AGENDA DATE: 8/7/2019
TITLE:
Title
Proposed 2020 Legislative Priorities
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Consider the Proposed 2020 Legislative Priorities
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Kamptner
PRESENTER (S): Greg Kamptner
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Each year the Board considers and approves its legislative priorities. The Board then meets with the County’s local delegation from the General Assembly to discuss these priorities and submits them to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC), the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), and the Virginia Municipal League (VML). Other initiatives are sometimes added prior to the General Assembly session.
This is the fourth of four anticipated Board discussions to develop its priorities for the 2020 General Assembly session.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Mission: To enhance the well-being and quality of life for all citizens through the provision of the highest level of public service consistent with the prudent use of public funds.
DISCUSSION: Since the June 19 Board discussion and direction, staff and David Blount, the County’s legislative liaison, have performed additional research and met. Following is the current status of the initiatives:
Board priority for 2020
In-kind services to volunteer firefighting and emergency service providers: Pursue as a Board priority in 2020. In-kind services that have been identified so far include contract management services for capital projects, assisting in preparing proposals, budgeting services, and providing insurance. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Conditional Board priority for 2020
Local control over monuments and memorials for war veterans: Pursue legislation in 2020 only if the General Assembly’s committee membership materially changes. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Prohibition on carrying specified loaded weapons in public areas: Pursue legislation in 2020 only if the General Assembly’s committee membership materially changes. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Increasing the minimum tree canopy preserved during development: Pursue either as a statewide initiative or as a Board priority. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Pursue as a statewide or regional initiative in 2020 or thereafter
Documenting historic structures prior to demolition: Pursue as a statewide initiative.
Equal taxing authority for counties: Pursue either as a statewide initiative, particularly in conjunction with other localities in the High Growth Coalition, with the legislation limited to enabling authority for a city-level transient occupancy tax. Alternatively, consider pursuing as a Board priority with any new transient occupancy tax revenue applied to a specific purpose. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Impact fees: Pursue as a statewide initiative, recognizing that this will be a multi-year initiative. This initiative is further described in Attachment A.
Providing tax relief for public safety volunteers: Staff will explore this issue with Albemarle County Fire Rescue and the region to determine the appropriate relief and whether there is regional support for such an initiative.
Do not further pursue or pursue after more information is obtained
Civil penalties for open burning violations: At the time of this writing, staff is seeking information from VACO and VML representatives as to whether there may be interest in pursuing as a statewide initiative.
Extending the eligibility of antique motor vehicle status from 25 to 30 years: This issue needs to be addressed nationally, working with automobile clubs.
Homestay platform reporting: The Department of Finance has purchased software and has only recently started using the system. Revisit the issue in the late fall at the earliest, or continue the initiative to 2021 through VACO and VML to see if there is interest to pursue as a statewide initiative
Recycling reporting: At the state level, the solution may be for those required to report recycling information fully comply with state law, and for the state agency to which the information is required to be reported to enforce those requirements. If the County wants to require recycling information to be reported to it, the County is enabled in Virginia Code § 15.2-939 to adopt an ordinance to require any non-proprietary information to be reported.
Attachment B is a copy of the County’s 2019 Legislative Positions and Policy Statements to begin the discussion of that document for 2020.
BUDGET IMPACT: There are no specific, identifiable budget impacts.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff requests that the Board provide direction from the Board on its legislative priorities and other initiatives.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A - Select Proposed 2020 Legislative Priorities and Initiatives
Attachment B - Albemarle County’s 2019 Legislative Positions and Policy Statements