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LTC 262-2003 CITY OF MIAMI BEACH Office of the City Manager Letter to Commission No. ~~ m From: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission Jorge M. GOnZalez/U~C.*rz.. City Manager \../.r- Date: November 6, 2003 To: Subject: SPECIAL SESSION E Attached, please find a report on Special Session E ofthe Florida Legislature. This session was convened by Governor Jeb Bush to create and fund the Scripps Funding Corporation to facilitate the location of that business to Florida. Also included in the call were other economic development programs. Two of the City's legislative priorities were inserted into the legislation by the House of Representatives: 1. Funding of the Film/TV production incentives 2. Convention Center Tax Refund Unfortunately, the Senate took a final stand and did not approve any economic incentives other than the Scripps Research I nstitute. The City's lobbying team worked with the City's representatives, as well as committee chairs and sponsors of regular session legislation for these two priorities. Support for these two economic development priorities has grown during the past two legislative sessions, and approval in Special Session E by the House gives the Administration and lobbying team optimism that these issues will be revived during the 2004 regular session. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. JMG\CMC\kc c: Christina M. Cuervo, Assistant City Manager Kevin Crowder, Economic Development Division Director Attachment F:IDDHP\$ALLIKEVINILegislativeIState\2003 SessionlSpecial Session E L TC.doc RUTLEDGE. ECENIA. PURNELL & HOFFMAN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW CMB rJEIGHBJa::UC)D SERVICES DEPT. STEPHEN A. ECENIA RICHARD M. ELLIS KENNETH A. HOFFMAN THOMAS W. KONRAO MICHAEL G. MAIOA MARTIN P McDONNELL J. STEPHEN MENTON POST OFFICE BOX 551, 32302.0551 215 SOUTH MONROE STREET, SUITE 420 TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32301-1841 ~mt~'MW~ AM 8: 51 HAROLO F. X. PURNELL MARSHA E. RULE GARY R. RUTLEDGE TELEPHONE (850) 681-6788 TELECOPIER (850) 681-6515 GOVERNMENTAL CONSULTANTS MARGARET A. MENDUNI M. LANE STEPHENS MEMORANDUM To: Mayor David Denner City Commissioners and City Manager Gonzalez City of Miami Beach Via: Email to Kevin Crowder (hard copy to follow) From: Gary Rutledge Fausto Gomez Bob Levy Margie Menduni Manny Reyes Anna Rodriguez Date: October 27, 2003 RE: Special Session E Legislative Report Special Session E was called by Governor Bush to create and fund the Scripps Funding Corporation and to facilitate the location of the business in Florida. Additionally, the call included the creation of an economic development strategic initiative funding mechanism within the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development to ensure that sufficient funds would be available to respond to economic opportunities as they presented themselves to the state, and to amend Chapter 471, F.S., relating to the practice of engineering for persons employed in the defense, space, and aerospace industries. The call was later extended to include workers' compensation, phosphate mining, unclaimed lottery funds and the Terri Schiavo case. The Legislature successfully passed SB 6E, which provided $310 million for the Scripps Foundation. for the Scripps Biomedical Research Institute, and the Institute's establishment in Palm Beach County. Legislation was also passed on workers' compensation; a bill giving the Governor authority to overrule the court's stay on Terri Schiavo; a bill moving unclaimed lottery funds into the Education Enhancement Trust Fund; a bill on phosphate mining; and a public records exemption bill for Scripps. The lobbying team worked on the following issues for the City of Miami Beach: Film and Entertainment Industry Incentives In the original call, Governor Bush named entertainment industry incentives as examples of other economic development initiatives he wished to fund. The team met with Rep. Don Davis, Chairman of House Tourism, with staff of Rep. Ambler, who had filed an entertainment incentive bill for Special Session, with Susan Albershardt, the Film Commissioner, with Rep. Rubio, Senator Saunders, who has been the Senate's RUTLE:i>GE. ECENIA. PURNELL & HOFFMAN City of Miami Beach October 27, 2003 Page 2 Film and Entertainment Incentives, continued lead on entertainment issues, and legislative staff of the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. By mid-week of the Special Session the Senate had established a Megafund which contained $10 million for film and entertainment. As the Megafund became a "minifund", the House stripped the Senate bill and placed in it numerous economic development incentives, including $5 Million for the entertainment industry. By the last day of the session, the Senate took its final stand and removed all economic incentives except the Scripps Research Institute, and the House agreed to pass that bill. Convention Center Tax Refund Although the Governor did not anticipate including the tax refund on convention centers in Special Session E, the House took up the issue and included it in their economic incentive package. Rep. JoOOson, Chair of the House Finance & Tax Committee included the entire convention center language in the Scripps Economic Development Bill. The team spoke to Rep. McInvale, who had championed this issue last session, and communicated with Reps. Gelber and Barreiro, as well as Sen. Margolis on this issue. In the end, the Senate refused to accept the language and it was stricken from the bill, along with other economic development issues. Police and Firefighter Municipal Pensions Rep. Sansom filed HB 49E, which would have authorized the Department of Revenue to create and maintain a database to determine local premium tax situs for use by insurers that report and remit excise tax on property insurance and casualty insurance premiums. The bill was passed by the House but died in messages to the Senate. The Senate did not vote to take it up outside the call. Domestic Security SB 124, Vulnerability Assessment, which has been filed for the 2004 Regular Session, passed out of the Senate Home Defense, Public Security, and Ports Committee. The bill, sponsored by Chair Sen. Paula Dockery, requires state agencies to perform a vulnerability assessment and recommends that local govenuuents do so also. FDLE has prepared a "How To" program for local governments, which will be available November 1. It can only be obtained through the South Florida Domestic Security Task Force. Although economic incentives were not provided for the film and entertainment industry nor was a tax rebate provided for convention centers during this special session, the team anticipates these issues will be rejuvenated during the Regular 2004 Legislative Session. As always. it has been a pleasure to serve the City of Miami Beach, and we will continue attend interim committee meetings and monitor bills as they are filed for the 2004 Legislative Session.