Loading...
Agenda 02/24/2009 Item #16F 4 Agen,ja Item No. 16F4 February 24. 2009 Page 1 of 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendation to approve the Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities which will be presented by participating County Commissioners to Legislative Delegation members in Tallahassee throughout the 2009 Legislative Session OBJECTIVE: To approve thc Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities which will be presented by participating Commissioners in the six-county Consortium - including Collier, Lee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties - to their respective Legislative Delegation representatives in Tallahassee at different times during the 2009 Legislative Session, A Collier County contingent plans to travel to Tallahassee as part of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Legislative Day on March 25 at which time Commissioners will present the Consortium priorities to members of the Florida Legislature in a series of meetings. CONSIDERATION: To develop the Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities, county and city administrators/managcrs, as well as staff from the six member counties and cities met on January 30, 2009 in Lee County to address issues of common concern to our constituencies in Southwest Florida that will be targeted during the 2009 Legislative Session which commences March 3. The Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities list was developed by reviewing the priorities of all the counties and cities; then refined, and the end product is now being brought to each member county's respective County Commission (City Council) for consideration and endorsement. Upon approval, the slate of Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities will be presented by participating County Commissioners to their representatives in the Florida Legislature in meetings in Tallahassee which in 2009 are being scheduled independently by each county/city. The proposed Consortium priorities are aligned with the Collier County 2009 State Legislative Priorities approved first by the Board in November 2008 with an addition in December 2008. (See attached) The below list was proposed as a result oftne joint meeting of the Consortium's county and city managers/administrators and staff: Southwest Florida Consortium's 2009 Lel!islative Priorities 1. Economic StimulusfDevelopment: Support equitable allocation of Federal Economic Stimulus Funding to local governments. - (re: Transportation), Support funding non-Strategic lntermodal System (SIS) state highways and artcrial roads. - p,genda item No. 16F4 Februarv .24, 2009 Pags2of6 2. Support Community Based Governance/Home Rule - (re: Fertilizer Rules, Water/Wctland Issnes, Mining and Impact Fees) and oppose unfunded mandates, cost shifts and prccmptions of local authority. 3. Oppose new revenue and expenditure caps - Oppose Legislative or Constitutional restrictions on County authority to determine local tax share or local commitments to provide services. 4. Support amending Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) -Support legislative changes to the CCNA that allow weighing multiple factors including qualifications and price before selecting the top firm and before commencing negotiations. 5. Support Revenue Enhancements such as the tourism industry's position on Dot.coms - Allow companies to collect and pay the sales and tourist development tax on the total amount charged to the visitor, not on the net amount paid to the hotcl. The revenue lost to both the state and the counties from the actual taxes due and what is currently received is significant. The Southwest Florida Legislative Consortiwn was formed several years ago with the intent of unifying regional efforts and strengthening representation in Tallahassee on issues of importance to the region. For the past several years the Southwest Florida Consortiwn members have traveled to the State of Florida Capitol at the beginning of the Legislative Session to meet with state legislators to present the Consortium's State Legislative Priorities. This year local governments in the Consortium have opted to travel to Tallahassee independently or not at all due to budget constraints. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no iiscal impact associated with this executive summary. The trip to Tallahassee by Commissioners and county staff is budgeted in Fiscal Year 2009. GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMP ACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this executive summary. LEGAL CONSIDERA nONS: This item has been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney's Office, has no legal considerations in its present form, is not quasi-judicial and requires no ex parte disclosure, requires only a majority vote for approval, and is otherwise legally sufficient for Board action.-SRT RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of County Commissioners approves the Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 L~gislalive Priorities which will be presented by participating Commissioners in the six-county Consortium to their respective Legislative Delegations in meetings in Tallahassee. Prepared by Debbie \Vight, Assistant to the County Manager Page I of I Agenda Item No. 16F4 February 24, 2009 Page 3 of 6 COLLIER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Item Number: Item Summary: 15F4 Recommendation to approve the Southwest Florida Consortium 2009 Legislative Priorities which will be presented by participating County Commissioners to Legislative Delegation members in Tallahassee throughout the 2009 Legislative Session Meeting Date: 2/24/200990000 AM Approved B)' James V. Mudd County Manager Date Board of County Commissioners County Manager's Office 2/17/20092:46 PM file://C:\AgendaTest\ExDort\ 124-Februarv%2024. %202009\ 16.%20CONSENT%20AGEND... 2/18/2009 Agenda Iti::m "'jo. 16F4 =ebrua;;e4 2??9 I c'J~ 4 u. 6 . Collier Countv 2009 State Le1!islative Priorities I. Property Insurance - Continue to monitor II. Affordable Housing - Support removal of the cap on Sadowski Housing Trust Funds III. Impact Fees - Support maintaining home rule authority over administration of the County's existing impact fee program IV. Home Rule - Protect home rule authority of County government V. Unfunded Mandates - Oppose state directives requiring local governments 10 deliver services without providing the necessary funding to cover the expense VI. Revenue & Expenditure Caps (TABOR) - Oppose legislative or Constitutional restrictions on County authority to determine local tax burden or local financial commitments to services and quality oflite VII. Revenue Enhancements . DoLcom - The tourism industry position on Dot.coms is to have those companies collect and pay the sales and tourist development tax due on the total amount charged the visitor, not the net amount paid the hotel. The revenue lost to both the state and counties from the actual taxes due and V\:hat is currently received is significant. VIII. Transportation . Oppose raiding of the Transportation Trust Fund Agenda Item No. 16F4 February 24, 2009 Page 5 016 . Earlier Receipt of Crash Reports - Support including local traffic engineering agencies with police agencies in being able to receive crash reports without current 60-day wait . Pass red light running camera enforcement - Support enforcement of red light running camera enforcement that would make it a moving violation, assign driver's license points, and notify insurers . Modification to Section 339.135(4)(a)1, Florida Statutes to strengthen requirement for use of an allocation formula "to assure that no district or county is penalizedfor local efforts to improve the State Highway System" . Transportation Funding Tied to Seat Belt Use - Support making Florida seatbelt enforcement a primary offense for drivers over the age of 18 IX. Alligator Alley - Continue to oppose leasing of Alligator Alley to private entities X. Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) - Support legislative changes to CCNA that allow weighing multiple factors including qualifications and price before selecting the top firm and before commencing negotiations XI. Growth Management & Real-Time Concurrency - Support protecting the County's current transportation real-time concurrency program XII. Support Enforcement of Immigration Laws . Changing the statutes defining "felony" and "misdemeanor" (FS 775.08) from the current language "...violation of Florida law" to "violation of public lcrw." This would aI/ow for the arrest of a subject on immigration (or other federal offenses) based on the state's right as a sovereign and its related policing powers. Currently, the language limits state officials to crimes that are violation of Florida law... immigration, of course, is not a Florida Law. In the alternative, specific authority could be granted in FS 901 lhat would authorize state Peace Officers to arrest for immigration offenses without warrants based on Probable Cause. This would aI/ow deputies to make immigration arrests but would not aI/ow for processing, transport, investigalion, long-term detention, etc...simply the arrest and a call to ICE. . The second recommendation is in referenee to the Florida Human Trafficking statute (F9 787. 06). Currently, this statute makes it illegal to traffic persons with the knowledge or intent that those persons will be used for slavery or prostitution. We recommend that the law be changed to also punish those who receive compensation for trafficking individuals regardless if those trafficked persons are to be used for servitude. This f\genda :tem No. 16F4 February 24, 2009 Page 6 of6 would reflect the State of Florida's policing power to address the dangers involved in trafJicking people regardless of what those people are going to be doing when they reach their destination. XIII. Support Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) being under State Public Service Commission oversight XIV. Support amending Florida Statutes to elect rather than appoint Florida Water Management District governing Board members XV. Support economic development initiatives as a way to build and create a sustainable and diversified economy. These initiatives include: . A more coordinated and streamlined regulatory process within state level agencies, while supporting local governments and their ability and flexibility to make decisions at the local level that enhance economic development opportunities. . Develop sustainable sources ojfunding jar economic diversification programs that allow for full participation by Collier County in state levelfundingfor economic development projects.