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Legislative Report -- April 16, 1980
Long Bill -- The Long Bill went into conference committee on Tuesday, April 15,
Some issues within the Bill affecting Weld County include the elimination
of funding in the Social Services Budget for long-term lease counties.
Long-term lease counties, such as Weld, have in the past been reimbursed
for 80% of actual costs of their social services facilities. Other
counties have been reimbursed for 80% of allowable costs based on a
formula of X number of dollars per square feet and X number of square
feet per FTE. With the elimination of funds in the Long Bill, Weld
County will receive reimbursement for 80% of allowable costs only. This
will cause a reduction of several thousand dollars in the rent reimburse-
ment -received by Weld County.
Also involved in the Social Services budget is a difference of opinion
between the House and Senate members on the number of FTE's to be
allocated for the General Assistance program. This issue is currently
under-discussion; however, it appears there will be a reduction here
also.
Another area of the Long Bill being watched by the County is the
appropriation of 1041 planning monies. During the past year, the
Department of Local Affairs has allowed some of the 1041 monies to
be used by local entities for programs other than land use planning,
for instance the Larimer-Weld COG Circuit Rider City Manager Program.
This misuse of these dollars has upset many of the legislators. It
appears that the 1041 monies appropriated this year will be less than
those coming out of the last session.
Of good news to the county is the Health Department budget in the Long
Bill which provides for an increase in the States share of county
sanitarian- salaries from 25% to 35%. Further the Bill, as presently
written, increases the State per capita funding for Health programs
from $1.09 to $1.14.
Tax Package -- The $60,000,000 highway appropriation was still in the tax
package as of Tuesday morning and looked fairly secure at that point.
However, a lot of discussion and negotiation is taking place between the
General Assembly and the Governor on this issue, as well as others.
Most discussion regarding the highway appropriation is centered around
"through what vehicle the appropriation will be made", be it a straight
appropriation within the Long Bill or a bill amending current law to
temporarily lift the $33,000,000 ceiling on the "Noble Monies" which
came out of the 1979 session. Some discussion has also taken place on
whether the appropriation of the $60,000,000 should be made all this
year or split half and half between 1980 and 1981.
SB 52, concerning reduction of motor vehicle emissions
This is the Bill which is being considered for the purpose of meeting
Federal EPA requirements. The Bill has been rewritten several times
and now is in conference committee. The two versions currently under
consideration affect the county in substantially the same ways. First
the Bill will regulate vehicle emissions in nine of the front range counties,
including Weld. In five of these counties, including Weld, the geographical
area falling under the mandates of the Bill incompasses only a portion of
the county. In both of the versions of SB 52. the burden for policing
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Legislative Report -- Osscil 16, 1980
Page 2
the Bill rests with the Colorado Department of Revenue. County Clerks
will be involved only to the point of requiring proof from the vehicle
owner at the time of initial title registration that the car meets the
vehicle emission requirements. Annual checks will be tied to the
present annual vehicle safety inspections.
SB 97, concerning access to records in child abuse cases
This Bill was killed in conference committee.
SB 38, concerning nursing home care for older persons
SB 38 passed third reading of the house with the CCI amendment which
places a ceiling on the placement costs under the 2% provision which
can be assessed to the counties.
SB 125, concerning mobile home registration and taxation
SB 125 is still in conference committee.
Disaster Preparedness Program Proposal
It was reported last week that the Commissioners would be sending a letter
to the Legislature urging its support of the Governors proposal for a
disaster preparedness program. The Board of Commissioners reconsidered
its decision and has now opted not to send a letter.
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