Assessing Info Jan 17 2019

Feds make major moves to relax drone restrictions >

The Department of Transportation made three major announcements earlier this week: It proposed regulations to allow drone operators to fly over people as well as at night without a waiver or an exemption; it issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking asking for recommendations on countering drones that pose a risk to safety and security; and it awarded three contracts to commercial service entities to develop technology to provide flight planning, communications, separation, and weather services for drones flying under 400 feet. Read more

Highest-priced home
for sale in the U.S.

listed at $245 million >

The 10-acre Los Angeles estate belonging to deceased billionaire Jerrold Perenchio has come on the market with an asking price of $245 million, the Los Angeles Times reported. This is after being quietly shopped around for the eye-popping price of $350 million as recently as August 2017. Read more

'Better than Whataburger': Texas county opens drive-thru for tax payments >

There’s a new drive-thru in San Antonio, but it won’t be dishing out burgers and fries. Bexar County’s tax office recently unveiled a new $500,000 drive-thru where residents can get license plates and pay their county taxes. Read more

IAAO NEWS

+ GIS/CAMA Conference in Portland! >

The 2019 GIS/CAMA Technologies Conference will take place Feb. 25-28 in Portland, Oregon and registration is open. The conference will have four program tracks this year: GIS Technologies, Modeling and Valuation, Planning, Administration & Leadership, and Technology Showcase. Among the areas for the conference include programs on how to get started with modeling, planning and Implementing a CAMA system, high-definition imagery for any size jurisdiction, special issues in valuation, and the Geospatial Data Act. Read more

+ Lincoln Institute releases paper on tax autonomy >

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy recently released a working paper on The Tax Autonomy of Local Governments in the United States by Andrew Reschovsky of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The paper reviewed statistics on the share of total government tax revenue raised by local governments provide an incomplete picture of local government taxing power. If higher level governments define the local tax base, determine tax rates, or place other restrictions on local taxes, local governments have limited tax autonomy. Read more

+ Early registration is open for 2019 annual conference >

IAAO has opened limited registration for the 85th IAAO Annual International Conference on Assessment Administration. Attendee and Guest registration is now available online or by using a paper form. The 2019 Annual Conference is scheduled for Sept. 8-11 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Register today

+ Submit 2019 conference presentations ideas! >

Interested in presenting at the Annual Conference? The Call for Presentations is now open for the Annual Conference, set for Sept. 8-11. Submissions can be made at https://researchexchange.iaao.org/conference. The deadline for submission is Sunday, Feb. 10, but interested individuals are encouraged to submit your presentation ideas as soon as possible. Registration discounts of up to $200 may be available to presenters. Submit a presentation

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

+ 'Spirited, adventurous' Aspen, Colorado, assessor Tom Issac retires >

After nearly 50 years in Aspen as a ski bum, business owner, city councilman and seven-term Pitkin County Assessor, Tom Isaac has achieved near-legendary local status. "He's just been an icon in that position," Pitkin County Commissioner Patti Clapper said. And no one ran against him in 28 years. Read more

+ Houston's no-zoning policy opens retailers to a uniquie blending and switching of property types >

Retailers are considering the best ways to balance in-store traffic with more pickup orders and at-home delivery that may require a fulfillment center. This multispoke approach means having a couple of different property types in one metro, or, with the "mullet approach," even having different property types in one property. Read more

+ Should Canada marijuana farming be assessed as industry or agriculture? >

As commercial cultivation of cannabis commences across Canada in repurposed facilities zoned for industrial use, what is the impact on property valuation and assessment across jurisdictions? Read more

+ Apartment rents expected to rise faster than inflation >

Rents are likely to rise faster for older, class-B apartments in 2019 than for any other class of apartment property. “We expect Class-B to continue to have the strongest average rent growth, as it has through recent history,” says Andrew Rybczynski, senior consultant at research firm the CoStar Group. Read more