Government Affairs Report

Please find HAAR’s latest Government Affairs Report below, covering Madison & Huntsville City Councils, the Madison County Commission, as well as topline developments from Congress in Washington, D.C.

Madison City Council

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
- The Council heard a first reading of an ordinance authorizing the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.
- The ordinance regarding dispensaries will require applicable business licenses for future dispensaries. Those interested in applying for such license are required to already possess a location for their business and must apply by December 31 of this year.
Misdemeanors
- Increase general misdemeanor penalties in the municipal court. First reading
Council
- To allow virtual participation by City Council and Mayor in case of a contagious illness. First Reading
- Archive the publishing of audio/visual from November 30, 2022, work session

Other items addressed by the council included the following:
- Authorization of final payment to Rogers Group, Inc. of just over $22,000 for work performed on the widening of Short Street.
- Authorization of payment to Barge Design Solutions, Inc of $6,832.50 for work performed in improvement projects on the intersection of Wall Triana and I-565.
- Authorization of the exchange of equipment, including a drone, for the Police Department
- Ordinance presented by Councilmember Wroblewski prohibiting parking on a median in the Walden Glen community near Browns Ferry Road.
- Reappointments of Charles Nola and Gerald Clark to the Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission and Brenda Buschmann to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
- Resolution authorizing the archiving and publishing of records from the council’s work session on November 30
- Authorizing the purchase of shade structures for Kids Kingdom for $70,901.51.

Next Meeting December 19, 2022

Madison County Commission

Approval of updated budgets.
There is an open vacancy on the Land Trust of North Alabama Board for a term beginning January 2023
Approval of Subdivisions:
- Oak Forest Phase 4 (Proposed)/D.R. Horton–Huntsville (Andrew Bolton)/ District Four/43 Lots & 2 Tracts
- Forest Brook Phase 2 (Final)/Carlos Powers II, Rocky Childers & Daniel Sisk (Owners)/District One/27 Lots
- Blake Station Phase 2 (Proposed)/Life Homes, LLC (Cynthia Tunon)/District Four/2 Lots Blake Station Phase 2 (Final)/Life Homes, LLC (Cynthia Tunon)/District Four/2 Lots
- Mount Morgan Phase 2 (Proposed)/David W. & Diane C. Hines (Owners)/District Four/2 Lots
- Mount Morgan Phase 2 (Final)/David W. & Diane C. Hines (Owners)/District Four /2 Lots
- Coyote Run Phase 2 (Proposed)/David & Sonia Brown (Owners)/District Four /2 Lots
- Coyote Run Phase 2 (Final)/David & Sonia Brown (Owners)/District Four/2 Lots

Next Meeting December 21, 2022

Huntsville City Council

No major developments to report.

National Association of Realtors®

Call For Action
- The National Association of REALTORS® launched a Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) Call for Action (CFA) on Monday, December 12, 2022 to directly address the housing affordability and inventory crisis we are facing. This all FPC CFA will target every legislator in the House and Senate asking FPCs to urge their Members of Congress to include two important bills in any must-pass legislation that moves in the post-election session of the 117^thCongress:
Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) (S.98/H.R. 2143)
- This bipartisan legislation would provide tax credits to attract private investment for building and rehabilitating owner-occupied homes, creating a pathway to neighborhood stability through sustainable homeownership.
- The NHIA would expand homeownership opportunities and provide a powerful incentive to build and rehabilitate up to 500,000 homes for low and moderate-income homeowners in distressed neighborhoods over the next decade.
- The bill is intended to fill the gap in areas where it may be more expensive to develop or rehabilitate than current appraisals will support.
- NHIA is projected to generate $100 billion in new investment, creating nearly 800,000 jobs paying $43 billion in wages. The program would also produce $29 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue, more than its federal budget cost.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (S.1136/H.R.2573)
- This legislation, which enjoys wide bipartisan support, would improve the way the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) works.
- The LIHTC is responsible for nearly all the affordable housing built (nearly 3.5 million units) since the program was authorized in 1986 and is widely regarded as the most successful affordable housing program in U.S. history.
- By increasing the LIHTC allocation by 50% over 2 years and enhancing other features of the credit, the program would provide for more than 2 million additional affordable homes over the next 10 years.

