House Bill 0017c2

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999            CS/CS/HB 17

        By the Committees on Water & Resource Management,
    Community Affairs and Representatives Constantine, Bradley,
    Goodlette and Murman




  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to local government; creating

  3         ss. 163.2511, 163.2514, 163.2517, 163.2520,

  4         163.2523, and 163.2526, F.S., the Urban Infill

  5         and Redevelopment Act; providing legislative

  6         findings; providing definitions; authorizing

  7         counties and municipalities to designate urban

  8         infill and redevelopment areas based on

  9         specified criteria; providing for community and

10         neighborhood participation; requiring

11         preparation of a plan or designation of an

12         existing plan and providing requirements with

13         respect thereto; providing for amendment of the

14         local comprehensive plan to delineate area

15         boundaries; providing for adoption of the plan

16         by ordinance; providing requirements for

17         continued eligibility for economic and

18         regulatory incentives and providing that such

19         incentives may be rescinded if the plan is not

20         implemented; providing that counties and

21         municipalities that have adopted such plan may

22         issue revenue bonds and employ tax increment

23         financing under the Community Redevelopment Act

24         and exercise powers granted to community

25         redevelopment neighborhood improvement

26         districts; requiring a report by certain state

27         agencies; providing that such areas shall have

28         priority in the allocation of private activity

29         bonds; providing a program for grants to

30         counties and municipalities with urban infill

31         and redevelopment areas; providing for review

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  1         and evaluation of the act and requiring a

  2         report; providing an appropriation; amending s.

  3         163.3164, F.S.; revising the definition of

  4         "projects that promote public transportation"

  5         under the Local Government Comprehensive

  6         Planning and Land Development Regulation Act;

  7         amending s. 163.3177, F.S.; modifying the date

  8         by which local government comprehensive plans

  9         must comply with school siting requirements,

10         and the consequences of failure to comply;

11         amending s. 163.3180, F.S.; specifying that the

12         concurrency requirement applies to

13         transportation facilities; providing

14         requirements with respect to measuring level of

15         service for specified transportation modes and

16         multimodal analysis; providing that the

17         concurrency requirement does not apply to

18         public transit facilities; authorizing

19         exemptions from the transportation facilities

20         concurrency requirement for developments

21         located in an urban infill and redevelopment

22         area; revising requirements for establishment

23         of level-of-service standards for certain

24         facilities on the Florida Intrastate Highway

25         System; authorizing establishment of multimodal

26         transportation districts in certain areas under

27         a local comprehensive plan, providing for

28         certain multimodal level-of-service standards,

29         and providing requirements with respect

30         thereto; providing for issuance of development

31         permits; authorizing reduction of certain fees

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  1         for development in such districts; amending s.

  2         163.3187, F.S.; providing that comprehensive

  3         plan amendments to designate urban infill and

  4         redevelopment areas are not subject to

  5         statutory limits on the frequency of plan

  6         amendments; including such areas within certain

  7         limitations relating to small scale development

  8         amendments; authorizing the Department of

  9         Community Affairs to contract with a regional

10         planning council for the review of local

11         government comprehensive plan amendments;

12         amending s. 187.201, F.S.; including policies

13         relating to urban policy in the State

14         Comprehensive Plan; amending s. 380.06, F.S.,

15         relating to developments of regional impact;

16         increasing certain numerical standards for

17         determining a substantial deviation for

18         projects located in certain urban infill and

19         redevelopment areas; amending ss. 163.3220 and

20         163.3221, F.S.; revising legislative intent

21         with respect to the Florida Local Government

22         Development Agreement Act to include intent

23         with respect to certain assurance to a

24         developer upon receipt of a brownfield

25         designation; amending s. 163.375, F.S.;

26         authorizing acquisition by eminent domain of

27         property in unincorporated enclaves surrounded

28         by a community redevelopment area when

29         necessary to accomplish a community development

30         plan; amending s. 165.041, F.S.; specifying the

31         date for submission to the Legislature of a

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  1         feasibility study in connection with a proposed

  2         municipal incorporation and revising

  3         requirements for such study; amending s.

  4         171.0413, F.S., relating to municipal

  5         annexation procedures; requiring public

  6         hearings; deleting a requirement that a

  7         separate referendum be held in the annexing

  8         municipality when the annexation exceeds a

  9         certain size and providing that the governing

10         body may choose to hold such a referendum;

11         providing procedures by which a county or

12         combination of counties and the municipalities

13         therein may develop and adopt a plan to improve

14         the efficiency, accountability, and

15         coordination of the delivery of local

16         government services; providing for initiation

17         of the process by resolution; providing

18         requirements for the plan; requiring approval

19         by the local governments' governing bodies and

20         by referendum; authorizing municipal annexation

21         through such plan; amending s. 170.201, F.S.;

22         revising provisions which authorize a

23         municipality to exempt property owned or

24         occupied by certain religious or educational

25         institutions or housing facilities from special

26         assessments for emergency medical services;

27         extending application of such provisions to any

28         service; creating s. 196.1978, F.S.; providing

29         that property used to provide housing for

30         certain persons under ch. 420, F.S., or other

31         local or federal affordable housing programs,

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  1         and owned by certain nonprofit corporations, is

  2         exempt from ad valorem taxation; providing for

  3         retroactive application; creating ss. 220.185

  4         and 420.5093, F.S.; creating the State Housing

  5         Tax Credit Program; providing legislative

  6         findings and policy; providing definitions;

  7         providing for a credit against the corporate

  8         income tax based on a percentage of the

  9         eligible basis of certain housing projects;

10         providing limitations; providing for allocation

11         of credits and administration by the Florida

12         Housing Finance Corporation; providing for

13         audits and recapture of credits under certain

14         conditions; providing for an annual plan;

15         providing application procedures; providing

16         that neither tax credits nor financing

17         generated thereby shall be considered income

18         for ad valorem tax purposes; providing for

19         recognition of certain income by the property

20         appraiser; amending s. 420.503, F.S.; providing

21         that certain projects shall qualify as housing

22         for the elderly for purposes of certain loans

23         under the State Apartment Incentive Loan

24         Program, and shall qualify as a project

25         targeted for the elderly in connection with

26         allocation of low-income housing tax credits

27         and with the HOME program under certain

28         conditions; amending s. 420.5087, F.S.;

29         directing the Florida Housing Finance

30         Corporation to adopt rules for the equitable

31         distribution of certain unallocated funds under

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  1         the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program;

  2         creating ss. 420.630, 420.631, 420.632,

  3         420.633, 420.634, and 420.635, F.S., the Urban

  4         Homesteading Act; providing definitions;

  5         authorizing a local government or its designee

  6         to operate a program to make foreclosed

  7         single-family housing available for purchase by

  8         qualified buyers; providing eligibility

  9         requirements; providing application procedures;

10         providing conditions under which such property

11         may be deeded to a qualified buyer; requiring

12         payment of a pro rata share of certain bonded

13         debt under certain conditions and providing for

14         loans to buyers who are required to make such

15         payment; providing effective dates.

16

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

18

19         Section 1.  Sections 163.2511, 163.2514, 163.2517,

20  163.2520, 163.2523, and 163.2526, Florida Statutes, are

21  created to read:

22         163.2511  Urban infill and redevelopment.--

23         (1)  Sections 163.2511-163.2526 may be cited as the

24  "Urban Infill and Redevelopment Act."

25         (2)  It is declared that:

26         (a)  Fiscally strong urban centers are beneficial to

27  regional and state economies and resources, are a method for

28  reduction of future urban sprawl, and should be promoted by

29  state, regional, and local governments.

30         (b)  The health and vibrancy of the urban cores benefit

31  their respective regions and the state; conversely, the

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  1  deterioration of those urban cores negatively impacts the

  2  surrounding area and the state.

  3         (c)  In recognition of the interwoven destiny between

  4  the urban center, the suburbs, the region, and the state, the

  5  respective governments need to establish a framework and work

  6  in partnership with communities and the private sector to

  7  revitalize urban centers.

  8         (d)  State urban policies should guide the state,

  9  regional agencies, local governments, and the private sector

10  in preserving and redeveloping existing urban cores and

11  promoting the adequate provision of infrastructure, human

12  services, safe neighborhoods, educational facilities, and

13  economic development to sustain these cores into the future.

14         (e)  Successfully revitalizing and sustaining the urban

15  cores is dependent on addressing, through an integrated and

16  coordinated community effort, a range of varied components

17  essential to a healthy urban environment, including cultural,

18  educational, recreational, economic, transportation, and

19  social service components.

20         (f)  Infill development and redevelopment are

21  recognized to be important components and useful mechanisms

22  for promoting and sustaining urban cores. State and regional

23  entities and local governments should provide incentives to

24  promote urban infill and redevelopment. Existing programs and

25  incentives should be integrated to the extent possible to

26  promote urban infill and redevelopment and to achieve the

27  goals of the state urban policy.

28         163.2514  Definitions.--As used in ss.

29  163.2511-163.2526:

30         (1)  "Local government" means any county or

31  municipality.

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  1         (2)  "Urban infill and redevelopment area" means an

  2  area or areas designated by a local government where:

  3         (a)  Public services such as water and wastewater,

  4  transportation, schools, and recreation are already available

  5  or are scheduled to be provided in an adopted 5-year schedule

  6  of capital improvements and are located within the existing

  7  urban service area as defined in the local government's

  8  comprehensive plan;

  9         (b)  The area, or one or more neighborhoods within the

10  area, suffers from pervasive poverty, unemployment, and

11  general distress as defined by s. 290.0058;

12         (c)  The area exhibits a proportion of properties that

13  are substandard, overcrowded, dilapidated, vacant or

14  abandoned, or functionally obsolete which is higher than the

15  average for the local government;

16         (d)  More than 50 percent of the area is within 1/4

17  mile of a transit stop, or a sufficient number of such transit

18  stops will be made available concurrent with the designation;

19  and

20         (e)  The area includes or is adjacent to community

21  redevelopment areas, brownfields, enterprise zones, or Main

22  Street programs, or has been designated by the state or

23  Federal Government as an urban redevelopment, revitalization,

24  or infill area under empowerment zone, enterprise community,

25  or brownfield showcase community programs or similar programs.

26         163.2517  Designation of urban infill and redevelopment

27  area.--

28         (1)  A local government may designate a geographic area

29  or areas within its jurisdiction as an urban infill and

30  redevelopment area for the purpose of targeting economic

31  development, job creation, housing, transportation, crime

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  1  prevention, neighborhood revitalization and preservation, and

  2  land use incentives to encourage urban infill and

  3  redevelopment within the urban core.

  4         (2)(a)  As part of the preparation and implementation

  5  of an urban infill and redevelopment plan, a collaborative and

  6  holistic community participation process must be implemented

  7  to include each neighborhood within the area targeted for

  8  designation as an urban infill and redevelopment area. The

  9  objective of the community participation process is to

10  encourage communities within the proposed urban infill and

11  redevelopment area to participate in the design and

12  implementation of the plan, including a "visioning" of the

13  urban core, before redevelopment.

14         (b)1.  A neighborhood participation process must be

15  developed to provide for the ongoing involvement of

16  stakeholder groups including, but not limited to,

17  community-based organizations, neighborhood associations,

18  financial institutions, faith organizations, housing

19  authorities, financial institutions, existing businesses,

20  businesses interested in operating in the community, schools,

21  and neighborhood residents, in preparing and implementing the

22  urban infill and redevelopment plan.

23         2.  The neighborhood participation process must include

24  a governance structure whereby the local government shares

25  decisionmaking authority for developing and implementing the

26  urban infill and redevelopment plan with communitywide

27  representatives. For example, the local government and

28  community representatives could organize a corporation under

29  s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to implement

30  specific redevelopment projects.

31

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  1         (3)  A local government seeking to designate a

  2  geographic area within its jurisdiction as an urban infill and

  3  redevelopment area shall prepare a plan that describes the

  4  infill and redevelopment objectives of the local government

  5  within the proposed area. In lieu of preparing a new plan, the

  6  local government may demonstrate that an existing plan or

  7  combination of plans associated with a community development

  8  area, Florida Main Street program, sustainable community,

  9  enterprise zone, or neighborhood improvement district includes

10  the factors listed in paragraphs (a)-(n), including a

11  collaborative and holistic community participation process, or

12  amend such existing plans to include these factors. The plan

13  shall demonstrate the local government and community's

14  commitment to comprehensively address the urban problems

15  within the urban infill and redevelopment area and identify

16  activities and programs to accomplish locally identified goals

17  such as code enforcement; improved educational opportunities;

18  reduction in crime; neighborhood revitalization and

19  preservation; provision of infrastructure needs, including

20  mass transit and multimodal linkages; and mixed-use planning

21  to promote multifunctional redevelopment to improve both the

22  residential and commercial quality of life in the area. The

23  plan shall also:

24         (a)  Contain a map depicting the geographic area or

25  areas to be included within the designation.

26         (b)  Confirm that the infill and redevelopment area is

27  within an existing urban service area defined in the local

28  government's comprehensive plan.

29         (c)  Identify and map existing enterprise zones,

30  community redevelopment areas, community development

31  corporations, brownfield areas, downtown redevelopment

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  1  districts, safe neighborhood improvement districts, historic

  2  preservation districts, and empowerment zones or enterprise

  3  communities located within the area proposed for designation

  4  as an urban infill and redevelopment area and provide a

  5  framework for coordinating infill and redevelopment programs

  6  within the urban core.

  7         (d)  Identify a memorandum of understanding between the

  8  district school board and the local government jurisdiction

  9  regarding public school facilities located within the urban

10  infill and redevelopment area to identify how the school board

11  will provide priority to enhancing public school facilities

12  and programs in the designated area, including the reuse of

13  existing buildings for schools within the area.

14         (e)  Identify each neighborhood within the proposed

15  area and state community preservation and revitalization goals

16  and projects identified through a collaborative and holistic

17  community participation process and how such projects will be

18  implemented.

19         (f)  Identify how the local government and

20  community-based organizations intend to implement affordable

21  housing programs, including, but not limited to, economic and

22  community development programs administered by federal and

23  state agencies, within the urban infill and redevelopment

24  area.

25         (g)  Identify strategies for reducing crime.

26         (h)  If applicable, provide guidelines for the adoption

27  of land development regulations specific to the urban infill

28  and redevelopment area which include, for example, setbacks

29  and parking requirements appropriate to urban development.

30         (i)  Identify and map any existing transportation

31  concurrency exception areas and any relevant public

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  1  transportation corridors designated by a metropolitan planning

  2  organization in its long-range transportation plans or by the

  3  local government in its comprehensive plan for which the local

  4  government seeks designation as a transportation concurrency

  5  exception area. For those areas, describe how public

  6  transportation, pedestrian ways, and bikeways will be

  7  implemented as an alternative to increased automobile use.

  8         (j)  Identify and adopt a package of financial and

  9  local government incentives which the local government will

10  offer for new development, expansion of existing development,

11  and redevelopment within the urban infill and redevelopment

12  area. Examples of such incentives include:

13         1.  Waiver of license and permit fees.

14         2.  Waiver of local option sales taxes.

15         3.  Waiver of delinquent taxes or fees to promote the

16  return of property to productive use.

17         4.  Expedited permitting.

18         5.  Lower transportation impact fees for development

19  which encourages more use of public transit, pedestrian, and

20  bicycle modes of transportation.

21         6.  Prioritization of infrastructure spending within

22  the urban infill and redevelopment area.

23         7.  Local government absorption of developers'

24  concurrency costs.

25         (k)  Identify how activities and incentives within the

26  urban infill and redevelopment area will be coordinated and

27  what administrative mechanism the local government will use

28  for the coordination.

29         (l)  Identify how partnerships with the financial and

30  business community will be developed.

31

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  1         (m)  Identify the governance structure that the local

  2  government will use to involve community representatives in

  3  the implementation of the plan.

  4         (n)  Identify performance measures to evaluate the

  5  success of the local government in implementing the urban

  6  infill and redevelopment plan.

  7         (4)  In order for a local government to designate an

  8  urban infill and redevelopment area, it must amend its

  9  comprehensive land use plan under s. 163.3187 to delineate the

10  boundaries of the urban infill and redevelopment area within

11  the future land use element of its comprehensive plan. The

12  state land planning agency shall review the boundary

13  delineation of the urban infill and redevelopment area in the

14  future land use element under s. 163.3184. However, an urban

15  infill and redevelopment plan adopted by a local government is

16  not subject to review for compliance as defined by s.

17  163.3184(1)(b), and the local government is not required to

18  adopt the plan as a comprehensive plan amendment. An amendment

19  to the local comprehensive plan to designate an urban infill

20  and redevelopment area is exempt from the twice-a-year

21  amendment limitation of s. 163.3187.

22         (5)  After the preparation of an urban infill and

23  redevelopment plan or designation of an existing plan, the

24  local government shall adopt the plan by ordinance. Notice for

25  the public hearing on the ordinance must be in the form

26  established in s. 166.041(3)(c)2. for municipalities, and s.

27  125.66(4)(b)2. for counties.

28         (6)(a)  In order to continue to be eligible for the

29  economic and regulatory incentives granted with respect to an

30  urban infill and redevelopment area, the local government must

31  demonstrate during the evaluation, assessment, and review of

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  1  its comprehensive plan required pursuant to s. 163.3191, that

  2  at least 10 percent of its combined annual residential,

  3  commercial, and institutional development has occurred within

  4  the designated urban infill and redevelopment area.

  5         (b)  If the local government fails to implement the

  6  urban infill and redevelopment plan in accordance with the

  7  deadlines set forth in the plan, the Department of Community

  8  Affairs may seek to rescind the economic and regulatory

  9  incentives granted to the urban infill and redevelopment area,

10  subject to the provisions of chapter 120.  The action to

11  rescind may be initiated 90 days after issuing a written

12  letter of warning to the local government.

13         163.2520  Economic incentives; report.--

14         (1)  A local government with an adopted urban infill

15  and redevelopment plan or plan employed in lieu thereof may

16  issue revenue bonds under s. 163.385 and employ tax increment

17  financing under s. 163.387 for the purpose of financing the

18  implementation of the plan.

19         (2)  A local government with an adopted urban infill

20  and redevelopment plan or plan employed in lieu thereof may

21  exercise the powers granted under s. 163.514 for community

22  redevelopment neighborhood improvement districts, including

23  the authority to levy special assessments.

24         (3)  State agencies that provide infrastructure

25  funding, cost reimbursement, grants, or loans to local

26  governments, including, but not limited to, the Department of

27  Environmental Protection (Clean Water State Revolving Fund,

28  Drinking Water Revolving Loan Trust Fund, and the state

29  pollution control bond program); the Department of Community

30  Affairs (economic development and housing programs, Florida

31  Communities Trust); the Florida Housing Finance Corporation;

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  1  and the Department of Transportation (Intermodal Surface

  2  Transportation Efficiency Act funds), are directed to report

  3  to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

  4  Representatives by January 1, 2000, regarding statutory and

  5  rule changes necessary to give urban infill and redevelopment

  6  areas identified by local governments under this act an

  7  elevated priority in infrastructure funding, loan, and grant

  8  programs.

  9         (4)  Prior to June 1 each year, areas designated by a

10  local government as urban infill and redevelopment areas shall

11  be given a priority in the allocation of private activity

12  bonds from the state pool pursuant to s. 159.807.

