Ex parte contacts are communications with the SHPDA Director, the SHPDA staff, or members of the SHCC that concern the substance of any application and are not a part of the public record. In order to ensure fairness and openness in the review process, ex parte contacts are prohibited from the close of a public hearing held on an application (or, if no public hearing is held, from the close of the Project Review Committee meeting) until the SHPDA Director has made a decision on the application. During the period in which ex parte contacts are prohibited, applicants and other interested persons must not contact the SHPDA Director, the SHPDA staff, or members of the SHCC to discuss the project. Lobbying is prohibited. However, any interested person may, at any time, contact the SHPDA staff to discuss non-substantive issues concerning the review, such as the review schedule.