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Florida Special District Handbook Online

Section 1 - 6: Comprehensive Planning and Public Facilities Reporting

Comprehensive Planning

An intent of the Uniform Special District Accountability Act of 1989 is to improve local government comprehensive planning while not:

The requirements below apply to special districts as they relate to their activities:

Exceptions

Public Facilities Reporting

The Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act requires local general-purpose governments to develop comprehensive plans and revise them as necessary. This process requires that they know about the public facilities owned or operated by independent special districts.

Consequently, Florida developed a policy to foster coordination between independent special districts and local general-purpose governments. This requires each independent special district to comply with the Public Facilities Initial Report, the Public Facilities Annual Notice of Any Changes, and the Public Facilities Updated Report.

Public Facilities Initial Report

Within one year after creation, certain independent special districts must submit this report to each local general-purpose government in which it is located. This report describes all of the existing public facilities the special district owns or operates, including those that the special district leases to other entities, besides local general-purpose governments. The description of each public facility must include the following:

In addition, any proposed construction of a public facility within the next five years must be identified and details provided. If a special district has not submitted an initial public facilities report to the appropriate local general-purpose government, it should do so right away so the local general-purpose government can update its records.

Exceptions

Public Facilities Annual Notice of Any Changes

Annually, after submitting the Public Facilities Initial Report, independent special districts must submit a Public Facilities Annual Notice of Any Changes to each local general-purpose government in which it is located. This notice describes changes or updates, if any, that may need to be made to the Public Facilities Initial Report.

Exceptions

Public Facilities Updated Report

Every five years, each independent special district must submit this report to each local general-purpose government in which it is located.

Background

All local general-purpose governments must submit an Evaluation and Appraisal Report to The Department of Community Affairs, Division of Community Planning, and then an updated Evaluation and Appraisal Report every five years, pursuant to the Scheduled Due Dates for Adoption of Evaluation and Appraisal Reports.

Due Date

The Special District Information Program has the responsibility of notifying each independent special district, at least 12 months before its first updated report is due, of the Scheduled Due Dates for Adoption of Evaluation and Appraisal Reports. The first updated report is due to each local general purpose government in which it is located at least 12 months before the local general-purpose government(s) report is due. For example, if the schedule shows that the local general-purpose government's Evaluation and Appraisal Report is due to the Department of Community Affairs by October 1, 2011, the special district's first Public Facilities Updated Report must be submitted to that local general-purpose government by October 1, 2010, and then every five years.

Exceptions

The Public Facilities Updated Report must contain a description of the following:

Notes:

Additional Information

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