Irene Property Law Task Force presents Senate with final report

TheVermontSenate utilized a seldom used parliamentary procedure, known asCommittee of the Whole, in order to take testimony fromthe Irene Property Law Task Forceon their final report. The Task Force, created in October 2011 by Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell, compiled information and recommendations on five key areas regarding the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene: finance, insurance, property laws, public records, housing and recovery planning.
‘In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene’s devastation, citizens along with state and local governments found themselves faced with a multitude of questions regarding personal and public loss’ said Senator John Campbell, ‘The post Irene Property Law Task Force has taken the lead in providing some answers.’
‘In a short time many people representing diverse organizations come together to share their experiences in the aftermath of the tropical storm,’ said Robert Paolini, Chair of the Task Force. ‘We remain prepared to work with the legislature and with each other to both respond to this disaster and to be better prepared for future disasters.’
Since recommendations of the report touch nearly every Senate Committee, a Committee of the Whole was convened to ensure all Senators had the opportunity to be part of the discussion. The Committee of the Whole has only been used seven times since 1965 and the primary purpose of the meetings has been to discuss and explain complex issues. The purpose of the Committee of the Whole is merely to make recommendations and therefore no votes are taken.
The Senate also sent H.461, the so called ‘abatement bill’, through all forms of passage and unanimously voted to approve the bill. H.461 authorizes the Commissioner of Taxes to reimburse municipalities for property tax abatements granted in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene and last Spring’s flooding. Towns will have until April 15th2012 to decide if any they would like to participate in this program.
Sen. Mark MacDonald reported the bill on the floor and stated ‘The flooded towns have more challenges than the rest of us can imagine. Last October we promised to take care of the Irene abatement costs. Today we delivered.’