HomeMy Public PortalAbout2015_11_10_R133 2016 Legislative Agenda and Positions Statement The Town of
Leesburg,
Virginia PRESENTED November 10,2015
RESOLUTION NO. 2015-133 ADOPTED November 10,2015
A RESOLUTION: ADOPTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND POSITIONS
STATEMENT FOR THE 2016 VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
WHEREAS,the Virginia General Assembly will convene on January 13,2016 for the 2016
Legislative Session; and
WHEREAS,the Town of Leesburg has specific legislative initiatives that it would like to
see addressed during the General Assembly session; and
WHEREAS,the Town of Leesburg has developed a Legislative Agenda to request specific
legislative actions; and
WHEREAS,the Town of Leesburg has developed a Legislative Positions Statement to
provide general guidance on various topics for Town staff and state legislators; and
WHEREAS,the Mayor and Town Council of Leesburg have invited state legislators to an
informational legislative dinner on November 16 to present the Town's 2016 Legislative Agenda
and Positions Statement and to discuss legislative,regulatory, and policy issues that impact the
Town.
THEREFORE,RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia that the
Town's 2016 Legislative Agenda and Positions Statement are adopted as presented.
PASSED this 10th day of November, 2015.
i.Nb i moi. Nophi__,
.
Kris e U stattd,Mayor
Town of Leesburg
A.TT. :
Clerk of Co ip
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Town of Leesburg
2016 Legislative Agenda
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1 (Issues are not arranged in priority order)
2
3 A. Restoration of HB 599 Law Enforcement Assistance Funding
4 The Town Council requests the General Assembly fully restore HB 599 Law Enforcement
5 Assistance Funding to funding levels per the established formulas. The Town has lost
6 approximately $171,000 each year since 2009 in reduced funding from the state.
7 B. Revision of the Local Fines & Fees Distribution
8 The Town Council requests a revision of the local fines and fees distribution that allows
9 localities to retain all fines and fees resulting from citations issued by local law enforcement
10 officers.
11 C. City Status
12 The Town Council requests amendment of State Code Section 15.2-3201 and Section 15.2-3800
13 to eliminate restrictions on the granting of city charters to towns with populations more than
14 40,000.
15 D. Private Unmanned Aircraft—Drones
16 The Town Council requests the expansion of the criminal trespassing statutes to prohibit the
17 unauthorized entry of private drones upon the property of another.
18 E. Business,Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) Taxes
19 The Town Council opposes legislation that would eliminate the BPOL tax,unless current
20 revenue from the BPOL tax is replaced with new local revenue that is distributed directly to each
21 locality based on point of sale. Further, the Town Council requests that if the BPOL tax is
22 eliminated, localities be granted the authority to issue an annual license to businesses physically
23 located within the locality for a nominal fee.
24 F. Water Quality Funding
25 The Town Council urges the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide
26 adequate funding for capital improvements for sewage treatment plants, Total Maximum Daily
27 Loads (TMDLs) requirements, MS-4 Permits, and other stormwater systems.
28 G. Tree Save Efforts
29 The Town Council requests amendments to Virginia Code Section 15.2-961.1 that would
30 strengthen localities' ability to require private new construction projects to save existing trees.
31 H. Bills of Financial Impact to the Town
32 Reinstate the requirement that bills resulting in a net expenditure and/or net decrease in revenue
33 for local governments be filed on or before the first day the legislature convenes.
34 I. Procurement
35 Supports the Virginia Association of Government Purchasing's position to re-establish
36 authority for cooperative purchasing for construction contracts under$200,000.
37
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2016 Legislative Agenda
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38 J. Advertisement of legal notices on web sites.
39 The Town Council supports legislation that would allow towns located in Fairfax, Loudoun, and
40 Prince William Counties to advertise legal notices on the locality's website instead of the public
41 notice section of the newspaper.
42 Recommended Text:
43 § 15.2-107.1 In addition to any requirements that a locality advertise legal notices in a newspaper
44 having a general circulation in the locality, such notices may also be published on the locality's
45 World Wide Web site.website. However notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or
46 special, in any town within the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William legal notices
47 may be published on the locality's website instead of in a newspaper having general circulation
48 in the locality.
