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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Indian River County Board of County Commissioners <br />THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator <br />FROM: Patrick J. Murphy; Chief of Long -Range Planning <br />DATE: August 12, 2025 <br />SUBJECT: Consideration of the 2025 Indian River County Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and <br />Appraisal Report (EAR) Based Amendments <br />HISTORY <br />In 1985, Florida enacted the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development <br />Regulation Act, Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes. This statute requires that all local governments <br />adopt, maintain, and implement land use plans and development regulations for all future development <br />actions. It also requires that all geographic areas within the state be included within the jurisdiction of a <br />local comprehensive plan and that all development actions be consistent with the adopted plan. <br />The Comprehensive Plan is not just a document but the County's blueprint for the future. Its Goals, <br />Objectives, and Policies (GOPs) are not just guidelines but crucial tools for effectively implementing <br />public infrastructure and services. They ensure that people have a safe and secure place to live, a healthy <br />economy that provides jobs and services, avenues for traversing the community (bike, pedestrian, car, <br />transit), and quality recreational features. Indian River County (the County) is responsible for providing <br />the necessary public services and facilities, developing strategies, and adopting regulations and standards <br />that implement this blueprint. The Comprehensive Plan also informs and shapes other County plans, <br />capital projects, and programs that affect the community in both large and small ways. <br />The County's Comprehensive Plan is not set in stone. It is a living document that can be amended from <br />time to time following the parameters established in the Florida Statutes (F.S.) Chapter 163. The State <br />of Florida, recognizing that change occurs over time and that it is important to adapt, requires local <br />governments to review and update their Comprehensive Plan at least every seven (7) years, where <br />appropriate. A local government may adopt amendments at any time during this cycle (as current trends <br />evolve or state laws are adopted) or combine multiple amendments of the Comprehensive Plan at the <br />end of the 7 -year period. This ensures that the Plan reflects the adoption of new Growth Management <br />Laws, changing conditions within the community or changes in population, updates to policies that may <br />no longer be accurate or effective, as well as both the perceived and actual success of various Plan <br />implementations. This flexibility is a testament to the Comprehensive Plan's resilience and ability to <br />evolve with the community's needs. <br />The Florida Legislature amended the statutes specific to how a local government reviews and updates <br />its Comprehensive Plan in 2011. Before that date, communities were required to perform a complete <br />diagnostic of the Plan and identify key items for consideration and discussion. That assessment was then <br />C:\Users\ufc-prod\AppData\Local\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 8\@BCL@6414E534\@BCL@6414E534.docx <br />7 <br />