1979 Study: Planning in Local Government

JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL, INC. A Report To The Citizens Of Jacksonville

I.M. Sulzbacher,Chairman PLANNING

August, 1979 IN JACKSONVILLE'S

GOVERNMENT

SCOPE OF THE STUDY This JCCI study of Planning in Jacksonville's government was recommendedby the JCCI Program Committee in 1978. Several previous JCCI study committees (Housing, 1977; Local Government Finance, 1977; and Public Authorities, 1978) touched on planning and made recommendations about the planning process, although planning was not their major concern.

The committee charge from the JCCI Board of Managers was to determine the best mechanism to insure that planning is comprehensive, coordinated and, most important of all, implanented. Areas of primary interest include:

.

. .

The position of the planning function in the structure

of Jacksonville's

governnent

Tbe zoning process: how it can be streamlined and how it might be affected by a change in location of the ~lanning function The capital outlay and capital improvement process: and effecti ve.

how they can be made more meaningful.

Planning means preparing for the future. The committee has assumed that planning is a valid and essential part of effective government. For the purposes of this study, planning is very broad in meaning, including the elements described in the city charter and the Local GovernmentComprehensivePlanning Act, such as . land use, traffic circulation, conservation,-recreationand open space,. housing, coastal zone protection, water, solid \~aste, sewers and drainage, utilities, ports and airports, transportation, public services and facilities.

Planning is d process by which goals and objectives ar~ determined, the existing situation and options are assessed, and finally, action is taken. Without action or implementation planning is of little value.

HIGHLIGHTS (A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS) RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS:

MAJOR PROBLEMS:

The development of comprehensive plans which are not adopted by City Council A lack of communitysupport for planning The location of planning functions on the periphery of government

Adopt a comprehensive plan in compliance with the Florida Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act Create a new Office of Planning/Budget Policy under the Mayor

Planning without implementation; lack of coordination of plans and budgets

Ensure a continuous planning process by requiring annual updating of 1, 5, and 15 year plans

Planning by manyagencies and departments with insufficient coordination

Require a planning impact statement before committing to capital improvement projects

Inadequate funding of needed capital improvements

Create an advisory board with representatives from neighborhood groups and at-large members

Inadequate public consideration and pol ides

of plans

A cumbersomeand duplicative re-zoning process which creates inequities

Simplify andim~rove the rezoning process by the use of a professional hearing offi cer

FINDINGS Findings are derived from published materials-listed in the references or from a consensus of committee understanding a~ reported by resource persons.

COMMUNITY GOALS

1.

Jacksonville has achieved no community consensus of broad goals.

IMPLEMENTATION

3.

For example, do we want to become a large industrialized city like Atlanta? .Dowe want to remain muchas we are today? Wouldwe 1ike to becomemore of a tourist econoll1Y?These and other questions receive different answers from different individuals but there has never been the opportunity for widespread public discussion and a consensus on these vital questions.

Yet, broad goals for the communityconstitute the set of communityvalues which should be the objectives of all planning.

Jacksonville has produced a number of quality plans but it shows an extremely poor record of implementation of these pl ans.

Manyof the plans have been. mandated by other levels of government instead of being initiated by local communityneeds.

In some cases their primary usefulness has been to provide a data base for the planners in their next round of plans.

There are many factors which account for Jacksonville's lack of implementation of its plans:

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

2.

Community Climate

a.

Jacksonville has never adopted an overall communlt~-wldeplan.

The 1980 P1an, which took years of preparation by the Jacksonville Area Planning Board and its manycitizen advisory groups and committees, was never adopted by the City Council; although the standards and policies handbook was adopted.

The DowntownDevelopment Plan was adopted by ordinance by City Council. Smaller neighborhood plans such as the Springfield Plan and the Mandarin P1an have been adopted by Council by means of resolution rather than ordinance. The legal force of a resolution, as opposed to an ordinance, is not entirely. clear.

.

The State of Florida, recognizing the value of and need for planning, required via its Local GovernmentComprehensive P1anning Act of 1975 that all cities in Florida adopt and submit to the state a comprehensive plan by July 1, 1979.

This plan must include at least nine elements described in the legislation.

Jacksonville along with manyother communities, has requested and received a one year extension for adoption of its plan. By July 1980 all Florida cities must be in compliance. For the first time thesE: plans win have the force of 1aWe Once the plan is adopted all development must be consistent \'dth the plan. Amendingthe plan requires the same steps as required for adoption of the plan. full public notice and.hearing are required, as well as review by state, regional and local planning agencies. However, the Act provides for exceptions to the amendmentprocess. Where a change is proposed in the land use element affecting 5%or less of the land area of the jurisdiction, only a simple majority vote of Council is required to enact the change.

-2-

The climate and attitudes towards planning now and in Jacksonville's recent past have not been strongly positive.

Prior to 1961 there .was no mechanism

for planning in JacksonvH1e and Duval

County government. A new s.choo1 might be completed in August for a September opening without any planning for roads to lead to that school or the monies that would be required to build those roads. In 1961 the legis1ature created the Jacksonville Duval Area Planning Board to do the planning for Jacksonville and the Duval County area and adjacent counties.

The county Budget Commission, reflecting the low value it placed on planning, allocated one dollar for the new agency in its budget. A factor whfch eventually brought about more support of the planning function was the requirement for planning prior to the awarding of federal funds for many municipal government projects.

Today, the Jacksonville Area Planning Board has a budget of $1,037,188 of which $427,766 is supplied from local sources. Nevertheless, there are groups within the communitywho continue to oppose plan~ ning. Someare opposed because .they believe that planning interferes with the rights of property owners. The failure of the City Council to pass a comprehensive plan. demonstrates the lack of commitment to planning or the lack of consensus on goals.

