Floridians for a South Florida Land Management District

 

Floridians for a South Florida Land Management District (FSFLMD)

Phase 1: Project Formation

Statement of Need for Project Initialization

The Seven50 Plan for Prosperity outlines a number issues facing the South Florida region including but not limited to such issues as:

(1) Continuing population growth that requires the Region’s local governments to make major investments in infrastructure, to both maintain and expand existing services such as transportation, water, wastewater, solid waste and education for both existing and new residents.

(2) Environmental changes as a result of climate change that will have a major impact on South Florida’s land available for human use.

(3) The need for economic diversification, an increase in research and development projects and the creations of conditions that lead to the retention of postsecondary talent.

Despite these broad calls to action, however, there is no single group currently advocating for a comprehensive response for these issues that affect all of South Florida.

The two organizations that do concern themselves with such issues the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (which focuses on Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties) and the South Florida Regional Planning Council (which focuses on Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties) currently act merely as think tanks without the ability to enforce their rational, long-term oriented models for land-use and development.

Project Charter

In accordance with Chapter 186.502 Paragraph 3 of the Florida Statutes:

The regional planning councils are designated as the primary organization to address problems and plan solutions that are of greater-than-local concern or scope, and the regional planning council shall be recognized by local governments as one of the means to provide input into state policy development.

However Planning Councils are limited by section (4)

The regional planning council is recognized as Florida’s only multipurpose regional entity that is in a position to plan for and coordinate intergovernmental solutions to growth-related problems on greater-than-local issues, provide technical assistance to local governments, and meet other needs of the communities in each region. A council shall not act as a permitting or regulatory entity.

As such the members of the Floridians for a South Florida Land Management District (FSFLMD) seek to create a regulatory body (South Florida Land Management District) able to do more than propound limited suggestions as to what ought to be done. This regulatory body will be guided by the findings in the Seven50 Plan for Prosperity and will consist of, but not be limited to, the following powers:

  • Act as a regional regulatory body with various competencies that supersedes the powers of local and county governments.
  • Act as an arbiter for local governments in inter-jurisdictional conflicts.
  • Examination and rationalization of the motley patchwork of laws and taxation structures that discourage vertical development.
  • Encourage the implementation of long-term plans for growth and development aligned with the goals of Sustainability, Connectivity and Responsibility.
  • Creation and implementation of cost sharing strategies and savings plans between local governments to minimize the need for duplicative efforts.

Project Objectives/Success Criteria

  1. Create a detailed contact database of associated stakeholders, industry groups, professional and technical associations, subject matter experts and opinion makers.
  2. Identify the actors that would seek to constrain or assist the FSFLMD.
  3. Develop a coherent, consistent and multi-media call to political action on behalf of the FSFLMD.
  4. Create a detailed organizational outline, based upon the South Florida Water Management District, for consideration by the State Legislature.
  5. Determine the legal areas (ie. government Standards, industry standards and regulations) that would be reformed by the SFLMD
  6. Formation of a 501 (c)(3).
  7. Determine Goals, Indicators, Baselines, and Targets for Phase 2: Project Implementation.

Rules of Volunteering

  1. Work smart, not hard.
  2. Document everything.
  3. All outbound requests/deliverables get final authorization by Prof. Sheen.