The board shall administer this chapter. For organizational purposes, the board may create a new division, bureau, office, or unit to administer this chapter.

In addition to any other regulations which the board is required by statute to adopt, the board may adopt any other rules and regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code which the board determines may be necessary or useful to carry out this chapter or any of the board’s duties or responsibilities imposed pursuant to this chapter.

The board may prepare, publish, or issue printed pamphlets, which the board determines to be necessary, for the dissemination of information concerning the activities of the board pursuant to this chapter.

In carrying out this chapter, the board may solicit and use any and all expertise available in other state agencies, including, but not limited to, the State Board of Equalization, and, where an existing state agency performs functions of a similar nature to the board’s functions, the board may contract with or cooperate with that agency in carrying out this chapter.

The board shall maintain access to a toll-free telephone number which is to be used for the purpose of informing callers of the following:

Except for payments made to local governments pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 48653, final approval of applicant and project eligibility standards, scoring and evaluation processes, and awarding of grants under this chapter shall be made in a public meeting of, and pursuant to a vote of, the board.