Oldsmar adopts ordinance naming special magistrate for flood-variance appeals; council appoints two magistrates

The City of Oldsmar adopted an amendment to its land development code and appointed a special magistrate to hear flood-related variance and appeal requests.

At the third and final reading, the council adopted Ordinance 2024-21, which amends section 6.11 (variances and appeals) of Article 6 (flood control, stormwater management and wetlands protection) to designate a special magistrate in lieu of a variance review board and establish appeal procedures.

City attorney Tom Trask read the ordinance by title; Trask opened a public hearing and, with no speakers, closed it before council voted. The roll call recorded five votes in favor, and the ordinance was adopted 5–0.

The council then considered Resolution 2025-55 to appoint a special magistrate and an alternate to hear appeals alleging errors by the floodplain administrator and requests for variances from the flood requirements of the Florida Building Code. Trask said he had contacted two local special magistrates, Bart Valdez and James Denhart, and proposed Valdez as the magistrate and Denhart as alternate. The hourly rates disclosed were $225 per hour for Valdez and $300 per hour for Denhart. The appointments were for one year; council approved the resolution by voice vote.

Council did not make changes to the ordinance or the appointments during the meeting. The change replaces the city’s prior variance board process with a single appointed magistrate for these flood appeals, and staff said the appointments take effect immediately for the one-year term noted in the resolution.