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January 10, 2003
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Over the past two years, the
Executive Committee has received a great deal of
input from FAPA members relative to how we
implement our legislative program. We have also
experienced a complete replacement of our staff,
including a new legislative representative. With
the adoption of our 2003 legislative program, we
confirmed our intention to limit our lobbying
efforts to basic issues that are of concern to our
members, and to be more selective in how we spend
our political capital.
Recent changes in
state government, including a new Secretary for
the Department of Community Affairs, and a
proposal to merge that department with the
Department of State, introduced unanticipated
issues, which require that we take a more
proactive role than previously anticipated. I have
spoken with the Governor’s Office and have offered
our help and expertise in working on the issues
surrounding the agency consolidation and any new
legislation that may be related to this
initiative. At this time, the Governor’s Office
has stated that they are focusing on the agency
reorganization, and have not been given any
direction to move forward on substantial program
or policy changes. The important thing is, FAPA
cannot adopt an “everything’s fine, don’t change a
thing” stance. Changes are afoot, and we must be
at the table!
We will participate actively
and constructively in discussing any new concepts
for growth management. We will communicate
regularly with you, our members, as we move
through this legislative session and the upcoming
year. You will also play a key role--one of our
most effective political tools is the relationship
between FAPA members and their legislators. We
will try to help you stay up to date with
legislative events, and we hope that you will
educate and influence your legislators. Please
continue to let us, your FAPA Executive Committee,
know what you think.
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The Senate Comprehensive
Planning Committee held its first meeting this
week. In addition to hearing from its staff on
three interim projects related to public records,
the Florida League of Cities and Florida
Association of Counties presented their 2003
Legislative Package. Although not on the agenda,
Senate Staff just completed an interim report
regarding annexation, which is summarized in the
last section of this newsletter.
For your
information and future use, the members of the
Senate Committee on Comprehensive Planning are as
follows:
Hon. Steven A. Geller (Chair),
District 31 (D)
Hon. Daniel Webster
(Vice-Chair), District 9 (R)
Hon. Nancy
Argenziano, District 3 (R)
Hon. Michael
Bennett, District 21 (R)
Hon. Larcenia J.
Bullard, District 39 (D)
Hon. Walter 'Skip'
Campbell, District 32 (D)
Hon. Lee Constantine,
District 22 (R)
Hon. Bill Posey, District 24
(R)
Contact information for these
Legislators, such as phone numbers, mailing
address, e-mail address, Capitol office address,
etc., may be accessed through the link provided
below.
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The House Committee on Local
Government and Veteran's Affairs also met this
week. In addition to hearing from the Departments
of Community Affairs, Military Affairs, and
Veteran's Affaris, the meeting also served as an
orientation for new members. Of particular
interest, there are now two subcommittees within
this House Committee--one to address Veteran and
Military Affairs and the other to address Local
Affairs. The members of the full committee are
listed below. The asterisk (*) indicates that they
also serve on the Subcommittee on Local Affairs.
Hon. Ken Sorensen (Chair), District 120
(R)
*Hon. Julio Robaina, District 117
(R)
Hon. Kevin C. Ambler, District 47
(R)
Hon. Thomas Anderson, District 45
(R)
*Hon. Frank Attkisson, District 79,
(R)
*Hon. Mary Brandenburg, District 89
(D)
*Hon. John Carassas, District 54
(R)
Hon. Larry Cretul, District 22 (R)
*Hon.
Joyce Cusack, District 27 (D)
*Hon. Donald
Davis, District 18 (R)
*Hon. Mike Davis,
District 101 (R)
Hon. Terry Fields, District 14
(D)
Hon. Ronald L. 'Ron' Greenstein, District
95 (D)
*Hon. Ed Homan, District 60 (R)
Hon.
Stan Jordan, District 17 (R)
Hon. Ray Sansom,
District 4 (R)
*Hon. Roger Brian Wishner,
District 98 (D)
The Chair of the Local
Affairs Subcommittee is Representative Carassas,
and the Vice-Chair is Representative
Cusack.
The link below may be used to
obtain contact information for each of the
Committee members.
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The full title of Interim
Project Report 2003-115 just released by the
Committee on Comprehensive Planning, Local, and
Military Affairs is as follows: "Does Current Law
Adequately Address Delivery of Local Government
Service Issues and Other Conflicts that Arise
During Annexation?"
In the report, staff
point out that Florida's annexation statute,
Chapter 171, F.S., has remained largely unchanged
for 30 years. They also make note of a statutory
requirement, which states that municipalities,
counties, and special districts must recommended
to the Legislature statutory revisions related to
annexation by February 1, 2003. They add that
this, along with input received from affected
parties and staff research, provided an ideal time
to consider significant changes in Florida's
annexation procedures.
Staff recommended to
the Committee, at a minimum, the
following:
-amend Florida's annexation
procedure to require an interlocal agreement
between the county and municipality addressing
financial impacts and service delivery issues
prior to annexation;
-require the comprehensive
plan for the county to remain in effect for three
years following annexation unless a change in land
use (i.e., density) for the annexed area is agreed
to by the municipality and county;
-consider
elimination of enclaves by a date certain;
and
-amend the statutes to allow for
enforcement of interlocal agreements on
annexation.
The link provided below will
take you directly to a listing of Senate interim
reports. Although this interim report is still not
posted, it should be available on the Senate’s
website by the middle of next week.
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