House Committee on Local Government (02/28/2006)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Date:	02/28/2006	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:32 PM to 02:08 PM	Berens	X
		Cerbo	*
Place:	HCR 0112	Curry	X
		Decker	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Massey	X
	Representative Hodge	May M.	*
		Merrifield	*
This Report was prepared by		Soper	X
	Carl Jarrett	Stafford	X
		Lindstrom	X
		Hodge	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB06-1335 HB06-1349 SB06-160		Amended, Referred to the Committee of the Whole Postponed Indefinitely Referred to the Committee of the Whole

01:32 PM -- House Bill 06-1335

Representative Jahn, bill sponsor, explained the provisions of HB 06-1335 to adjust the threshold that triggers a requirement for a special district to publish contract bid notice. The current threshold is $25,000, the bill as drafted sets the threshold at $75,000, and proposed amendment L.001 (Attachment A) sets the threshold at $50,000.

01:38 PM

Evan Goulding, Colorado Special District Association, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke to the current threshold and the cost to local governments to publish notice of contracts, particularly when the project is small and when there is only one bidder for a contract. Mr. Goulding responded to a committee question regarding the kinds of projects that fall within the $25,000 to $50,000 range.

01:44 PM

Greg Romberg, Colorado Press Association, spoke in support of the bill as it would be amended by prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment A). He noted that the current threshold has not been adjusted in 25 years.

01:45 PM

Duane Tinsley, Southgate Water and Sanitation District, spoke in support of the bill. He indicated there are 1,362 Title 32 special districts in Colorado and he spoke to the effect the requirement to publish notice of contracts has on special districts, particularly smaller special districts. He provided examples of how the current requirement and threshold has hastened the contract bid process and increased the costs of bid processes.

Mr. Tinsley and Representative Jahn responded to committee questions regarding the mechanism the bill proposes to adjust, every five years, the threshold using a construction cost index.


BILL:	HB06-1335
TIME:	01:54:10 PM
MOVED:	Berens
MOTION:	Prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment A). The amendment was withdrawn after committee discussion.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Berens
	Cerbo
	Curry
	Decker
	Massey
	May M.
	Merrifield
	Soper
	Stafford
	Lindstrom
	Hodge
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: WITHDRAWN


BILL:	HB06-1335
TIME:	01:56:08 PM
MOVED:	Decker
MOTION:	Amend the bill, page 3, strike the effective date and safety clause (lines 15 through 19) and substitute an effective date of 90 days after adjournment unless a referendum is filed against the bill.
SECONDED:	Lindstrom
		VOTE
	Berens
	Cerbo
	Curry
	Decker
	Massey
	May M.
	Merrifield
	Soper
	Stafford
	Lindstrom
	Hodge
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB06-1335
TIME:	01:56:37 PM
MOVED:	Stafford
MOTION:	Refer the bill to the committee of the Whole. The motion carried on an 11-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	Decker
		VOTE
	Berens	Yes
	Cerbo	Yes
	Curry	Yes
	Decker	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	May M.	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stafford	Yes
	Lindstrom	Yes
	Hodge	Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:57 PM -- House Bill 06-1349

Representative McFadden, bill sponsor, explained her reasons for asking the committee to postpone the bill indefinitely. She explained her intent in introducing HB 06-1349.


BILL:	HB06-1349
TIME:	01:59:37 PM
MOVED:	Merrifield
MOTION:	Postpone the bill indefinitely. The motion carried on an 11-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	Stafford
		VOTE
	Berens	Yes
	Cerbo	Yes
	Curry	Yes
	Decker	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	May M.	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stafford	Yes
	Lindstrom	Yes
	Hodge	Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:01 PM -- Senate Bill 06-160

Representative Curry, bill sponsor, explained the provisions of SB 06-160 that make changes to the membership of the board of a local government retirement plan. She explained that this bill makes additional changes to legislation regarding local government retirement plan board membership that was adopted last legislative session. The bill clarifies that board members are participants in the plan, specifies residential requirements for board members, and clarifies that board terms be staggered.

02:04 PM

Mark Paschall, Colorado Officials and Employees Retirement Association, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke to the provisions of SB 05-010 from the 2005 legislative session and to the changes SB 06-160 makes to the residence requirements of board members.

Representative Berens questioned whether the bill affects the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) board. Mr. Paschall responded that the bill's provisions only affect Title 54 regarding local government retirement boards and not the PERA board in Title 51.


BILL:	SB06-160
TIME:	02:07:29 PM
MOVED:	Berens
MOTION:	Refer the bill to the Committee of the Whole. The motion carried on an 11-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	Stafford
		VOTE
	Berens	Yes
	Cerbo	Yes
	Curry	Yes
	Decker	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	May M.	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stafford	Yes
	Lindstrom	Yes
	Hodge	Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:08 PM

The committee adjourned.