13         163.2523  Grant program.--An Urban Infill and

14  Redevelopment Assistance Grant Program is created for local

15  governments. Thirty percent of the general revenue

16  appropriated for this program shall be available for planning

17  grants to be used by local governments to develop community

18  participation processes for the development of an urban infill

19  and redevelopment plan. Sixty percent of the general revenue

20  appropriated for this program shall be available for

21  fifty/fifty matching grants for implementing urban infill and

22  redevelopment projects that further the objectives set forth

23  in the local government's adopted urban infill and

24  redevelopment plan or plan employed in lieu thereof. The

25  remaining 10 percent of the revenue must be used for outright

26  grants for implementing projects requiring an expenditure of

27  under $50,000. Projects that provide employment opportunities

28  to clients of the WAGES program and projects within urban

29  infill and redevelopment areas that include a community

30  redevelopment area, Florida Main Street program, sustainable

31  community, enterprise zone, federal enterprise zone,

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  1  enterprise community, or neighborhood improvement district

  2  must be given an elevated priority in the scoring of competing

  3  grant applications. The Division of Housing and Community

  4  Development of the Department of Community Affairs shall

  5  administer the grant program. The Department of Community

  6  Affairs shall adopt rules establishing grant review criteria

  7  consistent with this section.

  8         163.2526  Review and evaluation.--Before the 2004

  9  Regular Session of the Legislature, the Office of Program

10  Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall perform a

11  review and evaluation of ss. 163.2511-163.2526, including the

12  financial incentives listed in s. 163.2520. The report must

13  evaluate the effectiveness of the designation of urban infill

14  and redevelopment areas in stimulating urban infill and

15  redevelopment and strengthening the urban core. A report of

16  the findings and recommendations of the Office of Program

17  Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall be

18  submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of

19  the House of Representatives before the 2004 Regular Session

20  of the Legislature.

21         Section 2.  The sum of $5 million is appropriated from

22  the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Community

23  Affairs for the purpose of funding the Urban Infill and

24  Redevelopment Grant Program under s. 163.2523, Florida

25  Statutes.

26         Section 3.  Subsection (28) of section 163.3164,

27  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

28         163.3164  Definitions.--As used in this act:

29         (28)  "Projects that promote public transportation"

30  means projects that directly affect the provisions of public

31  transit, including transit terminals, transit lines and

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  1  routes, separate lanes for the exclusive use of public transit

  2  services, transit stops (shelters and stations), and office

  3  buildings or projects that include fixed-rail or transit

  4  terminals as part of the building, and projects which are

  5  transit-oriented and designed to complement reasonably

  6  proximate planned or existing public facilities.

  7         Section 4.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section

  8  163.3177, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to

  9  read:

10         163.3177  Required and optional elements of

11  comprehensive plan; studies and surveys.--

12         (6)  In addition to the requirements of subsections

13  (1)-(5), the comprehensive plan shall include the following

14  elements:

15         (a)  A future land use plan element designating

16  proposed future general distribution, location, and extent of

17  the uses of land for residential uses, commercial uses,

18  industry, agriculture, recreation, conservation, education,

19  public buildings and grounds, other public facilities, and

20  other categories of the public and private uses of land.  The

21  future land use plan shall include standards to be followed in

22  the control and distribution of population densities and

23  building and structure intensities.  The proposed

24  distribution, location, and extent of the various categories

25  of land use shall be shown on a land use map or map series

26  which shall be supplemented by goals, policies, and measurable

27  objectives.  Each land use category shall be defined in terms

28  of the types of uses included and specific standards for the

29  density or intensity of use.  The future land use plan shall

30  be based upon surveys, studies, and data regarding the area,

31  including the amount of land required to accommodate

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  1  anticipated growth; the projected population of the area; the

  2  character of undeveloped land; the availability of public

  3  services; and the need for redevelopment, including the

  4  renewal of blighted areas and the elimination of nonconforming

  5  uses which are inconsistent with the character of the

  6  community. The future land use plan may designate areas for

  7  future planned development use involving combinations of types

  8  of uses for which special regulations may be necessary to

  9  ensure development in accord with the principles and standards

10  of the comprehensive plan and this act.  The future land use

11  plan of a county may also designate areas for possible future

12  municipal incorporation.  The land use maps or map series

13  shall generally identify and depict historic district

14  boundaries and shall designate historically significant

15  properties meriting protection.  The future land use element

16  must clearly identify the land use categories in which public

17  schools are an allowable use.  When delineating the land use

18  categories in which public schools are an allowable use, a

19  local government shall include in the categories sufficient

20  land proximate to residential development to meet the

21  projected needs for schools in coordination with public school

22  boards and may establish differing criteria for schools of

23  different type or size.  Each local government shall include

24  lands contiguous to existing school sites, to the maximum

25  extent possible, within the land use categories in which

26  public schools are an allowable use. All comprehensive plans

27  must comply with the school siting requirements of this

28  paragraph no later than October 1, 1999, or the deadline for

29  the local government evaluation and appraisal report,

30  whichever occurs first. The failure by a local government to

31  comply with these school siting requirements by October 1,

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  1  1999, this requirement will result in the prohibition of the

  2  local government's ability to amend the local comprehensive

  3  plan, except for plan amendments described in s.

  4  163.3187(1)(b), until the school siting requirements are met

  5  as provided by s. 163.3187(6). An amendment proposed by a

  6  local government for purposes of identifying the land use

  7  categories in which public schools are an allowable use is

  8  exempt from the limitation on the frequency of plan amendments

  9  contained in s. 163.3187. The future land use element shall

10  include criteria which encourage the location of schools

11  proximate to urban residential areas to the extent possible

12  and shall require that the local government seek to collocate

13  public facilities, such as parks, libraries, and community

14  centers, with schools to the extent possible.

15         Section 5.  Subsections (1), (4), (5), and (10) of

16  section 163.3180, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are

17  amended, and subsection (14) is added to said section, to

18  read:

19         163.3180  Concurrency.--

20         (1)(a)  Roads, Sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage,

21  potable water, parks and recreation, and transportation

22  facilities, including mass transit, where applicable, are the

23  only public facilities and services subject to the concurrency

24  requirement on a statewide basis. Additional public facilities

25  and services may not be made subject to concurrency on a

26  statewide basis without appropriate study and approval by the

27  Legislature; however, any local government may extend the

28  concurrency requirement so that it applies to additional

29  public facilities within its jurisdiction.

30         (b)  Local governments shall use professionally

31  accepted techniques for measuring level of service for

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  1  automobiles, bicycles, pedestrians, transit, and trucks.

  2  These techniques may be used to evaluate increased

  3  accessibility by multiple modes and reductions in vehicle

  4  miles of travel in an area or zone.  The Department of

  5  Transportation shall develop methodologies to assist local

  6  governments in implementing this multimodal level-of-service

  7  analysis. The Department of Community Affairs and the

  8  Department of Transportation shall provide technical

  9  assistance to local governments in applying these

10  methodologies.

11         (4)(a)  The concurrency requirement as implemented in

12  local comprehensive plans applies to state and other public

13  facilities and development to the same extent that it applies

14  to all other facilities and development, as provided by law.

15         (b)  The concurrency requirement as implemented in

16  local comprehensive plans does not apply to public transit

17  facilities.  For the purposes of this paragraph, public

18  transit facilities include transit stations and terminals,

19  transit station parking, park-and-ride lots, intermodal public

20  transit connection or transfer facilities, and fixed bus,

21  guideway, and rail stations.  As used in this paragraph, the

22  terms "terminals" and "transit facilities" do not include

23  airports or seaports or commercial or residential development

24  constructed in conjunction with a public transit facility.

25         (5)(a)  The Legislature finds that under limited

26  circumstances dealing with transportation facilities,

27  countervailing planning and public policy goals may come into

28  conflict with the requirement that adequate public facilities

29  and services be available concurrent with the impacts of such

30  development.  The Legislature further finds that often the

31  unintended result of the concurrency requirement for

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  1  transportation facilities is the discouragement of urban

  2  infill development and redevelopment.  Such unintended results

  3  directly conflict with the goals and policies of the state

  4  comprehensive plan and the intent of this part.  Therefore,

  5  exceptions from the concurrency requirement for transportation

  6  facilities may be granted as provided by this subsection.

  7         (b)  A local government may grant an exception from the

  8  concurrency requirement for transportation facilities if the

  9  proposed development is otherwise consistent with the adopted

10  local government comprehensive plan and is a project that

11  promotes public transportation or is located within an area

12  designated in the comprehensive plan for:

13         1.  Urban infill development,

14         2.  Urban redevelopment, or

15         3.  Downtown revitalization, or.

16         4.  Urban infill and redevelopment under s. 163.2517.

17         (c)  The Legislature also finds that developments

18  located within urban infill, urban redevelopment, existing

19  urban service, or downtown revitalization areas or areas

20  designated as urban infill and redevelopment areas under s.

21  163.2517 which pose only special part-time demands on the

22  transportation system should be excepted from the concurrency

23  requirement for transportation facilities.  A special

24  part-time demand is one that does not have more than 200

25  scheduled events during any calendar year and does not affect

26  the 100 highest traffic volume hours.

27         (d)  A local government shall establish guidelines for

28  granting the exceptions authorized in paragraphs (b) and (c)

29  in the comprehensive plan. These guidelines must include

30  consideration of the impacts on the Florida Intrastate Highway

31  System, as defined in s. 338.001.  The exceptions may be

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  1  available only within the specific geographic area of the

  2  jurisdiction designated in the plan.  Pursuant to s. 163.3184,

  3  any affected person may challenge a plan amendment

  4  establishing these guidelines and the areas within which an

  5  exception could be granted.

  6         (10)  With regard to facilities on the Florida

  7  Intrastate Highway System as defined in s. 338.001, with

  8  concurrence from the Department of Transportation, the

  9  level-of-service standard for general-lanes in urbanized

10  areas, as defined in s. 334.03(36), may be established by the

11  local government in the comprehensive plan. For all other

12  facilities on the Florida Intrastate Highway System, local

13  governments shall adopt the level-of-service standard

14  established by the Department of Transportation by rule.  For

15  all other roads on the State Highway System, local governments

16  shall establish an adequate level-of-service standard that

17  need not be consistent with any level-of-service standard

18  established by the Department of Transportation.

