| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the statewide legacy communities |
| 3 | initiative; providing findings, intent, and definitions; |
| 4 | establishing the statewide legacy communities initiative; |
| 5 | providing criteria and declarations concerning the |
| 6 | initiative; providing criteria governing the services and |
| 7 | activities to be supported under the initiative; providing |
| 8 | requirements and goals concerning the provision of such |
| 9 | services or assistance; creating the Urban Empowerment |
| 10 | Corporation within the Department of Community Affairs; |
| 11 | providing criteria concerning the creation, purpose, and |
| 12 | duties of the corporation; providing that the corporation |
| 13 | is an instrumentality of the state for purposes of |
| 14 | sovereign immunity; providing that the corporation is not |
| 15 | a state agency; providing that the corporation is subject |
| 16 | to specified laws concerning open records and meetings |
| 17 | requirements; exempting the corporation from a specified |
| 18 | law concerning procurement; providing that the corporation |
| 19 | is subject to specified laws concerning ethical |
| 20 | requirements; prohibiting the corporation from creating |
| 21 | subsidiaries; providing that the corporation does not |
| 22 | supplant, replace, or direct existing operations or other |
| 23 | programs; providing for the department to approve the |
| 24 | corporation's articles of incorporation; providing |
| 25 | criteria concerning such articles; providing for |
| 26 | management of the corporation by a board of directors; |
| 27 | providing criteria for appointment and operation of the |
| 28 | board of directors; requiring that the board of directors |
| 29 | develop and implement a plan of action; providing criteria |
| 30 | concerning the plan of action; requiring that the board of |
| 31 | directors provide annual reports to the Governor, the |
| 32 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 33 | Representatives; requiring that the corporation establish |
| 34 | a legacy consulting team that meets specified criteria; |
| 35 | specifying the deliverables that the team is to provide |
| 36 | for legacy communities; providing criteria for the funding |
| 37 | of proposals concerning the legacy community initiative; |
| 38 | requiring that the corporation issue requests for |
| 39 | proposals; providing criteria for the issuance of such |
| 40 | requests; providing criteria for the review and approval |
| 41 | of proposals; requiring an objective scoring process; |
| 42 | requiring acceptance by the residents of a legacy |
| 43 | community; providing requirements for the board of |
| 44 | directors concerning the revitalization plans of legacy |
| 45 | communities; designating a pilot legacy community; |
| 46 | providing objectives concerning the designated community; |
| 47 | specifying additional communities to be included in the |
| 48 | initiative; providing criteria concerning the |
| 49 | revitalization plans of legacy communities; providing an |
| 50 | appropriation; providing an effective date. |
| 51 |
|
| 52 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 53 |
|
| 54 | Section 1. Legacy communities; economic development; |
| 55 | governance; cultural enlightenment; pilot project; additional |
| 56 | communities; revitalization plans.-- |
| 57 | (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--The Legislature finds that: |
| 58 | (a) Many historically and culturally rich communities of |
| 59 | color throughout this state have contributed significantly to |
| 60 | the state's cultural and economic development. Some of these |
| 61 | communities developed through the maritime, transportation, and |
| 62 | agricultural labor of African-Caribbean immigrants whose |
| 63 | descendants are residents of this state. Each such community has |
| 64 | a healthy, vibrant, and productive history, replete with |
| 65 | contributions in entertainment, art, industry, and trade, and an |
| 66 | interactive communal life that attracts families, tourists, and |
| 67 | commerce. |
| 68 | (b) These communities are now often hidden beneath the |
| 69 | debris of many years of blight and disinvestment. These |
| 70 | communities have the unique potential to be rediscovered and |
| 71 | rebuilt through reinvestment, creating a cultural magnet- |
| 72 | industry that will again attract families, tourism, and |
| 73 | commerce. |
| 74 | (c) Because legacy communities share a similar plight, |
| 75 | similar assets, similar risks, and similar opportunities, the |
| 76 | approach to their survival and growth should be the same. |
