SB 2470 First Engrossed
20102470e1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to regional transportation; creating
3 the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
4 Commission; providing for membership and organization;
5 providing for reimbursement of expenses; providing for
6 removal and suspension of commission members;
7 providing for the Jacksonville Transportation
8 Authority to staff the commission; providing for
9 funding of the commission; providing that the costs of
10 staffing and the amount of funding are determined by
11 the board of the Jacksonville Transportation
12 Authority; providing for committees within the
13 commission; providing for commission meetings;
14 providing for the commission to make available to the
15 public its meeting minutes, reports, and
16 recommendations and publish its reports and
17 recommendations electronically; directing the
18 authority to make its Internet site available for such
19 purposes; requiring the commission to submit reports
20 to the Governor and the Legislature; providing that a
21 county’s membership in the commission and
22 participation of a county’s appointees does not
23 constitute consent of the county to inclusion within
24 the jurisdiction of a regional transportation
25 authority; providing for expiration and termination of
26 the commission; amending s. 8, ch. 2009-89, Laws of
27 Florida; revising the due date for the Northwest
28 Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization
29 to complete a study and make recommendations to the
30 Legislature concerning advance-funding the costs of
31 capacity projects in its member counties; providing
32 for funding of the study; providing an effective date.
33
34 WHEREAS, pursuant to House Bill 1213, 2009, the Department
35 of Transportation directed the Jacksonville Transportation
36 Authority to prepare a report to recommend to the Legislature
37 the framework for a regional transportation authority for the
38 northeast region of the state comprised of Baker, Clay, Duval,
39 Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, and
40 WHEREAS, the report was completed and received by the
41 Legislature on February 1, 2010, and
42 WHEREAS, based upon the recommendations of the report, it
43 is necessary and appropriate to create a study commission to
44 continue the work commenced, NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
47
48 Section 1. Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
49 Commission.-
50 (1) There is created the Northeast Florida Regional
51 Transportation Study Commission, which shall be composed of 20
52 members designated and to be appointed as follows:
53 (a) Two citizens of Baker County appointed by the Board of
54 County Commissioners of Baker County.
55 (b) Two citizens of Clay County appointed by the Board of
56 County Commissioners of Clay County.
57 (c) Four citizens of Duval County appointed by the City
58 Council of the City of Jacksonville.
59 (d) Two citizens of Flagler County appointed by the Board
60 of County Commissioners of Flagler County.
61 (e) Two citizens of Nassau County appointed by the Board of
62 County Commissioners of Nassau County.
63 (f) Two citizens of Putnam County appointed by the Board of
64 County Commissioners of Putnam County.
65 (g) Two citizens of St. Johns County appointed by the Board
66 of County Commissioners of St. Johns County.
67 (h) The chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority,
68 who shall serve as chair of the commission.
69 (i) The Department of Transportation’s district secretary
70 serving in district II, who shall be a nonvoting member of the
71 commission.
72 (j) The chair of the Northeast Florida Regional Council,
73 who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
74 (k) The chair of the North Florida Transportation Planning
75 Organization, who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
76 (2)(a) Members shall serve until the work of the commission
77 is completed and the commission is terminated, except that
78 persons serving under paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) shall cease
79 membership if they no longer serve in the position indicated in
80 paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) and shall be replaced by the person
81 replacing them in such position.
82 (b) Members of the commission shall serve without
83 compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses
84 in the performance of their duties, including travel expenses,
85 in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
86 (c) A county commission, or the city council in the case of
87 Duval County, may remove or suspend a member appointed by it for
88 cause, including, but not limited to, failure to attend two or
89 more meetings of the commission during any 9-month period.
90 (3) The staff of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
91 shall act as staff to the commission and, subject to the
92 appropriation of funding by the board of the Jacksonville
93 Transportation Authority and such other funds as the commission
94 may receive, shall supply such information, assistance, and
95 facilities as are deemed necessary for the commission to carry
96 out its duties under this act.
97 (4) The commission shall have such committees with such
98 membership, duties, and other matters as the chair shall
99 determine. Members of such committees need not be members of the
100 commission and may include persons from airport authorities,
101 port authorities, rail or other transportation industries, and
102 others. All committees shall report to the commission at each
103 commission meeting and shall present their final reports for
104 consideration by the commission in accordance with the direction
105 of the chair.
106 (5)(a) The commission shall meet at the times and locations
107 as the chair shall determine. There shall be regular monthly
108 meetings, to the extent reasonably convenient, that are held in
109 one or more central locations; however, at least one meeting
110 must be held in each of the counties throughout the region. Each
111 meeting must include provision for public comments.
112 (b) The commission shall make available to the public its
113 meeting minutes, reports, and recommendations upon request and,
114 to the extent feasible, shall publish its reports and
115 recommendations electronically. The Jacksonville Transportation
116 Authority shall make its Internet website available to the
117 commission for such purposes.
118 (6) By December 31, 2012, the commission shall prepare and
119 submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
120 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
121 findings and making specific legislative recommendations,
122 including a regional transportation elements plan, the defining
123 characteristics of transportation elements of regional
124 significance, and an implementation plan for undertaking a
125 regional transportation elements plan, and which may include the
126 establishment of the regional transportation authority, draft
127 legislation consistent with this section, and any other
128 recommendations it deems appropriate.
129 (7) A county’s membership in the commission, and the
130 participation of a county’s appointees in the work of the
131 commission, is not intended to constitute the consent of the
132 county to inclusion within the jurisdiction of a regional
133 transportation authority.
134 (8) This section shall expire and the commission shall
135 terminate upon delivery of the final report required in
136 subsection (6).
137 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 8 of chapter 2009-89,
138 Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
139 Section 8. (1) The Northwest Florida Regional
140 Transportation Planning Organization, an interlocal agency under
141 part I of chapter 163, Florida Statutes, is authorized to study
142 the feasibility of advance-funding the costs of capacity
143 projects in its member counties and making recommendations to
144 the Legislature by February 1, 2011 2010. The Department of
145 Transportation may assist the organization in conducting the
146 study. The study shall be funded by the Northwest Florida
147 Regional Transportation Planning Organization from its existing
148 resources and by such other funds that may be provided from its
149 constituent counties.
150 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.