HCS HB 795 -- LOCAL PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS

SPONSOR:  Richard (Flook)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Job Creation and Economic Development by a vote of 11 to 0.

Currently, only St. Charles County and its municipalities are
allowed to form a theater, cultural arts, and entertainment
district.  This substitute allows the governing body of any
county or city that has adopted transect-based zoning under
Chapter 89, RSMo, and the counties of Franklin, Clay, Jackson,
Boone, or Jasper and their municipalities to form a district.

The substitute also:

(1)  Allows the district to fund infrastructure projects;

(2)  Reduces the number of contiguous acres the district must
include from 50 to 25;

(3)  Requires, instead of allows, the governing body of the city
or county in which a district is proposed to pass a resolution
describing the district when a petition for its creation is
filed;

(4)  Defines the term "transect-based zoning";

(5)  Allows the cities of Augusta, Carrollton, Chillicothe,
Liberty, Miami, Missouri City, and Pleasant Hill to impose a
transient guest tax of up to 5%; and

(6)  Repeals the duplicate of Section 67.2505.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Income on General Revenue Fund of $0 to
Unknown in FY 2008, FY 2009, and FY 2010.  No impact on Other
State Funds in FY 2008, FY 2009, and FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill allows for the creation
of a theater, cultural arts, and entertainment district in more
cities and counties and also provides a more flexible kind of
zoning, without taking any power away from local governments.
This will allow economic development activities to occur more
quickly than they would with traditional zoning.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Flook; Brad Goss,
Whittaker Builders, Incorporated; and Alicia Stephens,
Partnership for Community Growth and Development.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:20 am