HB 1185 / Indian Trails trying to incorporate bill

Around this time 4 years ago, a bill was introduced into the Florida state legislature for the incorporation of the Acreage area. The area where I live. It got shot down in committee.  In 2002, we had an attempt to do the same. And the same thing happened. Shot down before it got any where. WHY.

Third times a charm... Well, not so fast...

Bill draft thru the legislature link:

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=72307

Before, I go any further, I should disclaim this is a waste of time and tax payer money. 

The expense to put a bill thru the legislature isn't free. It costs us the taxpayer. And from what I read $50,000 from our budget.   Attorneys. Lobbyists. Time to draft. Revisions. Meetings. Traveling to Tallahassee. These things cost money... Whose money? This doesn't include the cost of trying to get a feasibility study done if this bill passes. This is the amount of money spent to get the bill seen.

I also, believe the community will shoot it down, if it ever gets to the referendum phase. I'm wholly against incorporation. I have seen what incorporation has done to the various other townships and cities around S. Florida. And its never about making things better for the residents. As a matter of history, it tends to make it more restrictive - why?  a newly formed government needs to make money. And when that happens - the property owners suffer. 

This year Indian Trails Improvement District (ITID) has gone the route of trying to change their charter so that they can ultimately try to incorporate our area. 

Changing the charter is just one way of going about this. While, reading the original draft language - it was far reaching -  Changing the borders to delete the overlaps of already incorporated areas of the district. Adding in Safe Neighborhoods statute. Requesting a reduction in voter acknowledgment (10% of electorate).  It was a hefty bill. 

Not any more. The committees have now stripped this bill (draft) to it's bare bones. The only thing this bill does (if passed) will allow ITID to spend money to get a feasibility study done. That's it.  So before we go any further. This allowing to get the Feasibility study done has already cost the tax payer $50,000. They are estimating the cost of the feasibility study around $30,000. Though no estimates have been  submitted.

They will have to go back in the future to change boundaries (add another $50,000). 

So here are some issues that make this a waste of time, and money. 

In the 2017 feasibility study they tried to use this portion of acreage area. See map. The issue of contiguous land... (see the orange lines on the left). That is one little road that is connecting the two separate areas of the Acreage. It didn't fly then. I doubt it will in the future. 

The same issues will apply this time around. There is only that small sliver of land that is 'used' to make the area 'contiguous'.

Read what the state replied regarding this issue. (below).

So, unless, the boundaries exclude the lower (Southern portion) of the Acreage. This still won't be a feasible incorporation based on 2 points in the state statute. Contigous. And 2 miles from another municipality. 

We have Royal Palm to our East. Palm Beach Gardens to our North. Westlake right in the middle of us. And The Town of Loxahatchee Groves to the South. 

But.. this is all in the future. This years bill deleted the issue of boundaries. And any active units that are in other municipalities. 

The various committees took out the boundary changes to the charter, so the existing boundaries in this map (below) still stand. ie. The Legislative Boundaries. Units 16,17,18 are in Royal Palm municipality. And Unit 11 is still there. (not contigous). And Rustic Lakes are now in Palm Beach Gardens municipality. 

Essentially, this bill is useless, except for the money allowed to be spent on a new feasibility study. A study that won't be accurate because legally, the boundaries below are the legal legislative boundaries.  If they take out the areas of contention, its not accurate nor legal. If they keep in the areas of contention its not accurate. 

Another bill, in the future will have to be submitted for ITID to try and change the borders in the charter. Again. And wanna bet the feasibility study will have to be re done to the new boundaries.

Another major issue is that there are bonds and inter -local agreements for many of the over-lapping units that sit in other municipalities. 

Bonds and agreements that need to be fulfilled. No one seems to be addressing this. Why? Because the myopic stance is this will work itself out later. Like the boundaries. 

This is how the bill (draft) stands now. (it was 14 pages, now 3). 

Overall, this bill is a dud. It left the gate without regard to what the other municipalities would do. And they've obliterated anything that gave it any teeth. 

... I guess there will be next year, to change the boundaries. 

Of course, only if Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens and City of West Palm agree to it.  

And yet, another $50,000 spent by ITID on getting it into the legislature.