LOCAL GOVERNMENT UPDATES – Sept. 2
As part of your Chamber Business Advocacy Committee’s goal of monitoring, informing, communicating and advocating on your behalf regarding important issues impacting local businesses, listed below are highlights for the upcoming local government meetings during the week of September 2.
As with all City & County Commission meetings, Chamber staff will be in attendance in support of your business and joining with our partners toward enhancing our region’s economic climate. Below you will find a brief description of those issues that you may find of special interest.
Leon County BOCC Meeting (September 2)
The next Leon County Board of County Commissioners meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2 at 3 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the County Courthouse. The full meeting agenda can be found HERE. The following section includes additional information, with website links, regarding top items of interest to the business community scheduled on the agenda during the county’s meeting:
- Approval of Plat for the Lakeshore Lane Subdivision: This agenda item, on consent, approves a plat for nine new residential units in the Lakeshore area on just over 33 acres of land. With no fiscal impact upon the government, it is believed that this item will help add supply to the community’s high-demand available (vested) residential lots that are “ready to build” upon.
- Approval of Plat for the Bannerman Corner Subdivision: Similar to the above land use approval, this item prepares (and would approve) six new commercial lots in the Bannerman Road and Thomasville Road intersection for further commercial improvement.
- Acceptance of Status Reports on the Enterprise Zone Development Agency and Apalachee Regional Planning Council: The Board is scheduled to receive and accept two brief status reports regarding the Enterprise Zone (a key economic development tool in our community that is managed under contract by the Economic Development Council) and the regional planning council. Such status reports provide periodic public review and analysis of program goals and achievements and highlight emerging trends in key areas.
- Appointment to the LCRDA (Innovation Park) Board of Governors: Per County Ordinance and Resolution, appointments to the governing body of the Innovation Park board must come before the County Commission for review and approval. In recent years, significant effort and focus has been placed upon updating goals and improving performance at our community’s top research commercial center. Most recently, the county and Innovation Park leadership joined to re-tool the membership of the governing body of the park. Subsequently a blue ribbon panel (including Chamber CEO Sue Dick) was formed to vet candidates for appointment to the board. This item receives the recommendations for appointment from that committee and provides the opportunity for the County Commission to fully staff this board.
- Public Hearings upon Numerous Fees and Assessments: Each year, a series of mandatory steps that must be approved by public hearing are undertaken as part of the normal budget development and approval process. Accordingly, a series of items for various fees and assessments are set for public hearing (at 6 p.m.) for such review and approval by the Board and as subcomponents of the annual budget plan of the county. The entire budget of Leon County (for FY 2014/2015) is scheduled for approval at the county’s next two meetings in September, also to be performed at public hearings.
City of Tallahassee Commission Meeting (Sept. 3)
- The next City of Tallahassee Commission regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 3 at noon in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. A series of issues presented on the agenda appear of particular interest to the business community. Additional information regarding all City agenda issues (such as those highlighted below) can be found in the full City agenda HERE.
- At the time of this writing, no published agenda has yet been made available upon the city’s website for the scheduled meeting to occur tomorrow at noon. Staff recommends you periodically check the above weblink for posting of this information in advance of the meeting.
- For Thursday, September 4, at 1:30 p.m. (also at City Hall’s Commission Chambers), the City has taken the lead role in scheduling a meeting of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). The Agenda for this meeting is also available presently via the above weblink and primarily covers the required approval of the budget for this public body for the coming fiscal year (set to begin on October 1) and estimated at approximately $3.1M in total revenues.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions you may have about this content and/or the Chamber’s comprehensive set of activities to Monitor, Inform, Engage and Advocate on behalf of the Greater Tallahassee business community through the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee.
On behalf of your Business Advocacy Committee,
Benjamin H. Pingree, MPA
Vice President, Business Retention/Expansion & Public Policy
Seeking to monitor, inform, communicate and engage for the benefit of our members, businesses and economic good.
