To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Kristin Zagurski, Assistant to the Town Manager
Title
Update: Legislative Update
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
The 2018 regular session of the Colorado General Assembly continues through May 9. With assistance from the Colorado Municipal League (CML) and other sources, staff is monitoring - and providing Council with regular updates on - legislative activity that is of municipal interest.
Staff does not take a position on any legislation unless so directed by Council. Attached (Attachment A) are lists of all of the legislation CML is following thus far this legislative session. If Council is interested in additional information on any of these - or any other - bills, staff will provide such information in a future update.
Staff has one update to highlight related to a bill on which Council took a position back in February, as well as a newer bill on which Council may wish to allow staff to take a position, on which to provide information.
Senate Bill 1 (transportation bill) amendment
Council at its February 20 meeting voted to support - among other bills - Senate Bill 1, which would have authorized a ballot question to provide for additional Statewide transportation infrastructure funding without increasing taxes. In recent weeks, SB 001 was completely rewritten. CML has provided this summary of the current version:
“As amended, the bill now adds $495 million in FY 2018-2019 and $150 million in FY 2019-2020 toward state infrastructure projects. It also delays the referred bonding measure for voters to consider from 2018 to 2019 and lowers the total amount of the annual appropriation of statewide sales tax for consideration from $300 million to $250 million. The bill also now stipulates that the referred measure will not go before voters if a citizen initiative is passed in 2018. Finally, it repeals the lease purchase agreements passed in SB17-267 if any bonding measures are passed in 2018. The bill is now on the calendar for third and final reading, but it continues to be laid over daily. It is not clear when final action on the bill will occur.” CML remains neutral on this legislation.
Staff continues to monitor this, and other, legislation and seek direction from Council as appropriate.
Safe disposal of naturally occurring radioactive material
Small amounts of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) are found in the solids removed from water during treatment by water providers along the Front Range. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has been pursuing legislation (HB 1215) to put in place regulations surrounding the management and disposal of TENORMs. Castle Rock Water and other providers are concerned by this, because CDPHE is seeking to move forward with the regulations without doing a full health assessment on the risks of this solid waste stream. Water providers are working to incorporate into the legislation a process by which health-based risk is first evaluated in a Statewide study and then reviewed with the legislature before any regulatory rule-making process is started. If that change is accepted, staff requests Council’s authorization to support the bill through the Town’s affiliation with Colorado Water Congress and the South Metro Water Supply Authority.
Attachments
Attachment A: CML Followed Bills as of March 28