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STATEMENT OF ISSUE
This item requests the acceptance of the evaluation of the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan and seeks direction to submit a notification letter to the state land planning agency pursuant to Section 163.3191, Florida Statutes.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Option 1: Accept the evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan and direct staff to submit a notification letter to the state land planning agency (Attachment #1). (County and City)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
No amendments to the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan are currently needed to comply with the Evaluation and Appraisal Review process. A notification letter reflecting this finding is due to the state land planning agency by January 1, 2023.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Brief History of the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan
The City of Tallahassee and Leon County have a long history of coordinated community planning, including having a joint comprehensive plan adopted by both Commissions with an effective date of January 1, 1981, as well as planning documents dating back decades earlier. Based on changes to state requirements, the 1981 Comprehensive Plan was replaced with another Joint Comprehensive Plan in 1990. Since its adoption in 1990, the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan has been amended with additional plan elements added, map amendments to the Future Land Use Map, and various text amendments to goals, objectives, and policies.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process
Amendments to a local government comprehensive plan follow a process that includes staff analysis, review and public hearing with the Local Planning Agency, and one or more public hearings with the City and County Commissions, and submittal to the State. Statutes outline specific processes with some variations depending on the type of amendment proposed, but each process includes the same general steps. For example, map amendments that are for 50 acres of smaller in size are considered small scale and only require one public hearing with the City or County Commission while map amendments greater than 50 acres in size require two public hearings with the City or County Commission.
Evaluation and Appraisal Report Requirements
Section 163.3191, Florida Statutes, requires local governments to evaluate their comprehensive plan every 7 years to determine if amendments are necessary to reflect changes in state requirements. Local governments must inform the state land planning agency of their findings on whether amendments are needed to reflect changes in state requirements. If a local government determines that amendments are necessary to reflect changes in state requirements, it has one year to prepare and transmit such amendments. If a local government does not comply with the Evaluation and Appraisal Review requirements, it may not adopt any additional amendments until it complies with this requirement.
Planning Department staff track relevant bills throughout the legislative sessions and bring forth amendments to the Comprehensive Plan as needed. One recent example is HB 59 (SB 496) passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by the Governor during the 2021 legislative session requiring local governments to adopt a Property Rights Element into their comprehensive plans. An amendment to comply with this new requirement was brought to the Commissions during the 2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle. Because of this proactive approach, no amendments to the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan are currently needed to comply with the Evaluation and Appraisal Review process. Because no changes to the Comprehensive Plan are needed, staff is recommending that the County and City submit a notification letter to the state land planning agency (Attachment #1) reflecting this finding. The deadline from the state land planning agency to submit the notification letter is January 1, 2023.
Next Steps
The recommended option (Option #1) would direct staff to submit a notification letter to the state land planning agency indicating that no amendments are necessary at this point to reflect changes in state requirements. This would satisfy the requirements of the Evaluation and Appraisal Review Process.
Conclusion
No amendments to the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan are currently needed to comply with the Evaluation and Appraisal Review process. The recommended option (Option #1) directs staff to submit a notification letter to the state land planning agency that no amendments are necessary based on changes to state requirements.
OPTIONS
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option #1
Attachment: