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. |