Despite efforts by the Jacksonville Area Planning Board to involve citizens in the planning process, there is still very 1ittle conmunity awareness of the need for planning or general understanding of the plans that have been developed.

Position of Planning Function

Another result of having the planning function located. in independent agency status is that neither the Mayor nor Council have confidence in, nor commitment to the plans. The major support for this arrangement comes from the professional planners themselves and some membersof the 1ay Planning Board.

b. ~lanning function is located out 0 t e mainstream of Jacksonville's government.

Today there is an apparent trend away from independent planning boards or commissions.

Sometime ago it was fashionable to position planning agencies and boards independently as advisory groups outside the main part of local government. The theor,y behind this was that the professional planners themselves would then be free to develop plans based on sound, professional principles without political pressures.

Finally, when the plans were presented to the legislative policy-making body it would inject into the plan the human dimension and communityvalues. Jacksonville's planning process today is based on this theory. Someresource persons appearing before the committee indicated that the reality does not match the theory. That is, the pure professional plan which arrives finally for City Council approval is essentially a myth.

From the very beginning planners themselves may be persuaded or influenced by their own friends.

LObbyingtakes place at the Planning Board level when, ':n fact, some of the major policies of a plan have been changed. The result is that lobbying, political influence and the injection of values into the planning process continue from almost the beginning of that process.

The Local GovernmentStudy Commission in 1965 'recommendedretaining the Jacksonville Area Planning Board as an independent body primarily because it was the function of this board to serve not only Jacksonvi11 e and Duval County but nearby counties of Northeast Florida.

Tn 1977 as a result of federal requirements, the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council was formed, taking away the duties of the Jacksonville Area Planning Board which related to other counties. Although the name,remains the lJacksonvi11e Area Planning Board, in function today it is the Jacksonville Planning Board.

This JCCI committee on planning reviewed the recommendations of several previous JCCI studies and other reports which addressed the lack of implementation of plans in Jacksonville.

Without exception these studies recommendedthat planning be relocated as a major department under the Mayor. The Mayor, who would then appoint the director of th.e department of planning, subject to confirmation by Council, would be accountable to the people for planning. He would be more attuned to and conscious of planning and more likely to be committed to implementation.

This specific recommendation comes from two JCCI study committees one whose major focus was Ilousi ng and zoning in Jacksonville, and the other which studied the public authorities in 1978. In addition, a study of the planning function was performed by Mayor Tanzler by a committee 0f 1eadi ng citizens in 1977. They carefully considered the pros and cons of the present independent status 0f the Planni ng Board versus a department under the Mayor, a staff function of the Mayor1s Office, a staff function of City Colincil, and a combination of DowntownDevelopment, Housing and Urban Development, and planning in a department. It was the conclusion of that committee that planning should be located in a department under the Mayor.

-

In 1971 the American Society of Planning Officials, after a study of planning in Jacksonville, issued a report, Toward More Effective Plannin~ in Jacksonville.

One of its recommendat~onswas the formation of a planning department under the MayO r.

"Wethink that there are two important reasons for establishing a planning department in Jacksonville, each. of whjcb relates to the issue of influence and implementation:

-3-

I

will speak directly to the Mayor, c.1) Early planning theory conceived offer him the kind of advi ce he of the planning board or commission needs to make the best decisions, as an independent agency outside the and have the influence and prestige mainstream of politics and not subject of the Mayor to support planning to political pressures.- Composedof agency recommendations. and with the prominent lay citizens assistance of a professional staff to Funding provide technical expertise the independent body was to rely on its c. Another major reason that plans are influence, prestige and comprehensive not implemented is inadequate funding. view of the public interest to achieve its plans. In most. places it just hasn't Through the Capital autl ay Program worked out that way. Most have been. priorities are assigned first by too far removed from the seats of power the Planning Board and then by the to have had a significant influence Mayor and by independent agencies on the direction of growth and.change to all capital outlay projects deemed in their communities. Planning boards to be needed by the city. have insulated the staffs from elected officials and agency heads whomust Finally the City Council sets its carry out their recommendations. In priorities and these priorities determany instances board membershave come mine the order of funding. Resources from those interested in land development allocated to capital outlay have been including real estate brokers, developers, so limited over the years that over zoning lawyers, archtects, and others and over again items with a high ra ther tha n from the general pub1ic. priority continue on the 1i st unfunded While there have been outstanding and unimp1ementeduntil finally the commissioners, willing to experiment and innovate, tackle controversial ordering of priorities becomes meanissues, and get into unusual subjects ingless.

The capital outlay program is funded after all other budgetary for a pl anni ng agency, most have taken needs are met. a go-slow attitude, preferring to do things in a rather traditional way.

The items rated priority one in the 1978-79 budget amounted to 64 million (2) Consoli dated Jacksonville has a "strong dollars as requested by agencies and Mayor" form of government which means departments. Fifty seven million that the 14ayorhas substantial appointive dollars. of item 1 priorities were powers and some discretion in carryin!) recommendedby the Jacksonville Area out legislative policy. As the chief Planning Board and 40 million dollars executive, the Mayor is the primary voice of this was actually funded by the City for change in the community, for proposing Council. Of the 40 million actually new policy direction and new ideas. At funded only 25%or about 10 million all levels of government, municipal, dollars came from local sources, and state, and federal, chief executives of that 10 mill ion, water and sewer have become increasingly involved in bond funds made up 7.2 million.

