(1) In lieu of appointing a hearing officer as authorized in this chapter, any county having a metropolitan form of government and a population of over four hundred fifty thousand (450,000), according to the 1990 census or any subsequent federal census, is empowered to contract with the secretary of state for use of administrative law judges, duly appointed pursuant to § 4-5-102(1), on a case-by-case basis to conduct hearings on any matters appealed to boards and commissions of the county.
(2) Any appeal conducted by an administrative law judge under this section shall be conducted substantially in accordance with the contested case provisions of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, part 3. The board or commission that considers such appeals shall promulgate rules that specify the provisions of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act applicable to such appeals.