SCS/HB 1851 - This act revises the composition and selection of the Kansas City Housing Commission. Under current law, all seven commissioners are appointed by the mayor and must be residents of the city for the past five years. The act provides that the Kansas City Housing Authority shall be composed of seven members (6 appointed members and 1 elected from the tenants of housing authority). The appointed members will be nominated by a committee and appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the city council. Each commissioner must be a resident of the city for one year. The tenant commissioner election will be conducted by a resident organization. Each commissioner shall serve a term of 4 years. At the beginning, the appointed members will serve staggered terms. Each commissioner will receive a stipend of $200 per month in addition to costs. A quorum shall consist of a minimum of four members.

This act authorizes removal of property from the Springfield Community Improvement District, or relocation of property from a certain zone of designation in the CID to a different zone. A public hearing must be conducted and approval by the board. The district must be able to meet its financial obligations without the revenues from the proposed portion to be removed.

This act expands the definition of a "distressed community" in the law relating to tax credits for investment in or relocating a business to a distressed community. A distressed community will include areas within metropolitan statistical areas that are designated as either a federal empowerment zone, a federal enhanced enterprise community, or state enterprise zones designated prior to January 1, 1986, but will not include the expansion of those zones done after March 16, 1988. The act expands the definition of "new residence" to include certain vacant property in Christian and Greene counties as well as separate adjacent single-family units.

This act contains an emergency clause with regard to the sections related to the Kansas City Housing Commission.

This act is similar to SB 669, SB 1023 and SB 1039 (2002).
JIM ERTLE