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Riviera Beach directs staff to craft community benefits ordinance, seeks quick timeline
Summary
Council asked staff and the CRA to draft a community benefits ordinance within 30 days so future redevelopment deals can include local benefits; staff said it will use other Florida municipalities’ templates and work with legal counsel.
The Riviera Beach City Council on Sept. 17 directed staff to work with the city attorney and the Community Redevelopment Agency to prepare an ordinance establishing a community benefits framework to apply when the city is a bona fide partner in redevelopment projects.
City Manager Jonathan Evans explained that other Florida jurisdictions, including St. Petersburg and Miami‑Dade County, have adopted community benefits programs and that the city needs a clear ordinance and development-agreement template so benefits can be negotiated when public assets, incentives or land are part of private development deals.
"We're asking for the board's concurrence to facilitate the creation of a community benefits program," Evans said, and added staff would draft an ordinance and return to council for review. He proposed a 30‑day timeline to bring an ordinance forward for council consideration.
Council members emphasized the need to capture tangible community returns—affordable housing, local hiring, infrastructure upsizing, mobility improvements and other public benefits—when projects involve city participation. Some councilmembers asked that staff consider hiring a consultant to accelerate implementation and ensure legal robustness, while others directed legal staff to draft an in‑house ordinance using existing templates from other cities.
The council agreed to proceed; staff said the city attorney’s office would draft the ordinance and coordinate with CRA staff. Council members asked for a fast timetable because several large development proposals and public‑private projects are already in the pipeline.
No formal ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff will return with draft language and recommended procedures for review and adoption.
