Legal Research and Advocacy
Overview of Research Projects Completed for Orange County Environmental Protection Division
Statewide Municipality Ordinances Pertaining to Public School Zoning/Permitting
Objective: To determine how other Counties and Municipalities allow for public schools to be built. Concurrency requirements are frequently challenged, Orange County wants to determine if other counties share similar requirements, specifically relating to wetland protection within school codes.
Background: Orange County has a unique municipal code that establishes regulations for building public schools. The code is partially unique due to the County’s adherence with new state concurrency requirements.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. All counties were individually examined; select municipalities were examined.
Findings: Inconclusive. Many counties and municipalities failed to have specific school zoning regulations.
Statewide Municipal Codes Pertaining to Threatened and Endangered Species, Uplands and Wetlands
Objective: To compare Orange County’s regulations to those of other counties and municipalities to determine efficacy of our own code.
Background: Orange County has a need to update regulations, and through a comparative study with regulations around the state, the County can move forward with making recommendations for change based on the data.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. All counties and municipalities were individually examined.
Findings: Many counties have excellent language in their codes that could be potentially adopted into OC’s codes. Definitive results to be determined.
Delegation
Objective: To earn delegation rights from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for permitting in order to eliminate both duplicitous effort as well as to implement stricter development standards.
Background: Orange County currently holds stricter regulations than is required by the state, and Florida State Statute and Florida Administrative Code allow for counties to assume the responsibility of permitting solely. The research was into what the County needs to do in order to effectively move through the process of delegation.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. Also information came from the Florida State Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code.
Findings: Established the legal basis for the process of delegation, as well as benefits of achieving delegation. Comparative study of other counties and municipalities delegation agreements to determine what was done to achieve delegation as well as their new liability. Findings used by outside counsel handling the process.
Orange County Ordinances Pertaining to Threatened and Endangered Species, Uplands and Wetlands
Objective: To examine Orange County and respective municipalities in particular in the same vein of the previous project.
Background: Orange County has a need to update regulations, and through a comparative study with regulations around the state, the County can move forward with making recommendations for change based on the data.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. Also information came from the Florida State Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code.
Findings: Many parts of codes could stand to be tightened to decrease circumvention. Results of findings to be determined.
Objective: To determine how other Counties and Municipalities allow for public schools to be built. Concurrency requirements are frequently challenged, Orange County wants to determine if other counties share similar requirements, specifically relating to wetland protection within school codes.
Background: Orange County has a unique municipal code that establishes regulations for building public schools. The code is partially unique due to the County’s adherence with new state concurrency requirements.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. All counties were individually examined; select municipalities were examined.
Findings: Inconclusive. Many counties and municipalities failed to have specific school zoning regulations.
Statewide Municipal Codes Pertaining to Threatened and Endangered Species, Uplands and Wetlands
Objective: To compare Orange County’s regulations to those of other counties and municipalities to determine efficacy of our own code.
Background: Orange County has a need to update regulations, and through a comparative study with regulations around the state, the County can move forward with making recommendations for change based on the data.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. All counties and municipalities were individually examined.
Findings: Many counties have excellent language in their codes that could be potentially adopted into OC’s codes. Definitive results to be determined.
Delegation
Objective: To earn delegation rights from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for permitting in order to eliminate both duplicitous effort as well as to implement stricter development standards.
Background: Orange County currently holds stricter regulations than is required by the state, and Florida State Statute and Florida Administrative Code allow for counties to assume the responsibility of permitting solely. The research was into what the County needs to do in order to effectively move through the process of delegation.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. Also information came from the Florida State Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code.
Findings: Established the legal basis for the process of delegation, as well as benefits of achieving delegation. Comparative study of other counties and municipalities delegation agreements to determine what was done to achieve delegation as well as their new liability. Findings used by outside counsel handling the process.
Orange County Ordinances Pertaining to Threatened and Endangered Species, Uplands and Wetlands
Objective: To examine Orange County and respective municipalities in particular in the same vein of the previous project.
Background: Orange County has a need to update regulations, and through a comparative study with regulations around the state, the County can move forward with making recommendations for change based on the data.
Perimeters: Source of information came from Municode.com, using both a multicode search and single municipality search. Also information came from the Florida State Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code.
Findings: Many parts of codes could stand to be tightened to decrease circumvention. Results of findings to be determined.
Gopher Tortoise Relocation Bid
During my time as a Legal Researcher for the Orange County Environmental Protection Division, I was involved in several projects relating to environmental advocacy. The bid below was my first independent task to seek relocation of the Gopher Tortoise on key development parcels. Prior to this, Gopher Tortoises were not being properly identified on construction sites and their habitats were destroyed. This ensured that developers were engaging properly with the animals and their habitats.
Dock Length and Depth
Water elevation and dock length in Central Florida's lakes often become a contentious battle between regulators and homeowners. Citing low water elevation, homeowners would petition the County for longer docks than allowed by current regulation so they could use their boats. However, longer docks had significant environmental impact, on both the vegetation and wildlife. Frequent monitoring of dock length, water elevation and as-built surveys were required to ensure that homeowners were staying within existing regulations. Additionally, studies such as the one below examined the validity of the homeowners' requests to see if variances were warranted.
