View Bills at Online Sunshine 

Issue Four
February 23, 2004


FAPA extends its deepest sympathy
and sincere condolences to the
family and friends of
Hank Skokowski.

FAPA's Bill Tracking Summary is posted to http://www.floridaplanning.org/legislative/index.asp.  The latest summary is dated February 23, 2004.  The following bills were filed and added to the bill tracking summary over the past two weeks:

HB 777	Relating to Working Waterfronts	Rep. Berfield
HB 855	Relating to Water Resources	Rep. Machek
HB 985	Relating to Conflict Resolution/Annexation	Rep.Ross
HB 1113	Relating to Department of State	Rep. Detert
HB 1161	Relating to Agricultural Economic Development	Rep. Pickens
HB 1179	Relating to Florida Greenways & Trails Act	Rep. Spratt
HB 1205	Relating to Developments of Regional Impact	Rep. Davis
SB 1922	Relating to Water & Wastewater Utilities/Fees	Sen. Campbell
SB 1982	Relating to Electric Transmission Line Siting	Sen. Posey
SB 2128	Relating to Environmental Permitting System	Sen. Argenziano
SB 1734	Relating to Land Development	Comp. Planning

The Senate Committee on Comprehensive Planning met on February 16, 2004.  Among the bills presented were the following: 

SB 0268 School Growth Planning is sponsored by the Committee Chair, Senator Geller. This bill amends current procedures involving school growth planning by the school districts and agencies throughout the state. The amendment allows school board representatives to send written comments and analysis involving comprehensive planning, or involving the rezoning of school districts, in place of personally attending meetings related to these issues. The committee passed the bill and it is now waiting to be heard by the Senate Committee on Education.

SB 1392 on Community Development Districts makes changes within the Uniform Community Development Act of 1980 involving district election policies and procedures as well as the district dissolution process. These changes include new measures for electing a chair at the first landowners' meeting as well as procedures for candidates to follow, such as, the minimum number of petition signatures needed to run for office. The bill also gives the supervisor of elections the power to assign resident supervisors with seat numbers. Due to lack of time, the Senate Committee temporarily postponed the bill to be read at a later date.

PCB 4 Urban Infill and Redevelopment is sponsored by the Committee on Comprehensive Planning. This bill is intended to clarify that unclaimed property that has been entitled to the government will be exempt from taxation and environmental liability after a period of three years. Currently, the county clerk must notify all tax certificate holders of abandoned property when it is put up for auction. During the first ninety days only persons holding the properties tax certificates are permitted to bid on the land. After this designated time period, the property becomes available for public auction. If no one bids for or claims the property, ownership is transferred to the local county government. This bill allows for the transfer of development rights and it will be used to promote high density development in urban areas, which will serve as a model for local governments. The committee voted to introduce the bill and it will reappear before the Committee on Comprehensive Planning in the near future. We will keep you updated on any further developments.

REMEMBER:  Bills may be viewed or downloaded from the Legislature's Official Website at http://www.leg.state.fl.us.

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What to Expect This Week:

Monday evening (February 23, 2004): SENATE releases its Final Interim Agenda Calendar for Monday, March 1, 2004--Last Day of Interim Period

Thursday evening (February 26, 2004): SENATE releases its first Daily Agenda Calendar for Session 2004. (Includes agenda for Tuesday, March 2, 2004--Opening Day of Session)

Friday evening (February 27, 2004): HOUSE releases its first Daily Agenda Calendar for Session 2004. (Includes agenda for Tuesday, March 2, 2004--Opening Day of Session)

Calendar Procedures for Session 2004:

HOUSE: The House Daily Agenda Calendar includes agendas for the next TWO DAYS after its release. (e.g. Calendars released Friday evening will include agendas for the following Monday and Tuesday.)

SENATE: The Senate Daily Agenda Calendar includes agendas for the next THREE DAYS after its release. (e.g. Calendars released Friday evening will include agendas for the following Monday, Tuesday, AND Wednesday.)

Where and When Can I View Calendars on the Legislature's Website?

The official calendar for each chamber is usually released in the evening, sometime after 5:30 p.m. Official calendars are posted as soon as they become available. You can access the Senate calendars at http://www.flsenate.gov/Welcome/index.cfm or for more direct access, click here.  House calendars are available at http://www.myfloridahouse.com/.  Similarly, click here for direct access.  Each calendar is posted by it respective chamber.

Are Committee Meetings and Session Televised?

WFSU's Florida Channel often broadcasts committee meetings when the Senate and House are not in Session.  When they are in session, depending on the schedule and bills to be heard, the Florida Channel will broadcast either the House or Senate.  To check the broadcast schedule, go to http://www.wfsu.org/Florida_Channel/florida-channel.htm, page down and click on Daily Broadcast Schedule. 

