Senate committee takes up urban renewal bills

Two urban renewal bills, HB 95 from Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, and HB 110 from Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, are up for a hearing this afternoon in the Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee, and there’s a substantial crowd at the hearing. Both these bills passed the House unanimously, unlike two others that passed on divided votes and aren’t up for hearing today. HB 95 is a measure that Moyle negotated with his local urban renewal district in Meridian; that district’s representative, lobbyist Scott Turlington, is presenting the bill. It requires an election to form a new urban renewal district; limits their duration and bonds to 20 years; requires written consent from owners of agricultural land before it’s included in a district; and prevents expansion of the geographic area covered by a district. “I think this is a very reasonable approach,” Turlington told the Senate committee.

The second bill, HB 110, adds a public hearing requirement before the launch of an urban renewal project; it passed the House unanimously with no debate. So far, 10 people are signed up to testify, some on both bills. Senate Local Government Chairman Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, said members of his panel already have prepared some possible amendments.