h_lg_2017a_2017-02-01t13:31:11z0 Hearing Summary

Date: 02/01/2017

Location:

01:31 PM -- HB17-1065



Representative Lewis, sponsor, presented HB 17-1065 to the committee. Under existing law, no land area that is 40 acres or more used primarily and zoned for agriculture uses may be included in any park and recreation district without the written consent of the land owners. Sections 1 and 2 of the bill make any metropolitan district providing parks or recreational facilities and programs subject to these limitations.



Sections 3 and 4 clarify that only those signatures obtained after the approval by a county or municipality of the service plan of a proposed special district may be considered by the district court in determining whether the required number of tax paying electors of such district have signed the petition for organization.



Representative Lewis distributed a hand-out regarding the Bent Metropolitan District Service Plan (Attachment A).



17HouseLocal0201AttachA.pdf



Representative Lewis relayed that she brought this bill forward on behalf of her constituents who are farmers and cattle ranchers in Bent County. These constituents received notice that their agricultural land was included in a metropolitan district unbeknownst to them. The constituents were concerned that they had no say in the process and further did not see the benefit of agricultural land being part of a metropolitan district. In response, the bill excludes agriculture land from such districts. The bill also addresses the sequence of signature gathering for metropolitan districts and defines that signatures should not be gathered before approval by a county or municipality.



Representative Lewis answered questions from the committee.



01:44 PM -- Michael Valdez, representing the Special District Association of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Valdez discussed the benefit of the bill, including that it clarifies law regarding the timing of signatures and addresses concerns from the agricultural community. He answered questions from the committee.



01:52 PM -- Brian Matise, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill. Mr. Matise explained that he represented Bent County residents in the fall of 2015 regarding the formation of a metropolitan district that intended to include agricultural lands. He expressed that the bill would close loopholes and would make it harder to circumvent the process. He answered questions from the committee.



02:03 PM -- Mary Kay Hogan, representing Colorado Association of Homebuilders, expressed a neutral position on the bill.



02:04 PM -- Eric Sutherland, representing himself, expressed a neutral position on the bill.



02:06 PM -- Kerry Froese, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill. She answered questions from the committee.



02:10 PM -- Tim Erickson, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill. He answered questions from the committee.



02:14 PM -- Emily Ibach, representing the Colorado Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of the bill. She answered questions from the committee.



02:23 PM -- Norman Kincaide, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.



02:25 PM -- Kim Siefkis, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill. He answered questions from the committee.



02:33 PM -- Elizabeth Erickson Noe, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill. She answered questions from the committee.



02:40 PM -- John Reed, representing himself, spoke in favor of the measure.



Representative Lewis gave closing remarks.

02:44 PM



Meeting adjourned.