| 77 | (d) A single legacy community cannot generate sufficient |
| 78 | power to command or leverage resources that are sufficient to |
| 79 | address its needs and potentialities. But collectively, legacy |
| 80 | communities can create industries that attract and leverage |
| 81 | resources on a scale that is large enough to foster the building |
| 82 | of economic wealth and to fuel self-sufficiency and |
| 83 | sustainability for future generations. By joining forces, the |
| 84 | legacy communities and the individuals and businesses of those |
| 85 | communities can avoid becoming extinct through displacement and |
| 86 | instead become positioned to revive, prosper, and leave their |
| 87 | legacy for future generations. |
| 88 | (e) Legacy communities are at risk of massive displacement |
| 89 | due to gentrification. Families are at risk, businesses are at |
| 90 | risk, and therefore the community is at risk. These communities |
| 91 | are being discovered and appreciated by new residents and others |
| 92 | who are willing to invest under current conditions and develop |
| 93 | the economic potential. The result is escalated land values, |
| 94 | higher taxes, and numerous rental conversions that make it |
| 95 | difficult to accommodate persons having low incomes, those |
| 96 | living on a fixed income, the working poor, and the unemployed. |
| 97 | When low-income residents are displaced, the community's culture |
| 98 | is also displaced, and there is a change in the community's |
| 99 | character, a loss of place, and an erosion of the community's |
| 100 | stability and economic foundations. Civic and sacred places are |
| 101 | abandoned. Businesses shrink into oblivion. Educational |
| 102 | institutions change drastically as the population shifts. |
| 103 | Eventually culture, race, and social status are lost to the new |
| 104 | community and the history of the place becomes a forgotten |
| 105 | memory. In the process, families are devastated. |
| 106 | (f) Gentrifying communities have a unique opportunity to |
| 107 | capture the benefits of change and revitalization efforts |
| 108 | without unnecessary and unwanted displacement of a community's |
| 109 | residents. Because change is introduced and development is |
| 110 | imminent, communities that have been devastated can become |
| 111 | renewed for existing residents and for those new residents who |
| 112 | are willing to become a contributing part of the community. New |
| 113 | residents can become a healthy part of a gentrifying community |
| 114 | if their participation does not result in displacement and if |
| 115 | the existing residents, culture, and assets are valued, |
| 116 | respected, and empowered. The opportunity is to rebuild the |
| 117 | community as a mixed income, diverse, and culturally sound place |
| 118 | to live, work, and play, in which the historical character, |
| 119 | culture, populace, and assets of the community are recognized as |
| 120 | foundational and irreplaceable. In such communities, everyone |
| 121 | benefits from the improvements and everyone participates. |
| 122 | (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--Through this act, the Legislature |
| 123 | intends to: |
| 124 | (a) Create a statewide initiative by which the projects |
| 125 | and activities of individuals, community organizations, and |
| 126 | businesses in a legacy community implement the legacy-community |
| 127 | strategies as planned. The statewide approach, to be known as |
| 128 | the Legacy Communities Initiative, shall provide the linkages so |
| 129 | that each legacy community is able to appropriately publicize |
| 130 | the community, share and leverage resources, and reinforce |
| 131 | common interests and projects. |
| 132 | (b) Enable sustainable funding for the initiative for 10 |
| 133 | years in order to help ensure that the initiative's activities |
| 134 | and strategies are not short-circuited by a lack of funding. |
| 135 | (c) Broadly ensure support and accountability and help |
| 136 | minimize the challenges within the local community which have |
| 137 | traditionally hindered legacy communities in their respective |
| 138 | rebuilding efforts. |
| 139 | (d) Foster opportunities for participating legacy |
| 140 | communities to share information and expertise, collectively use |
| 141 | best practices, and benefit from networking with similar |
| 142 | communities. |
| 143 | (e) Initiate creative financial benefits so that many |
| 144 | legacy communities may be served by common resources and shared |
| 145 | expertise. Using collective purchasing, the revenue of legacy |
