Bill Hearing / Business Affairs / Finance and Procurement
MACo Opposes Legislation Creating Business Improvement Districts

MACo Associate Director Andrea Mansfield offered testimony in opposition to HB 1182 before the House Environmental Matters Committee this week.  This bill would set criteria for the establishment of Business Improvement Districts (BID). MACo's paramount concern is the mandate on local government to pass a resolution if the bill criteria are met, without the local government actually approving the BID itself.   It is also unclear how the taxes imposed by the BID would be treated…

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March 13, 2010
Business Affairs / Public Safety and Corrections
Scrap metal regulation passing through Baltimore City Council

The Baltimore City Council recently passed a bill through second reader to regulate scrap metal dealers. The effort would be substantially similar to a bill already passed in Baltimore County. MACo has advocated for sensible regulation of scrap metal dealers, to help to curb an "easy money" environment that has led to numerous incidents of property theft and destruction. MACo supported statewide legislation each of the last two years to address this issue (see SB32-ECM…

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December 15, 2009
Business Affairs / Planning and Zoning
FCC Imposes Wireless Siting Restrictions on Counties

According to NACo, the FCC issued a ruling on November 18 that will require counties to act on wireless co-location applications within 90 days and all other wireless siting requests within 150 days.  A county which fails to act within the required timeframe would be presumed to have violated the "failure to act within a reasonable time" clause of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 and could be sued by wireless applicant. As NACo notes on its website:…

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December 10, 2009
Business Affairs / Taxes and Revenues
Slots vote in Anne Arundel possible tonight

Much discussion in the Maryland political and policy realm centering on the possible long-awaited vote by the Anne Arundel County Council this evening on approval for the slots location at Arundel Mills shopping center. Some background on the issue is located here, in the Washington Post's "Maryland Politics" section today. The Post's news item on the subject covers the logistics of the vote as well.

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December 7, 2009
Business Affairs / Environment
Differing Views on Oyster Limitations

The O'Malley Administration recently announced proposed restrictions on oyster harvesting, along with an aquaculture leasing program. In general, the proposed new rules were received well by environmental conservation stakeholders, but with skepticism from Maryland's watermen. See below the differential coverage from Maryland's major news outlets: Baltimore Sun: O'Malley plans to limit oyster harvest Washington Post: O'Malley proposes expanded oyster sanctuary : Md. plan bans harvest on 24% of best grounds, pushes shellfish farms Brief excerpt…

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December 7, 2009
Business Affairs
MACo expresses concerns on proposed Miss Utility Legislation

Proposed legislation to re-write Title 12 of the Public Utility Companies Article dealing with Underground Facilities, better known as the “Miss Utility Law” will take away the counties' authority to seek reimbursement for costs associated with marking underground facilities, require the marking of storm drains, and establish the Maryland Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority.  Read MACo's letter of concern and review the proposed legislation.

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November 13, 2009
Business Affairs / Public Safety and Corrections
Baltimore County Scrap Metal law may fuel interest in statewide legislation

The Baltimore County Council unanimously adopted a law regulating local scrap metal dealers.  This regulatory authority has existed for local governments, but many counties have expressed concern about the very limited ability of any one political jurisdiction to address the crime problems connected to property theft and "easy money" for metal goods -- as long as individual may cross county lines to find less regulated dealers, the problems will continue to some degree. MACo, who…

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November 3, 2009
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