The Florida Senate

163.519  Duties of Department of Legal Affairs.--The Department of Legal Affairs shall:

(1)  Develop program design and criteria for funding neighborhood improvement districts.

(2)  Carry out the development, promulgation, and revision of rules required for the operation of the Safe Neighborhoods Program, the capital improvements provisions contained in s. 163.521, and any other duties assigned to the department by this part.

(3)  Develop application and review procedures.

(4)  Provide advice and technical assistance to local government units, property owners' associations, and boards of directors for special neighborhood improvement districts and community redevelopment neighborhood improvement districts in their efforts to promote the goals of the Safe Neighborhoods Act and to apply for planning grants.

(5)  Review and evaluate applications for planning and technical assistance.

(6)  Provide for contract management, including the review of contract closeout reports for accountability and conformance with state law and the required administrative procedures.

(7)  Evaluate program performance in light of state objectives and future trends and opportunities and prepare recommendations for the Legislature.

(8)  Act as the repository of crime prevention through community policing innovations; environmental design strategies, principles, and tactics; environmental security plans and procedures; defensible space techniques; and safe neighborhood improvement plans.

(9)  Utilize staff to provide crime prevention through community policing innovations, environmental design, environmental security, and defensible space training.

(10)  Provide for consultant contracts for statewide training on safe neighborhood development for planners, engineers, local officials, property owners' associations, and boards of directors of special neighborhood improvement districts.

(11)  Review and approve or disapprove safe neighborhood improvement plans prior to the adoption by the local governing body of any safe neighborhood improvement plan created pursuant to s. 163.516. Plans shall be submitted to the department for review and approval or disapproval. All such reviews shall:

(a)  Ensure that appropriate plan elements are based on crime prevention through community policing innovations, environmental design, environmental security, or defensible space.

(b)  Ensure that appropriate plan elements are consistent with crime prevention through community policing innovations, environmental design, environmental security, and defensible space functions of neighborhood improvement districts as listed in s. 163.513.

(c)  Be completed within 60 days after receipt by the department with a detailed explanation of any deficiencies. The district shall submit the required modifications within 60 days after notification of the deficiencies, unless there is compelling evidence that an extension should be granted. After that time the department may withhold any payments to the neighborhood improvement district until compliance is made and may withhold submission to the Legislature of any capital improvement requests made pursuant to s. 163.521.

(12)  Submit an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority leaders and appropriate committee chairpersons of each house prior to March 1 of each year which contains:

(a)  A listing of neighborhood improvement districts created within the state, and their location.

(b)  A listing of districts which received funds from the Safe Neighborhoods Program.

(c)  A status report noting each district's progress in completing and implementing safe neighborhood improvement plans.

History.--s. 68, ch. 87-243; s. 17, ch. 91-86; s. 12, ch. 93-120; s. 19, ch. 98-314.