19         (14)(a)  Multimodal transportation districts may be

20  established under a local government comprehensive plan in

21  areas delineated on the future land use map for which the

22  local comprehensive plan assigns secondary priority to vehicle

23  mobility and primary priority to assuring a safe, comfortable,

24  and attractive pedestrian environment, with convenient

25  interconnection to transit.  Such districts must incorporate

26  community design features that will reduce the number of

27  automobile trips or vehicle miles of travel and will support

28  an integrated, multimodal transportation system.

29         (b)  Community design elements of such a district

30  include:  a complementary mix and range of land uses,

31  including educational, recreational, and cultural uses;

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  1  interconnected networks of streets designed to encourage

  2  walking and bicycling, with traffic-calming where desirable;

  3  appropriate densities and intensities of use within walking

  4  distance of transit stops; daily activities within walking

  5  distance of residences, allowing independence to persons who

  6  do not drive; public uses, streets, and squares that are safe,

  7  comfortable, and attractive for the pedestrian, with adjoining

  8  buildings open to the street and with parking not interfering

  9  with pedestrian, transit, automobile, and truck travel modes.

10         (c)  Local governments may establish multimodal

11  level-of-service standards that rely primarily on nonvehicular

12  modes of transportation within the district, when justified by

13  an analysis demonstrating that the existing and planned

14  community design will provide an adequate level of mobility

15  within the district based upon professionally accepted

16  multimodal level-of-service methodologies.  The analysis must

17  take into consideration the impact on the Florida Intrastate

18  Highway System.  The analysis must also demonstrate that the

19  capital improvements required to promote community design are

20  financially feasible over the development or redevelopment

21  timeframe for the district and that community design features

22  within the district provide convenient interconnection for a

23  multimodal transportation system.  Local governments may issue

24  development permits in reliance upon all planned community

25  design capital improvements that are financially feasible over

26  the development or redevelopment timeframe for the district,

27  without regard to the period of time between development or

28  redevelopment and the scheduled construction of the capital

29  improvements.  A determination of financial feasibility shall

30  be based upon currently available funding or funding sources

31

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  1  that could reasonably be expected to become available over the

  2  planning period.

  3         (d)  Local governments may reduce impact fees or local

  4  access fees for development within multimodal transportation

  5  districts based on the reduction of vehicle trips per

  6  household or vehicle miles of travel expected from the

  7  development pattern planned for the district.

  8         Section 6.  Subsection (1) of section 163.3187, Florida

  9  Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended, and subsection (8) is

10  added to said section, to read:

11         163.3187  Amendment of adopted comprehensive plan.--

12         (1)  Amendments to comprehensive plans adopted pursuant

13  to this part may be made not more than two times during any

14  calendar year, except:

15         (a)  In the case of an emergency, comprehensive plan

16  amendments may be made more often than twice during the

17  calendar year if the additional plan amendment receives the

18  approval of all of the members of the governing body.

19  "Emergency" means any occurrence or threat thereof whether

20  accidental or natural, caused by humankind, in war or peace,

21  which results or may result in substantial injury or harm to

22  the population or substantial damage to or loss of property or

23  public funds.

24         (b)  Any local government comprehensive plan amendments

25  directly related to a proposed development of regional impact,

26  including changes which have been determined to be substantial

27  deviations and including Florida Quality Developments pursuant

28  to s. 380.061, may be initiated by a local planning agency and

29  considered by the local governing body at the same time as the

30  application for development approval using the procedures

31  provided for local plan amendment in this section and

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  1  applicable local ordinances, without regard to statutory or

  2  local ordinance limits on the frequency of consideration of

  3  amendments to the local comprehensive plan.  Nothing in this

  4  subsection shall be deemed to require favorable consideration

  5  of a plan amendment solely because it is related to a

  6  development of regional impact.

  7         (c)  Any local government comprehensive plan amendments

  8  directly related to proposed small scale development

  9  activities may be approved without regard to statutory limits

10  on the frequency of consideration of amendments to the local

11  comprehensive plan.  A small scale development amendment may

12  be adopted only under the following conditions:

13         1.  The proposed amendment involves a use of 10 acres

14  or fewer and:

15         a.  The cumulative annual effect of the acreage for all

16  small scale development amendments adopted by the local

17  government shall not exceed:

18         (I)  A maximum of 120 acres in a local government that

19  contains areas specifically designated in the local

20  comprehensive plan for urban infill, urban redevelopment, or

21  downtown revitalization as defined in s. 163.3164, urban

22  infill and redevelopment areas designated under s. 163.2517,

23  transportation concurrency exception areas approved pursuant

24  to s. 163.3180(5), or regional activity centers and urban

25  central business districts approved pursuant to s.

26  380.06(2)(e); however, amendments under this paragraph may be

27  applied to no more than 60 acres annually of property outside

28  the designated areas listed in this sub-sub-subparagraph.

29         (II)  A maximum of 80 acres in a local government that

30  does not contain any of the designated areas set forth in

31  sub-sub-subparagraph (I).

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  1         (III)  A maximum of 120 acres in a county established

  2  pursuant to s. 9, Art. VIII of the State Constitution.

  3         b.  The proposed amendment does not involve the same

  4  property granted a change within the prior 12 months.

  5         c.  The proposed amendment does not involve the same

  6  owner's property within 200 feet of property granted a change

  7  within the prior 12 months.

  8         d.  The proposed amendment does not involve a text

  9  change to the goals, policies, and objectives of the local

10  government's comprehensive plan, but only proposes a land use

11  change to the future land use map for a site-specific small

12  scale development activity.

13         e.  The property that is the subject of the proposed

14  amendment is not located within an area of critical state

15  concern.

16         f.  If the proposed amendment involves a residential

17  land use, the residential land use has a density of 10 units

18  or less per acre, except that this limitation does not apply

19  to small scale amendments described in sub-sub-subparagraph

20  a.(I) that are designated in the local comprehensive plan for

21  urban infill, urban redevelopment, or downtown revitalization

22  as defined in s. 163.3164, urban infill and redevelopment

23  areas designated under s. 163.2517, transportation concurrency

24  exception areas approved pursuant to s. 163.3180(5), or

25  regional activity centers and urban central business districts

26  approved pursuant to s. 380.06(2)(e).

27         2.a.  A local government that proposes to consider a

28  plan amendment pursuant to this paragraph is not required to

29  comply with the procedures and public notice requirements of

30  s. 163.3184(15)(c) for such plan amendments if the local

31  government complies with the provisions in s. 125.66(4)(a) for

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  1  a county or in s. 166.041(3)(c) for a municipality. If a

  2  request for a plan amendment under this paragraph is initiated

  3  by other than the local government, public notice is required.

  4         b.  The local government shall send copies of the

  5  notice and amendment to the state land planning agency, the

  6  regional planning council, and any other person or entity

  7  requesting a copy.  This information shall also include a

  8  statement identifying any property subject to the amendment

  9  that is located within a coastal high hazard area as

10  identified in the local comprehensive plan.

11         3.  Small scale development amendments adopted pursuant

12  to this paragraph require only one public hearing before the

13  governing board, which shall be an adoption hearing as

14  described in s. 163.3184(7), and are not subject to the

15  requirements of s. 163.3184(3)-(6) unless the local government

16  elects to have them subject to those requirements.

17         (d)  Any comprehensive plan amendment required by a

18  compliance agreement pursuant to s. 163.3184(16) may be

19  approved without regard to statutory limits on the frequency

20  of adoption of amendments to the comprehensive plan.

21         (e)  A comprehensive plan amendment for location of a

22  state correctional facility. Such an amendment may be made at

23  any time and does not count toward the limitation on the

24  frequency of plan amendments.

25         (f)  Any comprehensive plan amendment that changes the

26  schedule in the capital improvements element, and any

27  amendments directly related to the schedule, may be made once

28  in a calendar year on a date different from the two times

29  provided in this subsection when necessary to coincide with

30  the adoption of the local government's budget and capital

31  improvements program.

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  1         (g)  Any local government comprehensive plan amendments

  2  directly related to proposed redevelopment of brownfield areas

  3  designated under s. 376.80 may be approved without regard to

  4  statutory limits on the frequency of consideration of

  5  amendments to the local comprehensive plan.

  6         (h)  A comprehensive plan amendment for the purpose of

  7  designating an urban infill and redevelopment area under s.

  8  163.2517 may be approved without regard to the statutory

  9  limits on the frequency of amendments to the comprehensive

10  plan.

11         (8)  The Department of Community Affairs may contract

12  with a regional planning council in order to delegate the

13  review of local government comprehensive plan amendments. When

14  the review has been delegated to a regional planning council,

15  any local government in the region may elect to have its

16  amendments reviewed by the council rather than the agency. The

17  department shall retain the oversight necessary to ensure

18  compliance with the purposes of this chapter.

19         Section 7.  Subsection (17) of section 187.201, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         187.201  State Comprehensive Plan adopted.--The

22  Legislature hereby adopts as the State Comprehensive Plan the

23  following specific goals and policies:

24         (17)  URBAN AND DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION.--

25         (a)  Goal.--In recognition of the importance of

26  Florida's vital urban centers and of the need to develop and

27  redevelop developing and redeveloping downtowns to the state's

28  ability to use existing infrastructure and to accommodate

29  growth in an orderly, efficient, and environmentally

30  acceptable manner, Florida shall encourage the centralization

31

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  1  of commercial, governmental, retail, residential, and cultural

  2  activities within downtown areas.

  3         (b)  Policies.--

  4         1.  Provide incentives to encourage private sector

  5  investment in the preservation and enhancement of downtown

  6  areas.

  7         2.  Assist local governments in the planning,

  8  financing, and implementation of development efforts aimed at

  9  revitalizing distressed downtown areas.

10         3.  Promote state programs and investments which

11  encourage redevelopment of downtown areas.

