TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the 2023 City of North Port Federal and State Legislative Priorities.
Recommended Action
Approve the 2023 City of North Port Federal and State Legislative Priorities.
Background Information
The City Commission annually reviews and adopts the City of North Port’s Federal and State Legislative Priorities in preparation for the Federal and State Legislative Sessions.
During the City Commission Regular Meeting held on September 13, 2022, the following motions were made by the Commission regarding the City of North Port Federal and State Legislative Priorities:
Ø A motion was made to direct the City Manager to adjust the 2023 state legislative priorities to remove economic development support for the DEO and Visit Florida, remove hospital districts supported taxes, add affordable housing blurb, add Suncoast Technical College (STC) funding blurb, update all statistics to reflect current statistics, and add recommendations for Medicaid and COCPN program.
Ø A motion was made to direct the City Manager to adjust the 2023 state legislative priorities to remove North Port supports home rule, remove FEMA disaster reimbursement, and update statistics on back side.
Pursuant to the Commission’s direction, staff drafted revisions to the legislative priorities text which were presented at the November 7, 2022, City Commission Workshop. At the Commission Workshop, the Commission directed the following revisions:
Ø On the State Priorities, under infrastructure, add water quality improvement, stormwater management, and providing septic to sewer conversion incentives testing and resiliency.
Ø On the State Priorities, under Affordable Housing, include:
ü Supports all initiatives and incentives to support affordable housing projects including use of the Sadowski funds for local housing assistance as intended.
ü Approved by statewide voters and property insurance industries reform.
Ø On the State Priorities, under Suncoast Technical College (STC) as a new subheading to state: supports fully funding to ensure all facilities in growing student population needs are fully met.
Ø On the Federal Priorities, add a bullet point for Disaster Recovery and include a subheading, Property Insurance Industry Reform.
Ø On Federal Priorities, remove the Water Quality bullet and add the infrastructure verbiage from the State Priorities.
Ø On Federal Priorities, under Disaster Recovery, include FEMA reimbursements and debris removal for 90 days.
Ø On Federal Priorities, add supports all initiatives and incentives to support and provide affordable workforce housing programs.
Strategic Plan
Good Governance
Financial Impact
None.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Draft State Legislative Priorities
2. Draft Federal Legislative Priorities
3. November 7, 2022 Draft Commission Meeting Minutes
Prepared by: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
Department Director: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager