admissible in a court, and when necessary to ascertain facts not reasonably susceptible to proof under the rules of court, evidence not admissible thereunder may be admitted if it is of a type commonly relied upon by reasonably prudent men in the conduct of their affairs. The administrative hearing officer shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law and to statutes protecting the confidentiality of certain records, and shall exclude evidence which in the officer's judgment is irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious;

(2) At any time not less than ten (10) business days prior to a hearing or a continued hearing, any party shall deliver to the opposing party a copy of any affidavit such party proposes to introduce in evidence, together with a notice in the form provided in subsection (b). Unless the opposing party, within seven (7) business days after delivery, delivers to the proponent a request to cross-examine an affiant, the opposing party's right to cross-examination of such affiant is waived and the affidavit, if introduced in evidence, shall be given the same effect as if the affiant had testified orally. If an opportunity to cross-examine an affiant is not afforded after a proper request is made as provided in this subdivision (a)(2), the affidavit shall not be admitted into evidence. “Delivery”, for purposes of this section, means actual receipt;

(3) The administrative hearing officer may admit affidavits not submitted in accordance with this section where necessary to prevent injustice;

(4) Documentary evidence otherwise admissible may be received in the form of copies or excerpts, or by incorporation by reference to material already on file with the municipality. Upon request, parties shall be given an opportunity to compare the copy with the original, if reasonably available; and

(5)

(A) Official notice may be taken of:

(i) Any fact that could be judicially noticed in the courts of this state;

(ii) The record of other proceedings before the agency; or

(iii) Technical or scientific matters within the administrative hearing officer's specialized knowledge; and

(B) Parties must be notified before or during the hearing, or before the issuance of any final order that is based in whole or in part on facts or material notice, of the specific facts or material noticed and the source thereof, including any staff memoranda and data, and be afforded an opportunity to contest and rebut the facts or material so noticed.

(b) The notice referred to in subdivision (a)(2) shall contain the following information and be substantially in the following form: