132-2001 LTC
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
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LoT.C. No.13d- ~ I
LETTER TO COMMISSION
June 15,2001
TO: Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez ~._
City Manager "f'JI.... .
SUBJECT: BILLBOARD LEGISLATION
Attached, please find the veto letter signed by Governor Jeb Bush. The Governor has vetoed House
Bill 1053, an omnibus transportation bill that included a provision that required cities to pay
billboard owners compensation if they pass ordinances calling for billboards to be taken down.
Currently, cities can get rid of billboards by requiring them to be phased out after a number of years
so that owners can recoup their investment without drawing on public coffers.
The approved legislation did not affect cities that currently prohibit billboards. However, while this
specific legislation would not have impacted the City of Miami Beach, the removal oflocal authority
was and continues to be a concern.
JMG:CMC:~
Attachment
Cc: Christina Cuervo, Assistant City Manager
Mayra Diaz-Buttacavoli, Assistant City Manager
Bob Middaugh, Assistant City Manager
Ramiro Inguanzo, Chief of Staff
Timothy Hemstreet, Special Assistant to the City Manager
Jorge Gomez, Planning Director
Kevin Crowder, Economic Development Division Director
JUN-IS-01 12, IS FROM,RUTLEOGE ECENIA ET AL
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The Honorabl~Kalherine H.'n1s.."
Sei:tetaryofStatc..
PL OlTheCapitoI
Tallahassee 32399-0250
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BYL~e~'(lihorit;;vested illfuell~G6velnor'of:Fiotid~tlr.aerthe proVisidnSo!" Arlitie IIi,
Section&"; of the Constitlltion 'ofFlorida. r do herebywitlihold myapprcviHOf and
transmit to you ,,,..ith my objeCtions.Couneil Slibstitutefot COfnmiutc Substltllte tot"
House B"iill 053.diacted during the!. 03rd SeSsion'ofthc Legislatureisince sfutehood in
1845, dliring the RegullirSesslonof2001, and <:lititlcd:
An actrelati~g to TrariSp'om:tionn"Pait~crit; .. .
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C;ouncilSubstitute fot Committee' Substitute f'1if!ouscEiill J053 "jas originally'created
to address issues thlit thc"Departmenl ofTr;,ll1spol~atiori'felt wci"ld improve overall
admiiii ~tralion of Various transpo:1ation progr.lnls' ino\lr state.As'ih~ hi!! mov~.d througl1
the legislative' precess. a inultitude()[ different pwpoSals weie"lldded ol1tothe original
language: ByU1C time Council SuhsUlulefot COli\rnittee Suhstit\ltetorHouse l3ill1053
was approved all thdiisfday ofsCssich i lhadbecotTleamarn.rnothpicccoflegislati()!l,
most comfuonlyreferredtoasa~train:"Asprese:itcdlo meTor 2l'pi'Oval;Council . .'
S uh;;i:it U 12' for Cammi ltee Subsii lute for H ouae B i ill 053 conlains the legis lati 'Ie package~'
propos~dhy [o.';"separdtestale agericies__the DepamnenfofTro.risp6rtatioti ilndthc .
Department 'of Highway Saftiy aod McitorVe bicles~p luslhallyother' proposal G, moSlo f
whichhitd "been creat"ed as separate bills bUI 'isst:md..alorte issues failed lowin the'
required tlpproval Ofiegislativ6"6rillriiltees'or th",full Hoti.leaIldSetiate.lri its final
fcj"ni;COllllcil Substitutdol" Commiltee SubStitutcfor HOltze BillIOS3 .exceeds 300
pa[;cs and makes almesl"two'hur,droo different chatlgeSto currentFJoridalaw.
Ai; .'J/Oilhi b~ e:<pected,abillofthi~size andcomplexit;'brirtksforthcon~etns: .Forone.
the shecirangeofissuesaddreased iiiCouncil Substitute forCoIllmiltec Suhstitlltelor
BOllseBill! 053 provides a Ic:<toookexaIllpie of logrolling, thekind that ll1~kC:lil ,
difficuHlo providc:Floridians"..ith good,SOtind public'policyOftllnduril1g the. .' . .
I~gislativc pr6ccsilihsucs ate a."ieridcd OlltO a bill tMCaro not totall)' in 1<:eepirig with the '. "
bill ':loriginal purpose,btitaresuificienrly. related "SlItlS to not 'Vio latelhe COI1$tltution's . '.
single subjectrtlle.- In my viC\li, the diver,ity al1cl'sJtecr"nllmb.r ofis~-ues conbl.ini:dih .
r~ ~en1oi'~"~ kl<<iative
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JUN-15-01 12,20 FROM,RUTLEOGE ECENIA ET AL
10,8046816516
The Honorable Katheril<c Harris
June 14, 2001
Page Two
Counci! Substitute for Committee Substitute for Hous~ Bill i053 goes beyond what has
been marginally accepted in the past, and leaves th~ legislation vulnerable to legal
challenges by aggrieved stakeholders, forcing the state into costly and unnecessarj
litigation.
As te. the r~onlent of Council Substitute for Cvmrnlllee Substitute for House BUll 053
itself, thc bill does contain several good proposals, such as the waiver of fees for Pearl
Harbor Survivor and Purple H~art Jieens~ plate holders, the creation of a Turnpike
Enterprise to oversee Florida Turnpike operations, and allowing Department of
Transportation emplcyees to essentially become private contractors and bid on
Departmer.t projects.
However, the bill also conlllin. several provisions of questionable benefit to the people of
Florida. Among the provisions that concern me are increases in fees for motorists,
legislation that I vetocd last ye'4f relating to driving schools, the rc~)(ing of penalties for
unsafe drivers, the increased regulation of motorized scooters, the watering down of
property rights despite ether provisions in the billtnat strengthened the rights of property
ov."tlcrs, and allowing third party access to <:GnD.dentia.1 auto insuran;:;c coverage
infow;1lion. Taken together these and other unmentioned issues constil\lte a block of
questionable public poiicy sufficiently objectionable as to ovcrride Councii Subslitute ror
Comtnlttee Substitute for House Bill! 053'5 posilive aspects. Unfortunalely, such an
occurrence is II likely by-product of creating unwieldy train legislation. Pohcymakers in
the executive and legislative branch~s a!ih should not be forced as a matter of procedme
to accept a multitude of issues creating bad public policy as a condition of enacting
policies <libelIdit to Ollr citi!.CIls. Our laws and Constitution were designed to prevent
againslthi. type of practi ceo
In closing, I would encourage the sponsors of this bill to rep:u:kage.the good ideas
contained in Council Substitute for Committee Substi1"ute for House Bill I OS3 ~d create
new legislation for next year.
For the r-.asons provided abavc, I am withholding my approval of Council Substitute for
Committee Substitute for House Bill I 053, and do hereby veto the same.
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