Currently our City Charter requires that all comprehensive plan amendments (changes) be approved by our City residents before those changes can take effect.
Those change can range from important (residential density, commercial intensity, building height, use of land) to those mandated by the state (specific concurrencies, plan reviews) to the mundane (spelling or numbering changes, clarification of definitions). The Commission is considering changes to our Charter to continue to require voter approval on comprehensive plan amendments that are important to our residents and to eliminate the requirement for voter approval on plan aspects that do not impact the important issues as identified by you, the residents (density, intensity, building height, land use). What we need to know are there other aspects of the comprehensive plan that YOU want to vote on also? Why are we doing this? Currently it is rare for a city’s residents to be required to vote on comprehensive plan elements.St Pete Beach is one of a very few cities that have this requirement.It can lead to extra elections (votes), it can protect the character of our city, it can slow down adaptation of our city to changing economics and environmental factors, it can provide an oversight to the City Commission and Staff with regard to the character of our community. In my personal opinion we are attempting to maintain the protections while enabling representative government to function as it should. What I’d like to know is: What are the comprehensive plan elements that YOU want to retain the right to vote on?Are there additional elements beyond density, intensity, building height, and land use?If so, what are they and why are they important. I am a great believer in both logic and efficiency. On 13 July 2009 (Monday) the Commission is holding a workshop to get YOUR input to the ballot question. What do you want to retain the right to vote upon?Come to City Hall at 6:30pm and tell us.