Bills await action by Kaine; localities need to act now

Gov. Tim Kaine has until April 12 to act on about 1,000 bills, including the two budget bills, passed during the 2008 session of the General Assembly. The governor has already signed 659 pieces of legislation and has vetoed four bills. The General Assembly will meet for its reconvened session on April 23.

Cities, towns or counties that want changes to legislation before the governor need to act immediately. Comments on legislation should be sent by fax – 804/371-6351 – or via e-mail to (tkaine@governor.virginia.gov).

Kaine has four options for any of the bills before him:

• Sign them, in which case the bills become law on either July 1 or another date specified in the bill
• Amend and return them to the General Assembly for approval (or rejection) at the April 23 reconvened session.
• Veto the bill and return it to the General Assembly for consideration on April 23.
• Take no action, in which case the bill becomes law without his signature.

HB 30, the Appropriations Act for 2008-2010, includes a variety of cuts to local governments, including the elimination of the distribution of ABC profits / wine liter tax to cities, counties and towns. The budget freezes HB 599 funds at FY08 levels, including the reductions made by Kaine in October 2007.

Further, HB 30 includes $50 million in across-the-board cuts for cities and counties in FY09 and FY10. The Department of Planning and Budget has to provide the manager or administrator of each city and county a list of state aid to local government programs from which the cities and counties can decide how to take the 4.2 percent cuts embedded in the budget bill. The department has 30 days in which to develop the list, but it appears that it could be available before the end of that 30-day period, perhaps as early as next week. VML should know more about the timeline at the end of this week.

The department’s list will include an estimate of the General Fund amount for each program that each county and city could expect to receive from the state during each year of the biennium. This total will serve as the basis for calculating the reductions apportioned to each city and county.  In addition to the obvious problem of the impact on local budgets, this approach takes state policymakers off the hook for having to either make service cuts or increase taxes to make up for across-the-board cuts.

Local governments can choose to:

• take the total savings out of one program included on the Department of Planning and Budget list;
• reduce multiple state aid programs on a proportional basis or by a specified percentage; or
• reimburse the state in aggregate for the savings share, thereby keeping the state aid programs at an unreduced level. 

Each locality may also use a combination of the three options, but must decide before Aug. 30.  The department will review each local plan to determine if the local choices are accurate and obtainable.

Additional information on the budget bills and other legislation. contents

Go Green Regional Forums

Sessions offer outstanding training opportunity

Attend a forum More information about the forums, including copies of the registration form, is on the Go Green Virginia Web site. The forums will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; $45 registration includes lunch. April 15, Virginia Beach Convention Center. April 17, Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks Mall. April 22, Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center – Abingdon. April 29, James River Conference Center – Lynchburg. We look forward to seeing you there!

VML’s upcoming ‘Go Green’ forums will give local officials an invaluable opportunity to get up-to-speed on a comprehensive menu of topics related to “green government.”

The four forums will offer practical information designed to provide member local governments with information and practical strategies to reduce energy use, promote sustainability and save money.

Among the topics to be covered:

• conducting energy audits;
• transitioning to ‘green fleets’;
• understanding LEED green building certifications;
• granting tax breaks for green practices and energy-efficient buildings;
• identifying federal sources of funding
• creating an energy improvement plan;
• developing a sustainability plan;
• conducting a baseline emissions inventory – commonly called a “carbon footprint”;
• developing an urban reforestation plan;
• adopting community conservation measures;
• identifying green power alternatives;
• purchasing of renewable energy credits; or
• saving money by using performance contracting.

The forums are one of the best opportunities that local officials in Virginia will have to learn about these issues, which will confront them more and more in future.

It’s hard to pick-up a newspaper or magazine, or to turn on a television or radio these days, without reading or viewing stories on “going green.” Virginians expect their local government leaders to be knowledgeable about these issues, and to be prepared to help find solutions at the community level.

The forums are part of VML’s “Go Green Virginia” initiative, which is starting to draw national attention, with requests for information coming from municipal leagues across the country. VML President Jay Fisette will talk about the program at a national summit in Albuquerque on May 14.

The forums will also provide information on a proposed federal block program for energy efficiency and conservation. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) could be used for such things as residential and commercial building energy audits, programs to conserve energy used in transportation (flex time, satellite work centers, zoning, etc.), installing on-site renewable energy technology, and other activities designed to reduce fossil fuel emissions. contents

Intended Regulatory Action

Stormwater Management Regulations. The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board has proposed action to amend the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) permit regulation to establish (i) criteria to protect the quality and manage the quality of stormwater runoff to state waters, (ii) criteria for the administration of a local stormwater management program, (iii) processes and procedures for board approval of a qualifying local program, and (iv) local program oversight and implementation criteria for the board and for the department. A public hearing will be held. Contact David Dowling, Department of Conversation and Recreation, at 804/786-2291 or e-mail him at david.dowling@dcr.virginia.gov for more information. contents

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