The Colorado Legislative Session began on Jan. 10 and runs through May. As state and federal legislation has an impact on the city of Longmont, the Longmont City Council asked city staff to provide regular updates on legislative business, in particular legislation that will impact municipalities.
This week the Longmont City Council will look at four pieces of legislation: HB24-1012, HB24-1030, HB24-1075 and SB24-036.
HB24-1012 concerns changing some of the board requirements of the Front Range Passenger Rail District. The effort would streamline operations, address member appointments and give the district contracting authority. The city of Longmont staff suggested the council support this bill as it aligns with the council’s goals on transportation.
HB24-1030 would address railroad safety across the state. It would limit the train size, require the use of wayside detector systems, limit how long a train can obstruct traffic, require railroads to carry insurance coverage in minimum amounts and require fine revenue to be paid to the Front Range Passenger Rail District. The city of Longmont staff suggested that the council support the measure. With over 20 railroad crossings in Longmont, the measure would address several of the residents’ concerns.
“Longmont staff appreciate any efforts to create a safer and more predictable interaction with the railroad company operating in our City,” council communications state.
HB24-1075 would create a task force for and authorize the exploration of a statewide universal healthcare payment system. The task force would be made up of stakeholders from a variety of areas including advocates for people experiencing homelessness and historically marginalized communities.
At this stage, the bill would have no impact on Longmont residents or city of Longmont staff as it is only an evaluation and report. However, the city staff recommended keeping an eye on future progress. The staff has no position to on this bill.
SB24-036 would provide funding through the Colorado Department of Transportation to create a vulnerable road user protection enterprise. The funding would support infrastructure improvements and other safety assessment strategies to reduce the number of car collisions that result in death or serious injuries. The enterprise would impose a tiered fee on registering passenger cars and light trucks that are not commercial vehicles. The bill aligns with the council’s Vision Zero plan and is supported by city staff.
