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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 7-26 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP 7.29 PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT EIR. CEQA does not require formal public hearings for certification of an EIR; public comments may be restricted to written communications. (However, a hearing is required to utilize the limited exemption for Transit Priority Projects as explained in Local Guidelines Section 3.16; to adopt a bicycle transportation plan as explained in Local Guidelines Section 3.20; and for certain other actions involving the replacement or deletion of mitigation measures under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15074.1.) However, if the City provides a public hearing on its consideration of a project, the City should include the project’s environmental review documents as one of the subjects of the hearing. Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be given in a timely manner in accordance with any legal requirements applicable to the proposed project. Generally, the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act will provide the minimum requirements for the inclusion of CEQA matters on agendas and at hearings. (Gov. Code, § 54950 et seq.) At a minimum, agendas for meetings and hearings before commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies must be posted in a location that is freely accessible to members of the public at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to a regular meeting. The agenda must contain a brief general description of each item to be discussed and the time and location of the meeting. (Gov. Code, § 54954.2.) Additionally, any legislative body or its presiding officer must post an agenda for each regular or special meeting on the local agency’s Internet Web site, if the local agency has one. 7.30 RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON DRAFT EIR. The Lead Agency shall evaluate any comments on environmental issues received during the public review period for the Draft EIR and shall prepare a written response to those comments that raise significant environmental issues. As stated below, the City, as Lead Agency, should also consider evaluating and responding to any comments received after the public review period. The written responses shall describe the disposition of any significant environmental issues that are raised in the comments. The responses may take the form of a revision of the Draft EIR, an attachment to the Draft EIR, or some other oral or written response that is adequate under the circumstances. If the City’s position is at variance with specific recommendations or suggestions raised in the comment, the City’s response must detail the reasons why such recommendations or suggestions were not accepted. The level of detail contained in the response, however, may correspond to the level of detail provided in the comment (i.e., responses to general comments may be general). A general response may be appropriate when a comment does not contain or specifically refer to readily available information, or does not explain the relevance of evidence submitted with the comment. Moreover, the City shall respond to any specific suggestions for project alternatives or mitigation measures for significant impacts, unless such alternatives or mitigation measures are facially infeasible. The response shall contain recommendations, when appropriate, to alter the project as described in the Draft EIR as a result of an analysis of the comments received. At least ten (10) days prior to certifying a Final EIR, the Lead Agency shall provide its proposed written response, either in printed copy or in an electronic format, to any public agency that has made comments on the Draft EIR during the public review period. The City, as Lead