(1) No representative of any party to the plan may communicate with any board member outside the context of a public meeting on any issue related to the plan until the plan has received final approval.

(2) During the 90-day review period and the 30-day negotiation period the board's staff may not communicate with any party concerning the substance of a plan. However, the staff may at any time, either on its own initiative or in response to a request, provide information concerning the technical compliance of a plan with statutes and board rules and the plan review process provided that the information does not relate to the substance or merits of a particular plan. The staff will maintain a log of any such contact.