| 146 | communities will increase, creating employment that, with |
| 147 | increased tourism, will help to sustain the communities' |
| 148 | economies. |
| 149 | (f) Conserve revered historical places and cultural |
| 150 | legacies, recognizing that legacy communities are unique |
| 151 | benefactors contributing to the proud and rich heritage of the |
| 152 | state and nation. |
| 153 | (3) DEFINITIONS.--As used in this act, the term: |
| 154 | (a) "Corporation" means the Urban Empowerment Corporation. |
| 155 | (b) "Department" means the Department of Community |
| 156 | Affairs. |
| 157 | (c) "Legacy community" means a historic and culturally |
| 158 | distinct community that is established in an area of this state |
| 159 | and developed by capturing and cultivating the people's |
| 160 | cultures, skills, beliefs, interests, and values. |
| 161 | (d) "Pilot legacy community" means the legacy community |
| 162 | designated to initiate the legacy communities revitalization |
| 163 | plan to develop, implement, and establish a model for subsequent |
| 164 | legacy communities to follow. |
| 165 | (e) "Revitalization plan" means a written document, |
| 166 | developed through stakeholder interaction, which presents a |
| 167 | snapshot of a community's priorities, needs, people, places, |
| 168 | character, and story; sets forth a strategy to address and |
| 169 | resolve established needs and problems; and describes how the |
| 170 | community will preserve, protect, build, and sustain its people |
| 171 | and places, its past, and its future. |
| 172 | (4) STATEWIDE LEGACY COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE.--There is |
| 173 | established the Statewide Legacy Communities Initiative. |
| 174 | (a) The statewide initiative is established to support and |
| 175 | fund projects and activities undertaken by individuals, |
| 176 | community organizations, and businesses in legacy communities |
| 177 | implementing the legacy community strategy. The statewide |
| 178 | initiative shall provide the linkages that each community needs |
| 179 | to be able to appropriately publicize the community, share and |
| 180 | leverage resources, and reinforce common interests and projects. |
| 181 | (b) The statewide initiative shall provide support and |
| 182 | accountability and help to minimize challenges within the local |
| 183 | community which have traditionally hindered legacy communities |
| 184 | in their respective rebuilding efforts. The statewide initiative |
| 185 | shall also serve to standardize the processes and participatory |
| 186 | requirements, thereby equalizing the opportunities for all |
| 187 | communities involved. |
| 188 | (c) The statewide initiative shall provide sustainable |
| 189 | funding for a period of years as specified in state |
| 190 | appropriations, which must ensure that the activities and |
| 191 | strategies of the legacy communities initiative will not be |
| 192 | discontinued due to a lack of resources. |
| 193 | (d) The statewide initiative shall foster opportunities |
| 194 | for participating communities to share information and |
| 195 | expertise, collectively use best practices, and benefit from |
| 196 | networking with similar communities. The Legislature expects |
| 197 | that the participating communities will be served by common |
| 198 | resources and shared expertise, will share in collective |
| 199 | purchasing, and will help sustain their economies by increased |
| 200 | tourism, revenues, and employment. The collective power of |
| 201 | revitalized communities and reinstated industry can reverse the |
| 202 | effects of years of disinvestment. |
| 203 | (5) STATEWIDE LEGACY COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE SUPPORTED |
| 204 | SERVICES.--Funding for the statewide legacy community initiative |
| 205 | shall support certain designated services and activities for |
| 206 | legacy communities. The scope of such services and activities |
| 207 | includes: |
| 208 | (a) Creating community land trusts. The objective of each |
| 209 | community land trust is to ensure that the community property |
| 210 | remains under the jurisdiction of the community and to preserve |
| 211 | the property for generations in the future. The initiative's |
| 212 | land trust specialists shall provide technical assistance to any |
| 213 | existing community land trust in a legacy community or help to |
| 214 | develop a new community land trust based on the core values of |
| 215 | the legacy community initiative. |
| 216 | (b) Training, organizing, and supporting faith-based and |
