The Florida Senate

163.3189  Process for amendment of adopted comprehensive plan.--

(1)  The procedure for amendment of an adopted comprehensive plan or plan element which has been found to be in compliance shall be solely as prescribed by this section.

(2)  A local government which has a comprehensive plan that has been found to be in compliance may amend its comprehensive plan as set forth in s. 163.3184, with the following exceptions:

(a)  Plan amendments shall not become effective until the state land planning agency issues a final order determining the adopted amendment to be in compliance in accordance with s. 163.3184(9), or until the Administration Commission issues a final order determining the adopted amendment to be in compliance in accordance with s. 163.3184(10).

(b)  If the Administration Commission, upon a hearing pursuant to s. 163.3184, finds that the adopted plan amendment is not in compliance, the commission shall specify actions that would bring the plan amendment into compliance, and may specify the sanctions provided in s. 163.3184(11) to which the local government will be subject if it elects to make the amendment effective notwithstanding the determination of noncompliance. However, after the final order of the commission, the local government, except in designated areas of critical state concern, may elect to make the amendment effective by resolution at a public meeting after public notice and be subject to sanctions pursuant to s. 163.3184(11). If the local government enacts the remedial actions specified in the commission's final order, the local government shall no longer be subject to sanctions.

(3)(a)  At any time after the department has issued its notice of intent and the matter has been forwarded to the Division of Administrative Hearings, the local government proposing the amendment may demand formal mediation or the local government proposing the amendment or an affected person who is a party to the proceeding may demand informal mediation or expeditious resolution of the amendment proceedings by serving written notice on the state land planning agency, all other parties to the proceeding, and the administrative law judge.

(b)  Upon receipt of a notice pursuant to paragraph (a), the administrative law judge shall set the matter for final hearing no more than 30 days after receipt of the notice. Once a final hearing pursuant to this paragraph has been set, no continuance in the hearing, and no additional time for post-hearing submittals, may be granted without the written agreement of the parties absent a finding by the administrative law judge of extraordinary circumstances. Extraordinary circumstances do not include matters relating to workload or need for additional time for preparation or negotiation.

(c)  Absent a showing of extraordinary circumstances, the Administration Commission shall issue a final order, in a case proceeding under this subsection, within 45 days after the issuance of the recommended order, unless the parties agree in writing to a longer time.

History.--s. 9, ch. 92-129; s. 12, ch. 93-206; s. 28, ch. 96-410; s. 4, ch. 97-253.