| Two very onerous and misguided bills are being
considered by the Florida House of Representatives this session.
The bills would dissolve the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA),
the state agency which has oversight for growth issues, particularly in
Areas of Critical State Concern. Details are in the following
article from the March 24 Key West Citizen: |
Bills would dissolve DCA
Florida Keys News
Keys development oversight could pass to
Department of State
By TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
Two Florida House bills effectively would eliminate the state
agency responsible for overseeing development in the Florida
Keys and other Areas of Critical State Concern.
The bills could move some or all of the Department of Community
Affairs' (DCA) responsibilities to the Department of State,
which oversees elections, libraries, historic preservation and
other programs and agencies.
One of the bills, HB 7049, is sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Hukill,
R-Port Orange. The second bill does not yet have an individual
bill number, and is proposed by the Government Accountability
Act Council, state records show.
The state, which is in the same financial predicament as local
governments, wants to consolidate services to save money. Also,
some state legislators want to ease restrictions on developers
to stimulate the economy.
Bills opposed locally
All five Monroe County commissioners on Monday said they oppose
any proposal that would dissolve or take growth management
responsibilities away from the DCA.
"DCA has been a watchdog for our community in the past when most
felt our local representation did not reflect the voters'
direction," said County Commissioner Kim Wigington. "Public
oversight is the backbone of good government. I have supported
the DCA oversight in the past.
"While I disagree with the DCA's encouragement to the county to
offer incentives to developers to preserve working waterfront in
the Keys, I still support the extra part of the public process
DCA offers as oversight."
Wigington said she acknowledges the merit of the state not
wanting to duplicate services, "but at what cost to our
community character and public oversight?" she said.
Saunders agrees
State Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West, agrees with the county
commissioners. Saunders on Monday said he opposes the proposals
because they would eliminate the oversight that aims to curb
over-development.
"I don't think it's a good idea. Department of State does not
seem like the appropriate place to put some of these
responsibilities," he said. "Department of Community Affairs
provides an important role. This is just a way to eliminate them
and save some money. But I am not sure if there would be a cost
savings. I am not sure how far this will go, but if the
Republicans want to push it they could because they do have the
votes to do it." In addition to providing grant funding for
affordable housing and habitat conservation, DCA each year
reviews about 8,000 proposed changes to land use plans
throughout the state, spokesman James Miller said.
Oversight role
The DCA has long been an integral component in planning and
growth management for Monroe County and Florida Keys
municipalities, often keeping local governments in check when
they venture too far afield of their comprehensive plan goals.
Due to the Keys' environmental significance -- and past failures
by local government to keep development under control -- the
Legislature in the 1970s designated the county as an Area of
Critical State Concern.
That designation gives the DCA oversight of land use regulations
in the Keys, thus ensuring that development doesn't exceed
infrastructure capacity, environmental carrying capacity or the
ability to evacuate the county when threatened by a major
hurricane.
County shortcomings
In recent years, DCA planners repeatedly have found that the
county and Keys municipalities have not done enough to implement
advanced wastewater treatment.
The lack of adequate sewage treatment has long been identified
as a major source of nearshore water pollution, and the state
established a 2010 deadline for sewage treatment systems
throughout the county nearly a decade ago.
Protection of native habitat also has been a frequent point of
contention between the agency and Keys governments.
Controlling permits
The DCA annually reports to the governor and state Cabinet on
the Keys' progress on meeting goals for affordable housing,
habitat conservation and water quality, among others. If the
county falls short of these goals, the governor and Cabinet can
reduce the amount of new development allowed in the Keys.
Past county commissions have sought to have the Critical Concern
designation lifted, but that doesn't appear likely anytime in
the near future.
Since the fall 2008 elections, when two developer-friendly
commissioners lost their seats, the County Commission has worked
more cooperatively with the DCA.
Hukill, the House bill's sponsor, could not be reached for
comment Monday. No one answered her Tallahassee or Port Orange
office telephones.
tohara@keysnews.com -
Published Tuesday, March 24, 2009 |
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