h_sa_2016a_2016-03-28t13:34:28z1 Hearing Summary

Date: 03/28/2016

02:45 PM -- HB16-1351



Representative Windholz, sponsor, presented House Bill 16-1351 to the committee. No later than January 1, 2017, this bill directs the executive director of the Department of Human Services (CDHS) to convey two parcels of land at the former Fitzsimons army post to the housing authority of the city of Aurora, Colorado, at no cost. One parcel must be suitable for the development of transitional housing for homeless veterans and veterans with disabilities and a second parcel must be suitable for the development of assisted living housing for veterans with disabilities, and their spouses and legal dependents. Each parcel of land is to be no more than one and one-half acres in size. Within two years of receiving the parcels from the CDHS, the city of Aurora's housing authority is required to begin construction on the transitional housing facility and the assisted living housing facility. Should the city fail to commence construction by the deadline, the city must convey the parcel(s) back to the CDHS at no cost. Finally, this bill exempts the new facilities to be built by the city of Aurora from the statutory requirement that veterans' centers constructed on or after July 1, 1998 have a bed capacity of at least 120 beds, and the requirement that no new veterans' centers be built after July 1, 1998, unless other centers have maintained an average occupancy rate of at least 80 percent over a six month period immediately prior to construction.



02:52 PM -- Aurora City Councilwoman Angela Lawson, representing the city of Aurora, testified in support of the bill and responded to committee questions.



02:54 PM -- Frank de Monbrun, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



02:58 PM -- Phil Ross, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



03:02 PM -- Leanne Wheeler, representing Close to Home, testified on the bill.



03:03 PM -- Tim Hutchinson, representing AMVETS, testified in support of the bill.



03:07 PM -- Elizabeth Neufeld and Melinda Townsend, representing the Aurora Housing Authority, responded to committee questions.





03:13 PM



Representative Windholz discussed amendments L.001 and L.002 (Attachments D and E) and responded to committee questions about the amendments.



16HouseState0328AttachD.pdf 16HouseState0328AttachE.pdf



03:19 PM



The committee recessed.





03:30 PM



The committee reconvened.





03:30 PM



The committee recessed.





03:31 PM



The committee reconvened.

03:32 PM



Representative Windholz wrapped up her presentation of the bill.