Senate Bill 360 Refined: The Impact of the 2007 Legislative Session on Local Government Growth Management, Part II

Just tell me the important stuff in simple terms. Don’t worry about the extra details or the names of the law firm and lawyer. The government has created new ways for local governments to use tax increment financing. One way is to help fix transportation problems in certain areas. The other way is to help buy land for conservation. For the transportation areas, a special authority will be created to make a plan to fix the transportation problems within 10 years. The money for this will come from a special tax collected in the area. For conservation lands, counties and cities can work together to create a special tax area to help buy land for parks and other outdoor activities. This tax will be a portion of the difference in property taxes. HB 1375 is a law that aims to make sure there’s enough affordable housing for people who work in essential jobs, like teachers and healthcare workers. It requires local governments to include plans for affordable housing in their overall plans for the area. It also makes it easier for local governments to make changes to their plans to encourage affordable housing, and allows them to defer some taxes for landlords who provide affordable rental housing. The law also sets up a program to help build or fix up affordable housing in certain areas. It changes the rules for a committee that gives advice to local governments about affordable housing, and encourages them to consider affordable housing when making decisions. A new pilot program is being tested in certain urban areas to speed up the process of reviewing and approving comprehensive plans. This program will only apply to certain types of plan amendments and will give local governments more control over the process. The program will be evaluated after some time to see how effective it is. Other changes include allowing longer development agreements, ensuring conservation easements survive after a tax deed, considering the impact of zoning changes on construction materials, and giving municipalities the authority to regulate wall murals. Local governments will need to make changes to their plans and codes to follow new laws and continue with existing programs. They need to update their transportation and housing plans, and consider new options for financing and development. They also need to make sure they follow the new rules when reviewing development applications. It’s a lot of work, but it’s important for the community’s future. This is a bunch of rules and definitions related to housing and development in Florida. It covers things like affordable housing, transportation, and comprehensive plan amendments. It also talks about a pilot program for certain communities to have reduced government review of their development plans. Susan L. Trevarthen is a lawyer who specializes in municipal land use and zoning law. She works at a law firm in Ft. Lauderdale and leads the firm’s group that focuses on these areas.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/senate-bill-360-refined-the-impact-of-the-2007-legislative-session-on-local-government-growth-management-part-ii/