CURRENT LEGISLATIVE REPORTS

November 2000 HAA Legislative Activity Report:

The Citizen Advisory Committee on Housing, which was convened by KCMO Mayor Kay Barnes, completed its immediate charge and was adjourned by the mayor on November  17,  2000. The committee has submitted a draft format (executive summary attached) for a broad based housing policy, which until now has been totally lacking. Draft goals and policy statements encompass virtually all aspects of housing, ranging in scope from a “development friendly” market environment;  to the provision for affordable housing; to the efficient utilization of  public funding  (incentives); and to the need for better housing data resources.  A comprehensive recommendation, generated from the refined draft document,  is to be delivered to the City Council by the end of 2000. It is anticipated that a standing housing advisory committee will be appointed to measure the effectiveness of new initiatives emanating from the adopted policy statement.

Meanwhile, officials with the KCMO Economic Development Corporation have advised that they will be convening a number of workshops with market rate developers and others to establish what special incentives are currently needed to induce both large and small scale housing development throughout the city, with a focus on downtown development.

As reported last month, the BOMA Legislative Advocacy Committee has invited HAA to participate in some proactive initiatives which target a number of key issues in the coming legislative sessions in Kansas and Missouri. In addition to the elevator issue referenced above, fire sprinkler retrofit (MO), “forced access” (KS), and the adoption of the proposed 2000 International Building Codes (including a local Rehab Code) (various jurisdictions) will be the focus of the group’s activities. Of these issues, the  Missouri fire sprinkler retrofit remains the most serious potential problem for the entire committee, which is currently in the process of identifying legislators within the districts that would be most affected by  this perennial legislation when it is again introduced in the General Assembly.