Okaloosa County BOCC — February 11, 2013 — reading text

Approve/Disapprove RECOMMENDATIONS: Approve the request for a Special Event permit as submitted by Horizons Foundation. RECOMMENDED BY: Packet Pg. 355  7.19 APPROVED BY: James D. Curry, County Administrator Packet Pg. 356 Packet Pg. 357 7.19.a Attachment: Horizons Burning up the beaches car show 050313 signed permit (1620 : Event Permit - Packet Pg. 358 7.19.b Attachment: Horizons Burning up the beaches car show letter of intent 050313 (1620 : Event Permit - Packet Pg. 359 7.19.c Attachment: Horizons Burning up the Beaches car show site plan 050313 (1620 : Event Permit - Burning  8.1.a BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: April 16, 2013 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Elliot Kampert SUBJECT: Acceptance of SHIP Triennial Report DEPARTMENT: Growth Management BCC DISTRICT: All STATEMENT OF ISSUE: As provided in Chapter 420 of the Florida Statutes, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee must periodically review the County's (and City of Ft Walton Beach's) policies and regulations regarding affordable housing, and provide to the Board of County Commissioners a report and recommendations which must then be sent to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. BACKGROUND: In order for the County and City of Ft Walton Beach to participate in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, Section 420.9076, Florida Statutes, requires that the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee periodically review the County's and City's policies and procedures to ensure consistency with the provisions of 420.9076 and 420.9071 with regard to affordable housing. This periodic review must be summarized in a report submitted to both the City Council and Board of County Commissioners which, after review, must be forwarded to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. In particular, the review must focus on the affordable housing strategies provided in 420.9075(4)(a)-(k). On March 26, 2013 the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee met in a duly noticed public meeting and approved the attached report for forwarding to the City Council and Board of County Commissioners as required by the statute. The report finds that, except for the adoption of a formal policy to review the effect of new local regulations, laws, or ordinances on affordable housing, Okaloosa County has complied with all the strategies. The attached report therefore recommends that the County formally adopt such a policy. The Ft Walton Beach City Council is scheduled to receive this report during its regular meeting of April 23. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends 1) that the Board review the attached report, and authorize staff to forward it to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation following acceptance by the City of Ft Walton Beach; and 2) that staff be authorized to develop and bring back to the board a policy whereby proposed policies, ordinances, regulations and other actions that could potentially affect the affordability of housing will be reviewed prior to adoption. Packet Pg. 360  8.1.a RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: James D. Curry, County Administrator Packet Pg. 361  8.1.a.a 2013 AHAC Triennial Incentive Review and Recommendation Report Page 1 of 8 Okaloosa County/City of Fort Walton Beach Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Attachment: 2013 Triennial Report Final (1603 : Acceptance of SHIP Triennial Report) 2013 Triennial Review Incentive Review and Recommendation Report I. Background Information This Triennial Review of the Okaloosa County/City of Ft Walton Beach Incentive Review and Recommendation Report for Okaloosa County and the City of Ft Walton Beach was developed pursuant to Section 420.9076 of the Florida Statutes. Okaloosa County and the City of Ft Walton Beach have entered into interlocal agreements to jointly address the provision of affordable housing within their respective jurisdictions, and have, by resolution, agreed to utilize a joint Affordable Housing Advisory Committee in fulfillment of statutory requirements. II. Public Hearing The Okaloosa County AHAC conducted its final review of, and adopted, this “2013 Triennial Review of the Okaloosa County/City of Ft Walton Beach Incentive Review and Recommendations Report” during its public meeting of March 26, 2013. This meeting was advertised in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 420.9076, Florida Statutes. The public hearing was held at 2:00 PM in the third floor conference room of the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Administration Building located at 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as stated in the advertisement (see Attachment 1). Members of the AHAC in attendance were Board members in attendance were Ken Wolfe; Kathy Orr; Mike Kent; Nitsi Bennett; Anita Williams; Deborah Maney; Randy Wise, and Felix Beukenkamp. Nate Smith and Gary McMorrow were not present. III. Incentives & Recommendations a. Incentive: The processing of approvals of development orders or permits, as defined in s. 163.3164(7) and (8), for affordable housing projects is expedited to a greater degree than other projects. Review Synopsis: The Comprehensive Plans of both Okaloosa County and the City of Ft Walton Beach include objectives and policies which address this incentive. In addition, Section 1A.05 of Chapter 1A of the Okaloosa County Land Development Code was amended in 2010 to include a formal expedited process for affordable housing projects. Due to the nature of development in Ft Walton Beach, the City is able to adaptively respond to affordable housing requests and provide priority handling of such applications. The City’s Comprehensive Plan specifically addresses this incentive in Policy C.6.2, which states that the City will implement procedures to expedite the development order and Packet Pg. 362  8.1.a.a 2013 AHAC Triennial Incentive Review and Recommendation Report Page 2 of 8 permitting process for housing projects which meet the definition for affordable housing, or contain inclusionary workforce units. As a practice, the City will expedite the permitting and development review for affordable housing projects. Attachment: 2013 Triennial Report Final (1603 : Acceptance of SHIP Triennial Report) Board Action: The Board of County Commissioner’s 2010 amendment of its Land Development Code was the necessary action. While there have been no affordable housing projects submitted since 2010, the County should monitor the effectiveness of the expedited review process. City Council adopted the 2011-2021 Comprehensive Plan, which contains policies to expedite the development order approval and permit process for affordable housing projects. Recommendation: The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners and Ft Walton Beach City Council should continue their existing practices of working with affordable housing providers. b. Incentive: The modification of impact-fee requirements, including reduction or waiver of fees and alternative methods of fee payment for affordable housing. Review Synopsis: The only fee charged by Okaloosa County that may be considered an impact fee is the tap fee for connection to the County’s central water and sewer system. Because the County’s Water and Sewer Department is an enterprise fund (meaning it is funded solely by revenues from customers) and its fee structure is set by regulatory guidelines, this fee cannot be waived. The County has, however, used grant funds when available to offset hookup fees for qualified households. The City of Fort Walton Beach currently has a grant program approved by City Council in June 2012 that pays up to 100% of impact fees in the City’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). As detailed in the City’s 2012 CRA Plan, one of the primary goals of the CRA is to promote affordable housing. Board Action: As of this writing, the County has not established a formal fund for paying tap fees, however, grant funds have been used. City Council has approved a grant program that can pay for the impact fees of affordable housing and other development in the CRA. Recommendation: The Board of County Commissioners should research the feasibility of establishing a Board- controlled fund which could be used to offset water and sewer tap fees for affordable housing projects, and should consider working with the City to determine how its program works. c. Incentive: The allowance of flexibility in densities for affordable housing. Review Synopsis: Policy 10.1 of the Future Land Use Element of the Okaloosa County Comprehensive Plan provides a bonus of 1 to 5 units per acre for affordable housing (it varies by Future Land Use Map designation). As part of its 2010 Packet Pg. 363  8.1.a.a 2013 AHAC Triennial Incentive Review and Recommendation Report Page 3 of 8 amendments to its Land Development Code, the Board of County Commissioners created Section 2.19.00.4 which provides for density bonuses consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The City of Fort Walton Beach Land Development