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Nassau County approves $1.2 million contract to update comprehensive plan after state planning-horizon change
Summary
The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners on May 20 authorized contract CM3913 with Inspire Placemaking Collective Inc. for $1,198,128 to produce interim and full comprehensive-plan updates after a state change requiring a minimum 10-year planning horizon.
Nassau County commissioners on Wednesday approved a $1,198,128 contract with Inspire Placemaking Collective Inc. to complete evaluation and comprehensive-plan updates after a state rule change forced the county to accelerate its planning schedule.
County Manager Bogart told the board the State of Florida updated statute requirements in 2023 to require a minimum 10-year planning horizon for local comprehensive plans, and that change left Nassau with a statutory deadline to have a compliant plan by Oct. 1. He said the board directed staff in 2022 to update the county's plan toward a 2050 horizon and that the new state requirement created a two-step approach: an interim update to meet the October deadline, and a separate, 24-month comprehensive rewrite.
The contract approved by the board covers the work needed to achieve the interim compliance and to continue the full rewrite. Assistant County Manager Ironman told commissioners the county's 2022 budget already included funding for a comprehensive update but that the state's new requirements would add roughly $450,000 to the overall price. He said staff expects to offset additional costs with savings from the visioning exercise and grant transfers already identified.
Bogart told the board the county selected Inspire Placemaking because of the firm's recent work in Florida counties facing similar mandates, and he listed Flagler, St. Johns, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sumter, Hillsborough, Indian River, Okaloosa and Osceola as examples of clients the firm recently assisted on comparable work. He described the state's change as an "unfunded mandate" that required the county to pivot mid-process.
Commissioner Martin moved to approve the contract; Commissioner Farmer seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
The contract is identified on the agenda as CM3913 and is described in the agenda background as covering evaluation, EAR amendments and comprehensive-plan updates. County staff said the interim update will bring the plan into compliance by Oct. 1 and the comprehensive rewrite will continue on a separate 24-month schedule.
County staff directed commissioners to the agenda backup for additional technical detail and the background analysis. The board did not take other policy action at the meeting beyond approving the contract and the associated authorization for the chair to sign the agreement.
Pending steps described by staff include the immediate start of the interim update work and continuing coordination with state reviewers; no additional county-level authorizations were requested at the meeting.
