The Planning Commission heard a staff‑initiated ordinance (PDE25‑00007) on Aug. 21 proposing to amend Pasco County Land Development Code (section 802) related to tree preservation and replacement. Staff recommended removing specific fee tables from the LDC and leaving rates to be adopted by Board of County Commissioners resolutions so the ordinance text did not conflict with a July 15 BOCC resolution that updated contribution rates.

Amanda Hill, Planning Development & Economic Growth, summarized the BOCC action: the Board had revised contribution amounts and clarified authorized uses and administration of the tree mitigation fund, raising the per‑inch contribution from $50 to $75 for most trees and to $150 per inch for designated heritage trees (live oak ≥34 inches DBH; southern magnolia ≥24 inches DBH) and stated the resolution was adopted to govern implementation. Hill explained the ordinance amendment under consideration would remove fee references that now conflict with the BOCC resolution.

Developers and trade stakeholders — represented by the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA) in the meeting — and members of the public criticized the process used to change rates. The development community told commissioners they were surprised the BOCC adopted the resolution on the consent agenda and said the change lacked grandfathering or phase‑in provisions; several speakers argued the result could impose six‑figure or multi‑million‑dollar increases on active projects. Barbara Willhite and TBBA representatives urged a slow, transparent phase‑in and clearer stakeholder outreach.

Planning staff and County legal counsel recounted the sequence: the fees historically have been adopted by resolution and the Board instructed staff to remove the rates from the LDC to avoid inconsistency with the July 15 resolution. Staff acknowledged they had not looped TBBA into final language and apologized; staff agreed to schedule a meeting between TBBA and the BCC chair.

Commissioners asked staff to bring the item back after the TBBA/Chair meeting and sought explicit draft grandfathering language or a phase‑in for projects already in permitting review. The Planning Commission voted to continue the ordinance to Sept. 18, 2025, so stakeholders can confer and staff can return with recommended language.

Staff said options include: (1) keeping fees adopted by resolution but routing future fee resolutions through the Planning Commission review process; (2) moving fees back into the LDC so fee changes would require the ordinance process; or (3) returning a resolution with explicit grandfathering/phase‑in provisions. The commission directed staff to report back after the TBBA meeting and to provide proposed grandfathering language for the Sept. 18 hearing.