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Week of July 14, 2008
Senate passage of housing stimulus legislation appears imminent
after several delays precipitated primarily by Senator John Ensign (R-NV) as he continues to object to any agreement to move the bill faster. [more]
The 2009 IBS registration system is open for business! [more]
All the news on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac [more]
"The role of green technologies in spurring economic growth" [more]
The Federal Reserve wants to protect future home buyers [more]
EPA has issued its 2008 Construction General Permit [more]
Expert ordinance reviews and technical assistance [more]
NAHB's State & Local Issues Fund has provided crucial support [more]
High gear on housing
By Jessica Holzer and Mike Soraghan
Spurred by fears on Wall Street, key lawmakers on Monday moved to speed passage of a housing rescue package through Congress.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and House Financial Services panel Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) both predicted swift passage of the legislation, which would strengthen the oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Both said it would include language requested by the administration on Sunday that would grant authority to the Treasury to bolster the two mortgage giants, which saw their stocks plunge last week.
Rendell vetoes bans on real-estate tax appeals
By Anthony R. Wood, Inquirer Staff Writer
Two bills that school officials say would have meant tax increases and millions in lost revenue in their districts were vetoed yesterday by Gov. Rendell.
Rendell said in his veto message that he wanted to see a major change in state law that would force counties to reassess real estate more frequently.
Under current law, counties have to assess all real estate parcels at the same time, and are forbidden from raising values on individual properties except in the cases of new homes or significant renovations.
However, a little-known provision gives school districts - the beneficiaries of most of the property-tax money - and towns the option of appealing individual assessments that they view as too low. The House and Senate bills that Rendell vetoed would have ended that practice.
Some tax experts argue that the practice is unconstitutional because it essentially allows schools and towns the right to engage in selective "spot assessments."
Harper and Custer debate the issues
By Terri Alderfer, Staff Writer
Representative Kate Harper defended her connection with her constituents in the 61st District against accusations by Democratic candidate Frank Custer that she has lost touch with them and environmental issues at a candidates' night event at Normandy Farms Estates July 9.
Residents of the ACTS retirement life community in Blue Bell gathered to pose critical questions to the candidates for Pennsylvania's 61st Legislative District seat, Harper, the incumbent Republican, and Custer.
Both candidates are fighting for a seat in Harrisburg in the upcoming Nov. 4 election and began the evening pitching their individual qualifications, followed by a question and answer period open to all residents of the community.
While most residents were familiar with Harper, the incumbent of seven years, Custer took the opportunity to explain why he thinks he could "do a better job in Harrisburg." Referring to Harper, Custer said that when politicians are in office too long, "they get in a bubble and they start to lose touch." Specifically, he said that Harper had lost touch with environmental issues in the 61st District.
Harper denied the accusation, stating that her "primary areas of concern are the environment and transportation." Harper said that in addition to her focus on the environment, she has been working to obtain sound barriers along the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and working with individual land owners whose properties are being affected by the turnpike widening, the widening of Route 202, and the Route 309 project.
White House confident housing bill will pass next week
By Sam Youngman, TheHill.com
The White House said Wednesday that despite some "mixed messages" from lawmakers, it remains confident the housing bill will pass Congress next week.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the White House has received "positive signals" from members on the Hill who are in a position to push the bill through, and the "bottom line" is they believe it will get done.
Philly begins overhauling property tax system
The Associated Press
Philadelphia has begun an overhaul of the city's property tax system.
It will be months , the fall, or perhaps the end of the year , before data is available on the new assessment figures. But Board of Revision of Taxes chairwoman Charlesretta (charlz-RET'-uh) Meade promises "an open, honest, transparent process."
City Council members Jannie Blackwell and Bill Green want buffers in place, including state legislation, to allow the city to protect residents from huge property tax increases.
Board member Robert Nix says the BRT is trying to eliminate inequities in the way in which property owners are taxed. He tells KYW-AM that "since the uniformity is not there today, the impact is not uniform."
Delaware River gets special
By AMANDA CREGAN, Bucks County Courier Times
It was the moment they've been building toward for more than a decade.
Advocates for the Delaware River held their breath as the Delaware River Basin Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to designate the river as Special Protection Waters, a move that aims to improve water quality by further restricting businesses and sewage treatment facilities that discharge wastewater into the Delaware.
Up until Wednesday afternoon's vote at the DRBC, supporters of the designation were unsure of its passage. The governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers make up the board.
From the Department of Labor and Industry:
Two advisories have been added to the Technical Code Advisories page (pertaining to sections 1007.1, 1007.6 and 1007.6.1 of the IBC 2006) linked under the "Labor & Industry Enforcement: Buildings and Structures" header.
A new advisory on Sprinkler System Shop Drawings has been posted on the Advisories page (under the "Local Enforcement" header), to clarify that sprinkler shop drawings do not have to be signed and sealed by licensed design professionals.
Off the same page, within the Advisory on Utility Service Connections, we have links to revised listings of contacts for companies that are members of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania.
Finally, the UCC Codes page has been substantially revised to clarify the extent to which referenced codes and appendices are adopted and the more significant changes that the General Assembly has made to the adopted codes and standards.
