§ 15-2135. Hearings; hearing officers; determinations.

Whenever the department is empowered under the terms of title 21 of
this article to make a determination it may hear testimony and take
proofs material for its information and may appoint a hearing officer by
a written appointment, for that purpose. Every hearing officer so
appointed shall be authorized to take such testimony and hear such
proofs as may be material to the inquiry and report the proofs and
testimony so taken, with his opinion as to the facts established
thereby, to the department. The department may make such determination
from the proofs and testimony taken before it or before such hearing
officer or from any other data which shall be satisfactory to it, and
the expenses of taking such testimony or proofs shall be deemed a part
of the expense of the improvement to which it relates.