Bill Text: FL S0854 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Special Neighborhood Improvement Districts
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Innovation, Industry, and Technology [S0854 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S0854-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2019 SB 854 By Senator Gruters 23-00495-19 2019854__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to special neighborhood improvement 3 districts; amending s. 163.511, F.S.; revising the 4 number of directors allowed for the boards of special 5 neighborhood improvement districts; requiring local 6 planning ordinances to specify director term lengths 7 and provide for staggered terms; requiring that 8 directors be landowners in, rather than residents of, 9 the proposed area and be subject to certain taxation; 10 removing obsolete language; providing an effective 11 date. 12 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14 15 Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1) and subsections 16 (7) and (8) of section 163.511, Florida Statutes, are amended to 17 read: 18 163.511 Special neighborhood improvement districts; 19 creation; referendum; board of directors; duration; extension.— 20 (1) After a local planning ordinance has been adopted 21 authorizing the creation of special neighborhood improvement 22 districts, the governing body of a municipality or county may 23 declare the need for and create special residential or business 24 neighborhood improvement districts by the enactment of a 25 separate ordinance for each district, which ordinance: 26 (f) Provides for the appointment of a three-, five-, or 27 seven-member3-memberboard of directors for the district, the 28 members of which must be elected to staggered terms. The number 29 of appointed directors must be specified in the ordinance. 30 (7) The business and affairs of a special neighborhood 31 improvement district shall be conducted and administered by a 32 board of three, five, or seven directors who mustshallbe 33 landowners inresidents ofthe proposed area and who are subject 34 to ad valorem taxation in the district. Upon their appointment 35 and qualification and in January of each year, the directors 36 shall organize by electing from their number a chair and a 37 secretary, and may also employ staff and legal representatives 38 as deemed appropriate, who shall serve at the pleasure of the 39 board and may receive such compensation asshall befixed by the 40 board. The secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of 41 the district and is theshall becustodian of all books and 42 records of the district. The directors mayshallnot receive any 43 compensation for their services or, nor may theybe employed by 44 the district. 45 (8) Within 30 days of the approval of the creation of a 46 special neighborhood improvement district, if the district is in 47 a municipality, a majority of the governing body of the 48 municipality,or, if the district is in the unincorporated area 49 of the county, a majority of the county commission,shall 50 appoint thethreedirectors provided for under this section, as 51 specified in the local planning ordinancehereinfor staggered52termsof 3 years. The initial appointments shall be as follows:53one for a 1-year term, one for a 2-year term, and one for a 354year term. Each director shall hold office until his or her 55 successor is appointed and qualified unless the director ceases 56 to be qualified to act as a director or is removed from office. 57 Vacancies on the board shall be filled for the unexpired portion 58 of a term in the same manner as the initial appointments were 59 made. 60 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.