Loading...
LTC 086-2008, 2008 Florida Legislative Session - Week Two Reportc~T~r ~~~_h~~~ o~= ~ s~ F: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER NO. LTC # os6-2ooa LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City ommission FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager DATE: March 18, 2008 SUBJECT: 2008 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION -WEEK TWO REPORT The purpose of this LTC is to provide the Mayor and City Commission with the legislative report for Week 2 of the 2008 Session of the Florida Legislature. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. JMG/HF/kc~' Attachment c: Executive Staff RUTLEDGE, ECENIA, PURNELL & HOFFMAN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW STEPHEN A. ECENIA RICHARD M. ELLIS POST OFFICE BOX 551, 32302-0551 KENNETH A. HOFFMAN 215 SOUTH MONROE STREET, SUITE 420 JOHN M. LOCKWOOD TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 3301-1841 MARTIN P. MCDONNELL -------------- 1. STEPHEN MENTON TELEPHONE (850) G81-6788 TELECOPIER (850) 681-6515 MEMORAN T0: Mayor Matti Bower City Commissioners and City Manager Gonzalez City of Miami Beach VIA: E-mail to Kevin Crowder FROM: Gary Rutledge Fausto Gomez Bob Levy Margie Menduni Manny Reyes Stephen Cline DATE: March 17, 2008 SUBJECT: Legislative Report -Week 2 R. DAVID PRESCOTT HAROLD F.X. PURNELL MARSHA E. RULE GARY R. RUTLEDGE MAGGIE M. SCHULTZ GOVERNMENTAL CONSULTANTS JONATHAN M.COSTELLO MARGARET A. MENDUNI The team met with Senator Margolis and Representative Gelber and Luis Garcia to present the legislative priorities for the City and to discuss lobbying activities in regard to same. Our meeting with Representative Bendross-Mindingall was canceled by the Representative. Ocean Lifeguards The lobby team encouraged Representative Gelber to call Chairman Adams requesting that HB 1887 by Luis Garcia be agendaed in her committee. We followed up with Representative Adams after that phone call. She plans to hear the bill but does not like the expansion of the bill in the Senate to include all lifeguards rather than just ocean lifeguards. We encouraged the bill to go forward as filed and then we will work on aligning the bills as the session progresses. City of Miami Beach Legislative Report -Week 2 Page 2 Anchoring and Mooring We have been in communication with City staff to finalize the language for the mooring issue. We have contacted Senator Rich. This bill, SB 1192, Vessel Safety will be heard in Commerce on 3/18. We are hoping to amend that bill. Condominium Reform House Bill 995 by Robaina was heard in committee. The strike-all amendment does not contain any of the three issues recommended by the City. According to prior conversations with Representative Robaina, Commissioner Weithorn had provided him language as to the City's concerns and we were told they would be included in the bill. Cellular Telephones Senate Bi11680 which prohibits the use of cellular telephones in school zones was on the agenda this week for Senate Transportation but the committee ran too late and it was not considered. Renewable Energy Senate Bill 560 by Constantine was heard in Community Affairs. The committee substitute for the bill implements recommendations of the Florida Energy Commission. It requires local governments to amend their local comprehensive plan to include an energy element. It requires that the future land use plan element must be based on energy efficient land use patterns and the transportation element must incorporate strategies to address reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The bill does not have a House companion at this time. Affordable Housing Senate Bill 42 by Garcia was work shopped in Community Affairs and is on the agenda for the next Community Affairs meeting for a vote on 3/19. The proposed committee substitute is very extensive. Some of the provisions of interest to the City include the following: • In high cost areas, the housing assistance plan can include strategies which include annual incomes of not more than 140% of the area median income. • Creates a definition for moderate rehabilitation to allow the apartment incentive program to have more flexibility. • Amends the definition of "annual gross income" to allow more flexibility by the FHSC. • Amends the definition of "eligible housing" to include manufactured housing. There is not a House companion for this bill at this time. City of Miami Beach Legislative Report -Week 2 Page 3 Grant Programs The Department of State lists a Historic Preservation Special Category Grant for the Miami Beach Community Church Sanctuary Facade Restoration. It is for $350,000. It is number 56 of 60 projects. The total for 60 projects is $16.3 million. In order to fund through number 56, the appropriation would need to be $14.6 million. Considering the budget this year, this is highly unlikely. The Department of State Cultural Facilities grant program has 41 projects totaling $17.2 million. Number 24 is the New World Symphony Campus Expansion for $500,000. Budget We met with Debbie Flack from the Beach & Shore Society regarding the statewide funding for beach renourishment. Evidently, when the appropriations staff was looking to cut general revenue in the doc stamp category, they cut the portion going to beach renourishment. At this time, it looks as though only enough funding will be allocated to keep the department within DEP functioning. We are scheduled to have another meeting with Debbie to plan on a strategy for all the coastal communities. In Senate Government Appropriations, Chairman Alexander used a $3 billion figure for the reduction necessary for the '08-'09 budget. His committee needs to be cut by $15 million in recurring dollars. The delegation of expenses from state to local governments appears to be a priority for many state agencies. The following is a list of proposed budget cuts presented to the Senate Committee on General Government by various state agencies. They were asked to do a 10% budget cut. • Department of Agriculture -increase the County fire control assessment from 3 cents to 7 cents per acre. This would require a change in statute 125.27. • DBPR -amend Chapter 509 to remove the state fire marshal from the obligation of conduction inspections in food and lodging facilities and recommending that those inspections be done by local fire authorities. • DEP -eliminate support functions for the Florida Forever Acquisition Restoration Council. • Fish & Wildlife -eliminate boating safety education grants. • Fish & Wildlife -eliminate Sicilian biological monitoring contract which would have the effect of eliminating monitoring and analysis of impact associated with the management of Lake Okeechobee water levels. • Department of Revenue -eliminate aerial photography funds for the property appraisers and shift to local government. • Department of Revenue -eliminate mapping grants for GIS mapping and shift the expense to counties. City of Miami Beach Legislative Report -Week 2 Page 4 • Department of Revenue -reduce funding to the Office of State Attorney, Eleventh Judicial Circuit which would be Miami-Dade County, for child support enforcement services. The total contract is $21.6 million; they are proposing to cut $334,000 in recurring general revenue and $66,000 in recurring trust funds. • Department of Revenue -reduce private service of process by 15% which causes the effective shifting of service to the Sheriff. • Department of Revenue -eliminate the DR219 form requirement. Currently, the Clerk of Court receives a 1 % processing fee from doc stamps for this form. The legislative bill which accomplishes that has passed the Senate Floor this week. • Department of State - a $2.5 million cut to public libraries. • Agency for Work Force Innovation - $15.7 million cut to the School Readiness Program which specifically would disenroll 1,304 children from Miami-Dade County for a total reduction of $5.3 million. Please note that the Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing to eliminate the boating improvement program which are the funds that Judy Hoanshelt has identified for fishing peers. I-95 Ramp Closure We have been briefed on the situation with FDOT and are awaiting letters from the City to the state legislative delegation which we will hand deliver to facilitate a meeting between City officials and FDOT representatives.