Category Archives: local government

Local TREND. 3 Arguments Against Red Light Cameras. Texas Governor Abbott. 2 Legislative Solutions.

Safeguarding, Securing, Serving, a report by Texas Governor Abbott calls red light cameras:

  •  expensive
  • increase accidents
  •  pose constitutional issues
The 2 legislative solutions proposed:
  • ban red light cameras in state law
  • preempt local governments from using autmated traffic enforcement

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Gov. Greg Abbott says it’s time to turn off red light cameras in Texas

 

Regulatory TREND. Anatomy of an EV Coalition Touting EVs=Jobs

State: Maryland

The EV Coalition: 

  • PC44 Electric Vehicle Work Group Leader Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
  • Delmarva Power & Light Company
  • Potomac Electric Power Company
  • The Potomac Edison Company
  • ChargePoint
  • Greenlots
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Sierra Club 
  • Chesapeake Climate Action Network
  • Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
  • Marylanders for Energy Democracy and Affordability
  • Pace Energy and Climate Center
  • Solar United Neighbors of Maryland

Supporters of the…

Local TREND. Exception to EV Charging Station Building Code Proposal

City: Menlo Park

The Ordinance goal is to standardize:

  • the type
  • quality
  • quantity
  • of all electric vehicle charging infrastructure
  • installed in future commercial and residential projects

The up in the air exception to the rules:

Whether the EV charger building requirements apply to Affordable Housing Projects.

The Almanac | Menlo Park council plugs into ordinance to boost EV charging stations

Local TREND. Anatomy of a Local EV Charging Station Building requirements.

City: Menlo Park

The Ordinance goal is to standardize:

  • the type
  • quality
  • quantity
  • of all electric vehicle charging infrastructure
  • installed in future commercial and residential projects

What are the practical implications:

  • 15% of the total number of required parking spaces would need to be “pre-wired” EV spaces in commercial buildings
  • 10%  of the total number of parking spaces would have to install charging stations in commercial buildings
  • projects affecting between 10,000 and 25,000…

Regulatory TREND. Fall 2018 Opposition Arguments to Texas High Speed Rail.

Ellis County residents offered the following reasons to oppose Texas Central Rail high speed rail project:

  • local property taxes will rise because “nearby properties will be taken out of the tax base”
  • eminent domain a railroad could take a 2 mile on each side swatch of land
  • destruction of family farms
  • uncertainty  too many unknowns for the comfort level of residents
  • environmental concerns the train will cut species migration

Waxahachie Daily Light | Ellis County Residents Express new…

Local Trend. Local Dedicated Transportation Funding Tax Source.

City looking to impose a utility tax: Memphis

What utilities would the tax apply to? Memphis Light, Gas and Water bills and would operate like a stormwater tax

What would the tax be? range from $4.75 to $15

What is the projected local revenue?  $30 million in revenue each year

Transportation projects to be funded? offset the costs of road projects and create a dedicated source of funding for Memphis Area Transit Authority

Memphis Flyer | City Council Looks to Implement Transportation…

TX Attorney General Opinion Request. County Duty to Maintain Public Roads

Requestor:  Bosque County Judge

Question to answer: is the Commissioners’ Court required to maintain this road, a public, third class road?

What’s happening in Bosque County?  A public road, the ownership of which has been litigated, has a gate across it thanks to a landowner. The commissioners court has been asked to remove the gate to allow public access. 

RQ- 0245-KP

Local TREND. Punish Ride Share via Scooter Ordinances

A proposal in San Francisco would consider this when granting scooter licenses:

an applicant’s “past experience, including compliance with applicable laws and its efforts to ensure compliance by its users with applicable laws.”

SF Chronicle | Scooter wars: SF may penalize Lyft, Uber for ride-hail misdeeds

CAMPAIGN and LEGE TREND. No Tollroads without Voter Approval Per Project. WHO. WHAT. WHERE.

WHO:  Michael Quinn Sullivan

WHAT:  Pushing local activists for primary election question on voter approval for toll roads, adding voter approval for tolls to the State GOP Party Platform, and calling for legislation

WHERE: Texas local GOP party activist, state GOP party, and Texas Legislature

Empower Texas | No Tolls without Voter Approval