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New 12/13/09
Dear Township Officials:
The General Assembly was quite busy this week. Please find below
along with other issues, some pertinent information about several
bills moving through the legislative process.
Legislation
HB 271 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING/TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Bill passed the House mostly along party lines by a vote of 54-42
with 3 people not voting. Attached is the roll call vote for the
bill. (House Roll Call Vote) The bill now goes to the Ohio Senate
for committee hearings. Once the bill is assigned to a Committee,
we will let you know. As you know, the OTA is opposed to this bill.
HB 344 WATER/SEWAGE FEES (Goyal, Harris, M.) To limit recovery of rate-case expenses for certain water-works and sewage disposal system companies.
HB 363 ANIMAL FEEDING FACILITIES (Okey,
Newcomb)
This bill was voted out of the Senate
and now goes back to the House for concurrence of Senate changes.
It is important to note that language was added to this bill to
extend the moratorium on HSTS rules through July 1, 2010.
Current moratorium expires January 1, 2010. The OTA is still
working with all interested parties to put new workable HSTS rules
in place and this bill provides more time to do this.
SB 124 REAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS
(Faber, Schiavoni)
This bill, as
introduced and as passed by the Senate, did not have anything in it
that pertained to townships. However, the House Civil & Commercial
Law Committee amended SB 124 to include language that will impact
all local governments financially. The amendment to the
bill created the Tax Appeals Administration Fund in the State
Treasury by earmarking for the Board of Tax Appeals a portion of the
state reimbursement to local taxing units for the 10% real property
tax rollback. What this means is that townships will receive
less money. The amount in many cases is very small but the OTA
objects to this language being included without any of the local
governments input on the matter. (BTA Fee by Subdivision attachment)
Furthermore, the legislature reduced the funding for the Tax Appeals
Board in HB 1(budget bill) and now is asking local governments to
pay for the administration and operations of the Board. If this
continues, what else will local governments be asked to pay for due
to state budget cuts. Local governments, such as townships, are
hurting financially just like the state and pushing the costs of
things, like the Tax Appeals Board, on to local governments will
only increase the financial strain at the local level.
Township officials are encouraged to call their
State Representatives to express opposition to this provision in SB
124. The bill will likely be on the
House floor for a vote next week. Should the House vote on the bill
as is, the bill then would have to go to the Senate for concurrence
on House changes to the Senate bill. This means that you should
also contact your State Senator to express opposition to this
measure.
SB 165 OIL/GAS WELLS
Bill passed the Senate Committee on Wednesday morning. The only
amendment to the bill was language that permits local authorities to
conduct public hearings on proposed lease agreements. Senator
Grendell offered a variety of amendments but all were tabled or
rejected. The bill passed committee by a vote of 7-2 with Senators
Grendell and Miller voting in the negative. The bill will likely be
voted on by the full Senate next week.
Introduced this Week
HB 393 ABATEMENT CONTROL
(Gerberry, Blessing) To
revise the notice required to be provided by a board of township
trustees to a landowner for the abatement, control, or removal of
vegetation, garbage, refuse, or other debris from the owner's land.
Am. 505.87
Health Care Coverage
HB 8 AUTISM COVERAGE
(Celeste, Garland) To prohibit health insurers from excluding
coverage for specified services for individuals diagnosed with an
autism spectrum disorder.
57-39 (Amended)
HB 81 DIABETES COVERAGE
(Boyd, Gardner) To require certain health care policies, contracts,
agreements, and plans to provide benefits for equipment, supplies,
and medication for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of
diabetes and for diabetes self-management education. 58-38 (Amended)
The Ohio House passed these two bills this week and both of these
bills will impact the cost of health insurance. Both bills now go
before the Ohio Senate for committee hearings. The OTA will
continue to monitor the bills and update you as information becomes
available.
NATaT
Please find attached a monthly update from our national
association. The newsletter provides pertinent information relative
to townships and small governments. If you have any questions about
the information contained in the Washington Report, please contact
Jennifer Imo at the Ferguson Group at
JImo@tfgnet.com. (Washington
Report- November 2009)
Looking for Township Input on Surveys
LTAP
Ohio township trustees/personnel in semi-rural and rural areas
Attached below is an invitation to participate in
a national survey relating to unpaved/gravel roads. This survey is
being conducted by Montana State University under sponsorship from
the Federal Highway Administration. If your township manages and
maintains any unpaved roads, please consider participating in the
survey using the web link listed below. Also, please forward this
e-mail request to any other townships or local agencies in your area
that may have responsibility for unpaved roads.
This
survey takes approximately 20 minutes and was developed by a diverse
team of stakeholders under the sponsorship of FHWA and the
coordination of the Western Transportation Institute at Montana
State University. Your
participation in this anonymous survey will greatly assist FHWA in
identifying future research and documentation needs pertaining to
effective and sustainable use of chemical treatments on unpaved
roads.
Take the
survey at
www.roaddustinstitute.org. Thank
you for your help and participation!
MORPC - Take the Shape the Future of
Central Ohio survey!
Central Ohio Townships Only (Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette,
Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, Ross &
Union Counties)
Shaping our
Future is a plan the Mid Ohio Regional
Planning is spearheading for 12 counties in central Ohio. Expected
to be completed in 2012, Shaping Our Future will integrate
elements that impact the region including the transportation system,
land use patterns, air quality, energy security, water quality, food
production, and economic development. The mission is to have a
regionally accepted plan that ensures major public infrastructure
expenditures and public development decisions are made with a focus
on sustainability to secure a competitive advantage for central
Ohio.
The survey takes 10 minutes. There are questions
about energy, environment, transportation, the economy and your
neighborhood. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity for you to say
what you like about central Ohio and what you think would make it
better. It’s anonymous, it’s fast, and it’s important. Get involved
in Shaping Our Future! Use this link:
http://regionalplan.questionpro.com/
Urban Forestry Survey
Urban Forestry Advisory Committee
is seeking input from townships on what they think are issues
that ODNR should address in its continuing efforts to improve and
maintain the state’s forestry program. As many know, DNR’s budget
has been cut for many years
to the point that dollars that went to natural areas and preserves
are gone and that program no longer exists; insurance dollars to
rebuild Zaleski State Park’s lodge went to operating, and so on.
The
Committee is asking for suggestions as to how
the Dept. of Natural Resources can meet the challenges facing
this department in the future.
Attached is list of issues the Committee has put together. If you
have any thoughts, concerns or suggestions, please contact Drew
Todd, ODNR Urban Forestry Coordinator, at
drew.todd@dnr.state.oh.us
Heidi M. Fought |