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tt. . ._ , f <br />AGENDA #13 <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Mayor and Town Council <br />FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager <br />SUBJECT: Public Forum on Potential Legislative Requests <br />DATE: February 8, 1999 <br />The purpose of this memorandum is to request that the Council approve a scope of options to be <br />advertised for the Council's public hearing on February 22 on potential legislative requests to the <br />General Assembly. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Town Council periodically requests local or State -wide legislation to allow or clarify <br />authority for the Town to undertake various services and programs, including adoption of land <br />use or other regulatory ordinances and adoption of new revenue sources. (A local bill is one <br />which would apply to one or a few local jurisdictions. Local bills would include revisions to the <br />Town's Charter.) <br />Local bills requested by the Town and enacted by the General Assembly in the past have <br />included authority to enact a motor vehicle tax higher than provided by General Statute, <br />authority to enact a hotel -motel occupancy tax, and authority to require installation of fire <br />sprinklers in fraternity and sorority houses. <br />On January 27, the Town Council held an initial public forum on potential legislative requests. <br />At that time the Council heard citizen comment on potential local bills and considered other <br />matters raised by the Mayor and members of the Town Council. <br />LEGISLATIVE RULES FOR LOCAL BILLS IN 1999 <br />This year the General Assembly convenes. for a "long session" on January 27, 1999. The <br />deadline for the submission of local bills to Legislative Bill Drafting in the House and Senate is 4 <br />p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. A bill that has been submitted to Bill Drafting by the March 24 <br />deadline remains eligible for introduction if it is introduced in the House by 3 p.m. on March 31 <br />or filed for introduction in the Senate by 3 p.m. -on March 31. <br />Based on discussions with the legislative delegation in past years, we believe a public hearing on <br />a proposal for a local bill would be necessary before a local bill would be introduced. Therefore <br />we recommend that the scope of the hearing on February 22 be advertised broadly to include all <br />options that the Council may wish to consider. A hearing is not necessary but is customary on <br />