On February 7, 2017, the Town Council of the Town of Miami Lakes directed the Town Manager to explore and return to a workshop with recommendations regarding information sessions conducted by an applicant/developer that has made a zoning application subject to public hearing before the Town Council. The idea was to create an informal setting where the public could learn about a proposed project in advance of its presentation at a Town Council hearing. There currently are no provisions within the Land Development Code that provide for such informational sessions.

On June 27, 2017, at a publicly advertised workshop of the Town Council, staff presented a recommended approach regarding “Developer Information Sessions.” After some discussion, consensus was reached requiring such sessions to be conducted in an informal format, at a site preferably at, or as near as possible to, the project site or if not feasible, at Town Hall; for all projects subject to Town Council consideration that involve projects that are equal to or greater than 50 residential units and/or 50,000 square feet of commercial area. The cost of the developer information session will be paid by the developer. Any staff or direct costs incurred by the Town will be reimbursed by the developer through the cost recovery process. The proposed ordinance is reflective of that consensus.

On July 18, 2017 the Planning and Zoning Board, acting in their capacity as the Local Planning agency, voted to recommend approval of the proposed ordinance with the following additional language to be incorporated therein:

­(4) All cost related to the “developer information session” shall be borne by the applicant.

On July 25, 2015, the Town Council moved this item on first reading without any changes. If it is the Council's desire to incorporated the Planning and Zoning Board's additional clause, it must be moved into the proposed ordinance prior to adoption. For ease of use, the ordinance attached to this memo incorporates the additional clause.