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e-NEWS and NOTES: A Biweekly
Bulletin |
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June 6, 2003
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STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHLIGHTS
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GRANTS, FUNDING, & RFPS
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NEWS, REPORTS, AND PUBLICATIONS
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OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
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FAPA/AICP NEWS, INFORMATION &
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FAPA MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS
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"SHARE" PLAN CALLS FOR A 95%
RETURN
On May 22, House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay and Senator George Voinivich introduced new
House and Senate bills (H.R. 2208, S.1090)
proposing to raise the minimum guaranteed funding
level established in TEA-21 from 90.5 percent to
95 percent rate of return. The proposals, called
the "Highway Funding Equity Act of 2003", would
ensure each state a minimum 95 percent rate of
return on all core highway programs as well as
high priority projects. The legislation also
applies to other highway-related programs, which
are discretionary and not covered by Minimum
Guarantee (about 3 percent of total spending).
H.R. 2208 currently has 127 cosponsors and S. 1090
has 20 cosponsors. For more information on the
legislation, visit thomas.loc.gov/ (Source:
Surface Transportation Policy Project
(STPP))
INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION
LEGISLATION WOULD ESTABLISH $100 MILLION GRANT
PROGRAM
Earlier this year, Congresswoman Eddie
Bernice Johnson introduced the Intermodal
Transportation Act of 2003. H.R. 1394 would
establish a $100 million grant program to fund
intermodal transportation facilities that improve
connectivity. Eligible projects include facilities
that link urban, rural and commuter transit with
intercity bus, rail, and air services with
prioritization given to projects that integrate
the most passenger modes. It would also establish
$30 million in FY'04-06 and $35 million in
FY'07-09 for intercity bus and commercial van
service to airports where no such service
currently exists, including operating assistance
and capital grants for bus terminals, park and
ride facilities and intermodal terminals.
Additional funds would also be prioritized to
improve public information about transit services,
fares, and schedules, and availability of
paratransit service for persons with disabilities.
The bill currently has 11 co-sponsors and was
referred to the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee. For more information,
visit thomas.loc.gov/. (Source: STPP)
JOHN
MARTINEZ NAMED FDOT DISTRICT 6
SECRETARY
Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) Secretary José Abreu selected District Six
Director of Production John Martinez as FDOT’s new
District Six Secretary, which covers Miami-Dade
and Monroe counties. Mr. Martinez, who is a
registered Professional Engineer, started out with
the department in December 1985 as a Senior
Project Manager overseeing major expressway
projects prepared by consultants. Throughout his
FDOT career, Martinez has worked as Assistant
District Construction Engineer, District
Consultant Management Engineer, and most recently,
District Director of Production.
"GREEN"
TECHNOLOGY FUNDING ACCELERATES EVERGLADES
CLEANUP
The South Florida Water Management
District is accelerating Everglades' cleanup using
the latest technology. Years ahead of schedule,
new "green" technology, known as Periphyton-Based
Stormwater Treatment Area (PASTA), will go on-line
in one of the six man-made treatment marshes that
filter pollution from water entering the
Everglades. The groundbreaking PASTA technology
uses algae and microscopic organisms to clean
phosphorus from the water before it flows into the
Everglades. Until now, funding was not available
for such advanced water treatment technologies
within the treatment marshes. PASTA will go
on-line in Stormwater Treatment Area 3-4. As part
of its commitment to the Everglades, Florida is
prepared to provide the federal government with
financial assistance to implement the advanced
treatment technology in Stormwater Treatment Area
1-East, which is still under construction.
MORE ACRES FOR ESCRIBANO POINT FLORIDA
FOREVER PROJECT
On May 13, protection of the
waters of East Bay and Blackwater Bay that are
crucial to the region's number one industry,
oyster harvesting, increased with the unanimous
vote of Governor Jeb Bush and Cabinet members to
add more than 1,100 acres to the Escribano Point
Florida Forever project. Escribano Point was
placed on the state's Conservation and Recreation
Lands list in 1994 as a buffer to protect the
Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, an
Outstanding Florida Water. More than 10 miles of
shoreline and 37 miles along the Yellow River will
be protected by this acquisition. Many
recreational activities become available with the
acquisition, although conservation and the
protection of the environmentally unique native
habitats, and plant and animal species will
receive priority. Camping, environmental and
cultural resource education, fishing, hiking,
hunting, and wildlife viewing are among the
anticipated opportunities for the outdoor
enthusiast.
