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2009 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Local Government

Chairman: L. Louise Lucas

Clerk: Carol Lynne Shotton
Staff: Jeffrey Sharp, Rebecca Young
Date of Meeting: January 20, 2009
Time and Place: 2:00 p.m. January 20, 2009 Senate Room B

S.B. 849

Patron: Edwards

Vacant building registration.  Provides that the Town of Blacksburg may require the owner of a building that has been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months to register such building and may charge an annual registration fee not to exceed $25. Failure to register may result in a civil penalty. The current provisions apply only to the Town of Pulaski and any city in the Commonwealth.

S.B. 853

Patron: Edwards

Carbon monoxide detectors in certain buildings.  Provides that any locality may, by ordinance, require carbon monoxide alarms be installed in (i) any building containing one or more dwelling units, (ii) any hotel or motel regularly used, offered for, or intended to be used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations, and (iii) any rooming house regularly used, offered for, or intended to be used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations when such structures or buildings contain dwelling units that have an attached garage or carport or are serviced by fuel-fired appliances.

S.B. 857

Patron: Edwards

Charter; Town of Blacksburg.  Amends the charter of the Town of Blacksburg to change the date of the town council member and mayoral election from the first Tuesday in May to the general election date in November. Further amends the date the council members take office from July to January and states that the vice-mayor shall be selected at the first council meeting, which will take place in January following the November election, rather than in July. If enacted, the charter changes clarify that the council may determine the annual salary of its members in accordance with state law and that vacancies on town council are also to be filled in an election subject to the requirement of state law. Lastly, the charter changes would permit the expanded use of civil penalties, in lieu of criminal penalties, for ordinance violations. 

S.B. 869

Patron: Stuart

Charter; City of Fredericksburg.  Amends the charter so that vacancies in City Council are filled within 45 days, rather than 30 days, by a majority vote of the remaining City Council members. Stipulates that when more than two years remain in the unexpired term and the vacancy occurs at least 120 days prior to the next council member election, the City Council shall petition the circuit court to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy, which shall occur at the next regularly scheduled May council member election. Until the vacancy is filled by special election, the City Council may appoint a qualified voter of the election district in which the vacancy occurred to fill the vacancy.  Further provides that all ordinances and all resolutions appropriating funds in excess of $100,000, rather than $1,000, shall be adopted by the Fredericksburg City Council on two readings.

S.B. 881

Patron: Stuart

Authority to cut grass.  Adds Stafford County to the list of counties with authority to require that the owner of occupied residential real property cut the grass or lawn area of less than one-half acre on such property when growth on the grass or lawn area exceeds 12 inches in height. Stafford County may, after reasonable notice, have the grass or lawn area cut by its agents or employees, in which event the cost and expenses thereof shall be chargeable to and paid by the owner of the property and may be collected by the county as taxes and levies are collected.

S.B. 883

Patron: Stuart

Charter; Town of Warsaw.  Amends the charter for the Town of Warsaw to allow the eight town council members to have staggered terms. 

S.B. 929

Patron: Ticer

Charter; City of Alexandria.  Amends the charter to allow the city council, by ordinance, to establish term limits for members of advisory boards and commissioners whom the council has appointed. Further amends the charter by requiring any applicant in a land use proceeding to fully disclose all parties who have an ownership or financial interest in the land or application that is the subject of the hearing. Requires that all parties, members of city council, members of the planning commission, members of the board of zoning appeals, and members of the board of architectural review in any proceeding regarding land use or land development to make a full public disclosure of any business or financial relationship that such individual has, or has had within the 12-month period prior to such hearing, with each member of the board in front of which they appear. Any person knowingly and willfully violating the provisions of the bill shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

S.B. 942

Patron: Watkins

Charter; County of Chesterfield. Adds provisions to the charter of Chesterfield County requiring the salary of the clerk of the circuit court to be paid out of the general fund of the county. Likewise, the expenses of the office of the clerk of the circuit court, including the compensation of the deputies and employees of the office, shall be paid out of the general fund of the county. All clerk's fees and commissions received by the clerk of the circuit court for the performance of the clerk's official duties pursuant to statute and local ordinance shall be paid into the general fund of Chesterfield County.

S.B. 1002

Patron: Quayle

Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act; restaurants.  Allows localities to adopt ordinances containing standards or provisions relating to smoking in restaurants that meet or exceed those established in the Virginia Indoor clean Air Act.

S.B. 1033

Patron: Hanger

Licensed farm wineries; local regulation.  Amends the Commonwealth's policy regarding local restriction on activities and events held at farm wineries by requiring localities to take into account the agricultural nature of such activities and events.

S.B. 1071

Patron: Martin

Charter; City of Colonial Heights. Amends the charter for the City of Colonial Heights to eliminate the requirement that certain changes in city streets and other public ways, grounds, and places, as well as the city's acquisition or sale of improved or unimproved land, must be referred to the planning commission for its recommendation prior to city council action. Further provides that if city council does refer any such matter to the planning commission for the commission's recommendation, the council subsequently shall act on the commission's recommendation by a majority vote of its members, or an affirmative vote of three-fourths of all members if required by the Constitution of this Commonwealth. Additionally, the legislation deletes provisions of the charter giving the planning commission final approval rights and allows a city council member to appeal the planning commission's decision of approval or disapproval of subdivision plats within 20 days of the commission's decision. The charter is further amended to state that final plats shall not be received or recorded by the clerk of court unless the plat has been approved as provided by applicable state and local law.

S.B. 1095

Patron: Herring

Expedited land development review procedure. Adds the Town of Leesburg to the list of localities that may develop an expedited land development review procedure for the review of preliminary and final subdivision and site plans and other development plans.

S.B. 1269

Patron: Vogel

Expedited land development review procedure.  Adds the Town of Leesburg to the list of localities that may develop an expedited land development review procedure for the review of preliminary and final subdivision and site plans and other development plans.