The Alachua County 2020 Charter Review Commission (CRC) will meet on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. This is a virtual meeting, as authorized by the Florida Governor’s Executive Order No. 20-69, and Alachua County Emergency Order No. 2020-10.
The public may attend virtually through Cox Cable Channel 12,
Facebook, and the County’s
Video on Demand website. For meeting audio only, call 301-715-8592, and when prompted, enter Meeting ID 670 695 3024. The public may submit comments to the CRC through email (
CharterReview@alachuacounty.us) or by calling into the public comment message line when prompted to call during the meeting.
Public comment will be taken by telephone for all Public Hearing items, on all non-ministerial items on which the CRC votes, and on CRC-related matters not on the agenda.
Once public comment is opened for an item under discussion, please call 929-205-6099, and when prompted, enter Meeting ID 273 174 8038. Callers will be put in a queue, and prompted when it is their turn to speak. TO AVOID FEEDBACK, SPEAKERS MUST TURN DOWN THEIR MEETING SOUND WHEN ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION.
Callers should state their name and limit comments to three minutes.
The public is encouraged to submit any written or photographic documents prior to the meeting to CharterReview@alachuacounty.us. Any questions regarding participation should be directed to the Alachua County Communications Office at 352-374-5204.
Backup documents for indicated agenda items, including all charter amendments for which public hearings are being held, may be accessed online at the following web address:
https://alachuacounty.us/charterreview.
The meeting agenda includes:
1. Public Hearing – Question #A – County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING COUNTY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREA
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended, effective countywide, to establish a County Growth Management Area (“Area”), provide for removal of lands from the Area, provide that the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations will exclusively govern land development in the Area, whether inside or outside municipal boundaries, authorize implementing ordinances, and provide that the charter and implementing ordinances shall prevail over conflicting municipal ordinances?
2. Public Hearing – Question #B – County Charter Amendment to Identify and Eliminate Racial, Economic, and Gender Bias in County Policies (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE RACIAL, ECONOMIC, AND GENDER BIAS IN COUNTY POLICIES
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to require reviews of new and existing County ordinances, regulations, policies, and programs (“County Policies”), conducted by a committee of residents appointed by the County Commission, to identify elements of racial, economic, and gender bias and revisions to eliminate such biases, require presentation of such revisions to relevant decision makers, and require the County Commission to consider and take action on each such revision to existing County Policies?
3. Public Hearing – Question #C – County Charter Amendment Creating Environmental Protection Officer as Charter Officer (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT CREATING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER AS CHARTER OFFICER
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to create an Environmental Protection Officer, who shall be hired, fired, and responsible directly to the County Commission (rather than the County Manager), and who shall serve as department head for the County’s Environmental Protection Department, with authority to propose Department budgets and hire and fire Department employees, while also providing that transfers of authority from the Department must be approved by supermajority vote of the County Commission?
4. Public Hearing – Question #D – County Charter Amendment Establishing Alachua County Affordable Housing Trust Fund (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING ALACHUA COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to establish an Alachua County Affordable Housing Trust Fund used to create and sustain affordable housing, which may be funded by fees from new commercial and residential development and other sources, all as directed by the County Commission, and to provide for the purposes, revenue sources, appropriation and expenditure of funds, continuing nature, implementation by ordinance, and administration and oversight of the Trust Fund?
5. Public Hearing – Question #E – County Charter Cleanup Amendment Removing Unconstitutional Provisions (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER CLEANUP AMENDMENT REMOVING UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to remove two unconstitutional provisions, one unconstitutionally prohibiting protections based on sexual orientation, sexual preference, or similar characteristics, and another imposing unconstitutional residency requirements for county commissioner qualifying?
6. Public Hearing – Question #F – County Charter Amendment Concerning Candidate Treasurer Report Requirements (Backup document available)
COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT CONCERNING CANDIDATE TREASURER REPORT REQUIREMENTS
Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to remove any requirement that candidates file treasurer reports on paper, while retaining the existing requirement that they must file treasurer reports electronically?
7. Eliminated proposals – referrals to other agencies (Backup document available)
8. Final Report
9. Public Comment – on any CRC-related matter not on the Agenda (not to exceed 30 minutes)
10. Member Comments
11. Attorney and Staff Comments
12. Information Items (Backup document - if available)
Tabled Motion (December 11, 2019) Commissioner Thompson moved and Commissioner Robbins seconded that the Charter Review Commission shall clearly indicate to the Board of County Commissioners and the Supervisor of Elections its preferred order of appearance on ballot for proposed amendments.
In 1986, the electorate established a home rule charter for Alachua County. This gave the County the full local home rule benefits afforded by the Constitution of the State of Florida. Every ten years, the CRC reviews the Charter and proposes amendments or revisions for placement on the general election ballot, which in the case of this CRC would be the November 2020 ballot.
The members of the 2020 CRC are Penny Wheat (Chair), Joe Little (Vice-Chair), Douglas Bernal, K. Richard Blount, Scott Camil, James Ingle, Nicholas Klein, Pradeep Kumar, Erroll “Stanley” Richardson, Tamara Robbins, James Thompson, and Kristen Young.
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