BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA

C. EXISTING TEXT/POLICIES: See Attachment #1
PCT130110 Environmental Definitions
D. PROPOSED TEXT/POLICIES: Attachment #1 includes all proposed amendments in
legislative format and provides staff notes describing each change.
E. APPLICANT’S REASON FOR THE AMENDMENT:
The proposed text amendment is intended to update definitions included in the
Comprehensive Plan Glossary based on the updates conducted by the City and County as
part of the Countywide Minimum Environmental Standards project. These changes will
avoid confusion between the definitions included in the City and County Code and the
definitions in the Comprehensive Plan.
F. STAFF ANALYSIS
History
The proposed amendments are associated with implementation of the Minimum Countywide
Environmental Standards project as proposed by the Citizen Charter Review Committee. The
Charter Amendment that initiated this process was approved by voters on November 2, 2010 and
became effective April 1, 2011.
At their December 13, 2010 Retreat, the Board approved a staff proposal to implement the Charter
Amendment through a "two-phased" approach. Phase 1 consisted of adoption by the Board of
uniform stormwater management standards for water quality in those basins and/or special study
areas that bisect jurisdictional lines, and incorporated the City's environmental regulations into the
County Environmental Management Act (EMA). The Phase 2 component of implementation
included coordinating with the Board-appointed Citizen's Committee and City staff to integrate all
remaining County and City environmental regulations into one recommended Minimum
Countywide Environmental Regulations Ordinance adopted by the Board on May 8, 2012.
Planning Department staff participated in the Phase 2 implementation process to ensure that all
changes to the City and County regulations were consistent with the Tallahassee-Leon County
Comprehensive Plan. Through this process, the three Glossary definition updates included in this
amendment were identified.
Analysis of Proposed Text
The proposed definition changes noted in Attachment #1 are intended to directly implement the
definitions developed by City and County Staff, approved by the Board-appointed Citizen's
Committee, and already adopted into code by the Board and the City Commission. This update will
help to avoid any future confusion related to significant differences between these environmental
definitions in the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code of each jurisdiction.
County Strategic Priorities
By completing implementation of the Countywide Minimum Environmental Standards project, the
proposed amendment supports one of the Board's key Strategic Initiatives regarding the
environment: "Implement strategies that protect the environment and promote orderly growth,
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