Question posed to William Waters this morning: "Any word on SB HB 537 Elections and the other is SB HB 537 Growth Management?"

These are the bills that would make the height referendum void, not to mention any referenda in the state that would effect a Comprehensive Plan amendment or a development order.  This was Mr. Waters' response.

Bill has been sent to Governor.  I believe he has 15 days to either sign or veto.  If no action, I understand it becomes law.  Comp Plan Amendment item comes up again following legal opinion on the issue on July 2, 2013 City Commission.  Thanks.

There are some that refuse to understand that it is not the Charter that regulates the development of land in the city or in the state of Florida for that matter.  Regulation of the development of land is done by the Comprehensive Plan and implemented by the Land Development Regulations or Zoning Code. The referendum we had here in March, in order to be effective and applied in a real-world situation, has caused the need for amending the city's Comprehensive Plan so that height is limited within the core downtown area as described by the referendum.

If this becomes law, it logically would block the city from amending its Comprehensive Plan based upon the results of a referendum - retroactively to June 2011.  What is so difficult to understand about that?  And, in case anyone cares, this legislation appears to result from the backlash caused by Hometown Democracy advocates (eh hem) over-playing their hand in an attempt to modify the state's constitution so that ALL changes to a local government's comprehensive plan would require a local referendum.  Seems this is a "smack down" by the state legislature and the Governor.  Just sayin'.