The Powers Commission has convened two public meetings. We had two long working sessions this weekend. We anticipate two more public meetings this month.
The Commissioners are: Widget Whiteberry, Covey Homewood, Delia Lake, Mizou Vavoom and Tor Karlsvalt.
In the course of reviewing the Constitution and laws, we noted that some laws that relate to the powers of the Chancellor are in need revision, repeal or are obsolete.
We offer four recommendations: a Proposed Tier Collection and Land Reclamation Bill, the repeal of NL8-4, an adoption of a new law to be written by the RA regarding sim development and an amendment to the constitution.
The Proposed Tier Collection and Land Reclamation Bill
1.Whereas CDSL 13-03 is obsolete and alignment needed with CDSL 16-03, the Citizenship Establishment Act and applicable parts of CDSL 13-10 the Citizenship Bill.
2. CDSL 13-03 pertains to a since-retired proprietary tier collection system. SInce the system has changed, it is impossible for the Executive to comply with CDSL 13-03. Therefore we propose this Tier Collection and Land Reclamation Bill.
3. Since 2011, CDS has used the Hippo Rental system; significantly altering the method by which CDS collects tier.
4. Tier is paid, to the Estate Owner, in advance of use, beginning on the date a citizen acquires a parcel. Citizens pay tier via the Hippo object assigned to their parcel. They can pay for 1, 2 or 3 months at
a time.
5. Through the Hippo object, citizens can collect a refund when selling or abandoning a parcel. There are three types of abandonment and/o ownership termination events and appropriate procedures and
responsibilities associated with each.
6. The Executive shall employ the following procedures for tier collection, reclaiming parcels and clearing Hippo objects.
a. Parcel abandoned from the land tool only - Executive clears the Hippo object with or without refunding any outstanding funds.
b. Parcel abandoned (ownership terminated) via Hippo only - Executive reclaims the land within 24 hours and resets the Hippo object.
c. Parcel abandoned from land tool and ownership terminated via Hippo - Executive resets the land for sale.
7. The Hippo objects shall be set to use the notice functions that alert landowners of the expiration of their tier in advance of due date, and the days remaining until they are due. The Hippo object also announce numbers of days overdue. Landowners are expected to be in world to receive such notices and/or have provided LL with an email address allowing them to receive IMs while offline. Landowners are expected to set preferences to receive IMs when off line. Landowners are encouraged to provide the Chancellor with a working email address.
8. The Chancellor shall maintain a list of citizens and the email addresses they’ve provided. Upon leaving office, the outgoing Chancellor will transfer that list to the incoming Chancellor.
9. The EO should include the following reclamation language in the CDS Covenant land tool: “The right to vote and stand for election is reserved for citizens in good standing. Pay your tier!”
10. Reclamation - Within 24 hours of showing up in arrears on the Chancellor’s Hippo spreadsheet, the Executive must notify citizens of impending land reclamation at 14 days of delinquency. Refer to CDSL 16-03, Item 2 regarding potential loss of voting rights.
11. At fourteen days overdue, if the landowner has failed to pay the full amount outstanding, then the Executive shall reclaim the parcel. Objects on the parcel shall be returned to the landowner and the
parcels set for sale unless there are plans to redraw parcel lines or the parcel added - temporarily – to the public parcel holdings.
12. The Treasurer adds the list of provisional citizens to the bottom of the monthly census. The Executive posts it to the Forum using the subject line “Census, (month, day, year)." Treasurer adds the list to the Praetorium census dispenser.
13. This law repeals any provisions of prior CDS laws (including CDSL 13-03) that specify land reclamation or rent payment methods, to the extent that they contradict the explicit terms of this law.
NL8-4 - Private Development Act
Fiduciary oversight and approval of covenants are always the responsibility of the RA.
By permitting any person or group working with the Chancellor to add sims to CDS, this law
impairs both the functioning of the RA and their ability to act within the law. NL8-4 conflicts with NL 5-8 Covenant Revision Act
Background & problems with NL8-4
When NL8-4 was written, the Executive was appointed by the RA.
NL8-4 expanded the capacity of CDS to bring new sims online and supplemented the workings of the New Guild, as sim developer.
NL8-4 doesn’t require budgeting region acquisition; setting tier rates; projecting tier; or for such information to be presented to the RA for approval or rejection. (Specified in the Budget and Accounting Law which was in effect at that time.)
There is no specification that, prior to accepting the sim, the Executive must draft and submit to the RA the covenant for that sim. The New Guild (and subsequently, RA Commissions) wrote the covenants, which were rejected, modified, and/or approved by the RA before becoming law. (See NL 5-8 Covenant Revision Act.)
The self-selecting citizen involvement provided for in the law was lost with the dissolution of the New Guild. (see Article 2, Section 3 - Public Oversight)
The Powers Commission recommends 1. Repeal of NL8-4. Repeal of NL8-4 is not retroactive and would not affect Dougga, which is currently under development. 2. We recommend that the RA write and adopt a new law addressing private sim development.
The Term of the Chancellor
The Powers Commission recommends that we bring the Constitution re the terms of office the Chancellor and the RA into alignment.
Article I Section 2 of the Constitution reads "The Representative Assembly shall serve for a term of six months. New RAs shall take office on 1 December* and 1 June."
Article II Section 5.2 reads The Chancellor will serve a term ending with the election of the next Chancellor."
Recommend that the Constitution, Article II Section 5.2 be amended to read “Chancellor terms begin on June 1 and December 1, concurrent with the term of the RA.”