So charting the future course through approximately 2.79 million dollars po1icy .sta terrents, execut i ve 0 rders , carre from the general fund. (This but principally through offering a 40 mill ion do11ar fi gure does not package of bi 11s to be enacted by the include the budget of the independent legislative body. agencies).

Wethink bringing the planning staff Advocacyfor Plans closer to the Mayor, with no Board for insulation, has the potential for d. The advisory function of the Planning increasing the quality of the techrtical Board has not encouraqed its members work, for more innovation in the areas to exercise a strong advocacy for ltS of policy making and implementation plans. methods, for closer relations with the city agencies which carry out the The role of board membersstands in policies.

But most important, as a city contrast to the role of membersof department the planning agency independent authorities.

Authority membersare policy decision makers, not advi sors .

-

II

-

-

-

-

4

...

For readers unfamiliar with the functions of these government agencies, the appendix of this report includes a brief description of each.

Separation of Pl anners and DeC1S10nMakers e.

The planners themselves are not linked directly with the decision makers in Jacksonville's government

COORDINATION

Communicationsbetween the professional planners and the Nayor's Office and the City Council are 1imited. In fact, many planners do not see this 1inkage as part of their primary responsibility.

5. agencies For planning to be greater effective cootd1nat10n't with so man~ an involved, ever before is needed, but th1S 1S stl11 not happening.

f.

The plans produced by the Jacksonville Area Planning Board are weighty and voluminous and often difficult to comprehend.

This makes it difficult for the average citizen, or indeed for the decision makers themselves to gain any indepth knowledge of these plans.

Public Input

g.

During the development of significant broad plans there has not been adequate public input regarding policies.

Major long range planning documents are little debated whereas immediate rezoning matters are heatedly debated by confl icti ng interests.

DISPERSAL OF PLANNING FUNCTION

4. f:. multitude of

agencies with varying jurisdictions

and different levels of government authorization and funding are involved in the local planning process. The 1ist includes:

. The Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council The Jacksonville Area Planning Board The Metropolitan Planning Organization , The St. Johns River Water t1anagementDistrict , The Jacksonville Electric Authority The Jacksonville Port Authority

..

.. The Downtown Development Authority

. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority The School Board The Department of Public Works . The Bi o-Envi ronmenta 1 Servi ces Div. 0 f the . The Recreation Departmentof the. City

Prior to consolidation it was charged that our government was government by crisis that there was 1ittle planning or coordination. Roads were paved one day to be dug up by another city department for sewers shortly thereafter.

Unfortunately, this sort of thing still occurs.

-

Readability of Plans

<

,

Ci ty

. The Housing and Urban Development Department of the City

-5 -

A major concern is the coordination of the efforts of the independent agencies by the Planning Board before huge sums of public monies are spent on planning a project.

Another area of concern is the distribution of CommunityDevelopment Funds. These funds come to the city from the federal govern~ ment through the local department of Housing and Urban Development. Frequently there is no coordination with the Jacksonville Area Planning Board to be sure that these funds are utilized in ways that conform to an overall pl an.

A neworganization called the Metropolitan Planning Organization has been set up due to requirements by the federal government to insure coordination of transportation planning. It is complicated, but is said to be working well. This is in contrast to the failure of other agencies lacking the compulsion of law to plan effective meetings and to insure coordination of agencies involved.

The planning process today, because of the multitude of agencies involved and the conflicts amongmanydifferent environmental concerns, is very complex. Furthermore, there is no system of monitoring to see if actions taken by the decision makers are in accordance with the overall plans.

The preponderance of federal funds coming into communities has resulted in each agency and each department competing for these funds in order to expand its own staff and department. Review and approval of each project by Mayorand Council is required.

Nevertheless, a 'do your own thing' phi losophy without much consideration of the consequences of that department's (or ,agency's) actions on t~e ot~er parts of city government and commun1tyllfe has resulted.

f!'

The JCCI Public Authorities Committee, recognizing rezoning process is designed to provide an the 1ack of coordination, proposed that each plan- opportunity for property owners and developers ning unit of government, when proposing a new pro- to make changes in their own interests when these interests do not override the good or ject, be required to submit a planning impact statement for review by the Jacksonville Area well-being of the neighborhood or the entire community.

Planning Board and approval by the Mayorand City Cotincil. The statement would show the effect of the proposed project on all units of local govern- In 1977 a JCCI committee studied zoning and the rezoning process. ft concluded that the ment and the citizenry and would include a cost Zoning Board itself and the hearing process benefit analysis.

This recommendation has not utilized by it add an unnecessary step to the been implemented. r~-zoning process. That committee recommended eliminating the Zoning Board as a part of the CAPITAL OUTLAY PROGRAM re-zoning process and creating hearing officers to take over the functions of the Zoning 6. The Capital Outlay Program established in 1972 was Board in areas of variances and exceptions. to 1nsure coordlnatlOn of planmng and was to be The situation has not changed since the used as a tool 1n 1mplementatlon. issuance of that committee report. Whena Priorities are established in the following manner: citizen'makes an application for re-zoning First, individual departments and agencies compile of a property the application is processed their various requests for capital funding and by the Zoning Board staff and is forwarded to the Planning Board staff.

Professional forward them to the Jacksonville Area Planning planners evaluate how the proposed zoning Board. After discussing these proposals in great fits into their existing land use and overall detail with the agencies and departments, the professional planners assign priorities which are plan. Based on this, the planners make a approved by the Board. The 'list is then given to report and a recommendation to be used by the Zoning Board and the Urban Affairs the Mayorand independent agencies who review the Committee. The Zoning Board then holds a overall requests for coordinating purposes and then assign their priorities, based on their public hearing. This Board is a 9 member, budget preparation process. The Jacksonville Area. non-paid advisory board appointed by the City Council. Their ~ecision, after the public Planning Board compiles this information into the hearing, is forwarded to the Urban Affairs final document to be .presented to City Council.

