Smith Legislation Seeks to Incentivize Cooperation and Joint Purchasing Between Municipalities and Common Interest Owned Communities
HARRISBURG – On Tuesday,
House Bill 1839, sponsored by Rep. Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) to encourage and permit cooperative agreements and joint purchasing between municipalities and Common Interest Owned Communities (CIOCs), was advanced for full House consideration by the House Urban Affairs Committee.
Additionally, Smith’s legislation seeks to incentivize these types of agreements by allowing municipalities to forgo competitive bidding, and other municipal obligations in these types of purchases under certain circumstances.
In many cases, CIOCs maintain and repair their roads, recreational facilities and stormwater facilities. These costs can rapidly skyrocket for these private communities and their residents, who are legally obligated to pay for the maintenance of this essential infrastructure.
“One way my legislation can assist CIOCs in the upkeep and repair of these common elements would be to allow them to join with local municipalities, similar to a Council of Governments (COG), and bid to purchase necessary goods and services that both entities need,” said Smith, who also serves as a member of the House Urban Affairs Committee. “This type of agreement holds the potential to be mutually beneficial to both participating CIOCs and local governments, especially in reducing the costs of those goods and services.”
House Bill 1839 is part of a larger package of comprehensive community reform legislation, also advanced by the House Urban Affairs Committee on Tuesday, that would increase consumer protection; make sure home owner associations (HOAs) and (CIOCs) are operating efficiently and with integrity; while also respecting the nature of these communities and their ability to privately function.
The House Urban Affairs Committee is responsible for reviewing legislation regarding housing, specifically affordable housing; community redevelopment; economic development; land use planning and zoning; growth management; infrastructure financing; and issues regarding Pennsylvania’s cities, such as police, fire, sewage and water.
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Representative Brian Smith
66th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
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