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RURAL LANDS STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM WHITE PAPER
A recently revised white
paper describing the Rural Lands Stewardship
Program is available for download at
privatelands.org/RLSP/RLSP.htm. Please share this
document with anyone who may have an interest in,
or may want to know more about this program.
CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE FINANCING OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
A new study by William
Bogart (May 2003) examines how relationships
between public, for-profit, and non-profit
community development entities affect the capacity
for financing urban neighborhood projects by
examining networks among such groups in three
cities—Cleveland, Indianapolis, and St. Louis.
Bogart's work analyzes representative housing
projects in each city, quantifying the net amount
of subsidy that public agencies and non-profit
organizations provide to urban development. Taken
together, these case studies reveal that while the
financial instruments for urban development—first
mortgages, subordinated debt, grants, tax
abatements, and tax credits—remain the same in all
three cities, the varying structure and strength
of their respective community building
institutions directly influence what gets built
and how it's financed. An executive summary and
link to the complete report are posted to
www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/20030527_bogart.htm.
CITRUS HANDBOOK 2003 NOW AVAILABLE
This
Florida Department of Citrus online resource
provides users access to various tables related to
Florida's citrus production. Topic areas include
acreage, production, and utilization, economic
indicators, imports and exports, prices, sales and
values, and industry standards. To download the
handbook, go to
www.fred.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus/pubs/ref/index2.htm.
NEW REPORT CONDEMNS CONDITIONS OF URBAN
ROADWAYS
A new report released on May 27 found
that 25 percent of major urban roads are in
unacceptable condition, costing drivers in major
urban areas an estimated $396 in additional repair
needs. The analysis of Federal Highway figures by
The Road Information Project (TRIP) shows that
another 43 percent are in fair or "acceptable"
condition, leaving just a third of urban roads in
good or very good condition. The goal of road
repair programs should be to maintain at least
three-quarters of roads in good condition,
according to the report. For more on the TRIP
report, see www.tripnet.org. (Source:
STPP)
AMTRAK PRIVATIZATION: THE ROUTE TO
FAILURE BY ELLIOTT D. SCLAR
As Congress
prepares to open debate on the future of Amtrak, a
new Economic Policy Institute report makes a
strong case for increasing, not decreasing public
investment in intercity passenger rail
transportation. “Amtrak Privatization: The Route
to Failure,” by Elliott D. Sclar, a nationally
known transportation expert and professor of urban
planning and public affairs at Columbia
University, argues that making state-of-the-art
passenger trains a key part of the nation’s 21st
century transportation strategy will pay important
economic, environmental, and homeland security
dividends. The book’s introduction and executive
summary are available in a PDF format at
www.epinet.org./content.cfm/books_amtrak.
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The American Planning
Association’s website includes links to requests
for proposals and requests for qualifications. You
may access this information at
www.planning.org/rfp-rfq/.
The FLORIDA
COMMUNITIES TRUST announces the opening of the
third Florida Forever application cycle on March
27, 2003. Approximately $66,000,000 (unless
otherwise allocated by the Legislature) will be
available this funding cycle for grants to local
governments and nonprofit environmental
organizations to acquire land for conservation,
open space and outdoor recreation purposes. The
deadline for submitting applications to FCT is
6:00 p.m. (EST), June 10, 2003. For a copy of the
grant application form (FCT/FF-2) or more
information about the grant program, please visit
the FCT website at
www.dca.state.fl.us/ffct.
The BETTER
WAKULLA VISIONING PROCESS COMMITTEE requests
proposals from qualified firms or individuals for
the provision of facilitation services, meeting
management and reporting responsibilities related
to the COMMUNITY VISIONING PROCESS. Specific
experience in southern rural planning processes is
preferred. A copy of the Request for Proposals may
be obtained from the Better Wakulla Visioning
Process Committee by contacting Pam Portwood, P.O.
Box 309, Crawfordville, Florida 32326; PHONE (850)
926-0909, FAX (850) 926-0941, or E-MAIL
pportwood@mywakulla.com. All questions should be
directed to Pam Portwood at the same address.
