Chapter 3. Conduct Of Hearing of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 5. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 3.

(a) The protest hearing on the proposal shall be held by the commission on the date and at the time specified in the notice given by the executive officer. The hearing may be continued from time to time but not to exceed 60 days from the date specified for the hearing in the notice. The hearing on a proposal that includes an incorporation may be continued from time to time but not to exceed 35 days from the date specified for the hearing in the notice.
  (b) At the protest hearing, prior to consideration of protests, the commission's resolution making determinations shall be summarized. At that hearing, the commission shall hear and receive any oral or written protests, objections, or evidence that is made, presented, or filed. Any person who has filed a written protest may withdraw that protest at any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing.

At any time prior to the conclusion of the protest hearing in the notice given by the executive officer, but not thereafter, any owner of land or any registered voter within inhabited territory that is the subject of a proposed change of organization or reorganization, or any owner of land within uninhabited territory that is the subject of a proposed change of organization or reorganization, may file a written protest against the change of organization or reorganization. Each written protest shall state whether it is made by a landowner or registered voter and shall include the same information that is required in a petition for a change of organization or reorganization, as specified in Section 56704. Protests may be made on behalf of an owner of land by an agent authorized in writing by the owner to act as agent with respect to that land. Protests may be made on behalf of a private corporation which is an owner of land by any officer or employee of the corporation without written authorization by the corporation to act as agent in making that protest. Each written protest shall show the date that each signature was affixed to the protest. All signatures without a date or bearing a date prior to the date of publication of the notice shall be disregarded for purposes of ascertaining the value of any written protests.

Upon conclusion of the protest hearing, the commission shall determine the value of written protests filed and not withdrawn. The value of written protests shall be determined in the same manner prescribed in Sections 56704, 56707, 56708, and 56710 for determining the sufficiency of petitions filed with the commission.