Date: 01/27/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1079

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment E). The motion
Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-1079, as amended, to
Pass Without Objection
PASS


04:08 PM -- House Bill 09-1079

Representative Vaad, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1079, concerning the annexing of adjacent municipalities to existing junior college districts. Representative Vaad explained that the bill would establish procedures for a city to be annexed in to an existing junior college district. He explained that Colorado Mountain Community College and Aims Community College are the only junior college districts in the state. He explained that junior college districts are supported by a mill levy and are not supported by state dollars like College Opportunity Program funds. He talked about the need for the town of Berthoud to be annexed into the taxing district of Aims Community College and described the procedures that would have to followed according to the bill. A city or group of cities desiring annexation would be required to obtain approval from: the board of trustees of the junior college district, a majority vote of the electorate of the junior college district, the governing body of the city or cities, and a majority vote of the electorate of the city or cities.

04:14 PM

Dr. Marsi Liddell, President, Aims Community College, testified in support of the bill and discussed the Aims campus that will be built next to the town of Berthoud across I-25. Dr. Liddell discussed the need to provide a reduced tuition rate to citizens of Berthoud by annexing the town into the taxing district of the community college. She discussed the requirement that the majority of citizens of Berthoud vote to join the taxing district of community college. Dr. Liddell discussed the budget of junior district colleges and explained her support for a prepared amendment. She responded to questions from the committee members concerning the student population and budget of the community college compared to other colleges in the state. Dr. Liddell also discussed the campus near the town of Berthoud and distributed a map of the service area and taxing district of Aims Community College to the committee members (Attachment C). She responded to questions concerning a survey of the residents of Berthoud that indicated they were open to being incorporated into the junior college district, despite a slight property tax increase.

090127AttachC.pdf

04:21 PM

Jim White, Town Administrator, Town of Berthoud, testified in support of the bill and explained that the community embraces the incorporation into taxing district and service area of Aims Community College. Mr. White discussed development that is occurring around the Town of Berthoud within Weld County, near the college campus. Mr. White responded to questions concerning the boundaries of Berthoud in relation to the community college service area and he explained that a 6.22 mill levy would be levied by the district on citizens of Berthoud, which would equal approximately $8 per month.

04:27 PM

Dan Beal, student body president, Aims Community College, testified in support of the bill and explained that the bill would allow Berthoud students within the service area of the college to receive lower tuition. Mr. Beal distributed a letter from the Aims Community College Student Government Association (Attachment D).

090127AttachD.pdf

04:30 PM

Dr. Nancy McCallin, President, Colorado Community College System, testified on the bill and discussed initial opposition to the bill. She explained that the introduced version of the bill would allow junior college districts to annex into the service areas covered by other community colleges. Dr. McCallin explained that she supported the bill with the adoption of a prepared amendment.

04:35 PM

Mike Kupcho, Interim President, Front Range Community College, discussed the negative impact of the introduced version of the bill, which would allow Aims Community College to annex into the service area of Front Range Community College (FRCC). Mr. Kupcho explained the budget of FRCC, which receives state funding, spoke about a prepared amendment that would allow the incorporation of Berthoud into the Aims district service area, but not into the FRCC service area.

04:38 PM

Dr. McCallin addressed questions from the committee and explained that overlapping service areas for different community colleges is rare. She talked about the need to separate the geography of community college service areas and discussed the ability for junior college districts to levy a tax to serve students within the college service area.

04:44 PM

Mr. Kupcho addressed questions from the committee members and explained the services provided by different colleges.

04:45 PM

Representative Middleton discussed prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment E), which would make the bill more specific to the boundary of the Town of Berthoud being annexed by Aims Community College. Committee discussion ensued concerning amendment L.001.
BILL:HB09-1079
TIME: 04:46:16 PM
MOVED:Middleton
MOTION:Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Schafer S.
VOTE
Acree
Bradford
Liston
McKinley
Middleton
Schafer S.
Tipton
Vigil
Waller
Soper
Peniston
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

090127AttachE.pdf
BILL:HB09-1079
TIME: 04:51:43 PM
MOVED:Middleton
MOTION:Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-1079, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a 11-0 vote.
SECONDED:Tipton
VOTE
Acree
Yes
Bradford
Yes
Liston
Yes
McKinley
Yes
Middleton
Yes
Schafer S.
Yes
Tipton
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Waller
Yes
Soper
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS