Item M19
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:
Bulk Item: Yes
May 21, 2003
X No
Division: Growth Management
Department: N/ A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval to advertise an ordinance amending Section 6-27(D)(2), Monroe
County Code to prQvide for full exemption from building application and permitting fees for affordable
housing construction projects receiving financial assistance from Monroe County.
ITEM BACKGROUND: Chapter 6.0 of the Monroe County Code identifies specific entities and activities,
which may be exempt from building application and permit fees. The current code does not provide for any
exemption for new affordable housing projects that are not owned by a County entity, such as the Housing
Authority.
Therefore these projects, even if they receive financial assistance from Monroe County such as Meridian West
on Stock Island, are required to pay full building application and permitting fees, which generally amount to
$2,000 per unit. These permitting fees not only add to the cost of the housing, but place the County in the
awkward position of one arm of County government providing assistance to make the project more affordable,
while another arm of County government is taking money away to make the project less affordable.
The staff believes that the public interest would be better served by providing an exemption on any affordable
housing projects which receive financial support from the County. In addition, the staff is recommending in
this amending ordinance that this exemption be retroactively applied to all eligible affordable housing projects
for which building permit applications have been submitted after March 31, 2003. [This proviso will allow the
County to exempt the Meridian West affordable housing project from payment of building application and
fees.]
The staffis recommending approval to advertise the amending ordinance for a June 18,2003,3:00 p.m. public
hearing in Marathon.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTION: Adopted Ordinance 010-2002 amending Chapter 6, Monroe
County Code to implement new Florida Building Code.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval
TOTAL COST: Less than $50,OOO/year
BUDGETED: Yes
No
N/A
COST TO COUNTY: Less than $50,OOO/year SOURCE OF FUNDS: N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING:Yes_ No X (Revenue loss) AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A YEAR _
APPROVED BY: County Attorney X
Risk Management
N/A
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included X
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #:
//1/9
. /
ORDINANCE NO. -2003
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING BUILDINGS AND
CONSTRUCTION, SECTION 6-27 (D)(2) (FEES), MONROE
COUNTY CODE; PROVIDING FOR FULL EXEMPTION FROM
MONROE COUNTY PERMITTING FEES FOR AFFORDABLE
HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS RECEIVING COUNTY
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF
ALL ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT HEREWITH; PROVIDING
FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE MONROE COUNTY CODE
OF ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the County has a demonstrated and urgent need for more affordable
housing;
WHEREAS, the average cost of housing in the County is among the highest in
the State of Florida;
WHEREAS, permitting fees add at least $2,000 to the average cost of building a
house; and,
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County recognizes
and is committed to addressing the problem of affordable housing to meet the social and
economic needs of County residents; and,
WHEREAS, Chapter 6, Monroe County Code, does not explicitly authorize the
exemption from Monroe County building application and permitting fees for the
construction of affordable housing projects by for-profit or not-profit organizations that
receive financial support from the County; and,
WHEREAS, the exemption of permitting fees for construction of affordable
housing receiving financial assistance from the County is in the public interest and helps
to make such housing more affordable;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, THE FOLLOWING:
Section 1. Section 6-27(d)(2), Monroe County Code is hereby amended to add
subparagraph "d." that reads as follows:
J :\DOCUMENT\Comp Rev LDRs\buildfeerevord.doc
Page 1 of3
"d. Construction of affordable housing projects~ as defined under the Florida
Statutes or chapter 9.5, receiving financial assistance from Monroe
County."
Section 2. Any affordable housing construction project made eligible for a fee
exemption authorized by this ordinance shall be entitled to the fee exemption if the
building permit application for the project was submitted to the Monroe County Building
Department after March 31, 2003.
Section 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this ordinance is
held invalid, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected by such invalidity.
Section 4. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are
hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict.
Section 5. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon receipt of the official
notice from the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Florida that this ordinance
has been filed with said Office.
Section 6. The provisions of this ordinance shall be included and incorporated in the
Code of Ordinances of the County of Monroe, Florida, as an addition, or amendment
thereto, and shall be appropriately renumbered to conform to the uniform numbering
system of the Code.
Section 7. The Clerk of the Court is hereby directed to forward a copy of this Ordinance
to the Municipal Code Corporation for incorporation into the Monroe County Code of
Ordinances.
[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK.]
J :\DOCUMENT\Comp RevLDRs\buildfeerevord.doc
Page 2 of3
--------
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of COlUlty Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 18th of June, AD, 2003.
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro Tern Murray Nelson
Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner David Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
Mayor/Chainnan
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY KOLHAGE, Clerk
Deputy Clerk
By:
Page 3 of3