| 217 | partner community organizations in fostering a system of |
| 218 | communication, community education, advocacy, leadership, and |
| 219 | family support in each legacy community. The objective is to |
| 220 | increase the capacity of faith-based groups to work with |
| 221 | community-based organizations, resident groups, and resource |
| 222 | partners in order to achieve the community's goals. Consultants |
| 223 | may aid faith-based and community organizations in accessing |
| 224 | resources and building cooperation among residents, businesses, |
| 225 | and youth toward building together and protecting their assets, |
| 226 | culture, families, land, and legacy. |
| 227 | (c) Promoting youth initiatives that help reintroduce |
| 228 | traditional values and behavioral mores to the community's |
| 229 | youth. The statewide legacy community initiative shall support |
| 230 | programs to help youth to improve academically, personally, and |
| 231 | socially, at home in the family and in the community. Activities |
| 232 | provided under this strategy must foster skill development and |
| 233 | opportunities to be constructively involved in community |
| 234 | building and career development. The legacy consulting team |
| 235 | shall assist the new legacy community in accessing or enhancing |
| 236 | programs that mentor, train, and help youths build their |
| 237 | community and develop marketable skills that are transferable |
| 238 | between communities, help youth become employed in the larger |
| 239 | society, and provide youth with investment education, budget and |
| 240 | financial counseling, leadership skills, community building |
| 241 | opportunities, and home-building training. |
| 242 | (d) Preserving the culture of gentrifying communities. The |
| 243 | statewide legacy community initiative shall support legacy |
| 244 | consultants in assisting each legacy community in developing and |
| 245 | marketing cultural programs, festivals, story-telling programs, |
| 246 | educational activities, and other activities that preserve and |
| 247 | promote the culture of the community and its people. Technical |
| 248 | assistance shall be provided to help the legacy community |
| 249 | identify its own cultural industry where the existing residents |
| 250 | and businesses build on the strength of what they have |
| 251 | traditionally had in their hands, their homes, and their hearts. |
| 252 | The legacy community shall be coached in marketing natural |
| 253 | assets to create trade that is built on the culture, traditions, |
| 254 | and talents of the community. |
| 255 | (e) Providing economic development and wealth-building |
| 256 | resource programs and activities. The programs shall be designed |
| 257 | to help the community develop and access nontraditional economic |
| 258 | resources and funds. These programs must involve economic |
| 259 | sources other than the government or private foundations to |
| 260 | provide self-sustaining and self-generating methods to build |
| 261 | wealth and support for the community and put people to work in |
| 262 | meaningful ways that keep assets and resources in the |
| 263 | communities so that they are shared by families and sustainable |
| 264 | through future generations. |
| 265 | (f) Involving community residents in the design and |
| 266 | development of their own communities. Using professionals, the |
| 267 | legacy consulting team shall engage the community in design |
| 268 | workshops to build consensus and participation in planning and |
| 269 | community design and introduce the community to tools such as |
| 270 | community-sponsored ordinances, rezoning, special districts, and |
| 271 | other neighborhood conservation processes. |
| 272 | (g) Integrating community builders with other contractors |
| 273 | to develop a team of local community builders who can continue |
| 274 | to carry out the activities and provide leadership in the |
| 275 | community to sustain its efforts. The technical assistance team |
| 276 | shall coach the community and its nonprofit organizations to |
| 277 | develop the programs, fund the efforts, and engage the community |
| 278 | in its own revitalization. |
| 279 | (h) Providing each legacy community with technical |
| 280 | assistance support to identify eligible property, prepare |
| 281 | acquisition applications, and physically redesign local |
| 282 | properties to reflect the culture of the community and promote |
| 283 | mixed-use and mixed-income development through resident |
| 284 | ownership mechanisms. Each legacy community shall receive |
