Community Development Director (unnamed) and staff summarized planning, economic development and permitting activity and discussed staffing and legislative challenges.

Staff said permit activity remains strong: the department reported roughly 5,000 permits annually and early indications suggest the current year may surpass prior totals, though residential valuation per-permit has shifted toward smaller projects and multifamily/townhome starts. Planning applications are steady and economic-development activity includes several industrial and commercial inquiries. Staff noted a multi-million-dollar expansion by Coastline Power Solutions and ongoing work at Kingspan and Land Commons.

For the permitting and code-enforcement side, the department proposed adding a code-enforcement manager and another code enforcement officer. Staff indicated roughly 90% of the cost would be covered by the permits-and-inspections fund rather than the general fund. Staff also requested two drones for disaster and damage assessment and described continuing efforts to pursue voluntary compliance to reduce formal enforcement cases and demolish persistently dilapidated structures.

The department reported progress on a comprehensive Land Development Regulations (LDR) update and a division-of-historic-resources grant to map downtown historic resources. Staff warned that recently enacted state legislation (Senate Bill 180 cited by commissioners) could suspend or invalidate local changes to codes, impact-fee adjustments and some stormwater standards retroactively to Aug. 1, 2024. Staff said they are consulting the city attorney and their LDR consultant (who is an attorney) to ensure proposed updates comply with statewide statutory changes.

Staff also said they obtained FDOT approval for a signalized entrance to Deland Tech Park and that Deland Tech Park interest includes a potential large industrial inquiry (site selector interest for 1.5 million square feet was mentioned). Staff cautioned that larger developments would raise questions about reserves and impact-fee balance and said they will coordinate with finance to manage FY25-26 reserve compliance.