(1) Any application for designation as a new enterprise zone must be accompanied by a strategic plan adopted by the governing body of the municipality or county, or the governing bodies of the county and one or more municipalities together. At a minimum, the plan must:(a) Briefly describe the community’s goals for revitalizing the area.
(b) Describe the ways in which the community’s approaches to economic development, social and human services, transportation, housing, community development, public safety, and educational and environmental concerns will be addressed in a coordinated fashion, and explain how these linkages support the community’s goals.
(c) Identify and describe key community goals and the barriers that restrict the community from achieving these goals, including a description of poverty and general distress, barriers to economic opportunity and development, and barriers to human development.
(d) Describe the process by which the affected community is a full partner in the process of developing and implementing the plan and the extent to which local institutions and organizations have contributed to the planning process.
(e) Commit the governing body or bodies to enact and maintain local fiscal and regulatory incentives, if approval for the area is received under s. 290.0065. These incentives may include the municipal public service tax exemption provided by s. 166.231, the economic development ad valorem tax exemption provided by s. 196.1995, the business tax exemption provided by s. 205.054, local impact fee abatement or reduction, or low-interest or interest-free loans or grants to businesses to encourage the revitalization of the nominated area. (f) Identify the amount of local and private resources that will be available in the nominated area and the private/public partnerships to be used, which may include participation by, and cooperation with, universities, community colleges, small business development centers, black business investment corporations, certified development corporations, and other private and public entities.
(g) Indicate how state enterprise zone tax incentives and state, local, and federal resources will be utilized within the nominated area.
(h) Identify the funding requested under any state or federal program in support of the proposed economic, human, community, and physical development and related activities.
(i) Identify baselines, methods, and benchmarks for measuring the success of carrying out the strategic plan.
(2) Prior to adopting the strategic plan, the governing body or bodies shall submit the plan to the appropriate local planning agency for review and recommendations as to its conformity with the comprehensive plan for the development of the county or municipality or the county and one or more municipalities as a whole. The local planning agency shall submit its written recommendations with respect to the conformity of the proposed strategic plan to the governing body or bodies within 60 days after receipt of the plan for review.
(3) Prior to adopting the strategic plan, the governing body or bodies shall hold a public hearing on the strategic plan after public notice thereof by publication in a newspaper having a general circulation in the area of operation of the governing body or bodies. The notice shall describe the time, date, place, and purpose of the hearing, identify the nominated area covered by the plan, and outline the general scope of the strategic plan under consideration.