49 K. Bicyclist Safety("Dooring")
50 The Town Council supports legislation that would require drivers and passengers of vehicles to
51 look for oncoming cyclists before opening vehicle doors and supports treating a violation of this
52 requirement as a traffic infraction.
53 L. Dam Safety Funding and Regulations
54 The Town Council urges the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide
55 adequate funding for high hazard dam inspection, maintenance, and reconstruction.
56 M. Chesapeake Bay TMDL and State Water Quality Management Planning Regulation
57 The Town Council supports the Virginia Municipal Wastewater Association's position opposing
58 revision of existing nutrient allocation of dischargers (local governments, authorities and
59 industrial facilities) for the purpose of transferring allocation to new facilities.
2016 legislative agenda(adopted 11-10-15)
•
• Town of Leesburg
�srgB«SHEo,, 2016 Legislative Positions Statement
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1 GENERAL POSITIONS
2 (Issues are not arranged in priority order)
3 A. Oppose any reduction of local taxing authority
4 The Town Council opposes any reduction or narrowing of the taxing authority of local
5 governments, including but not limited to business license tax, machinery &tools tax and meals
6 tax. Further, the General Assembly should take no action to restrict the use of current local
7 revenue sources.
8 B. Oppose any reduction of local land use authority
9 The Town Council opposes legislation that weakens local authority to plan and regulate land use,
10 zoning and property maintenance. This authority should remain with local governing bodies.
11 The Town Council generally supports the granting of additional land use, zoning and property
12 maintenance authority to localities, especially in areas experiencing high rates of sustained
13 growth, and as a means to address the fiscal burdens experienced by localities in providing
14 needed public services to local residents.
15 C. Oppose any unfunded mandates
16 The Town Council opposes any new state mandates that are not fully funded by the
17 Commonwealth, and opposes the shifting of fiscal responsibility from the state to localities for
18 existing programs.
19 D. Support revenue sharing with state
20 The Town Council supports any state revenue sharing formula to assist local governments with
21 public infrastructure needs, so long as the formula includes recognition of the needs in high
22 growth localities.
23
24 POSITIONS ON SPECIFIC ISSUES
25 (Issues are not arranged in priority order)
26 E. Transportation Funding
27 i The Town Council supports state policy changes to reduce state oversight of locally
28 administered transportation projects. Such oversight is duplicative, cumbersome, and
29 inefficient, and results in unnecessary delays and costs. Periodic state audits of locally
30 administered projects would be more efficient and better policy than constant, day to day
31 oversight.
32 ii The Town Council supports state policy changes to mandate further refinement of VDOT
33 cost estimates for transportation projects in an effort to improve accuracy and thus reduce
34 time lost due to the accumulation of unnecessary excess funds. In those circumstances when
35 excess funds are unavoidable, allow those funds to be allocated to other projects more
36 efficiently.
2016 legislative positions (adopted 11-10-15)
2016 Legislative Positions Statement
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37 iii Construction of Grade-Separated Interchanges
38 The Town Council requests dedicated funding for the construction of grade-separated
39 interchanges to replace the current at-grade signalized intersections in the following
40 locations:
41 (a) Edwards Ferry Road at the Route 15 Bypass, incorporating the intersection of Fort
42 Evans Road and the Route 15 Bypass, as well as facilities that will allow safe
43 pedestrian passage across the Bypass
44 Status: Interchange Justification Report(IJR) underway. This VDOT managed
45 project has $2 million in NVTA funds allocated for study and design work.
46 (b) Battlefield Parkway at Route 7 (East Market Street)
47 Status: NVTA and VDOT agreement complete. $13 million in NVTA funds secured.
48 County and Town have requested $37 million in 2017 NVTA Funds
49 (c) Battlefield Parkway at the Route 15 Bypass
50 Status: Town has applied for $50 million in HB-2 funding from VDOT. IJR has not
51 been funded
52 F. Transient Occupancy Tax
53 The Commonwealth should not allow online travel companies to avoid paying the full transient
54 occupancy tax and the Town Council supports legislation to clarify this in the state code.
