Local Issues
AATC’s local advocacy initiatives encompass 9 North-Central Texas counties: Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, & Wise. AATC represents our members in more than 75 municipalities with our primary focus on the cities of Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Hurst, and North Richland Hills. In addition, AATC promotes our members’ interests to more than45 independent school districts; 9 central appraisal districts; 11 special districts; and 2 college districts.
Pending Advocacy Initiatives:
Multifamily Crime Reduction Initiatives – AATC is proactively working to enacted industry-initiated, crime reduction ordinances in Arlington and Fort Worth. Based on a property’s per capita crime rate compared to the overall multifamily crime rate, these ordinances identify high-crime multifamily properties and focus police resources on these designated properties. These ordinances requires multifamily owners/management companies with high-crime properties to implement (within a proscribed time-frame) site-specific physical, educational, operational, and other measures proven to reduce criminal activity. These ordinances also establish criminal and civil penalties for non-compliance. Properties that fail to comply with remediation measures within proscribed time-frames are designated as nuisance properties under Chapter 125 of Texas Civil Practice and Remedies and Code. Once enacted in Arlington and Fort Worth, AATC intends to pursue adoption of similar measures in municipalities throughout AATC’s jurisdiction.
Smoke Alarm Variance – City of Fort Worth – AATC aggressively pursuing a city-wide variance to the City of Fort Worth’s Building and Fire codes’ retroactive requirements for smoke alarms to be installed in all sleeping areas of existing multifamily units. AATC is requesting that the smoke alarm retroactive requirement only be enforced: 1) upon change in ownership (more than 50%); 2) that smoke alarms be battery-operated; and 3) that the new owners have 2 years to comply with this retroactive requirement. AATC estimates that the current retroactive provision impacts more than 42,000 rental units containing more than 75,000 sleeping areas. AATC estimates the cost to install smoke alarms in these units is between $750,000 - $1,000,000 including parts and labor.
Service on Municipal Boards and Commissions – AATC aggressively indentifies and compels multifamily industry executives to serve on municipal boards, commissions, and citizen committees. AATC enthusiastically endorses personal participation in civic affairs as a means to “give-back” to the community from which Association members derive their livelihood. Association members have business expertise and personal skills that enhance the effectiveness of local governments. AATC members are currently serving on local Board Adjustments; Planning and Zoning Commissions; and Affordable Housing task forces.