• SB 144 - Tax Increment Financing - would expand the tax increment financing program to include blended financing from property tax, sales tax and income tax to help finance infrastructure and development projects. 

The committee also held a meeting this week. Among the bills discussed included:

• SB 121 - Regional Economic Development Districts - would require the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to provide funding and services to regional economic development districts, and to provide those districts with certain authority needed to accomplish the goals of a comprehensive economic development strategy. CCM supports any measure that helps to spur greater economic growth and sustainable planning in the state.
• HB 5344 - Qualified Professionals - would allow a qualified professional to certify that an applicant for a stormwater permit complies with all applicable state stormwater regulations and applicable local government soil erosion.

For more information on Commerce issues, please contact Donna Hamzy of CCM.  

• SB 23 - Governor's Proposal - would, among other things (1) authorize the State's regulatory authority to "establish minimum standards of performance for utilities" and (2) establish a $5 million micro-grid pilot program for interested towns and cities to apply.
• HB 5544 - would also seek to establish certain performance standards and create a micro-grid pilot program - and, among other things, codify procedures and standards for (1) tree trimming policies conducted by private utility companies, and (2) private utilities' staffing levels and their coordination and communication with municipalities.  The bill would also require (1) appropriate employees of the State's regulatory authority to be training under the federal "NIMS" system, (2) telecommunications companies to maintain back-up generators for critical cell towers or antennas, and (3) that all private utility companies submit annual "emergency response and infrastructure reports."
• SB 450 - would, among other things, require each electric distribution company to submit a ten- year plan to PURA to strengthen their utility infrastructures performance and resiliency, and stipulate that such a plan include strategies for evaluating and preparing storm response resources, planning and drilling exercises with each municipality and the state and any other activity necessary to prepare for any natural disaster.

The committee also held a hearing on HB 5543 - Municipal Electric Utilities Bill - which would, (1) allow municipalities to explore and establish a municipal electric utility; and (2) allow those municipal utilities already in existence to expand their service territory.

For more information on Energy issues, please contact Donna Hamzy of CCM.

Last Friday, CCM testified in support of HB 5500 which would, among other things, (1) provide municipalities the option of using incremental state income tax and sales tax collections for the purposes of tax incremental financing (TIF) - and (2) would also allow certain projects such as information technology and remediation projects to be considered within municipal TIF authority.  CCM supports the proposal as a reasonable option for municipalities that could stimulate much-needed economic development and growth at the local level.  CCM urged the Committee to favorably report the bill.