| 285 | technical assistance to address current and future environmental |
| 286 | issues in their communities and to incorporate environmental |
| 287 | planning solutions in the design and physical revitalization of |
| 288 | their communities. |
| 289 | (i) Developing and implementing a marketing strategy that |
| 290 | links legacy communities with their cottage industries through a |
| 291 | continuous cultural corridor. The strategy shall engage support |
| 292 | and promotion by African and Caribbean-American icons and |
| 293 | companies willing to underwrite portions of the campaign. |
| 294 | (j) Advocating leadership and empowerment efforts. Such |
| 295 | efforts shall, through screening, selection, and support of |
| 296 | community representatives who are knowledgeable about community |
| 297 | concerns and responsive to residents' needs, be proactive in |
| 298 | creating opportunities for families in the community. The legacy |
| 299 | consulting team shall educate the community through small group |
| 300 | discussions and family-based dialogue on the importance and |
| 301 | process of participating in civic activities. |
| 302 | (k) Reclaiming underemployed men and bringing them back |
| 303 | into wholeness and leadership in the legacy community and in |
| 304 | their families. This is an imperative that the statewide legacy |
| 305 | community initiative must address. A principal goal of the |
| 306 | statewide legacy community initiative is for all legacy |
| 307 | communities to focus on the reversal of crime and substance |
| 308 | abuse, emphasizing intervention and diversion from crime. Each |
| 309 | local legacy community shall place a strong emphasis on |
| 310 | supporting black men who are displaced from the home and |
| 311 | disproportionately represented in institutions. The statewide |
| 312 | legacy community initiative shall support local legacy |
| 313 | communities in developing a variety of strategies to help |
| 314 | prevent youth from becoming involved in gangs, crime, and |
| 315 | substance abuse. The statewide legacy community initiative shall |
| 316 | also support efforts to strengthen families and build healthy |
| 317 | marriages, emphasizing rites-of-passage activities, constructive |
| 318 | counseling, and mentoring programs. Male role models must be |
| 319 | actively recruited from fraternities, faith-based groups, black |
| 320 | civic organizations, elders, trade groups, male celebrities, and |
| 321 | neighborhood male activists. The legacy consulting team shall |
| 322 | work with existing organizations and assist them in accessing |
| 323 | resources and links to other similar programs to maximize their |
| 324 | efforts in this area. |
| 325 | (l) Empowering women, the seniors, and families to work |
| 326 | with existing organizations and assisting them to access |
| 327 | resources and links to other similar programs. Legacy community |
| 328 | consultants shall work with nonprofit organizations to help |
| 329 | women cope with the issues that most affect them and their |
| 330 | children, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, |
| 331 | economic development, women's health care, child-rearing, and |
| 332 | support for single mothers. |
| 333 | (m) Fostering traditional cultural values. The statewide |
| 334 | legacy community initiative shall train families to implement |
| 335 | historically known spiritual principles and principles of |
| 336 | Kwanzaa every day and to remember the values taught by the |
| 337 | ancestors which spiritually guide and keep people healthy, |
| 338 | cohesive, wise, and compassionate. Consultants shall work with |
| 339 | existing organizations and assist them in accessing resources |
| 340 | that link them with proponents of community culture and |
| 341 | traditions to help re-teach these values and to help incorporate |
| 342 | them into the daily behavior and traditions of the legacy |
| 343 | community. |
| 344 | (6) STATEWIDE LEGACY COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE; URBAN |
| 345 | EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION; ORGANIZATION.-- |
| 346 | (a) There is created within the Department of Community |
| 347 | Affairs the Urban Empowerment Corporation. |
| 348 | (b) The corporation shall be a not-for-profit corporation |
| 349 | registered, incorporated, and operated in accordance with |
| 350 | chapter 617, Florida Statutes. |
| 351 | (c) The corporation shall serve as the coordinating |
| 352 | organization for the development and implementation of the |
| 353 | Statewide Legacy Community Initiative. The purpose of the |
| 354 | corporation is to assist in carrying out the duties and |
