What You Need to Know
On June 2, the Franklin County Common Pleas Court issued an opinion that the small-cell wireless provisions in last year's Senate Bill 331 were unconstitutional because they violated the Ohio single-subject rule. A full explanation of this decision can be found on page 3 of the Ohio Municipal League Legislative Bulletin published on June 9, 2017. Click here to view that document. The National Association of Counties (NACo) has recently released a summary of the ruling, which can be viewed here.
APA Ohio believes that the wireless communication industry will likely seek to have the state legislature initiate another action to change the rules governing small cells. The timing of such action is uncertain but the delay may give communities an opportunity to reach out to their local and state legislators to explain the importance of being able to regulate these uses as well as to emphasize the importance of home rule. Additionally, it may also give your community the opportunity to adopt local regulations.
APA Ohio is aware of small cell regulations that were adopted by the City of Cincinnati. Click here to download a copy of these regulations.
What You Can Do to TAKE ACTION
If your community already has small cell regulations or you are aware of another Ohio community that has adopted them, we’d love to hear from you. This information could help others formulate their own regulations. Please forward that information (including images) to info@ohioplanning.org.
APA Ohio also strongly urges you to contact your Congressional representatives as the Federal Communications Commission is considering regulations at the national level that could trump local rules. One provision will cause permits to be “deemed granted” if they are not acted upon by a certain time period. Click here to download the FCC document.
What You Need to Know
A New Foundation for America’s Greatness is the President’s full, detailed budget proposal and includes specifics and explanations for the plan originally outlined by the “skinny budget” preview released in March. The full budget largely mirrors the “skinny budget” and proposes many of the same cuts. Unlike the skinny budget, though, the full budget also contains a broad outline of the President’s $1 trillion infrastructure proposal.
The proposal cuts $54 billion in funding for non-defense programs, diverting that funding to defense. As a result of this massive disinvestment in domestic priorities, many programs that are critical to the development and maintenance of strong communities, a clean environment, and safe, reliable transportation networks were eliminated.
The President proposed the total elimination of the Community Development Block Grant program, the HOME Investment Partnerships program, and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative at HUD. In addition, the budget ends support for New Starts transit funding, cuts funding for the TIGER grant program, and eliminates the Economic Development Administration.
APA condemned the cuts proposed by the "skinny budget" and APA President Cynthia Bowen, AICP, issued a strong statement against the proposal. This statement was sent to every member of Congress and is available on APA’s Legislative Action Center.
What You Can Do to TAKE ACTION
Tell congress why devastating cuts must not happen. Send APA President Cynthia Bowen's statement opposing the Trump administration's harmful FY 2018 budget to your members of Congress. It's quick and easy.