Sealed Responses will be received by the Better
Wakulla Visioning Process Committee c/o Wakulla
County Grants Department, 3093 Crawfordville Hwy,
Crawfordville, Florida 32327, or Post Office Box
309, Crawfordville, Florida 32326, ATTENTION: Pam
Portwood until Monday, July 14, 2003 at 3:00 p.m.
Responders to this RFP must be available for
interviews by the committee. Selection of Firm(s)
or Individual(s) for interview will be made by
July 25, 2003; Interviews with ranked firms or
individuals between August 1-8, 2003; and
Selection of Firm(s) or Individual(s) by August
15, 2003. A public opening and recording of the
Responses will be held at the Wakulla County
Grants Department located at 3093 Crawfordville
Hwy, Crawfordville, Florida 32327 on Monday, July
14, 2003 at 3:00 p.m. Sealed Bids should be
clearly marked and mailed to: Proposal Number:
0001, Better Wakulla Visioning Process Committee,
c/o Wakulla County Grants Department, Post Office
Box 309, Crawfordville, Florida 32326. Or deliver
to 3093 Crawfordville Highway, Crawfordville,
Florida 32327.
The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced
the availability of FY 2003 funding opportunities,
through the BROWNFIELDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE (BEDI). For more information, go to
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa/grpecond.cfm.
Application deadlines are July 16,
2003.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE: The Bureau of
Historic Preservation of the Florida Department of
State announces the availability of forms for
application for designation as a 2003 FLORIDA MAIN
STREET COMMUNITY. A maximum of three communities
will receive Florida Main Street Designation in
2003. Complete applications must be delivered to
the Florida Main Street Program, R. A. Gray
Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee,
Florida 32399-0250, no later than 5:00 p.m. or
postmarked and mailed or submitted (with evidence)
to an express mail service on or before 12:00
midnight, July 25, 2003. Applications are
available by contacting Miss Laura Lee Corbett,
Florida Main Street Coordinator, at the above
address or by calling
1(800)847-7278.
FLORIDA'S OUTSTANDING RURAL
COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR – ENTER NOW!
This awards
program is organized by the Rural Economic
Development Initiative (REDI) to recognize and
reward rural communities that make a priority of
improving the quality of life of their citizens.
The Award recognizes outstanding community and
volunteer support of a project that enhances the
community each autumn. One community will be
selected in each of three population categories
and one community is selected as Florida's
Outstanding Rural Community of the Year. Winners
will be honored at a ceremony in late Autumn of
2003. A press release will be distributed to local
and statewide media identifying all winners. Each
winner will receive a modest financial reward as
well as two signs from FDOT for installation on
the community’s roads. The entry form deadline is
September 5, 2003, and an associated detailed
project report is due September 19, 2003. For
further information, contact Diane Scholz,
Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
Development at (850) 487-2568 or
scholzd@eog.state.fl.us.
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PALM BEACH COUNTY
REDEVELOPMENT QUESTIONAIRRE: PLEASE RESPOND BY
JUNE 13, 2003
The questionnaire's objective is
to find redevelopment programs and policies that
truly work and could be implemented in Palm Beach
County, resulting in new construction on vacant
lots and rebuilding on existing developed sites.
Please respond to the questionnaire by June 13,
2003. The Redevelopment Questionnaire is on line
under PZB news at www.pbcgov.com/pzb/.
MIXED-USE REDEVELOPMENT OVERLAY DISTRICT
PROVING POPULAR WITH DEVELOPERS
Gwinnett
County, one of Atlanta's most populous and
sprawling jurisdictions, created a "mixed-used
redevelopment overlay district" last October,
which appears to be proving popular with the
development community. Several developers are
seeking permits under the designation to redevelop
sprawling strips into pedestrian-friendly
communities that combine places to live, work and
shop. One developer is combining apartments,
townhouses, and retail along sprawling Buford
Highway; two other developers have proposed
projects that will also include office space and
even a park and an amphitheater. The districts are
limited to unincorporated parts of the county that
are already marked by scattered sprawl, and allow
housing densities up to 32 units per acre. They
also encourage mixing uses within buildings to
create apartments above shops and other combined
uses. For more information, see
www.co.gwinnett.ga.us/cgi-bin/bvgwin/egov/page.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&pm=A-Z+Index&sm=Index+M.
