Courts are a court of record

[admin]

California courts are a court of record. Everything about a case is within the record.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codesTOCSelected.xhtml?tocCode=CONS&tocTitle=+California+Constitution+-+CONS

With a court reporter all testimony will be preserved in the record.

Your objections are part of the record.

Every written document becomes part of the record.

An appeal court ONLY considers the record! Remember that.

Your exhibits must be part of the record... and that is why if you place them with the hearing officer the city will lodge them and they will be part of the record. So, easier to force them on the hearing officer and force them in the record that way. Otherwise you will be at the mercy of the court.