Government Digest 11/27/09

Commissioner oversight
TALLAHASSEE — The state's insurance morass and discontentment with Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is generating legislation requiring the governor, cabinet and Senate to reconfirm the appointment of the state insurance commissioner every two years. Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, chairman of the Policy and Steering Committee on Commerce and Industry, is sponsoring the bill, SB 740. McCarty has been under fire for his role in Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of the Consumer Choice Act, which would have allowed highly capitalized property and casualty insurance companies meeting other requirements to charge market-based rates. A revised version of the Consumer Choice Act is expected to be filed in December.

Master plan adopted
PASCO COUNTY — The county commission recently adopted a strategic master plan for the Lacoochee-Trilby area. County staff has worked for months with community residents, social service agencies and other governmental organizations to create the plan, which addresses road improvements, beautification, job creation, recreation and preservation of environmental lands. The county will look at options for funding the plan, including public-private partnerships, tax-increment financing through the creation of a community redevelopment agency, and grants.

Pasco EDC hires CEO
PASCO COUNTY — The Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc. has hired John L. Hagen as its new president and CEO. Hagen will transition into his role during December and begin leading the EDC full-time Jan. 2. Hagen is a 30-year veteran of the economic development profession. Since 2004, he has been the economic development director for the city of Surprise, Ariz. Prior to that he was the executive director of the Anderson Corporation for Economic Development in Madison County, Indiana, a position he held from 1986 to 2004. John Walsh will remain as interim president until Hagen starts.

I-75 third lane open
LEE COUNTY — The third northbound lane of Interstate 75 is now open from the Golden Gate interchange in Collier County to the Colonial Boulevard interchange in Fort Myers. The third southbound lane is scheduled to open in late December or early January.

MEETINGS

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
The Mobility Fee Technical Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30, in the County Center, 20th floor conference room, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in downtown Tampa to continue the discussion of a mobility fee schedule to potentially replace the concurrency system. Concurrency is how local governments require the private sector to pay for infrastructure, such as roads, schools and parks to serve new development.

The county has been reviewing the process for several months and formed a technical committee to establish a method to calculate the mobility fee. The technical committee includes representatives from the planning and growth management department, public works, county attorney, planning commission, Florida Department of Transportation, city of Tampa, HART, and industry experts.

After the first step is completed, a policy committee will be formed to make recommendations on implementing the fee. For more information on the mobility fee
review process, visit: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm/mobilityfee or call (813) 276-8383.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization meets Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. in the 2nd floor county commission chambers at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., downtown Tampa.

TAMPA
The economic development subcommittee of the East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership meets at 2 p.m., Nov. 30, at Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, 1920 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa. For more information contact Cindy Toselli at (813) 242-3807.

COLLIER COUNTY
The Bayshore Triangle Community Redevelopment Agency Local Advisory Board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Bayshore Gateway Triangle CRA Office, 4069 Bayshore Drive, Naples.

The Developments Services Advisory Committee meets at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 in the CDES Conference Rooms 609/610, 2800 N. Horseshoe Drive, Naples.

LEE COUNTY
The county commission will hear departments' strategic plan presentations at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 in the commission chambers, 2120 Main St., Fort Myers.

MANATEE COUNTY
The county commission and law enforcement chiefs will hold a joint work session at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the Bradenton Country Club, 4646 9th Ave. W., Bradenton.

SARASOTA
The city commission will hold a joint workshop with the public art committee at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 in the city commission chambers, city hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota to discuss possible amendments to the public art loan program; the donation program; developer contribution policy; and final approval authority for works of art. For more information, call (941) 954-4160.