Land sales in House bill follow path of Utah pipeline, greens say
Several parcels in southwestern Utah are getting a close look as conservation advocates warn of the proposed sale of some federal lands to local governments that mirror the path of a disputed water pipeline project.
Environmental groups are monitoring congressional action on an amendment that would allow the city of St. George and other local governments to buy about 10,000 acres of federal lands. Water managers, too, are keeping close tabs on the legislation but say the land in question is needed for other projects for the growing desert region, unrelated to the long-delayed Lake Powell pipeline.
The scattered parcels — part of a broader amendment inserted into the House GOP's tax, energy and national security megabill that would mandate the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands — have drawn interest because the sites align with the proposed route of the pipeline that would draw Colorado River water to St. George.
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'It's arguably the most controversial water project proposed in the entire basin,' said Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council. 'Utah has shown no concerns about infuriating other states in the basin over this pipeline proposal for the last 15 years.'
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Reports: Virginia Democrats outdoing Republicans in raising campaign contributions
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Among its many changes, the bill: Extends the deadline for certain associations to have a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) to Dec. 31, 2025, rather than Dec. 31, 2024 Changes requirement for mandatory structural inspections to apply to buildings that are three habitable stories or more, rather than just three stories or more, adds four-family dwellings Allows condo association members to vote to create special assessment or secure a line of credit or a loan to fund the maintenance reserves required by law Allows condo associations to pool for two or more required components rather than earmarking amounts for each item, without a vote of the unit owners Allows condo associations to invest reserve funds in certificates of deposit or depository accounts without a vote of the unit owners Changes the minimum deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost for reserve fund budgeting from $10,000 to $25,000, to be adjusted annually for inflation Allows multi-condominium associations to use approved alternative funding method to satisfy reserve funding obligations Requires SIRS inspections to include a recommendation for a reserve funding schedule Allows condo associations who have completed a milestone inspection to delay a SIRS for not more than two consecutive budget years to enable them to focus on the recommendations of the milestone inspection Allows some condo associations who have completed a milestone inspection in the previous two years to vote to temporarily pause fund contributions to the maintenance reserve fund for no more than two consecutive annual budgets, for budgets adapted on or before Dec. 31, 2028 Requires local enforcement agencies responsible for milestone inspections to annually report to Department of Business and Professional on the following stats for their area: number of buildings subject to inspections, number of inspections completed, the number and type of permit applications received to complete repairs, and a list of buildings deemed unsafe or uninhabitable, among other things Bans anyone performing structural integrity reserve studies from repairing, contracting to repair, or having financial interests in anyone else repairing any issues found in the inspection, adds other restrictions to prevent collusions, kickbacks and bribes by blocking connections between design professional and licensed contractors and the firm or person providing the milestone inspection. Creates additional requirements relating to the licensure and regulation of community association managers and community association management firms. Require associations to maintain adequate property insurance based on the replacement cost of the property, which must be determined every three years at a minimum. Allows video meetings and electronic voting (if agreed upon by a majority of the association) but requires full notification ahead of time, recordings become an official record and links or downloads must be provided to members Exempts nonresidential condominiums with 10 or fewer units from restrictions on who can vote to elect members of the board of administration or cancel contracts Requires the association to provide timely financial reports and disclosures related to inspections and studies to unit owners. Requires condo associations to create and maintain an online account with the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes by Oct. 1, 2025, to track contact information, basic info, assessments, inspection results and more Requires official documents to be made available on the association's website or made available for download through an application on a mobile device within 30 days after it is created or received Allows condo association boards to pause or reduce contributions to the reserve funding if the building has been determined to be uninhabitable due to a natural emergency until the local building official determines it is habitable again, allows reserve funds to be used to make it habitable Clarify that unit owners are not responsible for the cost of necessary removal or reinstallation of hurricane protection unless previously agreed otherwise If Gov. DeSantis signs it, the bill becomes law on July 1, 2025. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida condo costs would see relief if DeSantis signs bill into law