Committee of City Council. The Urban Affairs City Council makes the final decisions on priorities and implementation although this occurs very eammittee then holds a second public hearing late in the. budgetary process. and mayor may not uphold the recommendations of the Planning Board staff and the Zoning Board The process has been helpful in that it does present to all concerned the project~ requested Finally, the full Council acts on the reand planned by all parts of the government, thus zoning. If the Urban Affairs Conmittee promoting coordination.

It does help the City vote is contrary to the decision of the Council. to have before them the view of the r'1ayor, Zoning Board then another publ ic hearing is departments and agencies, and the Jacksonville a~tomatically scheduled. Also, if a request Area Planning Board. As a process the Cavital is madeby the involved parties within 24 Outlay Program has Qeen fairly effective.

However, hours of the Urban Affairs Committee action, capital spending has been very limited because of another hearing is held. The decision of inadequate funding. the Council is subject to the veto of the Mayor as are all city ordinances. o

REZONING 7. The Rezoning process is closely related to the p~ann1ng process.

Zoning isa

tool of land use planning.

As society

has grownand people have clustered moreclosely together in cities, ft has becomenecessary to

The function of the Zoning Board in this rezoning process duplicates the role of the Urban Affairs Committeeof City Council.

Zoning Board membersare not professionals, but a lay group putting the humanor political factors. in zoning just as the City Council

does. It is probable that whenthe rezoning process was proposedby the Local Government

limit some property rights of individuals in order Study Commi$sionprior to consolidation, to protect the general welfare. Zoning regulations that they did not anticipate that City Council should be based on a comprehensive plan and on the would be functioning on a committee basis. public interest, as determined by procedures If tne Council operated as a committee of established by law. the whole, the role of the Zoning Board would not be a duplication.

Zoning policies were ~stablished on a community-widebasis in Jacksonville immediately following consolidation in 1968.

Rezoning prOvides a way for citizens, aevelopers or any property owner to appeal for a change in the use of that land. The

- e i I Ii:..

three public hearings involved in the re-zoning process present more disadvantages to private citizens than they do to developers or builders.

Private citizens must take time off from their regular employment in order to appear at a Zoning Board hearing and on frequent occasions must wait 4 or 5 hours for their place on the agenda.

Prior to the hearing they are unable to estimate their time for being heard as the agendas are frequently changed at the very last moment. The Urban Affairs Committee as well as the full Council and the Zoning Board are influenced by the numbers of citizens who actually appear at these hearings yet it is extremely difficult for citizens to attend these hearings.

On the other hand, i t-is part of 9. the business of the developers and builders to appear at hearings. They are familiar \'liththe process and the procedures and able to afford the Lise of attorneys.

The two or possibly

When rezoning applications are filed, written notices must be sent to all property owners within 300 feet of the property, whether the area is rural or densely developed.

It was expressed by some resource persons that civic associations serving the neighborhood should also receive such notices.

The rezoning process can be manipulated by applicants to their advantage.

If an applicant applying for re-zoning senses substantial neighborhood opposHion he can apply to have his petition withdrawn at the last moment.

If the p~tition is withdrawn he then can reapply and can continue this process until the neighborhood people finally are worn down or become less vigilant.

project selected for this funding must have already been planned and that work may be able to start within 90 days.

The committee was told that funds were assigned for the renovation of Hemming Park and this project was put above other priorities established by citizen advisory groups because of the specific requirements for the use of federal funds.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Citizen participation is an important element of the planmng process.

It should be built into the process from the very beginning.

One form of citizen participation is provided by the Jacksonville Area Planning Board. Currently, the lay advisory board of the JAPB performs several functions.

It serves as a sounding board for ideas and plans being considered by the staff. As mentioned above, it is supposed to increase community awareness of plans and act as advocates of plans.

It can keep the staff realistic and on target in their proposals.

It reviews reports and can make suggestions to ensure that these reports are readable and understandable.

It can also build in a broader perspective on community .issues than that held by the professional planners a lone.

In addition to the citizen participation contributed by the lay advisory board, citizen advisory committees are set up throughout the community to review plans and make comments before plans are complâ&#x201A;Źte. Some resource persons' believe that there are too many layers of citizen cOl1mittees

The rezoning process is expensive and extensive in terms of staff time and board time.

FEDERAL FUNDING

.

g, Federal funding via- grants often ha~ the effect of distorting estab.lished city prlorltles for lmplementatlon and funding.

For example, the funds provided in the Economic Development Act require that a

CONCLUSIONS Conclusions

.

represent the value judgments of the committee,

Jacksonville must decide what kind of community it wants to be. From these decisions a growth management policy should be formulated.

Jacksonville should set broad goals with all segments of the community participating .in the decisionmaking process.

Public officials must be willing to state broad goals and to involve their constituencies in an understanding of community

needsand how theycan be met. Strong1eadership is needed.

.

Comprehensive

plans must be adopted as a

guide to show US how to get to where we want to be. Under the Local Government ComprehensivePlanning Act of 1975 passed by the Florida legislature, it is required that a nine element plan be adopted.

Optional transit,

elements include: plans port, aviation facilities;

mass plans and bicycle traffic, public for

for pedestrian services and facilities, and general area redevelopment. The land use element of this Act has a major flaw in it a loophole

- 7 ,-

based on the findings.

-

in the

amendment

process.

r .

Where 5%or less of the land area of the jurisdiction is affected, the plan may be amendedby a simple majority vote of the governing body that is, the City Council. In the case of Jacksonville, 5%of the 1and would alOOuntto 40 square mil es.

