The Venice City Council on Oct. 14 approved on first reading an ordinance (2025-35) to amend Chapter 87 of the city's land development code and move final plat and replat approvals from public hearing authority to administrative approval by the city engineer.

Senior planner Nicole Tremblay told the council the change responds to state legislation (SB 784, 2025 session) requiring plats and replats that meet statutory submittal requirements be administratively approved and processed within set timeframes. Under the proposed text amendment (25-50AM), the engineering department would be designated as the administrative authority and the city engineer as the administrative decision-maker.

Tremblay said the ordinance reorganizes the administrative section of the land development regulations, adds timeframes for completeness determination (seven days) and for decision (60 days), and moves the final plat process into the administrative section. The amendment also requires the applicant to record the plat with the county clerk of circuit court and then provide a full-size recorded copy to the city engineer within 15 days of approval.

Tremblay said the change followed feedback that the prior process created administrative issues when the city recorded plats; transferring recording responsibility to applicants is intended to streamline filings. No members of the public spoke. A councilmember moved approval and the motion was seconded; the ordinance passed unanimously on an electronic vote.