CURRENT LEGISLATIVE REPORTS

October 2000 HAA Legislative Activity Report:

^{On September 28, directly following the last meeting of the Board of Directors, Ralph Lewis, Jerry Miller and Sam Alpert met with Jackson County Judge Peggy Stevens McGraw to discuss possible improvements in processing rent and possession cases. After some discussion it was determined that while it may be helpful to add one or more judges to expedite the daily case load (subject to appropriation), most of the problems we currently experience can be attributed to staff processing. The Court Administrator is receiving comments and recommendations from a committee established to address these and other concerns, and Judge McGraw has agreed to relay the specific issues we raised to that group.}

^{The Missouri state elevator certification continues to top the list of current issues facing Kansas City building owners. A local coalition including the HAA, IREM, BOMA, KCMO (City Codes Administration and City Attorneys), condominium associations, and the Chamber of Commerce have taken steps to challenge the state Fire Marshall’s position that KC building owners shall remain in “criminal” non-compliance of the state elevator regulations until they obtain the necessary state inspections and certifications. The Fire Marshall has informally assured the city codes department that state enforcement will be temporarily halted until a clear opinion of legislative intent is rendered by the Attorney General in three to four months. Contact Sam Alpert with any questions as to the status of this matter.}

^{Three of five meetings of the Citizen Advisory Committee on Housing, which was convened by KCMO Mayor Kay Barnes, have resulted in a draft policy outline now being refined. The committee is charged with the task of creating a format for a broad based housing policy, which is totally lacking at this time. 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 is to be delivered to the City Council by the end of 2000.}

^{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. Immediately after the November election, key legislators and various other public officials will be contacted to elicit support for the industry’s position with regard to each of these issues.}