89TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2958 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 23, 1966 Mr. FULBRIGHT (for himself and Mr. MCCLELLAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency A BILL To make certain expenditures made by the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, eligible as local grants-in-aid for purposes of title I of the Housing Act of 1949. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That, notwithstanding the extent to which the public li4 brary, the Arkansas Arts Center, and the municipal police 5 and courts building, located within or adjacent to the cen6 tral Little Rock urban renewal project Arkansas R-12 in 7 Little Rock, Arkansas, may benefit areas other than the 8 urban renewal area, expenses incurred by the city of Little 9 Rock in constructing such facilities shall, to the extent other10 wise eligible, be counted as grants-in-aid toward such project. THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, Subject: S. 2958, 89th Congress (Senators Fulbright and McClellan). Hon. A. WILLIS ROBERTSON, Chairman, Committee on Banking and Currency, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in further reply to your request for the views of this Department on S. 2958, a bill to make certain expenditures made by the city of Little Rock, Ark., eligible as local grants-in-aid for purposes of title I of the Housing Act of 1949. This bill would require that the central public library facility, the Arkansas Arts Center, and the municipal police and courts building in Little Rock, Ark., be counted as local grants-in-aid to the central Little Rock urban renewal project (Arkansas R-12) in that city without regard to the extent to which such facilities may benefit areas other than the urban renewal area. This Department recommends against enactment of S. 2958. The municipal police and courts building, completed in 1960, and the central public library facility, completed in 1963, serve the entire city of Little Rock. The Arkansas Arts Center serves the entire State. Presently, the cost of these facilities (approximately $3 million), is not eligible for inclusion as a part of the cost of the central Little Rock project and the cost of these facilities may not be credited to the local contribution to that project. Under section 110 of the Housing Act of 1949, the cost of public facilities which are "necessary for carrying out in the area the urban renewal objectives of this title in accordance with the urban renewal plan" may be included as a part of the overall cost of the project and as a local contribution. These provisions do not contemplate that facilities which serve the entire city, or a larger area, are to be accorded this treatment. The rationale for allowing the cost of public facilities which serve the project area to be included as a part of the cost of an urban renewal project and credited as a local contribution to the project is that such facilities are needed to carry out the plan for renewing the area and so constitute a necessary part of the urban renewal project. This cannot be said of a public facility which serves the entire locality, or a even larger area. Most localities have been required to abide by the rules against the inclusion of the cost of communitywide facilities as part of the cost of an urban renewal project. Exceptions to the rule constitute unfair discrimination against (1) localities which have undertaken urban renewal projects without credit for communitywide facilities and (2) other localities which may be deprived of an opportunity to participate in the urban renewal program because program funds are required to cover costs of communitywide facilities. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, (Signed) ROBERT C. WEAVER. 89TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2977 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 24, 1966 Mr. SPARKMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency A BILL To provide incentives to planned metropolitan development and to otherwise assist urban development. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Urban Development 4 Act". 5 6 7 8 TITLE I-GRANTS TO ASSIST IN PLANNED METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSE SEC. 101. (a) The Congress hereby finds that the wel9 fare of the Nation and of its people is directly dependent 10 upon the effective organization and functioning of the metro11 politan areas in which two-thirds of its people live and work. 2 1 It further finds that the continuing rapid growth of these 2 areas makes it essential that they prepare, keep current, and 3 actually carry out comprehensive plans and programs for 4 their orderly physical development with a view to efficiently 5 meeting all their economic and social needs. 6 It further finds that metropolitan areas are especially 7 handicapped in this task by the complexity and scope of 8 governmental services required in such rapidly growing 9 areas, the multiplicity of political jurisdictions and agencies 10 involved, and the inadequacy of the operational and admin11 istrative arrangements available for cooperation among them. 12 It further finds that present requirements for area wide 13 planning and programing in connection with various Federal programs have materially assisted in the solution of 15 metropolitan problems, but that additional participation and 16 cooperation are needed from the States and localities in 17 perfecting and carrying out such areawide efforts. 18 (b) It is the purpose of this title to provide additional 19 encouragement and assistance to States and localities, through 20 supplementary grants for certain federally assisted develop21 ment projects, for making effective comprehensive metro22 politan planning and programing. 23 24 GRANT AUTHORITY SEC. 102. (a) The Secretary is authorized to make 25 supplementary grants to applicant State and local public 62-551 0-66—pt. 2- -26 3 1 bodies and agencies carrying out, or assisting in carrying 2 out, development projects meeting the requirement of this 3 title. 4 (b) Grants may be made under this title only for 5 development projects in metropolitan areas for which it has 6 been demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, 7 that (1) metropolitanwide comprehensive planning and programing provide an adequate basis for evaluating (A) the location, financing, and scheduling of individual public facility projects (including, but not limited to, sewer, water, and sewage treatment facilities; highway, mass transit, airport, and other transportation facilities; and recreation and other open-space areas) whether or not federally assisted; and (B) other proposed land development or uses, which projects or uses, because of their size, density, type, or location, have public metropolitanwide or interjurisdictional signifi cance; (2) adequate metropolitanwide institutional or other arrangements exist for coordinating, on the basis of such metropolitanwide comprehensive planning and programing, local public policies and activities affecting the development of the area; and (3) public facility projects and other land develop |