House Bill 0925er

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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



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  2         An act relating to the Sanibel Fire & Rescue

  3         District, Lee County; providing legislative

  4         intent; amending chapter 97-340, Laws of

  5         Florida, relating to the Sanibel Fire & Rescue

  6         District; re-creating and reenacting an

  7         independent fire control and rescue district in

  8         Lee County; renaming the district; fixing

  9         boundaries of the district; providing for a

10         governing body; providing powers, budget, and

11         taxing authority of the district; requiring the

12         development of a plan; providing severability;

13         repealing chapter 30930, Laws of Florida, 1955,

14         chapters 61-2401, 71-742, 75-420, 79-492,

15         81-414, 81-423, 87-447, and 96-459, Laws of

16         Florida, related to the district; providing

17         that this act shall take precedence over any

18         conflicting law to the extent of such conflict;

19         providing an effective date.

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

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23         Section 1.  Pursuant to section 191.015, Florida

24  Statutes, this act constitutes the codification of all special

25  acts relating to the Sanibel Fire & Rescue District. It is the

26  intent of the Legislature to provide a single, comprehensive

27  special act charter for the district, including all current

28  legislative authority granted to the district by its several

29  legislative enactments, and any additional authority granted

30  by this act. It is further the intent of this act to preserve

31  all district authority, including the authority to annually


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  1  assess and levy against the taxable property in the district a

  2  tax not to exceed the limit set forth in prior special acts

  3  pertaining to the district as further authorized by chapter

  4  97-340, Laws of Florida, chapter 191, Florida Statutes, or any

  5  other applicable general or special law; to conform the

  6  charter to chapter 191, Florida Statutes, the Independent

  7  Special Fire Control District Act, other provisions of general

  8  law, and the Lee County Independent District Special Fire

  9  Control District Act, chapter 97-340, Laws of Florida.

10         Section 2.  Chapter 30930, Laws of Florida, 1955,

11  chapters 61-2401, 71-742, 75-420, 79-492, 81-414, 81-423,

12  87-447, and 96-459, Laws of Florida, and applicable provisions

13  of chapter 97-340, Laws of Florida, relating to the Sanibel

14  Island Fire Control District, are codified, reenacted,

15  amended, and repealed as provided herein.

16         Section 3.  This act establishes a charter for the

17  Sanibel Fire & Rescue District, which was created by chapter

18  30930, Laws of Florida, 1955, as Sanibel Island Fire Control

19  District.

20         Section 4.  This act supersedes and repeals all

21  previous special acts relating to the Sanibel Island Fire

22  Control District and sets forth within this charter those

23  matters, as applicable, which are covered by such previous

24  special acts.  Amendments to this district charter may be made

25  only by special act of the Legislature.  This act shall be

26  construed so as to preserve to the district all powers

27  previously granted.

28         Section 5.  The district is an independent special fire

29  control district organized and existing for all purposes set

30  forth in this act and chapter 191, Florida Statutes, as they

31  may be amended from time to time.


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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



  1         Section 6.  The Sanibel Fire & Rescue District is

  2  re-created and reenacted to read:

  3         Section 1.  Name of District.--The name of the district

  4  shall be the Sanibel Fire & Rescue District.

  5         Section 2.  Boundaries of the District.--The following

  6  lands shall be included in the district:

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  8         All that part of Lee County, Florida, lying and

  9         being within the corporate limits of the City

10         of Sanibel, and that portion of the Sanibel

11         Causeway comprising Township 46 South, Range 23

12         East, Sections 8, 17, and 20.

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14  The boundaries of the district may be modified, extended, or

15  enlarged upon approval or ratification by the Legislature.

16         Section 3.  Governing Body.--

17         (a)  The district shall be governed by a board of

18  commissioners which shall consist of three resident electors

19  of the district, pursuant to chapter 97-340, Laws of Florida,

20  elected by a vote of the electors of the district pursuant to

21  section 191.005, Florida Statutes.

22         (b)  Members shall be elected for 4 year terms, elected

23  on two-year staggered terms.  Seats shall be numbered 1, 2,

24  and 3, respectively, with seats 1 and 3 designated for

25  election at the same time and seat 2 elected in the

26  alternating election.

27         (c)  Annually, within 60 days after the newly elected

28  members have taken office, the board shall organize by

29  electing from its number a chair, a vice chair, a secretary,

30  and a treasurer. The positions of secretary and treasurer may

31  be held by one member. Funds of the district may be disbursed


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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



  1  only upon the order or pursuant to resolution of the board, by

  2  warrant or check signed by the treasurer or other person

  3  authorized by the board. However, a "petty cash" account may

  4  be authorized by the board. The board may give the treasurer

  5  additional powers and duties that it deems appropriate.

