Broward County Commission Public Hearing

MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution No. 2014-364 of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, the title of which is as follows:

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT; AMENDING VARIOUS PROVISIONS IN CHAPTER 8; "ORGANIZATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT," AND CHAPTER 27,"OPERATIONAL POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT," OF THE BROWARD COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, TO REFLECT CHANGES IN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES; AMENDING VARIOUS PROVISIONS IN CHAPTER 40, "FEES AND OTHER CHARGES,ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT," TO REFLECT ORGANIZATIONAL AND FEE CHANGES; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, INCLUSION IN THE BROWARD COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ACTION: (T-2:35 PM) Following discussion, the Board tabled this item until later in the meeting.  (Refer to minutes for full discussion.) 

ACTION:  (T-2:59 PM)  Approved with the Purple-Sheeted Additional Material, dated June 24, 2014, submitted at the request of Environmental Protection and Growth Management, as well as the County Auditor's Office.  (Refer to minutes for full discussion.)

VOTE: 8-0. Commissioner Gunzburger was not present.

Section 3.04(A) of the Broward County Charter requires a public hearing to be held concerning the adoption of proposed amendments to the Broward County Administrative Code.

Amends the County Administrative Code in order to implement various organizational and fee changes.

None taken

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.

The purpose of this agenda item is, in part, to codify various organizational and name changes along with appropriate adjustments to functions and responsibilities including the following:

1. Re-establishing animal services as the Animal Care and Adoption Division (ACAD), including functions and responsibilities.

2. Changing the name of the Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection Division to Environmental Licensing, and Building Permitting Division (ELBPD); changing the name of the Natural Resources Planning and Management Division to the Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division; adding functions and responsibilities for the water engineering and licensing program, the aquatic and wetland resources regulatory program, environmental enforcement programs, the tree preservation and abuse regulatory program; and deleting responsibilities for animal care and adoption programs and unincorporated area zoning and code enforcement programs that were transferred to either ACAD or the Planning and Redevelopment Division (PRD), consistent with Board approval of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

3. Deleting certain responsibilities from the Pollution Prevention, Remediation and Air Quality Division for enforcement actions, public records requests and solid waste regulation that were transferred to ELBPD;

4. Adding functions and responsibilities to the PRD for administration of the Broward County Land Development Code concerning plats, site plans and delegation requests as well as unincorporated area zoning and code enforcement programs from ELBPD resulting from a prior reorganization.

5. Updating fee schedules for the ACAD, ELBPD and the PRD.

Policies and procedures amendments for the ACAD are also incorporated as part of this item, the highlights of which are as follows:

Deletes reference to antiquated language regarding adoption applications; provides for waiver of ten dollar spay and neuter voucher co-payments associated with special promotional events such as World Spay Day and the ASPCA Beat the Heat to increase spay and neuter of pets; pricing of goods sold at the shelter; and permission for the director to amend rescue partner application and terminate agreements, as warranted.

Additionally, amendments to the fee schedule for ACAD also incorporated as part of this item include:

Provisions to authorize the animal care director to decrease or waive fees within 24-hours of pet impound; lower cat adoption fee; and decrease or waive fees for rabies registration fee in connection with program to encourage spay and neuter of animals, consistent with Board direction to lower intake at the shelter, facilitate animal "return to owner" to reduce the number of healthy and adoptable animals that are abandoned at the County's shelter and at risk for euthanasia.