CITY OF NORTH LAUDERDALE

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

 

TO:                             Mayor and City Commission

 

FROM:                       Richard D. Sala, City Manager

 

BY:                              Ambreen Bhatty, Assistant City Manager

Tammy L. Reed-Holguin, Community Development Director

 

DATE:                        January 24, 2008

 

SUBJECT:                 Resolution - Urging Members of the Florida Legislature to Support Florida League of Cities’ Priority Issues for 2008

 

In 2004, the Florida League of Cities Board of Directors adopted a new initiative to enhance the Legislature’s awareness of the League’s priority issues. This plan calls on each of Florida’s cities to adopt resolutions that support the League’s key priority issues each year.

 

The priority issues this year pertain to initiatives focused on the preservation of municipal autonomy and the ability to control and have access to funding. Attached, please find a request that we received from the Florida League of Cities to approve a resolution urging Governor Charlie Crist and members of Florida Legislature and local legislative delegation to support the key priority issues adopted by the Florida League membership this year. Some of these key issues are listed below:

 

  • Fully fund state growth management mandates and provide municipalities with state and local option revenue sources to meet financial feasibility requirements and infrastructure demands;
  • Allow municipalities and counties to reclassify businesses, professions, and occupations and establish new rate structures for local business taxes on a periodic basis;
  • Enhance municipal control over municipal employee pension plan management and funding;
  • Preserve and protect property rights of mobile home owners, when mobile home parks are rezoned, but not in a manner that require removal costs to be the responsibility of local governments;
  • Broaden municipal home rule and other authority to issue tax-increment financed bonds and other forms of indebtedness without approval by referendum;
  • Provide an equitable, dedicated and recurring revenue source for municipal transportation projects and oppose legislation that transfers or diverts state transportation trust fund revenues to balance the state budget;
  • Reauthorize the affordable housing trust funds, preserve the documentary stamp fee as the trust funds’ funding source and remove the legislative cap on fund distribution;
  • Prohibit the Florida Department of Transportation from eliminating, deferring, or delaying capacity improvement projects contained in the 5-year Work Plan when it negatively impacts the comprehensive plan of the local government;
  • Authorize the use of electronic traffic infraction detectors at traffic intersections; and
  • Maintain or increase funding of the state Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund.

 

The City Administration and the Community Development Staff have reviewed the attached resolution and are supportive of the items stated in the resolution.

 

Recommendation:

 

The City Administration recommends Commission’s consideration and approval of the attached resolution urging Governor Charlie Crist and members of Florida Legislature to support the Florida League of Cities’ priority issues as stated in the resolution.

 

 

RESOLUTION NO._____________

2008 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

 

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF NORTH LAUDERDALE FLORIDA, URGING MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING ISSUES DURING THE 2008 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

WHEREAS, as Florida’s population continues to increase, cities are challenged to meet the service demands and infrastructure needs to account for new growth; and

 

WHEREAS, a majority of Florida’s municipalities are challenged to meet the increasing infrastructure, affordable housing, transportation, and water quality needs of their citizens; and

 

WHEREAS, the state has imposed greater accountability in comprehensive planning and fiscal feasibility standards on municipalities; and

 

WHEREAS, Florida’s municipalities are dependent on other governmental entities for financial stability and presently the state, counties, and school districts, control every funding source that has been authorized for implementing growth management capital improvements and complying with concurrency requirements; and

 

WHEREAS, municipal self-determination and local self-government are constantly under attack from a variety of public and private interests; and

 

WHEREAS, the role and function of municipal government is constantly evolving from new demands from its citizens and businesses.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF NORTH LAUDERDALE FLORIDA:

 

            Section 1. That the City of North Lauderdale urges Governor Charlie Crist and members of the Florida Legislature to support legislation that:

 

  • Reauthorizes the affordable housing trust funds, preserves the documentary stamp fee as the trust funds’ funding source and removes the legislative cap on fund distribution;
  • Enhances public notice of and participation in state environmental permitting processes;
  • Fully funds state growth management mandates and provides municipalities with state and local option revenue sources to meet financial feasibility requirements and infrastructure demands;
  • Allows municipalities and counties to reclassify businesses, professions, and occupations and establish new rate structures for local business taxes on a periodic basis;
  • Enhances municipal control over municipal employee pension plan management and funding;
  • Preserves and protects property rights of mobile home owners, when mobile home parks are rezoned, but not in a manner that requires removal costs to be the responsibility of local governments;
  • Broadens municipal home rule and other authority to issue tax-increment financed bonds and other forms of indebtedness without approval by referendum;
  • Provides an equitable, dedicated and recurring revenue source for municipal transportation projects and opposes legislation that transfers or diverts state transportation trust fund revenues to balance the state budget;
  • Prohibits the Florida Department of Transportation from eliminating, deferring, or delaying capacity improvement projects contained in the 5-year Work Plan when it negatively impacts the comprehensive plan of the local government;
  • Authorizes the use of electronic traffic infraction detectors at traffic intersections; and
  • Maintains or increases funding of the state Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund.

 

            Section 2.  That a copy of this resolution shall be provided to Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio and members of the Florida Legislature.

 

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of North Lauderdale, this 24th Day of January, 2008.

 

 

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

 

 

___________________________________

CITY ATTORNEY, SAMUEL S. GOREN

 

                                                                        ______________________________

                                                                        MAYOR JACK BRADY

 

 

                                                                        ______________________________

                                                                        VICE MAYOR JOHN R. CANGEMI

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

___________________________________

P. VANCHERI, INTERIM CITY CLERK