| 355 | responsibilities set forth in this section. The corporation |
| 356 | shall operate to fulfill its purpose and, in the best interests |
| 357 | of the state, the corporation: |
| 358 | 1. Shall be a corporation primarily acting as an |
| 359 | instrumentality of the state pursuant to s. 768.28(2), Florida |
| 360 | Statutes, for the purposes of sovereign immunity; |
| 361 | 2. Is not an agency within the meaning of s. 20.03(11), |
| 362 | Florida Statutes; |
| 363 | 3. Is subject to the open records and meetings |
| 364 | requirements of s. 24, Art. I of the State Constitution, chapter |
| 365 | 119, Florida Statutes, and s. 286.011, Florida Statutes; |
| 366 | 4. Is not subject to the provisions of chapter 287, |
| 367 | Florida Statutes; |
| 368 | 5. Is governed by the code of ethics for public officers |
| 369 | and employees as set forth in part III of chapter 112, Florida |
| 370 | Statutes; |
| 371 | 6. Is not authorized to create corporate subsidiaries; and |
| 372 | 7. Does not supplant, replace, or direct existing |
| 373 | operations or other programs. |
| 374 | (d) The articles of incorporation of the corporation must |
| 375 | be approved in a written agreement with the Department of |
| 376 | Community Affairs. The articles of incorporation must provide |
| 377 | that: |
| 378 | 1. The corporation shall provide equal employment |
| 379 | opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, |
| 380 | religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, or marital |
| 381 | status; |
| 382 | 2. The corporation is subject to the public-records and |
| 383 | public-meetings requirements of s. 24, Art. I of the State |
| 384 | Constitution; |
| 385 | 3. All officers, directors, and employees of the |
| 386 | corporation are governed by the code of ethics for public |
| 387 | officers and employees as set forth in part III of chapter 112, |
| 388 | Florida Statutes; |
| 389 | 4. Members of the board of directors of the corporation |
| 390 | are responsible for the prudent use of all public and private |
| 391 | funds and that they will ensure that the use of funds is in |
| 392 | accordance with all applicable laws, bylaws, and contractual |
| 393 | requirements; and |
| 394 | 5. The fiscal year of the corporation is from July 1 |
| 395 | through June 30. |
| 396 | (e) The affairs of the corporation shall be managed by a |
| 397 | board of directors who shall serve without compensation. Each |
| 398 | director shall have one vote. The chair of the board of |
| 399 | directors shall be selected by a majority vote of the directors, |
| 400 | a quorum being present. The board of directors shall consist of |
| 401 | five members appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall |
| 402 | appoint the members by September 1, 2009. |
| 403 | (f) The board of directors shall provide a copy of the |
| 404 | corporation's annual report to the Governor, the President of |
| 405 | the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the |
| 406 | Secretary of Community Affairs. |
| 407 | (g) The corporation shall develop and implement a plan of |
| 408 | action that: |
| 409 | 1. Facilitates meetings between prospective investors and |
| 410 | eligible organizations in the corporation; |
| 411 | 2. Provides for hiring full-time staff members, including |
| 412 | an executive director, who understand relevant community |
| 413 | development issues needed to ensure that appropriate services |
| 414 | are provided to each legacy community participating in this |
| 415 | initiative and who can promote legacy communities to investors |
| 416 | who respect the community's efforts to preserve its heritage; |
| 417 | and |
| 418 | 3. Develops cooperative relationships with publicly |
| 419 | supported organizations, private corporations, and private |
| 420 | foundations that work together to provide resources or special |
| 421 | knowledge helpful to the legacy community's economic and social |
| 422 | growth. |
| 423 | (h) By December 1 of each year, the corporation shall |
| 424 | issue an annual report of its activities. The report shall |
| 425 | include: |
| 426 | 1. An assessment of compliance with its plan of action and |
| 427 | information on any assistance and activities provided by the |
| 428 | corporation to assist legacy communities. |
| 429 | 2. A description of the benefits, economic and social, to |
| 430 | this state resulting from the corporation's work. |
| 431 | 3. Independently audited financial statements, including |
| 432 | statements that show receipts and expenditures during the |
| 433 | preceding fiscal year for personnel, administration, and |
