| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Southwest Florida Regional Planning |
| 3 | Council; directing the Southwest Florida Regional Planning |
| 4 | Council to establish a pilot project; requiring the |
| 5 | council to provide administrative oversight and hire |
| 6 | contract employees; specifying the scope of the pilot |
| 7 | project; providing for termination of the pilot project; |
| 8 | requiring the council to submit a report to the Governor |
| 9 | and Legislature; specifying report requirements; providing |
| 10 | appropriations; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. (1) The Southwest Florida Regional Planning |
| 15 | Council is directed to establish a pilot project to expand the |
| 16 | current capabilities of the council to better identify and |
| 17 | resolve potential conflicts in overlapping jurisdictions within |
| 18 | the region. |
| 19 | (2) The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council shall |
| 20 | provide administrative oversight to the pilot project and shall |
| 21 | hire contract employees as required for implementation of the |
| 22 | pilot project. |
| 23 | (3) The scope of the pilot project shall include, but is |
| 24 | not limited to: |
| 25 | (a) Developing and providing comprehensive planning tools |
| 26 | to all the communities within the region. |
| 27 | (b) Facilitating community outreach by convening community |
| 28 | discussion, meeting with city, county, and state permitting and |
| 29 | approval agencies, water management districts, and other local |
| 30 | and regional organizations to define goals, issues, and |
| 31 | challenges. |
| 32 | (c) Convening stakeholder groups for agriculture, |
| 33 | environmental preservation, landowners, developers, residents, |
| 34 | and others to further define the issues and areas of conflict |
| 35 | and working in small groups to mediate acceptable solutions to |
| 36 | the conflicts. |
| 37 | (d) Incorporating the concepts and ideas from the |
| 38 | stakeholder groups and community outreach efforts into regional |
| 39 | discussions for consensus building and conflict resolution. |
| 40 | (e) Contracting with the University of Florida's Geo- |
| 41 | Facilities Planning and Information Research Center to further |
| 42 | refine the geographic maps to develop a common vision for the |
| 43 | future infrastructure needs, environmental preservation |
| 44 | opportunities, and land use policies for the region. |
| 45 | (f) Contracting with a web-based community outreach |
| 46 | service to enhance community input and communication management. |
| 47 | (g) Capturing the issues and conflicts that cannot be |
| 48 | resolved or mediated for future discussion by the region as the |
| 49 | effort moves forward. |
| 50 | (h) Providing written progress reports on a quarterly |
| 51 | basis to the legislative delegations of Charlotte, Collier, |
| 52 | Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Sarasota Counties and the Southwest |
| 53 | Florida Regional Planning Council. |
| 54 | (i) Convening an annual meeting with the legislative |
| 55 | delegations of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and |
| 56 | Sarasota Counties and community stakeholders to discuss the |
| 57 | progress of the region and its future direction. |
| 58 | (4) The pilot project shall terminate on July 1, 2011. |
| 59 | (5) On July 1, 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Southwest Florida |
| 60 | Regional Planning Council shall provide an annual report of the |
| 61 | pilot project's activities, including the impact of measurable |
| 62 | outcomes within the region, to the Governor, the President of |
| 63 | the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
| 64 | Section 2. In fiscal years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010- |
| 65 | 2011, the sum of $225,000 is appropriated from the unexpended |
| 66 | funds in the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of |
| 67 | Environmental Protection, and the Department of Transportation |
| 68 | to the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council for the |
| 69 | purpose of funding the pilot project pursuant to this act. |
| 70 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |