Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Appoint Mayor Oravec to serve as the City’s elected official on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
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Submitted By: Alessandra Tasca, Community Programs Administrator
Strategic Plan Link: The City’s Mission to be responsive to our community.
Executive Summary (General Business): In June of 2020 the State Legislature passed House Bill 1339 - Omnibus Housing Bill (HB 1339) amending Senate Bill 998 which requires local governments who receive State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds to appoint an elected official to their Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) and convene the committee annually as opposed to every three years. The City of Port St. Lucie has approved, in agenda item 2021-077 on 2/8/2021, the changes to Chapter 100: Local Housing Assistance in Ordinance 21-12 in order to reflect the changes introduced by HB 1339. This agenda item serves to confirm Mayor Gregory J. Oravec as the City’s elected official that will be appointed to serve on the AHAC for the year 2021.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council vote to approve to appoint Mayor Oravec as the City’s elected official that will serve on the AHAC for the year 2021.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and provide staff direction.
2. Move that the Council not approve the motion to appoint and provide stadd direction.
Background: The AHAC shall review the established policies and procedures, ordinances, land development regulations, and adopted comprehensive plan of the appointing local government and shall recommend specific actions or initiatives to encourage or facilitate affordable housing while protecting the ability of the property to appreciate in value. The Committee will be formed beginning March 2021 and will carry out these activities on a regular basis and produce a report every December for the Neighborhood Services Department to submit to the State’s Florida Housing Coalition (FHC) in order to be in compliance with our State housing grants’ rules and regulations.
Issues/Analysis: Per HB 1339 and direction from the FHC, which manages State SHIP funding compliance, the City has to comply with three changes required by the State when managing the City’s AHAC. The AHAC Report is now an annual requirement, instead of triennial (HB 1339 lines 1036-1055). Therefore, the AHAC shall begin convening yearly as of 2021. The AHAC, when it convenes shall take into consideration all affordable housing incentives outlined in HB 1339 and effective October 1, 2020, one locally elected official from the municipality needs to be appointed to the AHAC every year (HB 1339 lines 1005-1008). Additional information is outlined in an attached presentation from FHC.
Financial Information: AHAC activities are funded by the City’s SHIP administration costs and managed by the Community Programs Division of the Neighborhood Services Department.
Special Consideration: Neighborhood Services will work with the Clerk’s Office to solicit applications from interested community members to serve on the AHAC and a Resolution will be drafted for the City Council to approve the recommended appointments. Additionally, the City Attorney’s Office has opined that although City of Port St. Lucie Charter Sec. 3.11 prohibits elected official appointments to advisory committees State law supercedes the Charter. Therefore, an elected official should be appointed to the AHAC.
Location of Project: City of Port St. Lucie
Attachments: FHC - Omnibus Housing Bill HB 1339 6-29-20 (002), Amendments proposed for Chapter 100: Local Housing Assistance Ordinance, summary presentation from FHC.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 5802
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Ella M. Gilbert, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by James D. Stokes, City Attorney.