SANIBEL, Fla. — A bill aimed at improving emergency management practices in Florida is facing opposition from conservation groups, who say it would restrict local governments from enhancing building codes after storms.
The ‘Emergencies’ bill, currently awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis' signature, includes provisions for debris removal management, post-storm permitting, and establishing mutual-aid agreements.
Despite these benefits, the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) is urging DeSantis to veto the legislation, citing concerns about restrictions on local control.
Metereologist Andrew Shipley explains SCCF's concerns:
"What started as emergency management bill has really morphed into a preemption into doing any sort of resilience, future planning by these local municipalities and local governments," said Matt DePaolis, environmental policy director at SCCF.
One controversial provision would void land-use changes made since Aug. 1 of last year and block local governments from enacting new development rules or bans for a full year if a named storm passes within 100 miles of the coast.
"As we are seeing storms more prevalent and more intense, the likelihood that we are going to go a year without being 100 miles from named storm seems to be shrinking rapidly," DePaolis said.
The bill's author, Senator Nick DiCeglie, argues it will accelerate rebuilding efforts after storms. The legislation passed unanimously in the House and received only one dissenting vote in the Senate.
DePaolis noted that Sanibel is planning on updating the ‘Sanibel Plan’, Sanibel’s land development plan. If signed this bill could halt that progress.
"As the City is trying to update the plan to incorporate management around the new science and understanding we have, they need to have the freedom to able to make things that are potentially more restrictive than we currently have," he said.
As of Friday afternoon, the bill remains on Governor DeSantis's desk awaiting his decision.
"We would love to see the emergency management protections come up in a bill next legislative session, but it needs to not have restrictions on city and county governments it currently has," DePaolis said.
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