hometown democracy

7/30/2019 Hometown Democracy

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Hometown Democracy

BAD FOR YOUR HOMETOWN

WORSE FOR OUR DEMOCRACY!


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Presentation Credits This Slideshow is a compilation from presentations by:

J.N. Jack Breed, Keith and Schnars, P.A. for theFlorida Surveying and Mapping Society

Floridians For Smarter GrowthAugie Fragala, Powell Fragala and Associates

Florida Chamber of Commerce


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Is it

a) CITIZEN APPROVAL OF ALL PLAN CHANGES?

b) THE END OF RATIONAL PLANNING?

c) THE BEGINNING OF COMMUNITY CHAOS?

d) ALL OF THE ABOVE?

Hometown Democracy


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Is it

a) CITIZEN APPROVAL OF ALL PLAN CHANGES?

b) THE END OF RATIONAL PLANNING?

c) THE BEGINNING OF COMMUNITY CHAOS?

d) ALL OF THE ABOVE?

Hometown Democracy


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What Exactly is Hometown Democracy?

A constitutional amendment that will forever changethe way development is approved

A community vote on every comprehensive planamendment approved by every unit of localgovernment

*This includes special purpose districts that have plans, too.


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Hometown Democracy

Mandates the local electorate within acommunity must approve each plan

amendment prior to any developmentoccurring resulting from the amendment.


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A citizens initiative a good thingbut

Forcing voters to decide every change to a local

governments Comprehensive Land Use Plan

DOES THIS BELONG IN OUR CONSTITUTION?

Hometown Democracy


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A very nave view of land use planning in Florida Comprehensive Plans are not static

Land-owners rights

Existing land-usesExisting Zoning DistrictsMunicipal infrastructure availability

Are the voters going to make informed decisions?

Hometown Democracy


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What Is the Status of the HTD Initiative?

611,009 signatures to be on the ballot

Reported 433,000 certified signatures on

12/10/07

Signatures certified by January 31, 2008 to be

placed on the ballot in November


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Who Is Behind the Initiative?

Is it ? Alliance of disgruntled citizens?No Growth advocates? Sierra Club?


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Who Is Behind the Initiative?

Lesley Blackner an anti-growth zealot Ross Stanford Burnaman a NIMBY

Tallahassee attorney Joe Redner - !!!

More importantly, WHO will support it?


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How Will It Work andWhat Will It Cost?

Vote on every City Comp Plan Change

Vote on every County Comp Plan Change

Special elections not required How will itwork?

Polk County alone had 23 changes in the last 6

months! In our medium sized County, you could befaced with 80+ issues in a single election!!


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What to Do?

Voters want smarter growth, not no growth

Top concerns include: Infrastructure Overcrowding in schools Density and housing costs Taxes and insurance

This is quality of life versus extreme specialinterests


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The HARD facts. What is Floridas economy?

What happens in YOUR community if this ispassed?

The economy of a community funds your: Schools Churches Community Associations Municipal infrastructure

Is NO GROWTH the answer?


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Hometown Democracy

Will not prevent sprawl

Will not allow efficient government services

Will not protect natural resources

Comp Plans are meant to change!


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Hometown Democracy = Good Growth/

Big Picture will be lost

Power of $ greater

Less accountability in decision-making


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Hometown Democracy = Good Growth/

No natural resource protection Neighborhood vs. Neighborhood

Essential services will suffer No one will EVER approve a jail, a landfill,a sewer plant, etc The big picture will be

lost forever


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Economic Consequences

Cost of referendums Court challenges/judgments

Local planning efforts/public hearings

Infrastructure delays (Comp Plans includeyour Communitys Five Year CIP)

Community disruption


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Hometown Democracy

The Florida Chapter of APA OPPOSES HometownDemocracy

Encourages shortsighted decisions

Reduces accountability of local officials

Does not protect Floridas natural areas

Dismantles public participation in the planningprocess


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Hometown DemocracyAudubon of Florida has elected not to join in support

ofHometown Democracy because

of too many unanswered questions about the workability ofthe proposal

if adopted, it is not clearit will achieve the intended result

since Floridas constitution contains NO requirements for

local government land use planning, does it make sense to

place a requirement for public voting on such plans andamendments in the constitution?


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Hometown Democracy1,000 Friends of Florida Board of Directors cannot

supportHometown Democracy because

NIMBYISM much needed but often controversial amendments will bedifficult to find approval with voters (i.e., affordable housing proposals,

landfills, water & sewer plants, and the CSX Intermodal Logistics Center) Piecemeal Planning no longer will planning be comprehensive, but

instead a series of disjointed voter approved amendments

Legal Gridlock legal challenges to the amendment, if approved, will

likely be necessary to clarify the vague and murky language of theamendment, possibly resulting in years of court proceedings


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Tom Pelham,

Secretary, Florida DCA,-opposes the HTD amendment

Samuel Staley

Director, Urban Futures Program,

-opposes the HTD amendment


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B ki th t t i t Ti di


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PriorityCounties

Breaking the state into Tiers according

tovote share


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Our Responsibility

Learn the issue

Take it, and its supporters, seriously

Promote greater public participation


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What Can You Do? Support the State Chamber of Commerce

Support Floridians for Smarter Growth and join your local leadership team

Report paid signature gatherers

Write letters to the editor

Encourage your associations to oppose this measure Talk it down at neighborhood gatherings

Encourage others to become informed

Speak out when you hear misinformation

Tell them who is opposed to this and who is backing it!


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Visit the Floridians for Smarter Growth website

at www.flsmartergrowth.org Organize your community

call Ryan Houck at (407) 442-0832

Send a contribution to:Floridians for Smarter GrowthPost Office Box 532018Orlando, Florida 33853
http://www.flsmartergrowth.org/http://www.flsmartergrowth.org/


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hometown democracy

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