BOARD ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
WEBSITE
The National Academies Board on
Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR) addresses
science and policy issues confronting the
agricultural, food, and environmental system and
provides expert advice on issues of food and fiber
production and related matters of natural resource
development. The BANR website highlights the
organization's research projects and reports and
includes information about upcoming meetings and
events. The website address is
dels.nas.edu/banr/.
2007 SUPERBOWL WILL BE
PLAYED IN SOUTH FLORDA
Governor Bush thanked
the National Football League this week for
awarding the 2007 Super Bowl to South Florida. The
announcement, made yesterday at the Spring NFL
Owners' Meetings in Philadelphia, marks the ninth
time this sporting event has been held in South
Florida. South Florida's contracts will be
approved by the NFL owners at their September
meeting in Washington, D.C.
JIMINY
CRICKET’S ENVIRONMENTALITY CHALLENGE WINNERS
CONGRATULATED
On May 19, DEP Deputy Secretary
Bob Ballard joined Roy E. Disney, Vice Chairman of
the Board of Directors for The Walt Disney
Company, to congratulate this year's winners of
Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge. Fifth
grade students from Clay Springs Elementary School
in Apopka were honored as the statewide
Environmentality winners at a special ceremony at
Disney's Animal Kingdom. The statewide challenge,
implemented by the Walt Disney Company and
Department of Environmental Protection, promotes
environmental education and actively encourages
fifth graders to participate in the protection of
their local environment. Each year, all state
fifth grade classes are invited to take the
challenge. Since 1998, almost 17,000 students have
completed a community or schoolyard environmental
project and over 47,000 students have pledged to
help protect their environment. This year’s
statewide winners educated fellow students and the
community about the importance of habitat
conservation through their project "Consequences
of Conquest," which restored nearly two acres of
school property to its original state -- a
sandhill habitat -- encouraging the return of
birds, insects and reptiles. The five regional
winners were Cunningham Creek Elementary in Fruit
Cove, West Navarre Elementary in Navarre,
Poinciana Elementary in Naples, Horizon Elementary
in Sunrise, and Braden River Elementary in
Bradenton.
TAXATION OF STATE-OWNED
LAND
State-owned land that is leased to a city
and then, through two subleases, used by members
of a private condominium association remains state
land and is therefore not subject to property
taxation, the 4th District Court of Appeal (DCA)
held. The court rejected the appeal of the Palm
Beach County property appraiser, who sought to tax
41 hangar spaces at the Boca Raton Airport. The
airport is a publicly operated small-plane
facility located on land owned by the state and
leased to the local aviation authority by the
Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.
The aviation authority subleased the property to a
fixed-base operator, which in turn sub-subleased
the 41 hangar spaces to a condominium association
for the exclusive use of its members. The
association argued that the hangars are exempt
from ad valorem taxes because they are on property
owned and used by a governmental entity, but the
property appraiser disagreed. A trial court ruled
in favor of the association, and the DCA affirmed.
"Section 718.106 provides that condominium parcels
are separate parcels of real property; however, it
does not address the question involved in this
case, which is who owns the land and improvements.
In the absence of any authority other than section
718.106, and the property appraiser cites none, we
conclude that this property is owned by the state
and is therefore not taxable," the DCA said. To
read the opinion, go to
http://myfloridalegal.com/alerts.nsf/e72b1e067994666c852562910072f437/427a9c946b0a878685256d3c00668831!OpenDocument.
(Source: FL Attorney General’s Appellate
Alert)
JOB MARTS Posted since May 23, 2003:
Neighborhood Planner (City of
Ocala)
Planner I (City of
Miami)
Planner-Transportation (Orange
County)
Assistant CRA Directory (City of
Pensacola)
Community Planner (City of
Miami)
Planner (City of Temple
Terrace)
Senior Planner or Planner I (Indian
River County)
Visit
www.floridaplanning.org/jobs2.asp for salaries,
descriptions, minimum requirements, and
application deadlines.
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June 13, 2003: Historic
Preservation: A Tool for Economic Development
& Revitalization; 9:30 a.m. – noon; Tampa Bay
Regional Planning Council; 9455 Koger Boulevard,
Suite 219; St. Petersburg. Sponsored by the FAPA
Sun Coast Section, this workshop will cover the
nuts and bolts of historic preservation, including
identifying and classifying buildings and
districts. Attendees will learn about recent
projects that are helping to revive the core of
several Tampa Bay area communities. Speakers
include Rick Smith from the City of St.
Petersburg, Randy Mathews from the City of
Lakeland, and Stephanie Ferrell, a local architect
from Tampa. The workshop is free for APA members;
$10 fee for non-members. Register with Wiatt
Bowers at wfbowers@pbsj.com or (813)
282-7275.
June 19, 2003: (1) FAPA
Legislative Policy Committee meeting to develop
2004 legislative platform from 1:00 p.m. until
4:00 p.m.; DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center;
(2) FAPA’s Communications, Outreach, Marketing,
and Membership Committees will meet in the evening
at the same location. Contact
fapa@floridaplanning.org for further information.
June 20, 2003: (1) FAPA Executive
Committee meeting to adopt budget, strategic plan,
and legislative platform; DoubleTree Hotel and
Conference Center; Gainesville. (2) FAPA Student
Council and Student Advisory Committee will meet
at various times/locations throughout the day.
Contact fapa@floridaplanning.org for further
information.
September 3, 2003: Executive
Committee Meeting (Palm Beach) in conjunction with
the FAPA Annual Conference.
September 3-6,
2003: FAPA Annual Conference at the Breakers Hotel
in Palm Beach. Go to
www.floridaplanning.org/conference/index.asp for
conference information.
OTHER SCHEDULED
EVENTS:
June 9-13, 2003: GOVERNOR’S
HURRICANE CONFERENCE, Tampa Convention Center. For
Conference Information please call: (727)
944-2724, (800) 544-5678 or visit the conference
website at: www.flghc.org.
June 11-13,
2003: FLORIDA ASSOCIATION FOR WATER QUALITY
CONTROL 2003 ANNUAL CONFERENCE; The Registry
Resort, Naples. For more information, visit their
web site at www.fawqc.com.
June 19-22,
2003: CNU CONGRESS—combining the most informative
and inspiring speakers, including author James H.
Kunstler, United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott, Epidemiologist Richard Jackson, and
long-time New Urbanism leaders; Washington, D.C.;
register today at www.cnu.org or by phone at (800)
788-7077; registration discount ends May 16; for
more information contact Sandrine Milanello (415)
495-4472 or sandrinem@cnu.org.
July 9-11,
2003: FLORIDA LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE
AGENCIES, INC., 2003 ANNUAL CONFERENCE; Tampa, FL.
For more information, call 1-800-544-5678 or log
onto www.flghc.org/.
July 15-16, 2003:
PRE-SCHOOL FOR FLORIDA CHAMBER’S ENVIRONMENTAL
PERMITTING SUMMER SCHOOL—In depth look at the
federal and state wetland permitting programs and
prospects for consolidating programs; Marco Island
Marriott; $235/members and $265 non-members; to
register or for further information, go to
www.flenvironmentalnetwork.com/frameset2.html.
July
16-18, 2003: FLORIDA CHAMBER’S ENVIRONMENTAL
PERMITTING SUMMER SCHOOL—Provides basic and
advanced instruction on federal, state, and local
environmental regulations; Marco Island Marriott;
$485/members and $525 non-members; to register or
for further information, go to
www.flenvironmentalnetwork.com/frameset2.html.
July
31-Aug 3, 2003: AIA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONVENTION,
LIVING ON THE EDGE—THE FUTURE IS NOW; Ritz Carlton
Hotel, Sarasota, Florida. Convention registration
includes 24 hours of CE seminars, general
sessions, trade show, continental breakfasts and
breaks, and more beginning at $175 (AIA members).
For more information, contact Eileen Johnson at
(850) 222-7590 or ejohnson@aiafla.org, or go to
www.aiafla.org/index.cfm?pageID=58.
October 9, 2003: Save the Date--NATIONAL
SMART GROWTH CONFERENCE: State of the States on
Smart Growth; Radisson Hotel, Burlington, Vermont.
October 15-18, 2003: FPZA STATE
CONFERENCE; The Inn of Fifth (www.naplesinn.com);
$125/night; mention “FPZA” to get the discounted
price; call 239-403-8777 for reservations;
conference schedule and registration information
coming soon.
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