IMPORTANT 2021 Florida Senate Legislation Negatively Impacting Regional Planning Councils Senate Bill 62 Proposed by Senator Jennifer Bradley Community Affairs Committee Chair Representing Baker County, Florida
GENERAL SENATE BILL 62 OVERVIEW: Regional Planning Councils; Revising a requirement for the Executive Office of the Governor to review and consider certain reports, data, and analyses relating to the revision of the state comprehensive plan; eliminating the advisory role of regional planning councils in state comprehensive plan preparation and revision; repealing provisions relating to the Florida Regional Planning Council Act; authorizing local governments to recommend areas of critical state concern to the state land planning agency, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2021 Now in Judiciary Committee as of 2/3/2021 TBRPC and the Florida Regional Council’s Association (FRCA) Activities Relating to SB62
In early January 2021 newly elected Senator Jennifer Bradley from Baker County filed Senate Bill 62 that essentially eliminates Florida’s ten RPC’s from State Statutes. The Bill does allow for future creation of regional entities through development of Interlocal Agreements. FRCA immediately met with our Lobbyist (Ron Book) to develop a strategy to oppose this Bill. We began to assemble a list of available Partners who could testify on behalf of FRCA and express their opposition to this Bill. On January 26th a FRCA Contingency, along with myself and other RPC Executive Directors attended the Senate Community Affairs Committee meeting in Tallahassee where 12 elected and appointed officials along with one business owner testified in opposition to SB 62. Participants testifying included County Commissioners, MPO Directors, Elected City Officials, Rural Counties, 1000 Friends of Florida to name a few. There was no testimony in favor of the Bill. The Bill passed committee with 6 YEAS and 3 NAYS and was forwarded to the Judiciary Committee. Community Affairs Committee Vote is as follows:
SENATE COMMITTEE COUNTY JURISDICTIONS PARTY SB62 MEMBER AFFILIATION VOTE COUNT Jennifer Bradley, Chair DISTRICT 5: Baker, Clay, Levy, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Suwannee, Columbia, R YEA Union, Bradford, parts of Marion Ileana Garcia, Vice Chair DISTRICT 37: Miami Dade R YEA
Dennis Baxley DISTRICT 12: Marion, Sumter, Lake R YEA Jason Brodeur DISTRICT 9: Seminole, Volusia R YEA Ed Hooper DISTRICT 16: Pasco, Pinellas R YEA Travis Hutson DISTRICT 7: St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia R YEA Janet Cruz DISTRICT 18: Hillsborough D NAY Tina Scott Polsky DISTRICT 29: Palm Beach, Broward D NAY Bobby Powell, Minority DISTRICT 30: Palm Beach D NAY Democratic Leader Pro Tempore
Next Steps in the Legislative Process and TBRPC/ FRCA Activities Relating to SB62
The Community Affairs Committee has forwarded the Bill to the Judiciary Committee Chaired by St. Petersburg Senator Jeff Brandes. No hearing date has yet been set in Judiciary for SB 62.