This provision of the Act which bypasses the ordinary amendmentprocess should be changed.

-

Jacksonville has had enough studies made for the sake of making studies, or made solely because a grant of some sort was available.

Studies should be undertaken when they are relevant to established needs, when they have a realistic chance of being implemented, and when the decis ion-makers intend to gi ve proper weight to the recommendations or findings from the studies.

If planning is to be effective it must be located in the mainstream of government. It takes very strong leadership to sell the idea of planning and political power to achieve implementation of plans. The independent status of the Jacksonvi1l e Area Planning Board does not insure against politically influenced decisions.

Planning is being carried out in so many parts of local government that confl i ct and duplication are to be expected. An umbrell a agency with the power to coor-

dinate planning is needed. The location of the Jacksonville Area Planning Board away from tQe mainstream of government has hampered its ability to coordinate effecti vely

.

. The Capital

Outlay Program provides a good process for establishing priorities but must receive adequate funding. If our resources permit no new or improved public facilities or even the maintenance of existing public works, the Capital Outlay Program is of little value.

. The rezoning process should be streamlined to avoid wasteful duplication.

The present hearing method is tedious, duplicative and cumbersome. A lack of predictable scheduling places a burden and inequities on interested parties, particularly private citizens. . Planning for the use of federal grant. funds should be given careful scrutiny for conformity with the community's objectives.

Public participation in planning is inadequate, Communityawareness of and support for planning must be strengthened.

RECOMMENDATIONS The City of Jacksonville must have a planning process designed to involve and assist its citizens in determining the type of city they want and to implement the attainment of the goals established.

To achieve the more di rect and active participation of citizens and their elected official s in the comprehensive planning required for the success of the process, and to ensure that planning in aacksonvil1e is comprehensive, coordinated, and most important of all, implemented, the JCCI Study Committeeon Planning in Local Governmentrecommends: That the Florida Legislature terminate the Jacksonville Area Planning Board and that the City Council act to establish an Office of Planning/Budget Policy as a staff unit pf the Mayor. This office would initiate and give direction to overall planning and would coordinate, review and commenton the highly specialized planning appropriate to and initiated by certain departments and authorities.

In coordination.with the Finance Department, it would formulate budgetary policies and priorities so that the budgetar.y process would be cons"istent with and guided by the Compreeensive Deve10pn~nt Plan. Thepresent Finance Department would retain respon~ibility for administering financial matters and monitoring approved budgets.

-8 -

. That each year

the Mayor present to the Council comprehensive development plans (including operating arid capital outl ay budgets) for one, fi ve, and fifteen year periods. These plans should be in confonnance with the requirements of the Florida Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act. In addition to the elements required by that Act, Jacksonville's Comprehensive Development Plan should include health and welfare elements. The pl ans and budgets should be presented to the Council at the second Council meeting in July of each year for simultaneous review and adoption prior to October 1st.

.

.

. Any capital tmprovement under consideration by an authority or other local goverrvnent

That the professional staff of the Office of Planning/Budget Policy should on October 1st of each year begin updating the one, five, and fifteen year comprehensive plans to be presented in the succeeding year.

uni t shoul d be submitted to the Office of Planning/Budget Policy prior to any major planning expenditures related to that project. The Office-of Planning/Budget Policy would prepare a planning impact statement indicating the economic, social, and environmenta1 effects of the proposed project on the citizenry and all units of local government. The Office of Planning/Budget Polieywould recommendto the Mayor and Council whether the project should be an amendmentto the existing plan or madea part of the plan being considered for the next year. Action by the Mayor and Council after full consideration of the planning impact statement would be required for inclusion of this capital improvement in either case.

That citizen participation in the preparation of these plans be provided in the following manner: An appropriate number of neighborhood planning units (made up of identifiable neighborhoods arranged i _ncl usters) should be established.

These neighborhood planning units should be directly involved in the planning for their own areas, and assigned a staff person from the Office of Pl anning/ Budget Policy; Their meetings would be held in appropriate community schools.

That the zoni ng process be streaml i ned and integrated into the new planning process in the following manner:

An Advisory Committee to the Office of Planning/Budget Policy should be establ ished.. Each neighborhood planning unit should designate one member of this advisory committee. Additional membersconstituting-one-third of the committee membership and representing the communityat large should be appointed by the Mayor. The plans, after citizen input, should be com-

The Zoning Board should be eliminated.

A zoning atlas should be included in the land use element of each one-year comprehensive-development plan.

There should be a full-time hearing officer in the Office of Planning/ Budget Policy who should be guided in his decisions by the policies and standards handbook established by city ordinance. This hearing officer would have final authority regarding variances. Applications for exceptions and rezonings after adoption of the plan each year would require a review and publ ic hearing by the hearing officer followed by recommendations to the Urban Affairs Committee of City Council. The Urban Affairs Commi ttee, after rev iewing these recommendations,would forward its recommendations to the full City Council for final determination.

pleted no later than February 28th

of each year in order that fiscal elements be coordinated with the plans for presentation to the City Council in Ju ly

.

REFERENCES American Society of Pl anning Officials, Toward More Effective Planning in Jacksonville, 1971.

Interlocal agreement creating the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council.

Legislation establishing the Jacksonville Area Planning Board, Laws of Florida, Ch. 61-2329.

Bartley, Ernest Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act, 1975, An Informational Summary Public Adrr.in~on Clearing Service of the University of Florida, Civic Information Series No. 56.

Planning, Journal of the American Planning Association, February 1979, Vol. 45, No.2, pp. 5, 6, 10-20, 25-43.

City Code Relating -to Capital Outlay and Capital Improvements, 128.101~128.302.

-

9

Report of JCCI Committee on Housing, Zoning Task Force, 1977.

-

~

Dan Castle, Director Northe~st Florida Regional Planning Council

.Report of JCCI Committee on Local Government Finance, 1977.

Report of JeCI Committeeon Public Authorities, 1978.

TomCarpenter, Chairman JCCI Commi.tteeon'Housing, 1977

Report of Mayor's Committee on Housing, 1978.

Gerald Dake, Vice-President Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Cow~any

Rivers, David E., Atlanta's Planning Process: Comprehensive, Coordinated, National Civic Review, March 1979, pp. 136-141.

Robert Davis, Chairman JCCI Committee on Local Government Finance, 1977

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND WORK The committee met weekly from January through June, hearing from a variety of knowledgeable resource persons, and receiving additional written materials researched by JCCI staff.

FromApril - June conclusions and recommendations were discussed and debated.

George Fisher, Member Jacksonville Area Planning Board Marvin Ganson, Member JCCI Committee on Public Authorities, 1978

Members of the Committee I. M. Sulzbacher,

John DeGrove, Director Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University

Chairman

George Harmon, Member JCCI Committee on Housing, 1977

Ezekiel Bryant, Management Team James Burke, 'Management Team George Corrick, .Management Team Anne Grimes, Management Team Del Revels, Management Team Sandy Sheppard, Management Team

David Harrell, President Jacksonvi 11e Ci ty Counci 1

Marvin Hi'l, Former Executive Director Jacksonville Area Planning Board

James Abernathy Ray Barbee

TomHealy Miles Henderson Charles Kina

Earl Huntley, Chairman Urban Affairs Committee, City Council

Wayne Bowers Mary Louise Boyer

Will iam Lee Melinda Leighty Robert M. Lurie Doug Milne Michael Moy Maria O'Hearn Pam Paul Jane Ann Payne Anne Ross Ed Rowan Thomas Weaver Walter Williams

Don Ingram, Executive Director OowntownDevelopment Authority

Forrest Boone

J. ShepardBryan

John Bunker PamCaven Cecil W. Cone Bi11 Crossen Gerald Dake George Fisher Judy Gefter Margaret Gibbs Sue Giddings

~

William H. Irvir.!f~ ManagingDirector Jacksonv;11e Electric Authority William K, Jackson, Former Chairman Jacksonville Area Planning Board Bob Johnson, City Council Auditor John Mackroth, Executive Director Jacksonville Port Authority

JCCI Staff Support:

Donald McClure, Chief Administrative Assistant to Mayor Godbold

Marian Chambers, Executive Director IdaH. Cobb, Secretary

Gene McLeod, Finance Director ,City of Jacksonville

RESOURCE PERSONS TO THE COMMITTEE:

Raj Mehta, Deputy Director Jacksonville Area Planning Board

Bill Birchfield, Member Mayor's Ad Hoc Committee on Planning, 1977

Ed Mueller, Executive Director Jacksonville Transportation Authority

Marvin Boutwell, Chief Division of Building and Zoning Inspection City of Jacksonville

Jack O'Brien, Executive Vice-President Argyle, Inc.

Frances Boyd, Moncrief ImprovementAssociation

- 10 -

Pat Patrinely, Council

Greater Arlington Civic

I

Responsibilities - to develop comprehensive plans, to coordinate the development of the area, public facilities, improvements and utilities, to review and make recommendations to the City Council and Zoning Boatd on all matters relating to zoning, to review and make recommendations regarding subdivision regulations, to review and make recommendations on capital improvement projects, to coordinate preparation of the capital outlay program and ~ake recommendations on priorities to the Mayor and City Council, to provide a data base, maps and area studies, to serve as a memberof the Metropolitan Planning Organization and provide staff services for that organization

Ed Phillips, Chairman Jacksonville Zoning Board Richard Quigley, Executive Director Jacksonville Area Planning Board James Rinaman, Member Jacksonville Transportation Ron Seruga, Springfield Restoration, Inc.

Authority

Preservation and

Chester Stokes, Northeast Florida Builders Association Ray Sweeney, Office of the General Counsel City of Jacksonville

-

Membership nine membersappointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council

C. ChadwickTaylor, Mandarin CommunityClub

The Metropolitan Planning Organization

Herman Terry, Chairman Jacksonville Port Authority

Established in July 1978 by an interlocal agreement by the participating agencies and the Florida Department of Transportation, as mandated by the Urban Mass Transit Act of 1964.

Carolyn Vernier, Former Member Jacksonville Area Planning Board Walter Williams, Chairman Jacksonville Electric Authority

Purpose - to develop and coordinate transportation planning for the urbanized area which includes Duval County and northern portions of St. Johns and Clay counties.

APPEN DIX

-

to approve and submit Responsibilities a unified work program of transportation to appropriate federal agencies, to act as the local air quality planning agency to conform with the Clean Air Act of 1977

AGENCIES, BODIES, DEPARTMENTS WHICH ARE ASSIGNED A PLANNING FUNCTION FOR JACKSONVILLE OR THE JACKSONVILLE REGION

The Northeast

Florida

~stablished Purpose

Regional Planning Council

in 1977 by Florida

- to

conduct planning

on a

regional basis in Northeast Florida (Nassau, Baker, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns and Flagler Counties)

-

to plan on a regional basis, Responsibilities to review any project utilizing federal funds, to review developments of regional impact, to review local government plans, to insure consistency with regional plans, and to assist local governments on request.

