As the 2010 legislative session enters its seventh week, bill hearings in Annapolis hit an all time high. MML testified at a number of hearings on bills both supported and opposed by the League.

Legislation to eliminate utility marking fees and require the marking of storm water utilities was heard in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Economic Matters Committees. Joining MML Director of Government Relations Candace Donoho was President of the MML Public Works Department and head of Chesapeake Beach Public Works Department Wilson Cochran. MML is working with the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) to amend the legislation to ensure that the portions opposed by both organizations are removed.

HB 1014/SB 720, legislation to add a lien program to legislation passed during the 2009 legislative session permitting local governments to establish a clean energy loan program was heard last week in the Senate Finance and House Economic Matters Committees. Ms. Donoho was joined by College Park attorney Suellen Ferguson and Andrea Mansfield from MACo in supporting the legislation.

Other legislation of note heard last week included HB 903, legislation to require a comprehensive program to manage the application of road salt; HB 1182, legislation to establish business improvement districts in Maryland; and HB 1244 which eliminates the requirement that planning commissions meet monthly. For a complete listing of all legislation supported and opposed by MML, visit www.mdmunicipal.org/legislative/currentsession.cfm.

MML Executive Director Scott Hancock was joined by Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen, Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley, and Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams testifying in support of HB 475, the Sustainable Communities Act of 2010 before the House Environmental Matters and Ways and Means Committees. This legislation combines three programs that are important to municipal governments, the Heritage Structure Tax Credit Program, Community Legacy Program and the Designated Neighborhood Program. Now that the bill has been heard in both the House and Senate, MML will work with other stakeholder groups to pass the legislation.

SB 560/HB 829, legislation strongly supported by MML, MACo, the Maryland Sheriff's Association, and the Maryland Municipal Chiefs Association, cleared the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last week. This legislation eliminates the mandatory hearing system in Maryland and instead puts in place a system shared by 46 other states whereby the recipient of a traffic citation must proactively request a court hearing. Passage of this legislation would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in officer overtime in a year when local government police aid has been slashed by the State. The Senate will debate the bill on Tuesday, March 16. The House Judiciary Committee has yet to vote on the legislation.

After weeks of negotiations, the Maryland Department of the Environment, MML, MACo, the development community and members of two environmental groups wrapped up discussions late last week agreeing on the final components of storm water emergency regulations. The emergency regulations will now be considered by the Administrative, Executive and Legislative Regulatory Committee and, pending final approval, should become effective prior to the end of the 2010 legislative session on April 12, 2010.

Jurisdictions that have storm water ordinances under consideration either at the State or local level are urged to review the proposed regulations immediately to determine whether their local ordinance requires amending to include components of the emergency regulations which address the grandfathering of projects in the pipeline and the issuance of a waiver to provide flexibility as local jurisdictions transition between the 2000 and 2009 storm water regulations. Please note that there are very specific steps that must be followed and critera that must be met prior to the May 4, 2010 effective date of the 2009 storm water regulations to ensure that projects in the pipeline are eligible to be grandfathered under the 2000 regulations. For a copy of the emergency regulations, as well as MDE guidance and steps to follow to implement the emergency regulations, please visit the following link: Storm Water Guidance Documents.

The Maryland Municipal League's Hall of Fame honors current or former municipal officials (living or deceased) who have served 20 years or more as a municipal elected official. Inductees will be recognized at the annual convention in Ocean City and their names will appear on a special plaque displayed at the MML office in Annapolis. The names of the inductees will also appear in the 2010 convention program if the information is received by April 30, 2010.

Inductees must have completed at least 20 years as an elected municipal official by June 30, 2010. This recognition is on-going. If you will complete 20 years of municipal elected service this year, but after June 30, 2010, you are eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in year 2011. Terms of service need not be consecutive. If you, or someone you know qualifies for this recognition, you may download the Hall of Fame form from the MML website at www.mdmunicipal.org/programs/halloffame.cfm or request that a form be e-mailed to you.

MML is pleased to offer scholarships to attend MML's June 2010 convention to municipal officials in cities and towns that have not had a delegate attend the convention in the past two years (years 2008 & 2009). The convention is MML's premiere training event that will feature 19 workshops this year on issues important to municipal government officials. The deadline to submit an application for the scholarship grant is April 16, 2010. The program criteria listed below was sent directly to applicable cities and towns on February 26. MML's leadership encourages you to take advantage of this learning opportunity. If you have questions, contact Linda Burrell at MML.

Program Criteria:

• Grants are limited to attendees from municipalities that have not sent a delegate to the convention in the last two years.
• The grant is limited to a maximum of 2 elected or appointed officials from the same city/town during any given year.
• A grant includes one complimentary full convention registration and one ticket to the Inaugural Dinner. The awardee does not have to attend the full convention. One-day grants to attend the convention are also available. A grant award shall also be used to provide each awardee a maximum of 3 nights lodging, Sunday night through Tuesday night, in the lowest priced room in a designated convention hotel. (Spouse fees and incidental expenses will not be reimbursed.)
• A grant award may not be shared.
• A strict deadline will be enforced for submitting a grant application.
• Grant applications shall be submitted to MML. The MML Executive Committee shall have final approval of the grant awards with due consideration given to budgetary availability.
• Awardees are expected to submit a written or oral report about their convention experience to their home councils/commissions with a copy of any written report submitted to the MML Board of Directors.
• Awardees have the option to receive an additional grant for the one-time enrollment fee to participate in the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. By checking the enrollment grant box (on the application form), awardees commit to completing the program requirements in 3 years or will reimburse MML for the enrollment fee.

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) recently announced the availability of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding for installing renewable energy systems on public buildings. Project Sunburst grants will provide a rebate of up to $1,000 per kilowatt-DC of photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed. For information on how to become a Sunburst Partner, visit MEA at www.energy.state.md.us/sunburst.asp or contact Clean Energy Program Manager Mike Hartley at mhartley@energy.state.md.us or 410/260-7543. But act quickly - the deadline for submitting project identification forms is March 26, 2010.

The Maryland Clean Energy Center is offering two training workshops to help better manage the unique permitting and inspection issues for installation of Photovoltaic Systems. These workshops will be offered on two separate days - March 31 and April 2, 2010 - and are designed specifically for building and electrical inspectors who have not yet inspected or approved a solar electrical system. For complete information, including how to register, visit the Maryland Clean Energy website at mdcleanenergy.org/knowsolar. Both workshops will take place at Maryland Clean Energy Center Headquarters, Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville, Maryland.

IRS' Federal, State and Local Governments Division is presenting a free webinar on 1099-MISC filing requirements for State & Local Governments on March 30, 2010, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. Details can be found at http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=65909. Learn about: who is required to file; what type of entities do I send a 1099 MISC to; what type of payments are subject to 1099 MISC reporting; what is backup withholding; and how do I deposit backup withholding.