Judiciary Committee Members Are the Following:
SENATE COMMITTEE COUNTY JURISDICTIONS PARTY MEMBER AFFILIATION Jeff Brandes, Chair DISTRICT 24: Pinellas County R Local: 727.563.2100 Tally: 850.487.5024 Audrey Gibson, Vice Chair DISTRICT 6: Duval D Local: 904.359.2553 Tally: 850.487.5006 Jennifer Bradley DISTRICT 5: Baker, Clay, Levy, Dixie, YEA Vote on Community Affairs Gilchrist, Lafayette, Suwannee, Columbia, R Local: 904.278.2085 Union, Bradford, parts of Marion Tally: 850.487.5005 Jim Boyd DISTRICT 21: Hillsborough, Manatee R Local: 941.742.6445 Tally: 850.487.5021 Dennis Baxley DISTRICT 12: Marion, Sumter, Lake R YEA Vote on Community Affairs Local: 352.750.3133 Tally: 850.487.5012 Doug Broxson DISTRICT 1: Escambia, Santa Rosa, R Local: 850.595.1036 Okaloosa Tally: 850.487.5001 Debbie Mayfield DISTRICT 17: Brevard, Indian River R Local: 321.409.2025 Tally: 850.487.5017 Ray Wesley Rodriguez DISTRICT 27: Lee R Local: 239.338.2570 Tally: 850.487.5027 Darryl Ervin Rouson DISTRICT 19: Hillsborough, Pinellas D Local: 727.822.6828 Tally: 850.487.5019 Tina Scott Polsky DISTRICT 29: Palm Beach, Broward D NAY Vote on Community Affairs Local: 561.443.8170 Tally: 850.487.5029
Perry E. Thurston, Jr. DISTRICT 33: Broward D Local: 941.321.2705 Tally: 850.487.5033
As of Friday, 2/5, a companion Bill had not been filed in the House, but this is subject to change and FRCA will monitor this closely. We will continue to strategize with FRCA’s Lobbyist to work to defeat SB 62 and will provide Council Members with timely updates as the Legislative Session moves forward. How Our TBRPC Member Governments Can Assist in Defeating SB62
Our Lobbyist recommends that Council members contact State Senators to express your opposition to this Bill. Each of TBRPC member government will be requested to consider signing a proclamation or resolution indicating opposition to Senate Bill 62. A resolution/proclamation template has been drafted (see below)and will also be provided via email. Wren Krahl, Deputy Executive Director is poised to assist you and your member governments in this process. [email protected] We thank you in advance for your dedication and support for the TBRPC Mission and other RPCs throughout the state.
SAMPLE RESOLUTION/PROCLAMATION OPPOSING SB 62 FOR TBRPC MEMBER GOVERNMENTS A RESOLUTION OF THE (COUNTY OR CITY) OPPOSING ELIMINATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION FOR REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCILS IN FLORIDA AS PROPOSED IN SENATE BILL 62 OR SIMILAR PROPOSED LEGISLATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s six-county geographical area is comprised of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties and 21 municipalities contained therein, with over 3.8 million residents; and
WHEREAS, the Council is a multi-purpose regional governmental entity with policy responsibilities in the areas of affordable housing, resiliency, economic development and analysis, emergency preparedness, energy, natural resources, urban planning, geographic information systems and regional transportation; and
WHEREAS, for more than five decades Regional Planning Councils have served the public as Florida’s only multipurpose regional entities that coordinate intergovernmental solutions to multijurisdictional issues identified by their member local governments; and
WHEREAS, the 67 counties in the state are divided into 10 Regional Planning Councils which perform functions to the extent and as directed by their member counties, cities, and gubernatorial appointees; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Planning Councils compete for and bring to Florida millions of dollars in federal funds for Economic Development, Transportation, Emergency Preparedness, and Resiliency initiatives that would otherwise go to other states; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Planning Councils receive no regular general appropriation for operation from the State and, instead, are supported by Federal grant funds, local dues, local contracts, and State contracts for specific programs implemented on behalf of the State; and
WHEREAS, Regional Planning Councils no longer have any regulatory authority and are no longer involved in Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs); and
WHEREAS, Regional Planning Councils serve a critical role in hazardous material response coordination and training through the Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) operated by each Council; and
WHEREAS, proposed Senate Bill 62 will remove authorization and all references to Regional Planning Councils from the Florida Statutes, depriving the people of the State of the important work the councils perform and the federal funds they bring into Florida; and
WHEREAS, Regional Planning Councils regularly assist state agencies in implementing their statutory duties and legislative directives, along with coordinating these duties and directives with local input, at no charge to the State; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE (NAME OF MEMBER GOVERNMENT) THAT:
Section 1. The Legislature is urged not to pass Senate Bill 62 unless it is modified to no longer remove Regional Planning Councils from the Florida Statutes; and
Section 2. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption hereof.
SAMPLE SIGNATURE PAGE IF APPLICABLE
DULY ADOPTED by The (NAME OF MEMBER GOVERNMENT) this (XX) day of (MONTH) 2021.
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(SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME OF MEMBER GOVERNMENT COMMISION OR COUNCIL CHAIR)
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(SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME OF MEMBER GOVERNMENT COMMISION OR COUNCIL VICE CHAIR)
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(SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME OF MEMBER GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE CURRENLTY SERVING ON THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL)
______RECORDING SECRETARY OR ATTESTED BY Date