The Florida Senate

190.046  Termination, contraction, or expansion of district.--

(1)  The board may petition to contract or expand the boundaries of a community development district in the following manner:

(a)  The petition shall contain the same information required by s. 190.005(1)(a)1. and 8. In addition, if the petitioner seeks to expand the district, the petition shall describe the proposed timetable for construction of any district services to the area, the estimated cost of constructing the proposed services, and the designation of the future general distribution, location, and extent of public and private uses of land proposed for the area by the future land use plan element of the adopted local government local comprehensive plan. If the petitioner seeks to contract the district, the petition shall describe what services and facilities are currently provided by the district to the area being removed, and the designation of the future general distribution, location, and extent of public and private uses of land proposed for the area by the future land element of the adopted local government comprehensive plan.

(b)  For those districts initially established by county ordinance, the petition for ordinance amendment shall be filed with the county commission. If the land to be included or excluded is, in whole or in part, within the boundaries of a municipality, then the county commission shall not amend the ordinance without municipal approval. A public hearing shall be held in the same manner and with the same public notice as other ordinance amendments. The county commission shall consider the record of the public hearing and the factors set forth in s. 190.005(1)(e) in making its determination to grant or deny the petition for ordinance amendment.

(c)  For those districts initially established by municipal ordinance pursuant to s. 190.005(2)(e), the municipality shall assume the duties of the county commission set forth in paragraph (b); however, if any of the land to be included or excluded, in whole or in part, is outside the boundaries of the municipality, then the municipality shall not amend its ordinance without county commission approval.

(d)1.  For those districts initially established by administrative rule pursuant to s. 190.005(1), the petition shall be filed with the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.

2.  Prior to filing the petition, the petitioner shall pay a filing fee of $1,500 to the county and to each municipality the boundaries of which are contiguous with or contain all or a portion of the land within the district or the proposed amendment, and submit a copy of the petition to the county and to each such municipality. In addition, if the district is not the petitioner, the petitioner shall file the petition with the district board of supervisors.

3.  The county and each municipality shall have the option of holding a public hearing as provided by s. 190.005(1)(c). However, such public hearing shall be limited to consideration of the contents of the petition and whether the petition for amendment should be supported by the county or municipality.

4.  The district board of supervisors shall, in lieu of a hearing officer, hold the local public hearing provided for by s. 190.005(1)(d). This local public hearing shall be noticed in the same manner as provided in s. 190.005(1)(d). Within 45 days of the conclusion of the hearing, the district board of supervisors shall transmit to the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission the full record of the local hearing, the transcript of the hearing, any resolutions adopted by the local general-purpose governments, and its recommendation whether to grant the petition for amendment. The commission shall then proceed in accordance with s. 190.005(1)(e).

5.  A rule amending a district boundary shall describe the land to be added or deleted.

(e)  In all cases, written consent of all the landowners whose land is to be added to or deleted from the district shall be required. The filing of the petition for expansion or contraction by the district board of supervisors shall constitute consent of the landowners within the district other than of landowners whose land is proposed to be added to or removed from the district.

(f)1.  During the existence of a district initially established by administrative rule, petitions to amend the boundaries of the district pursuant to paragraphs (a)-(e) shall be limited to a cumulative total of no more than 10 percent of the land in the initial district, and in no event shall all such petitions to amend the boundaries ever encompass more than a total of 250 acres.

2.  For districts initially established by county or municipal ordinance, the limitation provided by this paragraph shall be a cumulative total of no more than 50 percent of the land in the initial district, and in no event shall all such petitions to amend the boundaries ever encompass more than a total of 500 acres.

3.  Boundary expansions for districts initially established by county or municipal ordinance shall follow the procedure set forth in paragraph (b) or paragraph (c).

(g)  Petitions to amend the boundaries of the district which exceed the amount of land specified in paragraph (f) shall be considered petitions to establish a new district and shall follow all of the procedures specified in s. 190.005

(2)  The district shall remain in existence unless:

(a)  The district is merged with another district as provided in subsection (3);

(b)  All of the specific community development systems, facilities, and services that it is authorized to perform have been transferred to a general-purpose unit of local government in the manner provided in subsections (4), (5), and (6); or

(c)  The district is dissolved as provided in subsection (7), subsection (8), or subsection (9).

(3)  The district may merge with other community development districts upon filing a petition for establishment of a community development district pursuant to s. 190.005 or may merge with any other special districts upon filing a petition for establishment of a community development district pursuant to s. 190.005 The government formed by a merger involving a community development district pursuant to this section shall assume all indebtedness of, and receive title to, all property owned by the preexisting special districts. Prior to filing said petition, the districts desiring to merge shall enter into a merger agreement and shall provide for the proper allocation of the indebtedness so assumed and the manner in which said debt shall be retired. The approval of the merger agreement by the board of supervisors elected by the electors of the district shall constitute consent of the landowners within the district.

(4)  The local general-purpose government within the geographical boundaries of which the district lies may adopt a nonemergency ordinance providing for a plan for the transfer of a specific community development service from a district to the local general-purpose government. The plan must provide for the assumption and guarantee of the district debt that is related to the service by the local general-purpose government and must demonstrate the ability of the local general-purpose government to provide such service:

(a)  As efficiently as the district.

(b)  At a level of quality equal to or higher than the level of quality actually delivered by the district to the users of the service.

(c)  At a charge equal to or lower than the actual charge by the district to the users of the service.

(5)  No later than 30 days following the adoption of a transfer plan ordinance, the board of supervisors may file, in the circuit court for the county in which the local general-purpose government that adopted the ordinance is located, a petition seeking review by certiorari of the factual and legal basis for the adoption of the transfer plan ordinance.

(6)  Upon the transfer of all of the community development services of the district to a general-purpose unit of local government, the district shall be terminated in accordance with a plan of termination which shall be adopted by the board of supervisors and filed with the clerk of the circuit court.

(7)  If, within 5 years after the effective date of the rule or ordinance establishing the district, a landowner has not received a development permit, as defined in chapter 380, on some part or all of the area covered by the district, then the district will be automatically dissolved and a judge of the circuit court shall cause a statement to that effect to be filed in the public records.

(8)  In the event the district has become inactive pursuant to s. 189.4044, the respective board of county commissioners or city commission shall be informed and it shall take appropriate action.

(9)  If a district has no outstanding financial obligations and no operating or maintenance responsibilities, upon the petition of the district, the district may be dissolved by a nonemergency ordinance of the general-purpose local governmental entity that established the district or, if the district was established by rule of the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, the district may be dissolved by repeal of such rule of the commission.

History.--s. 2, ch. 80-407; ss. 13, 19, ch. 84-360; s. 49, ch. 89-169; s. 11, ch. 91-308; s. 43, ch. 99-378; s. 34, ch. 2004-345; s. 31, ch. 2004-353.