SUPPORT – HB 15-1348 – Urban Redevelopment Fairness Act.

HB15-1348 – Urban Redevelopment Fairness Act passed on 3d Reading in the House. The vote was 44 Yes, 18 No and 2 Excused and 1 not voting due to a conflict of interest. THANK YOU for your tremendous outreach and support. Our success is due to YOUR efforts! Thank you again. The bill is now in the Senate Finance Committee and we are waiting for the bill to be scheduled to be heard. With 6 days remaining in the legislative session the bill could be calendared with very little notice to the public.

We are requesting SDA members to contact their senators and ask them to Vote For HB 1348! The time to act is now! Your voice counts, so please make it heard. We are asking you to email or call your Senator and ask them toVote For HB 1348 – Urban Redevelopment Fairness Act. If you need assistance finding out who represents you at the Colorado State Capitol please visit OpenStates.org www.openstates.org.

If you live in the district of a Finance Committee member, it is especially important that the committee hear from you ASAP.

A listing and contact information for the Senate Finance Committee follows:

• Chair: Tim Neville (R-Littleton) 303-866-4873 tim.neville.senate@state.co.us
• Vice Chair: Owen Hill (R-Colorado Springs) 303-866-2737) owen.hill.senate@state.co.us
• Chris Holbert (R-Parker) 303-866-4881 chris.holbert.senate@state.co.us
• Mike Johnston (D-Denver) 303-866-4864 mike.johnston.senate@state.co.us
• Andy Kerr (D-Lakewood) 303-866-4859 senatorandykerr@gmail.com

OPPOSE – HB 15-135 – Public Bodies and Urban Renewal

On April 20 on Second Reading in the Senate, SB 15-135 – Public Bodies and Urban Renewal (CML’s URA bill) was amended and passed. The bill awaits final action in the Senate on 3^rd Reading. The amendments to the bill do not solve our need for important reform of the URA process. Please ask your senator to Vote No on SB 15-135 – Public Bodies and Urban Renewal.

Here are important points to consider.

As amended, SB 15-135:

• Allows special districts, counties, and school districts to be in local negotiations at the front end of a URA, but provides no relief if the city refuses to enter into an agreement;
• Does not provide a seat at the URA table for elected special district or school board members to be accountable to their taxpayers;
• Does not require cities to invest their own sales tax revenues into their urban renewal projects; and
• If counties are unable to reach an agreement on cost sharing they can force binding arbitration. However, if special districts and school boards are unable to reach agreement on cost sharing, they can be completely ignored while their entire property tax increment is taken by the URA.

SB 15-135 does not solve the much needed reform to the URA process.

SB 15-284 – Voter Approval TIF Payments Ag Land.

Finally, as an FYI, SB 15-284 was introduced late yesterday afternoon in the Senate has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill does not address our need for reform either. The bill is directed at the issues surrounding the Gaylord Hotel project around Denver International Airport. Since the bill is so new, we have not had enough time to develop a position; should that change in the coming days we will alert our members as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any questions or if you are able to connect with your state senator.

Best,

Ann Terry
Executive Director

And

Michael A. Valdez
Director of Policy