ENROLLED
       2010 Legislature                          SB 2470, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20102470er
    1  
    2         An act relating to regional transportation; creating
    3         the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
    4         Commission; providing for membership and organization;
    5         providing for reimbursement of expenses; providing for
    6         removal and suspension of commission members;
    7         providing for the Jacksonville Transportation
    8         Authority to staff the commission; providing for
    9         funding of the commission; providing that the costs of
   10         staffing and the amount of funding are determined by
   11         the board of the Jacksonville Transportation
   12         Authority; providing for committees within the
   13         commission; providing for commission meetings;
   14         providing for the commission to make available to the
   15         public its meeting minutes, reports, and
   16         recommendations and publish its reports and
   17         recommendations electronically; directing the
   18         authority to make its Internet site available for such
   19         purposes; requiring the commission to submit reports
   20         to the Governor and the Legislature; providing that a
   21         county’s membership in the commission and
   22         participation of a county’s appointees does not
   23         constitute consent of the county to inclusion within
   24         the jurisdiction of a regional transportation
   25         authority; providing for expiration and termination of
   26         the commission; amending s. 8, ch. 2009-89, Laws of
   27         Florida; revising the due date for the Northwest
   28         Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization
   29         to complete a study and make recommendations to the
   30         Legislature concerning advance-funding the costs of
   31         capacity projects in its member counties; providing
   32         for funding of the study; providing an effective date.
   33  
   34         WHEREAS, pursuant to House Bill 1213, 2009, the Department
   35  of Transportation directed the Jacksonville Transportation
   36  Authority to prepare a report to recommend to the Legislature
   37  the framework for a regional transportation authority for the
   38  northeast region of the state comprised of Baker, Clay, Duval,
   39  Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, and
   40         WHEREAS, the report was completed and received by the
   41  Legislature on February 1, 2010, and
   42         WHEREAS, based upon the recommendations of the report, it
   43  is necessary and appropriate to create a study commission to
   44  continue the work commenced, NOW, THEREFORE,
   45  
   46  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   47  
   48         Section 1. Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
   49  Commission.-
   50         (1) There is created the Northeast Florida Regional
   51  Transportation Study Commission, which shall be composed of 20
   52  members designated and to be appointed as follows:
   53         (a) Two citizens of Baker County appointed by the Board of
   54  County Commissioners of Baker County.
   55         (b) Two citizens of Clay County appointed by the Board of
   56  County Commissioners of Clay County.
   57         (c) Four citizens of Duval County appointed by the City
   58  Council of the City of Jacksonville.
   59         (d) Two citizens of Flagler County appointed by the Board
   60  of County Commissioners of Flagler County.
   61         (e) Two citizens of Nassau County appointed by the Board of
   62  County Commissioners of Nassau County.
   63         (f) Two citizens of Putnam County appointed by the Board of
   64  County Commissioners of Putnam County.
   65         (g) Two citizens of St. Johns County appointed by the Board
   66  of County Commissioners of St. Johns County.
   67         (h) The chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority,
   68  who shall serve as chair of the commission.
   69         (i) The Department of Transportation’s district secretary
   70  serving in district II, who shall be a nonvoting member of the
   71  commission.
   72         (j) The chair of the Northeast Florida Regional Council,
   73  who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
   74         (k) The chair of the North Florida Transportation Planning
   75  Organization, who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
   76         (2)(a) Members shall serve until the work of the commission
   77  is completed and the commission is terminated, except that
   78  persons serving under paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) shall cease
   79  membership if they no longer serve in the position indicated in
   80  paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) and shall be replaced by the person
   81  replacing them in such position.
   82         (b) Members of the commission shall serve without
   83  compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses
   84  in the performance of their duties, including travel expenses,
   85  in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
   86         (c) A county commission, or the city council in the case of
   87  Duval County, may remove or suspend a member appointed by it for
   88  cause, including, but not limited to, failure to attend two or
   89  more meetings of the commission during any 9-month period.
   90         (3) The staff of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
   91  shall act as staff to the commission and, subject to the
   92  appropriation of funding by the board of the Jacksonville
   93  Transportation Authority and such other funds as the commission
   94  may receive, shall supply such information, assistance, and
   95  facilities as are deemed necessary for the commission to carry
   96  out its duties under this act.
   97         (4) The commission shall have such committees with such
   98  membership, duties, and other matters as the chair shall
   99  determine. Members of such committees need not be members of the
  100  commission and may include persons from airport authorities,
  101  port authorities, rail or other transportation industries, and
  102  others. All committees shall report to the commission at each
  103  commission meeting and shall present their final reports for
  104  consideration by the commission in accordance with the direction
  105  of the chair.
  106         (5)(a) The commission shall meet at the times and locations
  107  as the chair shall determine. There shall be regular monthly
  108  meetings, to the extent reasonably convenient, that are held in
  109  one or more central locations; however, at least one meeting
  110  must be held in each of the counties throughout the region. Each
  111  meeting must include provision for public comments.
  112         (b) The commission shall make available to the public its
  113  meeting minutes, reports, and recommendations upon request and,
  114  to the extent feasible, shall publish its reports and
  115  recommendations electronically. The Jacksonville Transportation
  116  Authority shall make its Internet website available to the
  117  commission for such purposes.
  118         (6)By December 31, 2012, the commission shall prepare and
  119  submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  120  Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
  121  findings and making specific legislative recommendations,
  122  including a regional transportation elements plan, the defining
  123  characteristics of transportation elements of regional
  124  significance, and an implementation plan for undertaking a
  125  regional transportation elements plan, and which may include the
  126  establishment of the regional transportation authority, draft
  127  legislation consistent with this section, and any other
  128  recommendations it deems appropriate.
  129         (7) A county’s membership in the commission, and the
  130  participation of a county’s appointees in the work of the
  131  commission, is not intended to constitute the consent of the
  132  county to inclusion within the jurisdiction of a regional
  133  transportation authority.
  134         (8) This section shall expire and the commission shall
  135  terminate upon delivery of the final report required in
  136  subsection (6).
  137         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 8 of chapter 2009-89,
  138  Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
  139         Section 8. (1) The Northwest Florida Regional
  140  Transportation Planning Organization, an interlocal agency under
  141  part I of chapter 163, Florida Statutes, is authorized to study
  142  the feasibility of advance-funding the costs of capacity
  143  projects in its member counties and making recommendations to
  144  the Legislature by February 1, 2011 2010. The Department of
  145  Transportation may assist the organization in conducting the
  146  study. The study shall be funded by the Northwest Florida
  147  Regional Transportation Planning Organization from its existing
  148  resources and by such other funds that may be provided from its
  149  constituent counties.
  150         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.