55 G. Civil Zoning Fines
56 The Town Council supports legislation that grants localities the authority to collect unpaid and
57 delinquent civil zoning fines in the same manner as real estate taxes and levies are collected.
58 H. Conditional Zoning(Cash and In-Kind Proffers)
59 The Town Council supports existing local authority to accept cash and in-kind proffers from
60 developers to assist localities in financing the capital facilities and infrastructure needed to serve
61 new development and opposes legislation to eliminate or restrict that authority.
62 I. Local Authority to Prohibit Firearms on Public Property
63 The Town Council supports legislation that authorizes localities to adopt ordinances that prohibit
64 firearms and ammunition on property owned or leased by the locality.
65 J. Prohibit Predatory Lending Practices (Council Resolution, July 13, 2010)
66 The Town Council supports legislation that prohibits all predatory, usurious lending practices,
67 including but not limited to provisions that would:
68 i. Impose an interest rate cap of eighteen percent (18%) above the prime lending rate,
69 calculated as an effective annual percentage rate including all fees or charges of any kind, for
70 any consumer credit extended in the Commonwealth of Virginia;
71 ii. Incorporate into the Virginia Code the protections regarding consumer credit to military
72 personnel as reflected in the Military Lending Act, 10 United States Code, Section 987.
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2016 Legislative Positions Statement
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73 K. Utility Rates & Connection Fees
74 The Town Council supports the existing authority of localities or locally created authorities to
75 impose utility rates and connection fees adequate to support the full cost of water, wastewater
76 and stormwater utility systems, and opposes any legislation that would limit that authority.
77 L. Higher Education Presence in Leesburg
78 The Town Council requests funding for a state-supported higher education presence in the Town
79 of Leesburg.
80 M. Independent Consumer Advocate for Transmission Line Issues
81 The Town Council supports legislation that creates an independent office of the consumer
82 advocate within State government to actively participate in transmission lines issues before the
83 State Corporation Commission.
84 N. Enforcement of Recycling Regulations
85 The Town Council supports legislation that grants localities the authority to enforce compliance
86 with recycling regulations.
87 O. Line of Duty Act
88 The Town Council supports the Virginia Municipal League's position that funding responsibility
89 for the Line of Duty program should be returned to the Commonwealth.
90 P. Legal Notice Publication
91 The Town Council supports legislation that would give localities the authority to post legal
92 notices on websites as a substitute for publishing legal notices in newspapers.
93 Q. State Funding for School Resource Officers
94 The Town Council supports legislation that would provide state funding for school resource
95 officers at all public elementary, middle, and high schools.
96 R. Virginia Public Procurement Act
97 The Town Council supports the positions of the Virginia Association of Governmental
98 Purchasing on legislation regarding the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
99 S. Non-partisan Redistricting that Preserves Jurisdictional Boundaries
100 The Town Supports redistricting reform, including the use of a non-partisan independent
101 commission to draw state legislative and Congressional lines based on specified and consistent
102 criteria, including insofar as possible preservation of the integrity of existing city, town, county,
103 and precinct lines.
104
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105
106 T. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Commonwealth Resilience Fund
107 The Town Council supports VML in urging the General Assembly to address greenhouse gas
108 emissions targets through a Regional Greenhouse Gas Inventory (RGGI) carbon credit auction,
109 and/or a carbon emissions tax. All proceeds derived from the auction of credits should be used
110 to establish the "Commonwealth Resilience Fund", a special state dedicated fund to assist
111 localities in addressing flooding, energy efficiency improvements, and economic development.
112 U. Chesapeake Bay TMDL and State Water Quality Management Planning Regulation
113 The Town Council supports the Virginia Municipal Wastewater Association's position opposing
114 revision of existing nutrient allocation of dischargers (local governments, authorities and
115 industrial facilities) for the purpose of transferring allocation to new facilities.
2016 legislative positions (adopted 11-10-15)