May/June 2002 - Governmental Affairs Committee

Your local Governmental Affairs Committee
Monitoring local, state and national issues

Greg Hrabcak, CCIM
Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee

  The 2002 Governmental Affairs Committee set goals for 2002 that include the following:

1) Assigning area associations liaisons to keep the committee apprised of political issues that affect their areas.
2) Conduct meetings with the officers of the area associations.
3) Establish goals and objectives consistent with the 2002 CORPAC Governing Board.

All of these goals are being addressed and followed up on by the committee.

  The committee was brought up to speed on the following state and federal legislation affecting the real estate industry.

  At the state level, we are monitoring issues involving school funding, license law, privacy and car phone bands. The largest area of interest at the federal level is the issue of banks becoming active in the real estate brokerage business.

  The Governmental Affairs Committee has been extremely busy and active on local issues that are of concern to our members. The Darby Creek Initiative could stop development on the west and southwest side of Columbus covering an area of 570 square miles and affecting four counties.

  It would eliminate sewer and water extensions for a period of five years. The legislation would not allow for material modifications to the land in the affected area. Nothing could be done in the area that would affect drainage, people in the area would already be affected and current subdivisions would have no new water or sewer connections.

  The Board has become involved with a steering committee opposing the Darby Creek Initiative. CBR has made a financial contribution to the campaign and a request has been filed with the Ohio Association of Realtors® Issues Mobilization Committee for financial support for the campaign to defeat the issue. This issue has recently been removed from the ballot.

  The Franklin County Board of Elections ruled that the petitions circulated by the “Stop the Sprawl” group did not meet state regulations and would not allow the Initiative to be placed on the May 7, 2002 Primary Election ballot. We fully expect that the new petitions will be circulated and the necessary signatures obtained in time to have the Initiative placed on the ballot for the General Election in November, 2002.

For more information on this issue, click here.

  In March, several board members and staff attended the OAR's Legislative Conference held at the Hyatt On Capital Square. The two-day conference featured experts and legislators who spoke on urban sprawl, Issue 1, term limits, Ohio real estate laws, school funding, annexation, predatory lending, licensing of home inspectors, wetlands, household sewage disposal and the political horizon. The conference was very informative and offered us a chance to meet with many state legislators.

  The rest of the year will be very busy for the committee. Our committee hopes that you will take the time to attend and participate in the CORPAC Auction set for Tuesday, May 21, at Villa Milano. There will be a number of issues that our committee and the CORPAC Governing Board will need to address this November. So your participation is greatly appreciated.