Date: 01/21/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1017

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved a substitute motion to postpone House Bill 0
Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment J ). The motion
Moved to refer House Bill 09-1017, as amended, to 		PASS
Pass Without Objection
PASS



03:20 PM -- House Bill 09-1017

Representative Pace, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1017 concerning the Water Efficiency Grant Program cash fund. Representative Pace explained that this bill gives the Colorado Water Conservation Board the authority to spend money transferred from the operational account of the severance tax trust fund to the water efficiency grant program cash fund, which were encumbered in a prior fiscal year, and to allow this money to be carried forward into future fiscal years. He noted that he has a strike below amendment that he would like to move at the appropriate time (Amendment L.001- Attachment J). Representative Pace took questions from the committee regarding grant program funding.




03:26 PM -- Harris Sherman, Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Veva Deheza who leads the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning within the Colorado Water Conservation Board, testified in favor of the bill. Director Sherman discussed the efforts being made in the Department of Natural Resources to work with smaller communities to conserve water and create comprehensive water conservation plans and drought mitigation plans. He testified that he is in favor of this bill because it would allow money that has not been spent in the Water Efficiency Grant Program to be rolled over to subsequent years. Ms. Deheza explained that there are a significant number of applications that do not receive funding every year which creates a backlog of projects.

03:32 PM -- Wesley LaVanchy, Town Administer for the Town of Firestone, testified in favor of the bill. He commented that the Town of Firestone has partnered with this program in the past and discussed how valuable the program is for smaller communities like Firestone.

03:35 PM -- Sara Duncan, Denver Water Board, testified that the Denver Water Board is in favor of the bill and the amendment to be offered by Representative Pace. She took questions from the committee about the Denver Water Board's conservation and monitoring efforts.

03:38 PM -- Jennifer Gimbel, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and testifying on behalf of the Colorado Water Congress, stated that the Colorado Water Congress unanimously approved the bill with the amendment to be offered by Representative Pace.

03:38 PM -- Tracy Bouvette, Great Western Institute, testified in support of the bill. The Great Western Institute works with partners around the state on water projects. Ms. Bouvette testified that a lack of funding from the Water Efficiency Grant Program has been hampering the implementation of projects in smaller communities.

03:42 PM -- Bart Miller, Western Resource Advocates, testified in favor of the bill and distributed a handout (Attachment I). He commented that Western Resource Advocates worked with the Colorado Water Conservation Board in developing the grant program. Mr. Miller explained that the bill would correct a technical shortcoming in the grant program that would remove a bottleneck in funding water conservation projects.

090121AttachI.pdf

03:44 PM -- Linda Firth, Castle Pines Metro District, testified in favor of the bill. She commented that small communities need the support provided in this bill.
BILL:HB09-1017
TIME: 03:46:23 PM
MOVED:Pace
MOTION:Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment J ). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Solano
VOTE
Gardner C.
Hullinghorst
Labuda
Looper
McKinley
McNulty
Pace
Solano
Sonnenberg
Tipton
Vigil
Fischer
Curry
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

090121AttachJ.pdf

BILL:HB09-1017
TIME: 03:47:40 PM
MOVED:Pace
MOTION:Moved to refer House Bill 09-1017, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. A substitute motion was offered then reconsidered. See vote sheet below. The motion to refer House Bill 09-1017, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations passed on an 11-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Hullinghorst
VOTE
Gardner C.
Excused
Hullinghorst
Yes
Labuda
Yes
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Yes
McNulty
Yes
Pace
Yes
Solano
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Tipton
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Curry
Excused
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:HB09-1017
TIME: 03:48:02 PM
MOVED:Sonnenburg
MOTION:Moved a substitute motion to postpone House Bill 09-1017 indefinitely. The motion passed on a 6-5 roll call vote.

Representative McNulty, having voted on the prevailing side moved to reconsider the substitute motion. The motion to reconsider passed unanimously on a roll call vote with Representative Curry and Representative C. Gardner excused.

The motion before the committee was the original motion to send House Bill 09-1017, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. See vote sheet above for final action.
SECONDED:McNulty
VOTE
Gardner C.
Excused
Hullinghorst
No
Labuda
No
Looper
Yes
McKinley
No
McNulty
Yes
Pace
No
Solano
No
Sonnenberg
Yes
Tipton
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Curry
Excused
Not Final YES: 6 NO: 5 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




3:51 PM

The committee adjourned.