Senate Bill 280 included language that could have dissolved a conservancy district by a simple vote of Indianapolis' City-County Council. We worked diligently to have the language successfully removed. However, we need to keep a close eye on this issue to ensure amendments are not added that restores the language. But for now, this is a win.
Senate Bill 129 requires a public agency to give notice of the agency's meetings to any person who makes an annual request for notice. Requires the public agency to charge a $10 fee for providing notice by mail. Requires notice to be given not less than five business days before a meeting that does not deal with an emergency.
This Bill would have hampered many conservancy districts. Who decides what is an emergency? A difference of opinion would have ended up in the already log jammed courts.
Another win, this Bill is no longer being considered.
House Bill 1061 synopsis: Application of landlord-tenant statutes. Provides that the residential landlord-tenant statutes apply to a rental agreement that gives the tenant an option to purchase and that is entered into after June 30, 2008.
So what does that have to do with conservancy districts? Nothing! Until an amendment was added via a voice vote on 1/28/08. The amendment "Eliminates the lien on property for delinquent sewer and water charges incurred by a tenant who is not the owner of the property"'
For our utility members, this would have taken away a valuable tool to ensure delinquent rate-payers are held accountable. If this amendment had passed into law, it could have opened the flood-gates for unscrupulous landlords to pocket utility monies. Utilities would have had no choice but to pass the revenue losses onto good hard working Hoosiers who pay their bills on time.
This Bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee without the "lien" language. A good win for our utility districts. However, we must keep an eye out for this issue to resurface in some other Bill.