Agriculture

>> Chair: THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL WILL NOW COME TO ORDER. CALL THE ROLL. >> CHAIR TRUENOW. >> Senator Truenow: HERE. >> SENATOR GRALL. >> Senator Grall: HERE. >> SENATOR BERNARD. >> Senator Bernard: HERE. >> SENATOR BURTON. >> Senator Burton: HERE. >> SENATOR ROUSON. >> Senator Rouson: HERE. >> A QUORUM IS PRESENT. >> Chair: STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY SENATOR BERNARD. >> Senator Bernard: I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >> Chair: THERE IS NO ONE TO TELL TO SILENCE THE SOUNDS ON THEIR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK BEFORE THE COMMITTEE SHOULD FILL OUT AN APPEARANCE CARD. [LAUGHTER]. ALL RIGHT. SUCH AN EXCITING DAY. LET'S TAKE UP TAB ONE SB 962 ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY SENATOR BRADLEY. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> Senator Bradley: THANK YOU. SENATORS, IN RECENT YEARS THE LEGISLATURE HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF ATTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FLORIDIANS. LAST YEAR AS PART OF THAT EFFORT WE CLARIFIED THE APPLICATION OF THE ZONING PREEMPTION BY DEFINING COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AND MIXED USE. SENATE BILL 962 AMENDS THOSE DEFINITIONS TO PROTECT OUR WORKING FARMS AND ENSURE THAT THE ZONING PREEMPTION DOES NOT UNINTENTIONALLY CAPTURE FARMS OR FARM OPERATIONS. SPECIFICALLY THE BILL EXCLUDES FARM AND FARM OPERATIONS FROM THE DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL USE, MIXED USE, INDUSTRIAL USE FOR PURPOSES FOR WHICH CERTAIN MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS MAY BE AUTHORIZED. AND JUST FOR CONTEXT WHERE THIS BILL CAME FROM IN CLAY COUNTY WE HAVE A ZONING CLASSIFICATION FOR RESIDENTIAL AG. AND IS PART OF THAT ON THE 5 ACRE PARCELS THERE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A PRODUCE STAND ON THEIR PROPERTY FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND THAT IS TRIPPED BY THE DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL. WE HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER THE COUNTY HAS TO ALLOW THE DENSITY ON THE WORKING AG YOU LAND. THAT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE AND IT WAS NOT THE INTENT WE CLARIFIED THE DEFINITION LAST YEAR THAT WE DON'T INTEND THAT TO BE IN THE RESIDENTIAL AG OR AG COMMUNITIES. AND THAT WAS THE GENESIS OF THE BILL. AND IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. >> Chair: THANK YOU SENATOR BRADLEY. ARE THERE QUESTIONS ON THIS BILL? APPEARANCE FORMS? NO. DEBATE? THERE IS NO DEBATE. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO CLOSE ON THE BILL. WAIVE CLOSE. >> PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> SENATOR TRUENOW. SENATOR GRALL. SENATOR BERNARD. SENATOR BURTON. SENATOR ROUSON. >> BY YOUR VOTE SB 962 IS REPORTED FAVORABLY. >> Senator Bradley: WE HAVE TWO HOURS ANYTHING ANYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. >> Chair: WELL I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING. I DO NOT THINK SO. BUT DOES ANYONE WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING WITH THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE CLOSE? >> MR. CHAIR, WE ARE SAYING GOODBYE. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR SERVING THIS COMMITTEE WITH YOU MR. CHAIR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FINISHING THE SESSION. THANK YOU. >> Chair: WE TRIED TO MAKE IT EXCITING AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE IT MORE EXCITING IF THERE IS A FUTURE FOR ME IN THIS COMMITTEE. SO, WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND HELPING US OUT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. GREAT COMMITTEE. ABSOLUTELY. NUMBER ONE. THE BEST. ALL RIGHT. WELL WITH THAT SENATOR BERNARD MOVES THAT WE ADJOURN.