INTERLOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY AGREEMENT REPORT

In Pinellas County, as is the case in urban counties throughout Florida, urban services are provided through a variety of service providers. These providers include county government, municipalities, and special districts, such as Tampa Bay Water. In 2002, the Florida Legislature asked each county with a population of more than 100,000, and the municipalities and special districts within that county, to see whether there are any deficits in the provision of urban services or if there are situations where there is an overlap or duplication in service delivery to an area. The county, the municipalities, and special districts in Pinellas County will be working together to undertake a coordinated countywide effort to identify any deficiencies or duplication in service delivery and submit a comprehensive report on their findings to the Florida Department of Community Affairs by January 1, 2004. The Pinellas County Planning Department is coordinating this effort.

The intent of the Florida Legislature is to have urban communities evaluate service-delivery responsibilities and to work towards eliminating any redundancy in service delivery and to remedy any service delivery issues. The following specific urban services must be considered: education, sanitary sewer, public safety, solid waste, drainage, potable water, parks and recreation, and transportation facilities. In Pinellas County, the Pinellas Assembly process is looking in detail at three of these urban services ( public safety, parks and recreation, and transportation ) and preparation of the comprehensive Interlocal Service Delivery Agreement Report will take into consideration the results of the Pinellas Assembly task force groups working on these subjects. Their results are expected in late November or early December, 2003.

The required countywide Interlocal Service Delivery Agreement Report will include an inventory of existing and proposed interlocal service delivery agreements, and identify any deficits or duplication in the provision of urban services within Pinellas County. Within six months of submitting this report to the State, the Florida Department of Community Affairs will convene a regional meeting to discuss the Report and potential strategies to remedy any identified issues. After this meeting, each local government is required to amend the Intergovernmental Coordination Element of their local Comprehensive Plan based upon the results of the Report and regional meeting.

If you have any questions about the coordinated effort to prepare the Interlocal Service Delivery Agreement Report, please contact any of the following persons at the Pinellas County Planning Department by calling 464-8200 or by email as shown below:

Gordon Beardslee
Elizabeth Freeman