The St. Johns River Water"ManagementDistrict Established in 1972 by state legislation and given taxing authority in 1978 Purpose

-

Membership three membersfrom each participating county - two of who must be elected County Commissioners

-

Membership members are appointed by the Governor current membersare: Mayor Godbold, Councilman Roberts, Commissioner Curtain from St. Johns County, Commissioner Drawdyfrom Clay County, Mr. Martin from the Jacksonville Area Planning Board, and Mr. Paxson from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority

-

Statutes

- to

plan for and manage water

resources and control structures in the district which includes all or parts of 19 counties

The Jacksonville Area Planning Board

Responsibilities

-

to regulate water

resources and issue permits, etc.

Established in 1961 by state charter

-

Purpose to develop and coordinate comprehensive plans for the physical and economic development of the City of Jacksonville.

-

111-

Membership- a board appointed by the Governor

Purpose

The DowntownDcvclopn~nt .Authority Established

in 1971 under the City Charter

-

Purpose to implement the DowntownDevelopment Plan which was prepared by the Planning60ard and adopted by City Council

-

Responsibilities to plan, coordinate and assist in implementation of the development of the Jacksonville downtownarea, to prepare specific plans for the downtownarea and submit them. for review by the Planning Board and the City Council Membership

- seven membersare

appointed by the

Mayorand confirmed by City Council TheJacksonville Electric Authority

-

Membership

- seven

members, three

are

appointed by the Mayor and confirmed

by City Council, three are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, and one member is the district engineer of the Department of Transpor~ tation The Ouval County School Board by the Florida legislature

-

Established by the Florida legislature in 1968 to replace the city utility commission

Purpose to operate a public school system within Duval County

- to own, manageand operate an electric utility system for the City of Jacksonville and any or all adjacent countie~

Responsibilities

-

Responsibilities include operation, construction, improvement and development of the electric system and the development of plans for that system

-

Membership seven members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council The Jacksonville

-

Purpose to own, maintain and operate facilities for the operation of seaports and airports in Jacksonville Res onsibi1ities

- include

preparing and adopting

pans for the location, construction, improvement or developmentof any project related to the port, harbor or airports

-

Membership seven members, three are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Council and four are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate The Jacksonville

Transportation

- to

approve plans for

locating, constructing and maintaining SChool property, to approve and adopt a countywide school building program, to coordinate, with long range plans of -local, regional and state governments to assure compatibility of the school p1ans

-

Membership seven members are elected according to Council districts Departments of City Government

Port Authority

Established by state legislature in 1963 as an independent agency of the City of Jacksonville

Authority

Established in 1968 by the Florida legislature IS the Jacksonville Expre~sway Authority.

In 1971 it became the Jacksonville Transportation Authority

l

plan and develop express~

Jacksonville area include planning for Responsibilities coordinated transportation systems, and coordinating plans through the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization)

Established

Purpose

I

- to

ways, mass transit and'parking in the

- 12 -

. The Department of Public Works plans, constructs and administers all public works programs

. The ~epartment

of Housing and Urban Development plans and administers housing programs and enforces housing and zoning codes

. The Bio-Environmental

Services Division (Department of Health, Welfare and BioEnvironmental Services) plans for air, water, noise, and pollution control and

enforces these laws.

. The Department of

.

Recreation and Public

Affairs plans and operates recreational programs and facilities.

I

ABOUT THE JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL, INC. The Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. is a non-profit broad based citizen organization chartered in 1975.

JCCI represents a merger (If

three

former

community

JCCI citizen

through process:

the

volunteer

Program Committee from the JCCI membership recommends issues of community interest.

The Community Planning Council The Commission on Goals and Priorities for Human Services

The JCCI Board of Managers approves issues of study for the year.

Delegates to the Jacksonville Community Planning Conference at Amelia Island goals

primarily committee

A

groups:

I:

Its

functions study

Study committee chairpersons team are selected.

the

and management

are:

To build citizen in effectively affairs.

competence participating

and awareness in community

To strengthen and improve the capability of community institutionsto serve citizens of the community.

Study Committee participants are recruited from JCCI membership and the community.

a data base The Study Cowaittee obtains by means of regular meetings with responsible, knowledgeable resource persons, and staff research.

To forecast emerging trends and opportunities that will impact the quality of community

When the

fact finding phase is completed, the committee reaches conclusions and makes recommendations as part of the

life.

fi na 1 report.

To act as a catalyst decision-makers.

for

bringing

together

The report leased

of

and approval JCCl is funded

the

Study

Committee

is

re-

to the public after consideration by the Board of Managers.

by:

The United Way of Jacksonville The City of Jacksonville Gifts from private corporations Grants for specific research and evaluation projects

JCCI members work to implement the recommendations of the report by communicating their findings to appropriate public officials and the community at large.

BOARD OF MANAGERS

Yank D. Coble, Jr. Robert D. Davis Joan Carver George Corrick Eleanor Ashby Jacquelyn Bates John Bryan

J. J. Daniel

Albert Ernest HowardGreenstein David Hicks Ken Johnson

Vera Davis

Daniel L. Lauray

- 13 -

President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Flo Uell Ozell Robert Schellenberg Suzanne Schnabel Robert T. Shircliff Eddie Mae Steward

JCCI MEMBERSHIP James H. Abernathy Henry Adams Robert H. Adams Gary Adler Fred Aldridge Jo Alexander Bob Alligood Eleanor Ashby James Atkins Barbara Bald Ronald J. Bannister W. Ray Barbee John Barbour Gerald Bartels Judy Batchelder Jacquelyn Ba tes C. Ronald Belton Luann Bennett James V. E. Bent Stephen Berry W. O. Birchfield Margaret Black Susan H. Black James R. Boddie, Jr. Arthur H. .Bolte Forrest F. Boone