Please find HAAR’s latest Government Affairs Report below, covering Madison & Huntsville City Councils, the Madison County Commission, as well as topline developments from Congress in Washington, D.C.

Madison City Council

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The Council heard a first reading of an ordinance authorizing the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.

The ordinance regarding dispensaries will require applicable business licenses for future dispensaries. Those interested in applying for such license are required to already possess a location for their business and must apply by December 31 of this year.

Misdemeanors

Increase general misdemeanor penalties in the municipal court. First reading

Council

To allow virtual participation by City Council and Mayor in case of a contagious illness. First Reading

Archive the publishing of audio/visual from November 30, 2022, work session

Other items addressed by the council included the following:

Authorization of final payment to Rogers Group, Inc. of just over $22,000 for work performed on the widening of Short Street.

Authorization of payment to Barge Design Solutions, Inc of $6,832.50 for work performed in improvement projects on the intersection of Wall Triana and I-565.

Authorization of the exchange of equipment, including a drone, for the Police Department

Ordinance presented by Councilmember Wroblewski prohibiting parking on a median in the Walden Glen community near Browns Ferry Road.

Reappointments of Charles Nola and Gerald Clark to the Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission and Brenda Buschmann to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals.

Resolution authorizing the archiving and publishing of records from the council’s work session on November 30

Authorizing the purchase of shade structures for Kids Kingdom for $70,901.51.

Next Meeting December 19, 2022

Madison County Commission

Approval of updated budgets.

There is an open vacancy on the Land Trust of North Alabama Board for a term beginning January 2023

Approval of Subdivisions:

Oak Forest Phase 4 (Proposed)/D.R. Horton–Huntsville (Andrew Bolton)/ District Four/43 Lots & 2 Tracts

Forest Brook Phase 2 (Final)/Carlos Powers II, Rocky Childers & Daniel Sisk (Owners)/District One/27 Lots

Blake Station Phase 2 (Proposed)/Life Homes, LLC (Cynthia Tunon)/District Four/2 Lots Blake Station Phase 2 (Final)/Life Homes, LLC (Cynthia Tunon)/District Four/2 Lots

Mount Morgan Phase 2 (Proposed)/David W. & Diane C. Hines (Owners)/District Four/2 Lots

Mount Morgan Phase 2 (Final)/David W. & Diane C. Hines (Owners)/District Four /2 Lots

Coyote Run Phase 2 (Proposed)/David & Sonia Brown (Owners)/District Four /2 Lots

Coyote Run Phase 2 (Final)/David & Sonia Brown (Owners)/District Four/2 Lots

Next Meeting December 21, 2022

Huntsville City Council

No major developments to report.

National Association of Realtors®

Call For Action

Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) (S.98/H.R. 2143)

This bipartisan legislation would provide tax credits to attract private investment for building and rehabilitating owner-occupied homes, creating a pathway to neighborhood stability through sustainable homeownership.

The NHIA would expand homeownership opportunities and provide a powerful incentive to build and rehabilitate up to 500,000 homes for low and moderate-income homeowners in distressed neighborhoods over the next decade.

The bill is intended to fill the gap in areas where it may be more expensive to develop or rehabilitate than current appraisals will support.

NHIA is projected to generate $100 billion in new investment, creating nearly 800,000 jobs paying $43 billion in wages. The program would also produce $29 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue, more than its federal budget cost.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (S.1136/H.R.2573)

This legislation, which enjoys wide bipartisan support, would improve the way the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) works.

The LIHTC is responsible for nearly all the affordable housing built (nearly 3.5 million units) since the program was authorized in 1986 and is widely regarded as the most successful affordable housing program in U.S. history.

By increasing the LIHTC allocation by 50% over 2 years and enhancing other features of the credit, the program would provide for more than 2 million additional affordable homes over the next 10 years.