Rep. Wyvetter H. Younge
Filed: 03/31/04
 
 

 




 

 		












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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4640 




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    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4640 by replacing 
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everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 
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    "Section 1. Short title. 
This Act may be cited as the 
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Community
Self-Revitalization Act.


 
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    Section 5. Findings and purpose.


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    (a) The General Assembly finds that:


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        (1) There is a great need for economic revitalization 
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in many communities
throughout this State.


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        (2) Each community has valuable resources at its 
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fingertips that can be
tapped in the revitalization 
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process.


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        (3) With adequate support and assistance from the State 
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and other
resources, each community can participate in and 
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shepherd its
own economic renewal.


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        (4) Successful redevelopment plans are based on policy 
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that is responsive
to the existing composition and 
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character of the economically distressed
community and 
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that allows and compels the community to participate in the

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redevelopment planning process.


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        (5) A successful redevelopment initiative creates and 
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maintains a capable
and adaptable workforce, has access to 
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capital, has a sound fiscal base, has
adequate 
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infrastructure, has well-managed natural resources, and 
 


 






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has an
attractive
quality of life.


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    (b) It is the purpose of this legislation to provide a 
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mechanism for an
economically distressed community to use in 
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its efforts to revitalize the
community.



 
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    Section 10. Definitions.  As used in this Section:


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    "Community" means a municipality or a county with
respect 
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to the unincorporated areas of a county.


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    "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic 
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Opportunity.


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    "Economically distressed community" means (i) in the case 
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of a municipality with a population of 25,000 or more, a 
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municipality that is certified by the Department as being in 
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the highest 10% of all municipalities of 25,000 or more in the 
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State in its average annual total unemployment rate for the 
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last completed calendar year and its poverty rate, pursuant to 
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the most recent U.S. Census data available and (ii) in the case 
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of a municipality with a population of less than 25,000 or an 
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unincorporated area, a municipality or unincorporated area 
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that is located at least partly in a county that is certified 
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by the Department as being in the highest 10% of all counties 
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in its average annual total unemployment rate for the last 
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completed calendar year and its poverty rate, pursuant to the 
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most recent U.S. Census data available.



 
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    Section 15. Certification; Board of Economic Advisors.


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    (a) In order to receive the assistance as provided in this 
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Act, a community
shall
first, by
ordinance passed by its 
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corporate authorities, request that the Department
certify 
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that it is
an economically distressed community. The community 
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must submit a certified
copy of
the ordinance to the 
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Department. After review of the ordinance, if the
Department

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determines that the community meets the requirements for 
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certification, the
Department
shall certify the community as an 
 


 






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economically distressed community.


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    (b) A community that is certified by the Department as
an

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economically
distressed community may appoint a Board of 
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Economic Advisors
to create and implement a revitalization plan 
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for the community. The Board
shall
consist of 12 members of the 
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community, appointed by the
mayor or the presiding officer of 
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the county or jointly by the presiding
officers of each

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municipality and county that have joined to form a community 
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for the purposes
of
this Act.
The Board members shall be 
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appointed from
the 12 sectors
vital to
community redevelopment 
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as follows:


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        (1) A member representing households and families.


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        (2) A member representing religious organizations.


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        (3) A member representing educational institutions.


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        (4) A member representing daycare centers, care 
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centers for the
handicapped, and care centers for the 
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disadvantaged.


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        (5) A member representing community based 
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organizations such as
neighborhood improvement 
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associations.


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        (6) A member representing federal and State employment 
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service
systems, skill training centers, and placement 
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referrals.


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        (7) A member representing Masonic organizations, 
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fraternities, sororities,
and social clubs.


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        (8) A member representing hospitals, nursing homes, 
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senior citizens,
public health agencies, and funeral 
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homes.


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        (9) A member representing organized sports, parks, 
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parties, and games of
chance.


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        (10) A member representing political parties, clubs, 
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and affiliations, and
election related matters concerning 
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voter education and participation.


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        (11) A member representing the cultural aspects of the 
 


 






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community,
including cultural events, lifestyles, 
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languages, music, visual and performing
arts,
and 
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literature.


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        (12) A member representing police and fire protection 
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agencies, prisons,
weapons systems, and the military 
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industrial complex.


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    The Board shall meet initially
within 30 days of its 
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appointment, shall select one member as chairperson at
its 
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initial meeting, and
shall
thereafter meet at the call of the 
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chairperson. Members of the Board shall
serve without

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compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and 
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necessary
expenses from
funds available for that purpose.


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    (b) The Board shall create a 3-year to 5-year 
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revitalization plan for the
community.
The plan shall contain 
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distinct, measurable objectives for revitalization. The

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objectives
shall be used to guide ongoing implementation of the 
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plan and to measure
progress
during the 3-year to 5-year 
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period. The Board shall work in a dynamic manner
defining goals

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for the community based on the strengths and weaknesses of the 
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individual
sectors of the
community as presented by each member 
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of the Board. The Board shall meet
periodically and revise the 
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plan in light of the input from each member of
the
Board

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concerning his or her respective sector of expertise. The 
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process shall be a
community
driven revitalization process, 
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with community-specific data determining the
direction and

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scope of the revitalization.



 
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    Section 20. Action by the Board.


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    (a) Organize. The Board shall first assess the needs and 
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the resources of
the
community operating from the basic premise 
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that the family unit is the primary
unit of
community and that 
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the demand for goods and services from this residential
sector 
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is the
main source of recovery and growth for the redevelopment 
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of a community. The
Board
shall inventory community assets, 
 


 






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including the condition of the family with
respect to
the role 
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of the family as workers, consumers, and investors. The Board 
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shall
inventory
the type and viability of businesses and 
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industries currently in the community.
In
compiling the 
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inventory, the Board shall rely on the input of each Board 
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member
with
respect to his or her expertise in a given sector 
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of the revitalization plan.


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    (b) Revitalize. In implementing the revitalization plan, 
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the Board shall
focus on
and build from existing resources in 
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the community, growing existing businesses
rather
than luring 
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business into the community from the outside. The Board shall 
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also
focus on
the residents themselves rather than jobs. The 
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Board shall promote investment
in training
residents in areas 
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that will lead to employment and in turn will bring revenue

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into the
community.


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    (c) Mobilize. The Board shall engage in the dynamic process 
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of community
self-revitalization through a continuous 
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reassessment of the needs of the
community
in the

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revitalization process. As each goal of the 3-year to 5-year 
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plan is achieved,
the
Board shall
draw from the resources of 
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its members to establish new goals and implement new
strategies 
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employing the lessons learned in the earlier stages of

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revitalization.


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    (d) Advise. The Board shall Act as the liaison between the 
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community and the
local, county, and State Government. The 
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Board shall make use of the resources
of these
governmental 
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entities and shall provide counsel to each of these bodies with

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respect to
economic development.


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    The Board shall also act as a liaison between private 
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business entities
located in
the community and the community 
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itself. The Board shall offer advice and
assistance to
these 
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entities when requested and provide incentives and support, 
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both economic
and
otherwise, to facilitate expansion and 
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further investment in the community by
the
businesses.


 


 






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    The Board shall annually submit a report to the General

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Assembly and the Governor summarizing the accomplishments of 
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the community
concerning revitalization and the goals of the 
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community for future
revitalization.



 
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    Section 25. Funding sources.
Subject to appropriation, the 
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Department may make grants to
communities
that are certified as 
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economically distressed communities under this Act and
that 
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create a Board of Economic
Advisors
under this Act for the 
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operational expenses of the Board. The procedures for
grant

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application shall be established by the Department
by rule.


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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.".