James L. Borland John Bowden Bruce Bower Wayne Bowers Frederick W. Bowman Mary-Louise Boyer Lew Brantley Al exander Br es t Glanzel Brown John C. Bryan

J. Shepard Bryan, Jr. Cecilia A. Bryant Ezekiel Bryant J. D. Buchanan, Jr. John Bunker JamesW. Burke J. W. Burnette Johnnie Lee Byrd John F. Byrne William H. Caldwell Betty Carley Joe Carlucci Deloris R. Carn Tom Carpenter Dale Carson Ulysses B. Carter William Carter Joan Carver Robert Carver R. Daniel Castle Gene Center Frank Cerveny

Yank Coble Carine W. Cole Eddie Collins, Jr. Cecil W. Cone Daniel Cook William Cook Genie Cooke George Corrick O. B. Cosby Richard Covey Nancie Crabb

L.E. Crittenden William J. Crossen Joseph Cullen Gerald Dake Howard L. Dale

J. J. Daniel

Lee Daniel, Jr. James E. Davis

Kevin L. Davis Robert Davis Vera Davis Walter Dickinson Honey Donziger Dottie Dorion Walter Dorman Paul C. Doyle VarinaM. Druce Ruby R. DuBose Lawrence J. DuBow Connie Edgar Ken Eilermann Albert Ernes t Shirley Etheridge Roosevelt Evans Jimmie Fant DremaFarmer

James S.

Farr Richard G. Fenn Emmett Ferguson Ronnie Ferguson George R. Fisher Susan Fisher Robert Flowers Joe Forshee Tillie Fowler Ginger Frailey Ellen

Fr ank

George A. Frank Moses Freeman, Jr. Juanita L. Fre're Frank Friedman, Jr. George

Gable,

Jr.

John F. Gaillard Marvin Ganson Sallie Garlington Judy Gefter Courtney

L. George

Margaret Gibbs Harold Gibson Jim Gilmore A. E. Girardeau James A. Gloster Jake M. Godbold Herbert Gold Gerald Goldsmith Lois Graessle Alice Grant Cynthia Carey-vranc Monty O. Greene Howard Greenstein Anne Grimes Richard G. Groff B. A. Grubbs Ginger Guyette Alice R. Hadwin Mattox Hair Pat Hannan Major Harding George Harmon David Harrell William Harrell Rosanne Hartwell Preston Haskell Tom Healy James Henry David Hicks Marvin Hill, Jr. Helen Hoekenga R. B. Holmes Wendell Holmes Betty Holzendorf Ella Hornsby Homer HumPhries J. Earl Huntley Rodney Lo Hurs t Kitty Inman Alberta Jackson David B. Jackson Hattie R. Jackson Jesse A. Jackson William Jackson Marilyn Jacobs Judy Jacobson Isaiah James Kenneth L. Johnson

William L~ Johnson Charlene Jones Silas

E. Jones

Morton Kesler Charles E. Kin~ Ira Koger Daniel Kossoff Julie H. Kuntz Helen Lane Daniel Lauray

William

G. Lee,

Jr.

Melinda J. Leighty Madelyn Levin Ear I Lewis

John Lewis

James C. Rinaman Lynwood Roberts Andrew Robinson Anne Ross Johnny Sanders Herbert Sang Frank R. Satchel Bob SchellenberB Gert Schmidt Harry Schnabel Suzanne Schnabel Fred Schultz

Max Long George Longworth Jean Ludlow Royce Lyles Wilford C. Lyon, Jr. Lacy Mahon Bruce Manning Isabelle Sears Richard C. Martin Fred Seely Hugh Maston, Jr. William S. Mathias, Jr. Bettye Sessions Barbara Sharp Meltonia May Sandra L. Sheppard Donald McClure R. T. Shircliff Jane McCullagh

James T. McGibony Anne G. McIntosh Rudolph McKissick William C. Merwin Joseph F. Mikulas Bobbie-Sue Miller Gene Miller Doug Milne Teala Milton

John P. Minahan John Monsky Max K. Morris Linda Moseley

Michael J. Moy E. Ronal Mudd Rod M. Nicol Maria O'Hearn

Michael S. O'Leary James M. Olsen Prime Osborn Flo Nell Ozell StevePajcic Ted Pappas Gene Parks Espie Patrinely Pam Paul Trinita Petersen Mary Alice Phelan Brenda Priestly Jack Quaritius Caroline Rademacher Ann Radwan Christine Rasche Harry Reagan Bobby G. Reid Melvin P. Reid Mac Reigger Franklin Reinstine Del Revels

L.

Robert L. Richard

Mary Lou Short Frances Simmons Kenneth M. Smith Bette J. Soldwedel Leonard Spearman Mary Spuhler John Stafford, Jr. Martin Stein RobertA. Stern Eddie Mae Steward Kathryn Strayer

John J. Sulik I. M. Sulzbacher William Sulzbacher Marcus Tamplin

Hans

G.

Tanzler

C. Chadwick Taylor Mari Terbrueggen Robert H. Threlke1 James H. Tobin Arnold Tri tt" Barbara Twine Ashley Verlander

B. J.

Walker

Larry J. Weas Thomas E.

Weaver

Al Wells Jim Wells Dick Weston-Jones Coby R. White Margaret Wiegand Isaiah Williams Walter Williams, Jr. Courtenay Wilson Hugh Wilson

R. Wise

Stephen Betty

Wood

Wayne

Wood

Julie

Woodruff

Benjamin Wygal Claude Yates

R. P. T. Young A. P. ZecheUa Barbara

- 14 -

Zimmerman