| 434 | operational costs of the corporation. |
| 435 | (i)1. The corporation shall establish a legacy consulting |
| 436 | team to ensure that appropriate resources, services, and |
| 437 | programs are provided to each legacy community participating in |
| 438 | the statewide legacy community initiative. |
| 439 | 2. The corporation shall consist of experts who shall |
| 440 | assist legacy communities in developing a revitalization plan to |
| 441 | bring together residents, property owners, and business persons |
| 442 | to plan for a long-term investment in the legacy community. The |
| 443 | legacy consulting team shall work to identify community needs, |
| 444 | develop specific strategies for revitalization in each |
| 445 | respective legacy community, and engage resources to meet the |
| 446 | needs. The legacy consulting team shall provide deliverables for |
| 447 | each legacy community which include: |
| 448 | a. Assessment of needs and capacity. |
| 449 | b. Consultation and advisement. |
| 450 | c. Community and board education. |
| 451 | d. Community builders training. |
| 452 | e. Development or enhancement of existing programs and |
| 453 | services that embrace the legacy community initiative |
| 454 | strategies. |
| 455 | f. Resource development. |
| 456 | g. Revitalization plan assistance. |
| 457 | h. Establishment of linkages within the legacy communities |
| 458 | network. |
| 459 | i. Establishment of linkages to resources and potential |
| 460 | partners outside the legacy communities network. |
| 461 | j. Liaison and interface activities with the Legislature. |
| 462 | k. Expertise and technical assistance in the funding |
| 463 | application and awards process. |
| 464 | l. Troubleshooting, mediation, and facilitation of local |
| 465 | processes. |
| 466 | m. Promotion of legacy communities and the initiative. |
| 467 | n. Assistance with evaluation and corrective actions. |
| 468 | (7) STATEWIDE LEGACY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE; APPLICATIONS; |
| 469 | REVIEW; FUNDING.-- |
| 470 | (a) The corporation shall issue requests for proposals to |
| 471 | fulfill the purposes of the statewide legacy community |
| 472 | initiative as described in this section. The corporation shall |
| 473 | review the proposals in a committee appointed by its board of |
| 474 | directors, which shall make a recommendation for final selection |
| 475 | based on an objective scoring process, with published criteria |
| 476 | developed by the board of directors of the corporation before |
| 477 | issuance of the request for proposals. A proposal may be |
| 478 | approved in three phases: prestartup and development, |
| 479 | implementation, and sustainability and replication. Final |
| 480 | approval of the selected proposal must be by the board of |
| 481 | directors of the corporation and consistent with the published |
| 482 | criteria it developed before issuing the request for proposals. |
| 483 | (b)1. In order to be eligible for assistance, a proposed |
| 484 | legacy community seeking to implement the statewide legacy |
| 485 | community initiative must demonstrate acceptance of the |
| 486 | initiative by the community's residents. |
| 487 | 2. The corporation shall review the revitalization plan of |
| 488 | each legacy community. For those communities accepted into the |
| 489 | initiative, the corporation shall act as a mentor for the legacy |
| 490 | community, develop marketing information concerning the |
| 491 | community, and use its local resources to attract capital |
| 492 | investment, government grants, and foundation assistance. |
| 493 | (8) DESIGNATING PILOT LEGACY COMMUNITY.--That portion of |
| 494 | Miami-Dade county known as Coconut Grove is designated as the |
| 495 | initial statewide pilot legacy community. |
| 496 | (a) Coconut Grove is the epicenter for promoting Caribbean |
| 497 | culture in this state. The Coconut Grove area celebrates the |
| 498 | contributions of Caribbean immigrant populations from Key West |
| 499 | to Tallahassee. The legacy communities initiative shall identify |
| 500 | and empower the immigrant Caribbean communities. In Miami-Dade |
| 501 | county, Coconut Grove was the first such settlement for these |
| 502 | populations, the largest of which were Bahamians. It is |
| 503 | historically and culturally the first Caribbean community in |
| 504 | Florida, and its recent increasing diversity adds to the |
| 505 | richness of this community as a Caribbean Epicenter. |
| 506 | (b) In Coconut Grove, the objectives are to: |
| 507 | 1. Preserve the Bahamian-Island culture and character in |