12         4.  Promote and encourage communities to engage in a

13  redesign step to include public participation of members of

14  the community in envisioning redevelopment goals and design of

15  the community core before redevelopment.

16         5.  Ensure that local governments have adequate

17  flexibility to determine and address their urban priorities

18  within the state urban policy.

19         6.  Enhance the linkages between land use, water use,

20  and transportation planning in state, regional, and local

21  plans for current and future designated urban areas.

22         7.  Develop concurrency requirements that do not

23  compromise public health and safety for urban areas that

24  promote redevelopment efforts.

25         8.  Promote processes for the state, general purpose

26  local governments, school boards, and local community colleges

27  to coordinate and cooperate regarding educational facilities

28  in urban areas, including planning functions, the development

29  of joint facilities, and the reuse of existing buildings.

30         9.  Encourage the development of mass transit systems

31  for urban centers, including multimodal transportation feeder

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  1  systems, as a priority of local, metropolitan, regional, and

  2  state transportation planning.

  3         10.  Locate appropriate public facilities within urban

  4  centers to demonstrate public commitment to the centers and to

  5  encourage private sector development.

  6         11.  Integrate state programs that have been developed

  7  to promote economic development and neighborhood

  8  revitalization through incentives to promote the development

  9  of designated urban infill areas.

10         12.  Promote infill development and redevelopment as an

11  important mechanism to revitalize and sustain urban centers.

12         Section 8.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (19) of section

13  380.06, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

14         380.06  Developments of regional impact.--

15         (19)  SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATIONS.--

16         (b)  Any proposed change to a previously approved

17  development of regional impact or development order condition

18  which, either individually or cumulatively with other changes,

19  exceeds any of the following criteria shall constitute a

20  substantial deviation and shall cause the development to be

21  subject to further development-of-regional-impact review

22  without the necessity for a finding of same by the local

23  government:

24         1.  An increase in the number of parking spaces at an

25  attraction or recreational facility by 5 percent or 300

26  spaces, whichever is greater, or an increase in the number of

27  spectators that may be accommodated at such a facility by 5

28  percent or 1,000 spectators, whichever is greater.

29         2.  A new runway, a new terminal facility, a 25-percent

30  lengthening of an existing runway, or a 25-percent increase in

31  the number of gates of an existing terminal, but only if the

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  1  increase adds at least three additional gates.  However, if an

  2  airport is located in two counties, a 10-percent lengthening

  3  of an existing runway or a 20-percent increase in the number

  4  of gates of an existing terminal is the applicable criteria.

  5         3.  An increase in the number of hospital beds by 5

  6  percent or 60 beds, whichever is greater.

  7         4.  An increase in industrial development area by 5

  8  percent or 32 acres, whichever is greater.

  9         5.  An increase in the average annual acreage mined by

10  5 percent or 10 acres, whichever is greater, or an increase in

11  the average daily water consumption by a mining operation by 5

12  percent or 300,000 gallons, whichever is greater.  An increase

13  in the size of the mine by 5 percent or 750 acres, whichever

14  is less.

15         6.  An increase in land area for office development by

16  5 percent or 6 acres, whichever is greater, or an increase of

17  gross floor area of office development by 5 percent or 60,000

18  gross square feet, whichever is greater.

19         7.  An increase in the storage capacity for chemical or

20  petroleum storage facilities by 5 percent, 20,000 barrels, or

21  7 million pounds, whichever is greater.

22         8.  An increase of development at a waterport of wet

23  storage for 20 watercraft, dry storage for 30 watercraft, or

24  wet/dry storage for 60 watercraft in an area identified in the

25  state marina siting plan as an appropriate site for additional

26  waterport development or a 5-percent increase in watercraft

27  storage capacity, whichever is greater.

28         9.  An increase in the number of dwelling units by 5

29  percent or 50 dwelling units, whichever is greater.

30         10.  An increase in commercial development by 6 acres

31  of land area or by 50,000 square feet of gross floor area, or

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  1  of parking spaces provided for customers for 300 cars or a

  2  5-percent increase of any of these, whichever is greater.

  3         11.  An increase in hotel or motel facility units by 5

  4  percent or 75 units, whichever is greater.

  5         12.  An increase in a recreational vehicle park area by

  6  5 percent or 100 vehicle spaces, whichever is less.

  7         13.  A decrease in the area set aside for open space of

  8  5 percent or 20 acres, whichever is less.

  9         14.  A proposed increase to an approved multiuse

10  development of regional impact where the sum of the increases

11  of each land use as a percentage of the applicable substantial

12  deviation criteria is equal to or exceeds 100 percent. The

13  percentage of any decrease in the amount of open space shall

14  be treated as an increase for purposes of determining when 100

15  percent has been reached or exceeded.

16         15.  A 15-percent increase in the number of external

17  vehicle trips generated by the development above that which

18  was projected during the original

19  development-of-regional-impact review.

20         16.  Any change which would result in development of

21  any area which was specifically set aside in the application

22  for development approval or in the development order for

23  preservation or special protection of endangered or threatened

24  plants or animals designated as endangered, threatened, or

25  species of special concern and their habitat, primary dunes,

26  or archaeological and historical sites designated as

27  significant by the Division of Historical Resources of the

28  Department of State.  The further refinement of such areas by

29  survey shall be considered under sub-subparagraph (e)5.b.

30

31

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  1  The substantial deviation numerical standards in subparagraphs

  2  4., 6., 10., 14., excluding residential uses, and 15., are

  3  increased by 100 percent for a project certified under s.

  4  403.973 which creates jobs and meets criteria established by

  5  the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development as to

  6  its impact on an area's economy, employment, and prevailing

  7  wage and skill levels. The substantial deviation numerical

  8  standards in subparagraphs 4., 6., 9., 10., 11., and 14. are

  9  increased by 50 percent for a project located wholly within an

10  urban infill and redevelopment area designated on the

11  applicable adopted local comprehensive plan future land use

12  map and not located within the coastal high hazard area.

13         Section 9.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

14  163.3220, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

15         163.3220  Short title; legislative intent.--

16         (2)  The Legislature finds and declares that:

17         (b)  Assurance to a developer that upon receipt of his

18  or her development permit or brownfield designation he or she

19  may proceed in accordance with existing laws and policies,

20  subject to the conditions of a development agreement,

21  strengthens the public planning process, encourages sound

22  capital improvement planning and financing, assists in

23  assuring there are adequate capital facilities for the

24  development, encourages private participation in comprehensive

25  planning, and reduces the economic costs of development.

26         Section 10.  Subsections (1) through (13) of section

27  163.3221, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (2)

28  through (14), respectively, and a new subsection (1) is added

29  to said section to read:

30         163.3221  Definitions.--As used in ss.

31  163.3220-163.3243:

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  1         (1)  "Brownfield designation" means a resolution

  2  adopted by a local government pursuant to the Brownfields

  3  Redevelopment Act, ss. 376.77-376.85.

  4         Section 11.  Subsection (1) of section 163.375, Florida

  5  Statutes, is amended to read:

  6         163.375  Eminent domain.--

  7         (1)  Any county or municipality, or any community

  8  redevelopment agency pursuant to specific approval of the

  9  governing body of the county or municipality which established

10  the agency, as provided by any county or municipal ordinance

11  has the right to acquire by condemnation any interest in real

12  property, including a fee simple title thereto, which it deems

13  necessary for, or in connection with, community redevelopment

14  and related activities under this part.  Any county or

15  municipality, or any community redevelopment agency pursuant

16  to specific approval by the governing body of the county or

17  municipality which established the agency, as provided by any

18  county or municipal ordinance may exercise the power of

19  eminent domain in the manner provided in chapters 73 and 74

20  and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, or it

21  may exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner now or

22  which may be hereafter provided by any other statutory

23  provision for the exercise of the power of eminent domain.

24  Property in unincorporated enclaves surrounded by the

25  boundaries of a community redevelopment area may be acquired

26  when it is determined necessary by the agency to accomplish

27  the community redevelopment plan. Property already devoted to

28  a public use may be acquired in like manner.  However, no real

29  property belonging to the United States, the state, or any

30  political subdivision of the state may be acquired without its

31  consent.

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  1         Section 12.  Subsection (1) of section 165.041, Florida

  2  Statutes, is amended to read:

  3         165.041  Incorporation; merger.--

  4         (1)(a)  A charter for incorporation of a municipality,

  5  except in case of a merger which is adopted as otherwise

  6  provided in subsections (2) and (3), shall be adopted only by

  7  a special act of the Legislature upon determination that the

  8  standards herein provided have been met.

  9         (b)  To inform the Legislature on the feasibility of a

10  proposed incorporation of a municipality, a feasibility study

11  shall be completed and submitted to the Legislature 90 days

12  before the first day of the regular session of the Legislature

13  during which in conjunction with a proposed special act for

14  the enactment of the municipal charter would be enacted.  The

15  Such feasibility study shall contain the following:

16         1.  The general location of territory subject to

17  boundary change and a map of the area which identifies the

18  proposed change.

19         2.  The major reasons for proposing the boundary

20  change.

21         3.  The following characteristics of the area:

22         a.  A list of the current land use designations applied

23  to the subject area in the county comprehensive plan.

24         b.  A list of the current county zoning designations

25  applied to the subject area.

26         c.  A general statement of present land use

27  characteristics of the area.

28         d.  A description of development being proposed for the

29  territory, if any, and a statement of when actual development

30  is expected to begin, if known.

31

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  1         4.  A list of all public agencies, such as local

  2  governments, school districts, and special districts, whose

  3  current boundary falls within the boundary of the territory

  4  proposed for the change or reorganization.

  5         5.  A list of current services being provided within

  6  the proposed incorporation area, including, but not limited

  7  to, water, sewer, solid waste, transportation, public works,

  8  law enforcement, fire and rescue, zoning, street lighting,

  9  parks and recreation, and library and cultural facilities, and

10  the estimated costs for each current service.

11         6.  A list of proposed services to be provided within

12  the proposed incorporation area, and the estimated cost of

13  such proposed services.

14         7.  The names and addresses of three officers or

15  persons submitting the proposal.

16         8.  Evidence of fiscal capacity and an organizational

17  plan as it relates to the area seeking incorporation that, at

18  a minimum, includes:

19         a.  Existing tax bases, including ad valorem taxable

20  value, utility taxes, sales and use taxes, franchise taxes,

21  license and permit fees, charges for services, fines and

22  forfeitures, and other revenue sources, as appropriate.

23         b.  A 5-year operational plan that, at a minimum,

24  includes proposed staffing, building acquisition and

25  construction, debt issuance, and budgets.

26         9.1.  Data and analysis to support the conclusions that

27  incorporation is necessary and financially feasible, including

28  population projections and population density calculations,

29  and an explanation concerning methodologies used for such

30  analysis.

31

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  1         10.2.  Evaluation of the alternatives available to the

  2  area to address its policy concerns.

  3         11.3.  Evidence that the proposed municipality meets

  4  the requirements for incorporation pursuant to s. 165.061.

  5         (c)  In counties that have adopted a municipal overlay

  6  for municipal incorporation pursuant to s. 163.3217, such

  7  information shall be submitted to the Legislature in

  8  conjunction with any proposed municipal incorporation in the

  9  county.  This information should be used to evaluate the

10  feasibility of a proposed municipal incorporation in the

11  geographic area.

12         Section 13.  Section 171.0413, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         171.0413  Annexation procedures.--Any municipality may

15  annex contiguous, compact, unincorporated territory in the

16  following manner:

17         (1)  An ordinance proposing to annex an area of

18  contiguous, compact, unincorporated territory shall be adopted

19  by the governing body of the annexing municipality pursuant to

20  the procedure for the adoption of a nonemergency ordinance

21  established by s. 166.041. Prior to the adoption of the

22  ordinance of annexation, the local governing body shall hold

23  at least two advertised public hearings.  The first public

24  hearing shall be on a weekday at least 7 days after the day

25  that the first advertisement is published. The second public

26  hearing shall be held on a weekday at least 5 days after the

27  day that the second advertisement is published.  Each such

28  ordinance shall propose only one reasonably compact area to be

29  annexed.  However, prior to the ordinance of annexation

30  becoming effective, a referendum on annexation shall be held

31  as set out below, and, if approved by the referendum, the

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  1  ordinance shall become effective 10 days after the referendum

  2  or as otherwise provided in the ordinance, but not more than 1

  3  year following the date of the referendum.

  4         (2)  Following the final adoption of the ordinance of

  5  annexation by the governing body of the annexing municipality,

  6  the ordinance shall be submitted to a vote of the registered

  7  electors of the area proposed to be annexed. The governing

  8  body of the annexing municipality may also choose to submit

  9  the ordinance of annexation to a separate vote of the

10  registered electors of the annexing municipality.  If the

11  proposed ordinance would cause the total area annexed by a

12  municipality pursuant to this section during any one calendar

13  year period cumulatively to exceed more than 5 percent of the

14  total land area of the municipality or cumulatively to exceed

15  more than 5 percent of the municipal population, the ordinance

16  shall be submitted to a separate vote of the registered

17  electors of the annexing municipality and of the area proposed

18  to be annexed. The referendum on annexation shall be called

19  and conducted and the expense thereof paid by the governing

20  body of the annexing municipality.

21         (a)  The referendum on annexation shall be held at the

22  next regularly scheduled election following the final adoption

23  of the ordinance of annexation by the governing body of the

24  annexing municipality or at a special election called for the

25  purpose of holding the referendum. However, the referendum,

26  whether held at a regularly scheduled election or at a special

27  election, shall not be held sooner than 30 days following the

28  final adoption of the ordinance by the governing body of the

29  annexing municipality.

30         (b)  The governing body of the annexing municipality

31  shall publish notice of the referendum on annexation at least

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  1  once each week for 2 consecutive weeks immediately preceding

  2  the date of the referendum in a newspaper of general

  3  circulation in the area in which the referendum is to be held.

  4  The notice shall give the ordinance number, the time and

  5  places for the referendum, and a brief, general description of

  6  the area proposed to be annexed.  The description shall

  7  include a map clearly showing the area and a statement that

  8  the complete legal description by metes and bounds and the

  9  ordinance can be obtained from the office of the city clerk.

10         (c)  On the day of the referendum on annexation there

11  shall be prominently displayed at each polling place a copy of

12  the ordinance of annexation and a description of the property

13  proposed to be annexed.  The description shall be by metes and

14  bounds and shall include a map clearly showing such area.

15         (d)  Ballots or mechanical voting devices used in the

16  referendum on annexation shall offer the choice "For

17  annexation of property described in ordinance number .... of

18  the City of ...." and "Against annexation of property

19  described in ordinance number .... of the City of ...." in

20  that order.

21         (e)  If the referendum is held only in the area

22  proposed to be annexed and receives a majority vote, or if the

23  ordinance is submitted to a separate vote of the registered

24  electors of the annexing municipality and the area proposed to

25  be annexed and there is a separate majority vote for

26  annexation in the annexing municipality and in the area

27  proposed to be annexed, the ordinance of annexation shall

28  become effective on the effective date specified therein. If

29  there is any majority vote against annexation, the ordinance

30  shall not become effective, and the area proposed to be

31  annexed shall not be the subject of an annexation ordinance by

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  1  the annexing municipality for a period of 2 years from the

  2  date of the referendum on annexation.

  3         (3)  Any parcel of land which is owned by one

  4  individual, corporation, or legal entity, or owned

  5  collectively by one or more individuals, corporations, or

  6  legal entities, proposed to be annexed under the provisions of

  7  this act shall not be severed, separated, divided, or

  8  partitioned by the provisions of said ordinance, but shall, if

  9  intended to be annexed, or if annexed, under the provisions of

10  this act, be annexed in its entirety and as a whole.  However,

11  nothing herein contained shall be construed as affecting the

12  validity or enforceability of any ordinance declaring an

13  intention to annex land under the existing law that has been

14  enacted by a municipality prior to July 1, 1975. The owner of

15  such property may waive the requirements of this subsection if

16  such owner does not desire all of the tract or parcel included

17  in said annexation.

18         (4)  Except as otherwise provided in this law, the

19  annexation procedure as set forth in this section shall

20  constitute a uniform method for the adoption of an ordinance

21  of annexation by the governing body of any municipality in

22  this state, and all existing provisions of special laws which

23  establish municipal annexation procedures are repealed hereby;

24  except that any provision or provisions of special law or laws

25  which prohibit annexation of territory that is separated from

26  the annexing municipality by a body of water or watercourse

27  shall not be repealed.

28         (5)  If more than 70 percent of the land in an area

29  proposed to be annexed is owned by individuals, corporations,

30  or legal entities which are not registered electors of such

31  area, such area shall not be annexed unless the owners of more

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  1  than 50 percent of the land in such area consent to such

  2  annexation.  Such consent shall be obtained by the parties

  3  proposing the annexation prior to the referendum to be held on

  4  the annexation.

  5         (6)  Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), if the

  6  area proposed to be annexed does not have any registered

  7  electors on the date the ordinance is finally adopted, a vote

  8  of electors of the area proposed to be annexed is not

  9  required. In addition to the requirements of subsection (5),

10  the area may not be annexed unless the owners of more than 50

11  percent of the parcels of land in the area proposed to be

12  annexed consent to the annexation. If the governing body does

13  not choose to hold a referendum of the annexing municipality

14  is not required as well pursuant to subsection (2), then the

15  property owner consents required pursuant to subsection (5)

16  shall be obtained by the parties proposing the annexation

17  prior to the final adoption of the ordinance, and the

18  annexation ordinance shall be effective upon becoming a law or

19  as otherwise provided in the ordinance.

20         Section 14.  Efficiency and accountability in local

21  government services.--

22         (1)  The intent of this section is to provide and

23  encourage a process that will:

24         (a)  Allow municipalities and counties to resolve

25  conflicts among local jurisdictions regarding the delivery and

26  financing of local services.

27         (b)  Increase local government efficiency and

28  accountability.

29         (c)  Provide greater flexibility in the use of local

30  revenue sources for local governments involved in the process.

31

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  1         (2)  Any county or combination of counties, and the

  2  municipalities therein, may use the procedures provided by

  3  this section to develop and adopt a plan to improve the

  4  efficiency, accountability, and coordination of the delivery

  5  of local government services. The development of such a plan

  6  may be initiated by a resolution adopted by a majority vote of

  7  the governing body of each of the counties involved, by

  8  resolutions adopted by a majority vote of the governing bodies

  9  of a majority of the municipalities within each county, or by

10  resolutions adopted by a majority vote of the governing bodies

11  of the municipality or combination of municipalities

12  representing a majority of the municipal population of each

13  county. The resolution shall create a commission which will be

14  responsible for developing the plan.  The resolution shall

15  specify the composition of the commission, which shall include

16  representatives of county and municipal governments, of any

17  affected special districts, and of any other relevant local

18  government entities or agencies.  The resolution must include

19  a proposed timetable for development of the plan and must

20  specify the local government support and personnel services

21  that will be made available to the representatives developing

22  the plan.

23         (3)  Upon adoption of a resolution or resolutions as

24  provided in subsection (2), the designated representatives

25  shall develop a plan for delivery of local government

26  services. The plan must:

27         (a)  Designate the areawide and local government

28  services that are the subject of the plan.

29         (b)  Describe the existing organization of such

30  services and the means of financing the services, and create a

31

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  1  reorganization of such services and the financing thereof that

  2  will meet the goals of this section.

  3         (c)  Designate the local agency that should be

  4  responsible for the delivery of each service.

  5         (d)  Designate those services that should be delivered

  6  regionally or countywide. No provision of the plan shall

  7  operate to restrict the power of a municipality to finance and

  8  deliver services in addition to, or at a higher level than,

  9  the services designated for regional or countywide delivery

10  under this paragraph.

11         (e)  Provide means to reduce the cost of providing

12  local services and enhance the accountability of service

13  providers.

14         (f)  Include a multiyear capital outlay plan for

15  infrastructure.

16         (g)  Specifically describe any expansion of municipal

17  boundaries that would further the goals of this section. Any

18  area proposed to be annexed must meet the standards for

19  annexation provided in chapter 171, Florida Statutes. The plan

20  shall not contain any provision for contraction of municipal

21  boundaries or elimination of any municipality.

22         (h)  Provide specific procedures for modification or

23  termination of the plan.

24         (i)  Specify any special act modifications which must

25  be made to effectuate the plan.

26         (j)  Specify the effective date of the plan.

27         (4)(a)  A plan developed pursuant to this section must

28  conform to all comprehensive plans that have been found to be

29  in compliance under part II of chapter 163, Florida Statutes,

30  for the local governments participating in the plan.

31

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  1         (b)  No provision of a plan developed pursuant to this

  2  section shall restrict the authority of any state or regional

  3  governmental agency to perform any duty required to be

  4  performed by that agency by law.

  5         (5)(a)  A plan developed pursuant to this section must

  6  be approved by a majority vote of the governing body of each

  7  county involved in the plan, and by a majority vote of the

  8  governing bodies of a majority of municipalities in each

  9  county, and by a majority vote of the governing bodies of the

10  municipality or municipalities that represent a majority of

11  the municipal population of each county.

12         (b)  After approval by the county and municipal

13  governing bodies as required by paragraph (a), the plan shall

14  be submitted for referendum approval in a countywide election

15  in each county involved. The plan shall not take effect unless

16  approved by a majority of the electors of each county who vote

17  in the referendum, and also by a majority of the electors of

18  the municipalities that represent a majority of the municipal

19  population of each county who vote in the referendum. If

20  approved by the electors as required by this paragraph, the

21  plan shall take effect on the date specified in the plan.

22         (6)  If the plan calls for merger or dissolution of

23  special districts, such merger or dissolution shall comply

24  with the provisions of chapter 189, Florida Statutes.

25         (7)  If a plan developed pursuant to this section

26  includes areas proposed for municipal annexation which meet

27  the standards for annexation provided in chapter 171, Florida

28  Statutes, such annexation shall take effect upon approval of

29  the plan as provided in this section, notwithstanding the

30  procedures for approval of municipal annexation specified in

31  chapter 171, Florida Statutes.

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  1         Section 15.  Subsection (2) of section 170.201, Florida

  2  Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

  3         170.201  Special assessments.--

  4         (2)  Property owned or occupied by a religious

  5  institution and used as a place of worship or education; by a

  6  public or private elementary, middle, or high school; or by a

  7  governmentally financed, insured, or subsidized housing

  8  facility that is used primarily for persons who are elderly or

  9  disabled shall be exempt from any special assessment levied by

10  a municipality to fund any service emergency medical services

11  if the municipality so desires.  As used in this subsection,

12  the term "religious institution" means any church, synagogue,

13  or other established physical place for worship at which

14  nonprofit religious services and activities are regularly

15  conducted and carried on and the term "governmentally

16  financed, insured, or subsidized housing facility" means a

17  facility that is financed by a mortgage loan made or insured

18  by the United States Department of Housing and Urban

19  Development under s. 8, s. 202, s. 221(d)(3) or (4), s. 232,

20  or s. 236 of the National Housing Act and is owned or operated

21  by an entity that qualifies as an exempt charitable

22  organization under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

23         Section 16.  (1)  Section 196.1978, Florida Statutes,

24  is created to read:

25         196.1978  Low-income housing property

26  exemption.--Property used to provide housing pursuant to any

27  state housing program authorized under chapter 420 or other

28  similar local or federal government affordable housing program

29  for persons with incomes defined under s. 420.0004, which

30  property is owned entirely by a nonprofit corporation which is

31  qualified as charitable under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal

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  1  Revenue Code and which complies with Rev. Proc. 96-32, 1996-1

  2  C.B. 717, shall be considered property owned by an exempt

  3  entity and used for a charitable purpose, and such property

  4  shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation. 

  5         (2)  This section shall take effect upon this act

  6  becoming a law and shall apply retroactively to January 1,

  7  1997.

  8         Section 17.  Section 220.185, Florida Statutes, is

  9  created to read:

10         220.185  State housing tax credit.--

11         (1)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--The Legislature finds that:

12         (a)  There exist within the urban areas of the state

13  conditions of blight evidenced by extensive deterioration of

14  public and private facilities, abandonment of sound

15  structures, and high unemployment, and these conditions impede

16  the conservation and development of healthy, safe, and

17  economically viable communities.

18         (b)  Deterioration of housing and industrial,

19  commercial, and public facilities contributes to the decline

20  of neighborhoods and communities and leads to the loss of

21  their historic character and the sense of community which this

22  inspires; reduces the value of property comprising the tax

23  base of local communities; discourages private investment; and

24  requires a disproportionate expenditure of public funds for

25  the social services, unemployment benefits, and police

26  protection required to combat the social and economic problems

27  found in urban communities.

28         (c)  In order to ultimately restore social and economic

29  viability to urban areas, it is necessary to renovate or

30  construct new infrastructure and housing, including housing

31  specifically targeted for the elderly, and to specifically

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  1  provide mechanisms to attract and encourage private economic

  2  activity.

  3         (d)  The various local governments and other

  4  redevelopment organizations now undertaking physical

  5  revitalization projects and new housing developments in urban

  6  areas are limited by tightly constrained budgets and

  7  inadequate resources.

  8         (e)  In order to significantly improve revitalization

  9  efforts by local governments and community development

10  organizations and to retain as much of the historic character

11  of our communities as possible, it is necessary to provide

12  additional resources, and the participation of private

13  enterprise in revitalization efforts is an effective means for

14  accomplishing that goal.

15         (2)  POLICY AND PURPOSE.--It is the policy of this

16  state to encourage the participation of private corporations

17  in revitalization projects within urban areas. The purpose of

18  this section is to provide an incentive for such participation

19  by granting state corporate income tax credits to qualified

20  low-income housing projects, including housing specifically

21  designed for the elderly, and associated mixed-use projects.

22  The Legislature thus declares this a public purpose for which

23  public money may be borrowed, expended, loaned, and granted.

24         (3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section:

25         (a)  "Credit period" means the period of 5 taxable

26  years beginning with the taxable year in which the building is

27  placed in service, or at the election of the taxpayer, the

28  succeeding taxable year.  Once this election is made by the

29  taxpayer, it shall be irrevocable.

30

31

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  1         (b)  "Eligible basis" means a project's adjusted basis

  2  as of the close of the first taxable year of the credit

  3  period.

  4         (c)  "Adjusted basis" means the owner's adjusted basis

  5  in the project, calculated in a manner consistent with the

  6  calculation of basis under the Internal Revenue Code, taking

  7  into account the adjusted basis of property of a character

  8  subject to the allowance for depreciation used in common areas

  9  or provided as comparable amenities to the entire project.

10         (d)  "Designated project" means a qualified project

11  designated pursuant to s. 420.5093 to receive the tax credit

12  under this section.

13         (e)  "Qualified project" means a development located in

14  an urban infill area which meets the following requirements:

15         1.  At least 50 percent of the development cost must go

16  towards producing affordable units, and the remainder of the

17  development must constitute commercial or single-family

18  residential development consistent with and serving to

19  complement the qualified low-income project.

20         2.  Affordable units must be rented to tenants in

21  accordance with s. 42(g) of the internal Revenue Code, with

22  the exception that elderly tenants shall not be income

23  restricted unless the Florida Housing Finance Corporation

24  establishes such requirements pursuant to s. 420.5093.

25         (f)  "Urban infill area" means an area designated for

26  urban infill as defined by s. 163.3164 and as defined through

27  a statewide urban infill study solicited and approved by the

28  board of directors of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

29         (4)  AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT STATE HOUSING TAX CREDITS;

30  LIMITATION.--

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  1         (a)  There shall be allowed a credit of up to 9

  2  percent, but no more than needed to make the project feasible,

  3  of the eligible basis of any designated project for each year

  4  of the credit period against any tax due for a taxable year

  5  under this chapter.

  6         (b)  The total amount of tax credit which may be

  7  allocated for all projects approved under this section is $25

  8  million annually.

  9         (c)  The tax credit shall be allocated among designated

10  projects by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation as

11  provided in s. 420.5093.

12         (d)  Each designated project must comply with the

13  applicable provisions of s. 42 of the Internal Revenue Code

14  with respect to the multifamily residential rental housing

15  element of the project, including specifically the provisions

16  of s. 42(h)(6).

17         (e)  A tax credit shall be allocated to a designated

18  project and shall not be subject to transfer by the recipient

19  unless the transferee is also an owner of the designated

20  project.

21         Section 18.  Section 420.5093, Florida Statutes, is

22  created to read:

23         420.5093  State Housing Tax Credit Program.--

24         (1)  There is created the State Housing Tax Credit

25  Program for the purposes of stimulating creative private

26  sector initiatives to increase the supply of affordable

27  housing in urban areas, including specifically housing for the

28  elderly, and to provide associated commercial facilities

29  associated with such housing facilities.

30         (2)  The Florida Housing Finance Corporation shall

31  determine those qualified projects which shall be considered

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  1  designated projects under s. 220.185 and eligible for the

  2  corporate tax credit under that section. The corporation shall

  3  establish procedures necessary for proper allocation and

  4  distribution of state housing tax credits, including the

  5  establishment of criteria for any single-family or commercial

  6  component of a project, and may exercise all powers necessary

  7  to administer the allocation of such credits, including the

  8  authority to audit recipients for compliance with the

  9  requirements of s. 220.185 and this section, and the power to

10  recapture allocated state housing tax credits, if the

11  requirements of s. 220.185 and this section are not complied

12  with by the recipients of such state housing tax credits.  The

13  board of directors of the corporation shall administer the

14  allocation procedures and determine allocations on behalf of

15  the corporation. The corporation shall prepare an annual plan,

16  which must be approved by the Governor, containing general

17  guidelines for the allocation and distribution of credits to

18  designated projects.