  6         (d)  At the time of adoption of this charter, members

  7  of the board shall continue to serve without compensation.

  8  Any provision for payment of a salary or honorarium shall be

  9  determined in accordance with and subject to limitations set

10  forth in section 191.005(4), Florida Statutes.

11         (e)  If a vacancy occurs on the board for any reason,

12  the remaining members may appoint a qualified person to fill

13  the seat until the next general election, at which time an

14  election shall be held to fill the vacancy for the remaining

15  term, if any. The board shall remove any member who has three

16  consecutive, unexcused absences from regularly scheduled

17  meetings. The board shall adopt rules defining excused and

18  unexcused absences.

19         (f)  Each member shall, upon assuming office, take and

20  subscribe to the oath of office prescribed by s. 5(b), Art. II

21  of the State Constitution and section 876.05, Florida

22  Statutes.

23         (g)  Each member, within 30 days of assuming office,

24  must give the Governor a good and sufficient surety bond in

25  the sum of $5,000, the cost thereof being borne by the

26  district, conditioned on his or her faithful performance of

27  his or her duties of office.

28         (h)  The board shall keep a permanent record book

29  entitled "Record of Proceedings of Sanibel Fire & Rescue

30  District" in which the minutes of all meetings, resolutions,

31  proceedings, certificates, bonds given by commissioners, and


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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



  1  corporate acts shall be recorded. The record book shall be

  2  open to inspection in the same manner as state, county, and

  3  municipal records are open under chapter 119, Florida

  4  Statutes. The record book shall be kept at the office or other

  5  regular place of business maintained by the board in Lee

  6  County.

  7         (i)  All meetings of the board shall be open to the

  8  public consistent with chapter 286, Florida Statutes, section

  9  189.417, Florida Statutes, and other applicable general law.

10         Section 4.  Powers.--The district shall have, and the

11  board may exercise by majority vote, all powers that an

12  independent special fire control district is authorized by law

13  to have, specifically including, without limitation,  all

14  powers set forth in chapter 97-340, Laws of Florida, and in

15  sections 191.006, 191.008, 191.009, 191.011, 191.012, and

16  191.013, Florida Statutes.  Without limiting any general or

17  special powers otherwise granted by law, the district shall

18  also have the power to establish and maintain fire suppression

19  and control services; to provide emergency medical services

20  and rescue response services; to acquire and maintain fire

21  stations and equipment pursuant to law; and to acquire and

22  maintain rescue, medical, and other emergency equipment

23  pursuant to the provisions of chapter 401, Florida Statutes,

24  and any certificate of public convenience and necessity or its

25  equivalent issued thereunder.

26         Section 5.  Budget.--For the purposes of carrying into

27  effect this act, the board shall annually prepare, consider,

28  and adopt a district budget pursuant to the applicable

29  requirements of chapter 200, Florida Statutes, as it may be

30  amended from time to time.

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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



  1         Section 6.  Taxing Authority.--The district board shall

  2  fix and cause to be levied on all taxable property of the

  3  district a millage sufficient to meet the requirements of the

  4  budget.  The millage shall not exceed 10 mills per year.

  5         Section 7.  Plan.--The district shall adopt a 5-year

  6  plan to identify the facilities, equipment, personnel, and

  7  revenue needed by the district over the next 5-year period.

  8  The plan shall be updated in accordance with section 189.415,

  9  Florida Statutes, and satisfies the requirement for a public

10  facilities report required by section 189.415(2), Florida

11  Statutes.

12         Section 8.  Tax Collector's Responsibility.--When such

13  taxes as provided for herein shall have been collected by the

14  Lee County tax collector, he or she shall, on or before the

15  tenth day of each month, report to the secretary of the board

16  the collections made for the preceding month and remit the

17  same to the treasurer.  Thereupon the tax collector shall be

18  relieved from all other and further liability as to the amount

19  so paid the treasurer of the board.

20         Section 7.  This act shall be construed as remedial and

21  shall be liberally construed to promote the purpose for which

22  it is intended.

23         Section 8.  It is declared to be the intent of the

24  Legislature that if any section, subsection, sentence, clause,

25  phrase, or portion of this act is held invalid, unenforceable,

26  or unconstitutional for any reason, by any court of competent

27  jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity of

28  the remaining portions hereof.

29         Section 9.  Chapter 30930, Laws of Florida, 1955, and

30  chapters 61-2401, 71-742, 75-420, 79-492, 81-414, 81-423,

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    2000 Legislature                       HB 925, First Engrossed



  1  87-447, and 96-459, Laws of Florida, shall be repealed 10 days

  2  after the effective date of this act.

  3         Section 10.  In the event of a conflict of the

  4  provisions of this act with the provisions of any other act,

  5  the provisions of this act shall control to the extent of such

  6  conflict.

  7         Section 11.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  8  law.

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