Faster complaint process
Senate Bill 185 relative to Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) investigations, appears to be headed out of the Senate and on to the House of Representatives. The bill was initiated by NHAR.
SB 185 places time limitations on investigations conducted by the OPLC regarding allegations of professional misconduct. OPLC would have 30 days to determine if the complaint states a claim of professional misconduct on its face, and 90 days to complete the investigation before seeking input from the Real Estate Commission.
Some complaints have been left unresolved for years, and SB 185 is intended to speed up the process. The bill was unanimously supported by the Senate Executive Departments Committee and is on this week’s consent calendar.
More reasonable definition of ‘reasonable’
RSA 674:33 says that town zoning boards of adjustment must take appeals within a “reasonable” timeframe. Most communities use a 30-day period, but others do not define “reasonable,” leaving applicants and abutters guessing. Applicants can find this unpredictability problematic, since they may not know when a project can move forward without concern that a neighbor will appeal to the ZBA.
NHAR worked with Senators to introduce Senate Bill 78, which would standardize the appeal period at 30 days. By standardizing the process across the state, all parties would be provided with certainty.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously supported the bill, and it is on the Senate’s consent calendar later this week.
Dollars for affordable housing
The NH Affordable Housing Fund, which is administered by the NH Housing Finance Authority, currently receives an annual $5 million appropriation from the state. Senate Bill 81 seeks to increase that amount to $10 million. In addition, a one-time appropriation of $25 million would be directed toward the Fund. NHAR testified in favor of the bill.
The Affordable Housing Fund has been able to leverage federal and private investments to help create workforce, affordable, and supportive housing. To date, the Fund has supported 119 developments with 3,500 units of rental housing.
Altering alteration of terrain requirements
Senate Bill 110 would increase the threshold for requiring an Alteration of Terrain (AoT) permit from 100,000 to 150,000 square feet of disturbed land. This change is intended to enable faster and less expensive construction of homes and infrastructure. Projects within this range would require an administrative permit submission with a $3,125 fee, with additional fees based on the extent of soil disturbance.
The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and is on the Seante consent calendar later this week.
Prohibiting municipal building ordinances
Senate Bill 94 would prohibit municipal amendments to the state building code. The bill seeks to prohibit all local legislative bodies from adopting any new regulations that differ from the state building code.
Most of the recent controversy related to municipalities adopting ordinances which differ from the state building code are related to the new international energy code, which builders are concerned increases housing construction costs.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 4-1 to support the bill. It will be debated by the full Senate later this week.
Quote of the Week
“Housing is our most critical economic issue, and this legislation is another tool in our toolbox to help bring even more housing development to New Hampshire. I was glad to sign SB 4 to create a C-PACER program in our state. By making it easier for private sector partners to finance projects and removing the administrative burden on municipalities, we’re taking an important step in the right direction to increase the supply of attainable housing for our growing workforce.”
–Governor Ayotte at the bill signing for SB 4. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) is a voluntary financing mechanism for energy-efficient upgrades, building insulation, cost-effective renewable energy, and water conservation measures. Any “commercial property” is eligible, including manufacturing facilities, office buildings, retail buildings, and multifamily housing projects.
For more information, contact New Hampshire Realtors CEO Bob Quinn: bob@nhar.com.