19         (3)  The corporation shall adopt allocation procedures

20  that will ensure the maximum use of available tax credits in

21  order to encourage development of low-income housing and

22  associated mixed-use projects in urban areas, taking into

23  consideration the timeliness of the application, the location

24  of the proposed project, the relative need in the area of

25  revitalization and low-income housing and the availability of

26  such housing, the economic feasibility of the project, and the

27  ability of the applicant to proceed to a timely completion of

28  the project.

29         (4)(a)  A taxpayer who wishes to participate in the

30  State Housing Tax Credit Program must submit an application

31  for tax credit to the corporation. The application shall

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  1  identify the project and its location and include evidence

  2  that the project is a qualified project as defined by s.

  3  220.185. The corporation may request any information from an

  4  applicant necessary to enable the corporation to make tax

  5  credit allocations according to the guidelines set forth in

  6  subsection (3).

  7         (b)  The corporation's approval of an applicant as a

  8  designated project shall be in writing and shall include a

  9  statement of the maximum credit allowable to the applicant. A

10  copy of this approval shall be transmitted to the executive

11  director of the Department of Revenue, who shall apply the tax

12  credit to the tax liability of the applicant until such tax

13  credit is fully utilized.

14         (5)  For purposes of implementing this program and

15  assessing the property for ad valorem taxation under s.

16  193.011, neither the tax credits nor financing generated by

17  tax credits shall be considered as income to the property, and

18  only the actual rental income from rent-restricted units in a

19  state housing tax credit development shall be recognized by

20  the property appraiser in assessing the property.

21         (6)  The corporation is authorized to expend fees

22  received in conjunction with the allocation of state housing

23  tax credits only for the purpose of administration of the

24  program, including private legal services which relate to

25  interpretation of s. 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.

26         Section 19.  Subsection (19) of section 420.503,

27  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

28         420.503  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

29         (19)  "Housing for the elderly" means, for purposes of

30  s. 420.5087(3)(c)2., any nonprofit housing community that is

31  financed by a mortgage loan made or insured by the United

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  1  States Department of Housing and Urban Development under s.

  2  202, s. 202 with a s. 8 subsidy, s. 221(d)(3) or (4), or s.

  3  236 of the National Housing Act, as amended, and that is

  4  subject to income limitations established by the United States

  5  Department of Housing and Urban Development, or any program

  6  funded by the Rural Development Agency of the United States

  7  Department of Agriculture and subject to income limitations

  8  established by the United States Department of Agriculture. A

  9  project which qualifies for an exemption under the Fair

10  Housing Act as housing for older persons as defined by s.

11  760.29(4) shall qualify as housing for the elderly for

12  purposes of s. 420.5087(3)(c)2. In addition, if the

13  corporation adopts a qualified allocation plan pursuant to s.

14  42(m)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code or any other rules

15  that prioritize projects targeting the elderly for purposes of

16  allocating tax credits pursuant to s. 420.5099 or for purposes

17  of the HOME program under s. 420.5089, a project which

18  qualifies for an exemption under the Fair Housing Act as

19  housing for older persons as defined by s. 760.29(4) shall

20  qualify as a project targeted for the elderly, if the project

21  satisfies the other requirements set forth in this part.

22         Section 20.  Subsection (1) of section 420.5087,

23  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

24         420.5087  State Apartment Incentive Loan

25  Program.--There is hereby created the State Apartment

26  Incentive Loan Program for the purpose of providing first,

27  second, or other subordinated mortgage loans or loan

28  guarantees to sponsors, including for-profit, nonprofit, and

29  public entities, to provide housing affordable to

30  very-low-income persons.

31

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  1         (1)  Program funds shall be distributed over successive

  2  3-year periods in a manner that meets the need and demand for

  3  very-low-income housing throughout the state.  That need and

  4  demand must be determined by using the most recent statewide

  5  low-income rental housing market studies available at the

  6  beginning of each 3-year period.  However, at least 10 percent

  7  of the program funds distributed during a 3-year period must

  8  be allocated to each of the following categories of counties,

  9  as determined by using the population statistics published in

10  the most recent edition of the Florida Statistical Abstract:

11         (a)  Counties that have a population of more than

12  500,000 people;

13         (b)  Counties that have a population between 100,000

14  and 500,000 people; and

15         (c)  Counties that have a population of 100,000 or

16  less.

17

18  Any increase in funding required to reach the 10-percent

19  minimum shall be taken from the county category that has the

20  largest allocation. The corporation shall adopt rules which

21  establish an equitable process for distributing any portion of

22  the 10 percent of program funds allocated to the county

23  categories specified in this subsection which remains

24  unallocated at the end of a 3-year period.  Counties that have

25  a population of 100,000 or less shall be given preference

26  under these rules.

27         Section 21.  Sections 420.630, 420.631, 420.632,

28  420.633, 420.634, and 420.635, Florida Statutes, are created

29  to read:

30         420.630  Short title.--Sections 420.630-420.635 may be

31  cited as the "Urban Homesteading Act."

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  1         420.631  Definitions.--As used in ss. 420.630-420.635:

  2         (1)  "Authority" or "housing authority" means any of

  3  the public corporations created under s. 421.04.

  4         (2)  "Department" means the Department of Community

  5  Affairs.

  6         (3)  "Homestead agreement" means a written contract

  7  between a local government or its designee and a qualified

  8  buyer which contains the terms under which the qualified buyer

  9  may acquire a single-family housing property.

10         (4)  "Local government" means any county or

11  incorporated municipality within this state.

12         (5)  Designee" means a housing authority appointed by a

13  local government, or a nonprofit community organization

14  appointed by a local government, to administer the urban

15  homesteading program for single-family housing under ss.

16  420.630-420.635.

17         (6)  "Nonprofit community organization" means an

18  organization that is exempt from taxation under s. 501(c)(3)

19  of the Internal Revenue Code. 

20         (7)  "Office" means the Office of Urban Opportunity

21  within the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development.

22         (8)  "Qualified buyer" means a person who meets the

23  criteria under s. 420.633.

24         (9)  "Qualified loan rate" means an interest rate that

25  does not exceed the interest rate charged for home improvement

26  loans by the Federal Housing Administration under Title I of

27  the National Housing Act, ch. 847, 48 Stat. 1246, or 12 U.S.C.

28  ss. 1702, 1703, 1705, and 1706b et seq.

29         420.632  Authority to operate.--By resolution, subject

30  to federal and state law, and in consultation with the Office

31  of Urban Opportunity, a local government or its designee may

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  1  operate a program that makes foreclosed single-family housing

  2  properties available to qualified buyers to purchase. This

  3  urban homesteading program is intended to be one component of

  4  a comprehensive urban-core redevelopment initiative known as

  5  Front Porch Florida, implemented by the Office of Urban

  6  Opportunity.

  7         420.633  Eligibility.--An applicant is eligible to

  8  enter into a homestead agreement to acquire single-family

  9  housing property as a qualified buyer under ss.

10  420.630-420.635 if:

11         (1)  The applicant or his or her spouse is employed and

12  has been employed for the immediately preceding 12 months;

13         (2)  The applicant or his or her spouse has not been

14  convicted of a drug-related felony within the immediately

15  preceding 3 years;

16         (3)  All school-age children of the applicant or his or

17  her spouse who will reside in the single-family housing

18  property attend school regularly; and

19         (4)  The applicant and his or her spouse have incomes

20  below the median for the state, as determined by the United

21  States Department of Housing and Urban Development, for

22  families with the same number of family members as the

23  applicant and his or her spouse.

24         420.634  Application process; deed to qualified

25  buyer.--

26         (1)  A qualified buyer may apply to a local government

27  or its designee to acquire single-family housing property. The

28  application must be in a form and in a manner provided by the

29  local government or its designee. If the application is

30  approved, the qualified buyer and the local government or its

31  designee shall enter into a homestead agreement for the

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  1  single-family housing property. The local government or its

  2  designee may add additional terms and conditions to the

  3  homestead agreement.

  4         (2)  The local government or its designee shall deed or

  5  cause to be deeded the single-family housing property to the

  6  qualified buyer for $1 if the qualified buyer:

  7         (a)  Is in compliance with the terms of the homestead

  8  agreement for at least 5 years or has resided in the

  9  single-family housing property before the local government or

10  its designee adopts the urban homesteading program;

11         (b)  Resides in that property for at least 5 years;

12         (c)  Meets the criteria in the homestead agreement; and

13         (d)  Has otherwise promptly met his or her financial

14  obligations with the local government or its designee.

15

16  However, if the local government or its designee has received

17  federal funds for which bonds or notes were issued and those

18  bonds or notes are outstanding for the housing project where

19  the single-family housing property is located, the local

20  government or its designee shall deed the property to the

21  qualified buyer only upon payment of the pro rata share of the

22  bonded debt on that specific property by the qualified buyer.

23  The local government or its designee shall obtain the

24  appropriate releases from the holders of the bonds or notes.

25         420.635  Loans to qualified buyers.--Contingent upon an

26  appropriation, the department, in consultation with the Office

27  of Urban Opportunity, shall provide loans to qualified buyers

28  who are required to pay the pro rata portion of the bonded

29  debt on single-family housing pursuant to s. 420.634. Loans

30  provided under this section shall be made at a rate of

31  interest which does not exceed the qualified loan rate. A

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  1  buyer must maintain the qualifications specified in s. 420.633

  2  for the full term of the loan. The loan agreement may contain

  3  additional terms and conditions as determined by the

  4  department.

  5         Section 22.  Except as otherwise provided herein, this

  6  act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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