In addition, the Legislature's website, http://www.leg.state.fl.us/, includes a "video" link.  Go to the site and click on "House" or "Senate" located under the video heading about mid-way down the right-hand blue column on the page to access the broadcast (when scheduled).

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The Senate's initial consideration of legislation renewing TEA-21, a renewal plan (S. 1072) called the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act" (SAFETEA) was mired in activity and uncertainty.  So far, the Senate has not taken action on specific amendments to S. 1072 and its progress has stalled in the wake of numerous events, ranging from procedural objections from Senators opposing various aspects of the legislation to a biohazard alert that closed all Senate office building for most of last week.  As the Senate took up S. 1072 February 2, the President was releasing his budget request for Fiscal Year 2005. By allowing trust fund balances to spend down further, the Administration budget upped its TEA-21 renewal request by $9 billion to $256 billion, but still well below the $318 billion total spending package before the Senate.

Following the budget release, the U.S. Treasury and Transportation Secretaries joined on a letter conveying the Administration's position on funding levels for the renewal, an action that triggered much speculation and confusion throughout the week about whether the pending Senate bill satisfied the Administration's criteria for a Presidential veto. To view this letter, go to http://www.dot.gov/affairs/strb020404.htm 

With the fast approaching expiration date of February 29 for the 5-month extension law passed in late September, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is preparing another extension bill that could extend the current TEA-21 law through the end of June. This legislation, which is now being draft by House Committee aides, is expected to come before the full House of Representatives by February 12. The Senate has not announced where it stands on the extension, but some Senators have signaled interest in a two-month extension to keep the pressure on for more timely action on the legislation.

Source:  Surface Transportation Policy Project

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Crash kills planner on vacation in Australia

By Robert P. King, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 15, 2004

Hank Skokowski was enjoying the vacation of his life: diving the Great Barrier Reef, motorcycling across New Zealand and Australia, buying compact discs and lattes while thrilling to the sight of Sydney's opera house.

But he took time for an important phone call early Saturday: wishing his daughter in New York a happy Valentine's Day.

"I'm thinking of you all the time," he told her voice mail.

Nine hours later, Lisa Skokowski's phone rang with grimmer news from Australia: Her father was dead, killed in a head-on crash on the Great Ocean Road west of Melbourne.

The crash cut short the life of one of Palm Beach County's premiere land planners, whose work is stamped in suburban landmarks such as PGA National and BallenIsles, as well as downtowns like Jupiter and West Palm Beach and rules for the size of mansions in Gulf Stream.

At 55, Henry "Hank" Skokowski was learning to relax after a lifetime of hard work, his daughter recalled.

"This was a time when my father was the happiest and most at peace that he has ever been in his entire life," said Lisa Skokowski, a restaurant manager and public television news anchor. "He was doing what he deserved to do. He was taking care of himself."

She remembered her father as the workaholic who brought a briefcase to her soccer games. But he also was the caring father who loved diving, lobster fishing, boats and all kinds of music -- "everything from Roy Orbison to the Talking Heads to Enya."

"He is my pillar and my inspiration in life," she said, sobbing.

Anne Booth, a partner with Mr. Skokowski in their West Palm Beach-based company Urban Design Studio, said the vacation was his "trip of a lifetime." He chronicled it in a series of e-mails he signed "Crocodile Hank."

He dived on the Great Barrier Reef, where an octopus got inside his scuba vest. He visited the New Zealand filming location of The Lord of the Rings. In Sydney, he finally visited the shell-shaped opera house that always had been his image of "the other side of the world."

"I feel very privileged to be here looking at it," he wrote in an e-mail Feb. 8, Booth recalled. "I had no expectation of the emotional impact. It just happened."

He was due back at the end of February.

Booth and Lisa Skokowski said consulate officials told them Mr. Skokowski was on a motorcycle when a car hit him head-on. The car driver was in custody, the officials said.

People who knew his work were in shock.

"It's really a tragedy," said Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Eric Jablin, adding that Mr. Skokowski had been the major planner for almost every big project in the city. "I hope people will know that the communities that they're living in were designed by a great guy."

Former West Palm Beach Mayor Nancy Graham said, "It's going to be a great loss to Palm Beach County, but he's certainly left his mark here."

Mr. Skokowski's West Palm Beach projects included the Narcissus Avenue streetscape, featuring artificial palm trees with sailfish-shaped fronds.

Mr. Skokowski, who was divorced, is survived by his daughter and a son, Brian. Lisa Skokowski said the family expects to have his body cremated, then spread his ashes on the ocean in Florida and the Bahamas.

bob_king@pbpost.com

Copyright 2004 The Palm Beach Post

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