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 the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society
Floridians For Smarter Growth Augie Fragala, Powell Fragala and Associates Florida Chamber of Commerce

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Hometown Democracy
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?

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Hometown Democracy
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?

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What Exactly is Hometown Democracy?

A constitutional amendment that will forever change the way development is approved
A community vote on every comprehensive plan amendment approved by every unit of local government
*This includes special purpose districts that have plans, too.

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Hometown Democracy
Mandates the local electorate within a community must approve each plan amendment prior to any development occurring resulting from the amendment.

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Hometown Democracy
A citizens initiative a good thing but

Forcing voters to decide every change to a local governments Comprehensive Land Use Plan DOES THIS BELONG IN OUR CONSTITUTION?

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Hometown Democracy
A very nave view of land use planning in Florida Comprehensive Plans are not static Land-owners rights Existing land-uses Existing Zoning Districts Municipal infrastructure availability Are the voters going to make informed decisions?
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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 and What Will It Cost?

Vote on every City Comp Plan Change Vote on every County Comp Plan Change Special elections not required How will it work? Polk County alone had 23 changes in the last 6
months! In our medium sized County, you could be faced 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 special interests

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The HARD facts.

What is Floridas economy?

What happens in YOUR community if this is passed?

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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/ Good Growth Hometown Democracy =

Big Picture will be lost

Power of $ greater
Less accountability in decision-making

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/ Good Growth Hometown Democracy =

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 include your Communitys Five Year CIP) Community disruption

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Hometown Democracy
The Florida Chapter of APA OPPOSES Hometown Democracy Encourages shortsighted decisions Reduces accountability of local officials

Does not protect Floridas natural areas

Dismantles public participation in the planning process

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Hometown Democracy
Audubon of Florida has elected not to join in support of Hometown Democracy because
of too many unanswered questions about the workability of the proposal if adopted, it is not clear it 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 and amendments in the constitution?

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Hometown Democracy
1,000 Friends of Florida Board of Directors cannot support Hometown Democracy because
NIMBYISM much needed but often controversial amendments will be difficult 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 the amendment, 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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Breaking the state into Tiers according to vote share

Priority Counties

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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 Growth Post Office Box 532018 Orlando, Florida 33853

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