HB1318 has passed from the House. Next it will be heard in the Senate. This bill was authored by Representative Harris and co-authored by Rep. Smith, Rep. Soliday, Rep Slager. It has been passed by the House and will next be sponsored in the Senate by Senator Melton.
House Bill 1318 States:
“Construction/demolition site in Gary. Provides that the prohibition against establishing a sanitary landfill within one-half mile of an area subdivided for residential purposes does not apply to the establishment of a construction/demolition site located within the corporate limits of a city that has a population of more than 80,000 and less than 80,400 and whose fiscal body and executive have filed a petition with the distressed unit appeal board seeking to have the city designated as a distressed political subdivision.”
(NWI residents giving input on HB1318 photo credit NWI Times.)
On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, at the NWI Public Forum at The Glen, Jessica Renslow, made the following suggestions to Senator Melton as possible amendments to HB1318 when it is presented in the Senate. She requested that he consider proposing an amendment in the Senate that addresses the concerns that the people of Gary have vocalized about HB1318. Jessica Renslow drafted these proposed amendments from the numerous requests she received as a community builder in Gary. She compiled these amendments from the emails, phone calls, social media messages and face-to-face interactions she had with the citizens of Gary, Indiana. The amendments would help ensure that this proposed construction/demolition site would have oversight that would protect Gary’s citizens by:
1. Limiting the debris that is accepted at the proposed site/sites to just be from structures generated by the city of Gary’s demolition team and their community partners within the city of Gary.
2. Sunset this exception when Gary’s demolition needs have been met.
3. Provide a plan for what to do with the site/sites once all of Gary’s demolition needs have been met.
Next steps for HB1318? It is being scheduled to be heard in a senate committee very soon. If you wish to speak out about HB1318 you will need to go to Indianapolis, or contact your state senator. (If you are within Indiana House District 3, your state senator is Indiana Senate District 3's Sen. Eddie Melton).
Here is a summary of the notes that Jessica Renslow received from the people of Gary:
(Renslow4Rep volunteers starting their MLK Day of Service Decorative Board Up in Gary's Emerson Neighborhood)
Everyone knows Gary has a major blight problem. With 6,500 vacant structures it has one of the highest blight rates in the country. Additionally, Gary is four miles bigger than the city of San Fransisco with a fraction of the population. So when you take that in account, along with the cost of moving deconstructed items to the proper construction and debris sites outside of the city the costs really add up to totaling in the millions.
(The Ken Parr Build-A-Bike volunteer crew fighting blight in Gary Indiana)
Also, Gary has a major illegal dumping issue. This problem is not just limited to Gary, but it is an epidemic within the Steel City. Thousands of volunteer hours are donated annually via 5x5 clean ups, and other blight busting efforts.
The people of Gary understand that they have limited resources that is why they volunteer so much to help fight the blight. The majority of folks stated that they had the following concerns about HB1318.
(Aetna Manor Revitalization Program Volunteers cleaning Aetna Street in Gary.)
- People are wondering if this proposed construction/demolition site will be accepting debris from outside Gary? With our region’s history of environmental injustices, many are concerned that we might be ripe to become a dumping ground for other cities.
- Citizens want to know who is going to run this construction and demolition site. Will it be municipally owned or operated? Will it be run by a for-profit entity? Who will oversee the site and ensure no environmental regulations are being broken?
- HB1318 states that its goal is to point out that the prohibition against establishing a sanitary landfill within one-half mile of an area subdivided for residential purposes does not apply to the establishment of a construction/demolition site. How many feet from our community members homes would this C&D landfill be able to be established? Under a half mile is a relatively broad concept.
- There does not seem to be anything in the bill that prevents anyone that is not affiliated with the city from establishing a C&D landfill. If after this bill is passed can anyone wanting to open a C&D landfill in a residential area be able to do so? Will there be a limit to how many of these sites can be opened within Gary?
- There is nothing in HB1318 stating what will happen once Gary’s demolition needs have been met. Even if it takes two to three decades, most people in Gary have vocalized that there should be a plan not to continue this site into perpetuity.
(Jessica Renslow with Bethel Church youth group volunteers fighting blight in Gary. )
If elected Jessica Renslow will fight to:
- Protect our environmental jewels and promote public safety/curb appeal by focusing on properly managed blight reduction/beautification efforts across of all of Indiana House District 3.
- Advocate for green jobs that produce goods and/or provide services that benefit the environment, or conserve natural resources.
- Work with state and local officials to ensure that all community environmental and health concerns are addressed at each stage of a bill's implementation cycle.
No comments:
Post a Comment