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Introduction The Florida Legislature amended the statutes specific to how a local government reviews and updates its Comprehensive Plan in 2011. Before that date, communities were required to do a complete diagnostic of the Plan and identify key items for consideration and discussion. That assessment was then provided to the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA), later known as the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and presently known as FloridaCommerce, for review, consideration, and acceptance, which then provided the occasion to amend the local Comprehensive Plan. Since that time, communities have had the option to provide a summary letter denoting whether they intend to amend their Comprehensive Plan or if no updates have been deemed necessary. Although the process changed in 2011, the significance of regular review and subsequent amendment of the Comprehensive Plan has not changed. Indian River County must submit its summary letter noting its intention by October 1, 2024. History of Past Amendments Aligned with prior state regulations, the County embarked on its inaugural Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) in 1996, a milestone ratified by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and endorsed as sufficient by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Subsequently, in 1998, the Comprehensive Plan underwent amendments to assimilate the insights gleaned from the 1996 EAR. Pre-2011 state mandates required periodic assessments via EARs to evaluate the efficacy of comprehensive plans, adapt to evolving conditions, and identify necessary revisions. Thus, in February 2006, the County commenced its second EAR, diligently adhering to the December 1, 2008, prescribed submission timeline. The BOCC sanctioned the findings of the EAR on November 18, 2008, and the state validated them on February 25, 2009. As a natural progression, amendments reflecting the 2008 EAR were seamlessly integrated into the Comprehensive Plan by the BOCC on October 12, 2010. The legislative overhaul in 2011 ushered in streamlined procedures for Plan amendments and evaluation processes, accompanied by the transition from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). House Bill 5, signed into law by Florida’s Governor on May 31, 2023, renamed the DEO to the Department of Commerce, known also as FloridaCommerce. Per F.S. 163.3191, the local government must evaluate its Plan to determine if amendments are necessary to reflect a required minimum planning period, changes in state requirements, and/or changes in local conditions. If the local government determines amendments to the Plan are necessary, the local government must prepare and transmit within one (1) year such Plan amendment(s) for review. PAGE 4