| 508 | the businesses, community places and events, daily life, and the |
| 509 | built environment; |
| 510 | 2. Promote and support the Island District Merchant's |
| 511 | Association and wealth-building strategies; |
| 512 | 3. Support home ownership and protect residents from |
| 513 | displacement; |
| 514 | 4. Protect and support community-based organizations and |
| 515 | strategies that assist families, youth, elders, and individuals; |
| 516 | and |
| 517 | 5. Facilitate cohesiveness, effective advocacy, and |
| 518 | community involvement in the revitalization process. |
| 519 | (9) SPECIFYING ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES.--Additional |
| 520 | communities that must be included in the Legacy Communities |
| 521 | Statewide Initiative along with the pilot project in Coconut |
| 522 | Grove include Brownsville, Little Haiti, Liberty City, Overtown, |
| 523 | Lemon City, Opa Locka, Carol City, Cooper City, South Miami, Key |
| 524 | West, Bahama Village, Del Ray, West Palm Beach, Belle Glade, |
| 525 | Riviera Beach, Pleasant City, Eatonville, Orlando, Port St. Joe, |
| 526 | and Jacksonville. |
| 527 | (10) REVITALIZATION PLANS OF LEGACY COMMUNITIES.--Each |
| 528 | legacy community's revitalization plan must: |
| 529 | (a) Set out assumptions and objectives and serve as the |
| 530 | framework for the revitalization of the community. |
| 531 | (b) Be usable as a communication and marketing tool. |
| 532 | (c) Be formulated by a diverse team of professionals and |
| 533 | stakeholders to address the many different complex issues facing |
| 534 | the Coconut Grove pilot project and other legacy communities. |
| 535 | (d) Describe the legacy community's history. |
| 536 | (e) Set forth statistics and current conditions with |
| 537 | respect to family status, income, jobs and employment |
| 538 | opportunities in the community, current zoning issues, public |
| 539 | transportation, conditions in local education, social services, |
| 540 | housing, economic development, community cohesion, the culture |
| 541 | of the community, environmental justice issues, visual themes in |
| 542 | the community, historical and preservation issues, community |
| 543 | involvement, key community interest areas, community relations |
| 544 | challenges, and the community's social and economic history, |
| 545 | culture, collective character, current composition, and assets. |
| 546 | (f) Describe the process for community involvement which |
| 547 | provides a forum for residents to become informed about civic |
| 548 | affairs and actively involved in making decisions that |
| 549 | ultimately affect their community, and define ways in which the |
| 550 | process must be improved or changed to make members of the |
| 551 | community equal partners in the dialog concerning revitalization |
| 552 | projects in their neighborhoods. |
| 553 | (g) Be developed in response to needs of the community as |
| 554 | indicated by empirical data, surveys, focus group feedback, |
| 555 | economic indicators, prior studies, community input, historical |
| 556 | background, community asset mapping, stakeholder input, resource |
| 557 | partnership input, and demographic profiles. |
| 558 | (h) Define strategies concerning the services and |
| 559 | activities described in subsection (5) and identify standards |
| 560 | for effective delivery of such services and activities. |
| 561 | (i) Be reviewed and receive comments from each identified |
| 562 | stakeholder. |
| 563 | (j) Set forth the community's needs and opportunities, the |
| 564 | need for revitalization and its importance to the community, |
| 565 | partnerships, resources and assets, goals for revitalization, |
| 566 | proposed projects and activities, the process and essential |
| 567 | strategies for addressing needs, timeframes and benchmarks for |
| 568 | various phases of developing the local legacy community, |
| 569 | committed or potential resources, budget projections, benefits |
| 570 | and returns on investments, deliverables, local recommendations, |
| 571 | an evaluation process, anticipated outcomes and results, and |
| 572 | proof of sustainability. |
| 573 | Section 2. The sum of $__________ is appropriated from the |
| 574 | General Revenue Fund to the Department of Community Affairs for |
| 575 | the purpose of paying salaries and other administrative expenses |
| 576 | necessary to carry out the provisions of this act relating to |
| 577 | the statewide legacy community initiative during the 2009-2010 |
| 578 | fiscal year. |
| 579 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |