of the
Smart Growth Task
 Force
 

Review and Discussion

County Links

Draft Minutes

SMART GROWTH MINUTES

October 19, 2005 Meeting

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

County Administration First Floor Conference Room

 

I.                   Call To Order, Introductions, Review of Agenda

 Brian Griffin opened the meeting of the Lee County Smart Growth Advisory Committee at 6:12 p.m., in the First Floor Meeting Room of the Lee County Administration Building. 

 

The following Members were in attendance:

Mr. Bill Hammond

Mr. Jack Eikenberg

Mr. Don Eslick

Mrs. Carie Obenchain

Mr. Brian Griffin  

Mr. Rudy Marian

Mr. Lee Ford

 

The following committee members were excused absent:

Mr. Rob Fowler

Dr. Elinor Scricca

Mr. Don Stilwell

Ms. Jill Tyrer

Mr. Ron Hamel

Mr. Jack Luft

Mr. Steve Maxwell

Ms. Ellen Lindblad

Mr. Neal Noethlich

 

The following staff were in attendance:

Wayne Daltry, Director Smart Growth

Paul O’Conner, Community Development

Tim Jones, County Attorney

Lucy Crook, Recording Secretary

 

II.                Administrative Matters

A.     Approve Minutes of August 17, 2005

Action Needed:  Accept and Approve the minutes as amended by discussion of the members. There was not a quorum. 

 III.             Action items:

A.     Recommendations to the Lee Plan. (Staff will provide an update briefing.)

            Recommended action:  Designate one or more members to attend the LPA meeting of October 24, 8:30 am, BoCC meeting room.

Wayne Daltry discussed the recommendations extracted from the book that this committee submitted November 2003 and BoCC adopted December 2003. He refreshed the members on how we got there including the four all day workshops. He discussed the New Lee Plan Objectives and Policies Developed from Recommendations of the Smart Growth Task Force, attached. The outline in this attachment is a list of possible new Lee Plan Objectives and policies developed from the list of recommendations by the Smart Growth Committee.  The objectives and policies are organized by Lee Plan Element (chapter.)

Mr. Daltry stated that Smart Growth recommendations have been appropriated into the MPO and Smart Growth Actions have been taken from Human Service, Brownfield Program, Lehigh Study, Groundwater Resource and Mining Study and Master Mitigation Plan.

Brian Griffin and Bill Hammond volunteered to attend the LPA meeting on Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the Commission Room.

There was discussion on Community Planning and the Burt Harris Act.  Paul O’Connor talked about problems with the methodology established through the statute and rules, and another through East Central Florida.  This is why Lee County decided to work on their own methodology with a consultant for residential and nonresidential development and affordable housing.

Don Eslick questioned affordable housing, “If a study to determine how much Lee population travels and works in Collier County has been done?”  Mr. Daltry explained the most recent information could be found in the MPO Year 2000 Calibrated model in the Census Data. Mr. Daltry concurred that the concern is in the lack of affordable housing in Collier County. The market is frozen, there are no incentives, no requirements in codebook, and affordable housing is not an issue with Collier County. Mr. Ford explained that the dollar is Lee County’s problem just as it was with Collier. The Community Land Trust could help alleviate the housing problem.

 Discussion continued with some of the following:

·        No one will vote to raise taxes to solve the problem

·     Create a dedicated fund the state will not raid. The Advalorum Tax is the only dedicated source of revenue BoCC controls.

·        Some of the members indicated they would volunteer to educate the communities through civic clubs and various organizations. If the community understood the negative impact of no workforce housing, they would pay to solve the problem.

There was discussion from the audience where Horizon Council is concerned with the affordable/workforce housing issue.

4.  Other Business

A. Caloosahatchee River Water Quality Initiative.  A briefing will be provided by staff. 

Wayne Daltry explained the 4 basic Smart Growth River and Bay Recommendations, (1. protect the economic base, 2.) the national resource base, 3.) the political base, 4.) the fiscal base (tourism is included under economical base) has changed. Lee County was accused of not using “truth of advertising.” The Health Departments sign postings have triggered the governor to work to our advantage. He explained the governor’s direction with new agriculture requirements and that Smart Growth initiatives are in action:

1.   There will be Environmental Research permits for new development in agriculture lands through the Agriculture Mandatory Best Management Practices.

2.    Improved water quality through ERP’s to promote new development with new standards.

3.  Rural Stewardship where local government’s will work together for a year to decide what can be done in the basin until the future studies are completed.

Mr. Hammond discussed the history of 1995 Rehydrating Proposal when they learned that there was more water coming out of Caloosahatchee at the basin than what was being discharged. The Citrus Growers started a Feasibility Study of which Lee County has the data.  Mr. Hammond suggested that instead of opening up permitting, the district could amend the existing criteria and be done with it within 6 months and not wait 5 years. He suggested that Lee County could partner with Water Management and set the permit rules higher than the districts.

            B.  Member issues 

Wayne Daltry summarized Babcock issues. There were no more issues for discussion.

5.  Public Comment: No comment.

 

6.  Set next meeting date (November 16), identify agenda items, and Adjourn.

Adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted by:

Lucy Crook, County Administration