Phil Mendelson
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose
BILL IN THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Councilmembers Phil
Mendelson and Sharon Ambrose introduced the following bill, which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
To establish a
Correctional Facility Site Selection Advisory Panel with the purpose of
preparing comprehensive recommendations to the Council that identify
tracts of land suitable
for correctional facilities within appropriately zoned sections of the
District that safeguard
the health, safety and welfare of residents and businesses.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act
may be cited as the "Correctional Facility Site Selection Advisory
Panel Act of 2001 ".
Sec. 2. Correctional
Facility Site Selection Advisory Panel established.
(a) There is established the Correctional Facility Site Selection
Advisory Panel ("Panel") with the purpose of preparing
comprehensive recommendations to the Council that identify tracts of land
suitable for correctional facilities within appropriately zoned sections
of the District that safeguard the health, safety and welfare of residents
and businesses.
(b) The Panel shall submit its recommendations in a report, which shall
include a map that identifies potential sites for the location of
correctional facilities, within one year of the Panel’s first meeting. The
Panel shall rate each site according to its suitability for a correctional
facility and shall consider the proximity of other potential sites in
rating each site. The potential sites the Panel identifies shall comply
with all siting requirements of this act, shall not be inconsistent with
the Comprehensive Plan and shall not increase or compound existing
detrimental environmental impacts.
(c) In
addition to identifying potential sites and rating these sites, the Panel
shall study and report on:
(1) A study of the
District’s current and future need to hold misdemeanants and pretrial
detainees; and(2) An evaluation
of the impact of existing correctional facilities on local residents;"(d) The
Panel shall consult with District agencies with correctional
management expertise, including, but not limited to, the Department of
Corrections, the Court Supervision and Offender Service Agency, the
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the Department of
Public Works and the Department of Health."(f) Within
45 days of its first meeting, the Panel shall provide notice of and
hold a public meeting to receive testimony from citizens in respect to
the operation of correctional facilities in the District of Columbia,
and shall hold an additional public meeting to present the Panel’s
findings and a draft report to the community for comment 20 days prior
to submitting to the Council the report required by this act.".
(e) Composition;
appointment; vacancies; terms of office; compensation.
"(a) The Panel shall be a nonpartisan Panel
composed of 13 voting and 3 non-voting, ex officio members."(1) One voting member of the Panel shall be
appointed by each member of the Council and have no fiduciary or
pecuniary interest in the operation of a correctional facility; and"(2) The non-voting, ex officio members of
the Panel shall be the following persons or their designees:"(A) The Director of the Department of
Corrections; and"(B) The Corporation Counsel.
"(c) Members
of the Panel shall serve a single, non-renewable term not to exceed 1
year."(d) Members
of the Panel shall serve without compensation. Members, however, may be
reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of official
duties for parking, transportation or mileage, not to exceed $15 per
meeting."(e) The Panel is
authorized to receive funding for office space and for administrative
expenses not to exceed $150,000, which funds shall be made available from
the Non Personnel Services budget of the City Administrator based on the
availability of appropriations.".
Sec. 3. Fiscal
impact statement. .
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report
as the fiscal impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the
District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.
813; D.C. Code § 1-233(c)(3)).
Sec. 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the
event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto),
approval by the Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance
Authority as provided in section 203(a) of the District of Columbia
Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995, approved
April 17, 1995 (109 Stat. 116; D.C. Code § 47-392.3(a)), a 30-day period
of Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District
of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C.
Code § 1-233(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia
Register.