Urban renewal hearing still going, four hours later…

The urban renewal hearing in the House Local Government Committee is still going - it started at 1:30 this afternoon, and it’s now past 5:30 p.m. Boise time. Thus far, the committee has voted to send all four of the bills it’s taken up to the full House, two for amendments and two without change. Those headed to general orders for amendments, so far, are HB 95, a compromise bill from Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, and the Meridian urban renewal agency; and HB 99, from Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, on requiring countywide elections for urban renewal bonds. The two the committee endorsed as-is are HB 96, from Moyle, allowing taxing districts to opt out of urban renewal districts; and HB 97 from Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, to require advance, narrow descriptions of urban renewal projects and binding expiration dates, and require unexpended money to be refunded to local taxing districts.

The committee is now debating HB 114 from Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene, requiring countywide elections for city urban renewal boards. Still on the agenda after that one is HB 110 from Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, requiring public hearings for urban renewal projects.