Howard County                                   2785

conferences with the Secretary to the Board and the Executive Secretary
to the Planning Board. The Secretary to the Board shall then promptly
notify the Petitioner, in writing, BY CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED
MAIL, of the time, date, and place of the hearings and enter a copy of the
notice in the Record of Proceedings. The Secretary to the Board shall,
twenty-four hours prior to the hearing, notify the members of the Board
of all cases scheduled for the next regular hearing.

Those cases which have not been concluded may be continued to a day
and time fixed by the Board, and it shall not be necessary to readvertise
or report the property in matters relating to zoning or readvertise in
other matters.

In the event it becomes necessary for any reason, to postpone a
scheduled hearing, the Secretary to the Board shall notify the members of
the Board, the County Solicitor, Howard County Central Alarm, news
media, Petitioner, and any persons known to the Secretary to be parties
of interest and shall cause the hearing room to be posted with notice of
the cancellation, the reason therefor and the date on which the hearing is
rescheduled.

2.400—Conduct of Hearings

The Petitioner shall have the opportunity to state his case by present-
ing witnesses, exhibits, and other evidence. All persons testifying shall
be required to take the following oath given by the Chairman: "Do you
solemnly promise to speak truthfully in the testimony you are about to
give?"

The Board, through the Chairman OR THE SECRETARY, shall have
the authority to compel the attendance of witnesses AND DOCUMENTS
through its OWN motion of OR through the motion of any parties of
interest in a proceedings.

2.401—Order of Presentation—

(a)    Introduction of reports and official documents pertaining to the
case by the County Solicitor.

(b)    Petitioner's Presentation

1.    Direct examination of witnesses.

2.    Cross-examination of witnesses by the opposition's attorney and
by the County Solicitor. Normally, the cross-examination shall be con-
ducted by the opposition's attorney or a spokesman, but any person desiring
to question the Petitioner's witness, shall first address the Chair and when
recognized, request leave of the Chair to ask a question of the witness
and shall not proceed until such leave is granted. Upon initial recognition
by the Chair, the person shall give the following information before ques-
tioning the witness:

His name

His home address and its approximate location with reference to
the subject property in matters relating to zoning.

Questions shall be brief, shall pertain only to statements made by
the witness, shall be interrogatory in nature and not argumentative; ques-
tions shall not be preceded by statements nor shall they contain allusions
to personality or motives. If the Chair shall rule the question out of order
or objectionable, it shall be the duty of the person asking it to withdraw