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It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of December 18, 2001. BACKGROUND: At its January 2, 2001 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a six month moratorium on applications for new telecommunications towers, and the moratorium went into effect shortly thereafter. On July 3, 2001, the Board extended that moratorium an additonal six months, establishing a new expiration date of January 6, 2002. Thus, the moratorium will expire on January 61 2002, unless extended. As previously reported to the Board, staffs research has found that other jurisdictions had extended moratoria during their wireless master planning/ordinance re -write processes (Alachua County, Lakeland). The purpose of the moratorium is to allow sufficient time for the county to hire a consultant, to have the consultant prepare an interim ordinance of regulations, and to present the ordinance for adoption. Simultaneously, the consultant is also obligated to develop a wireless master plan. Since adoption of the moratorium, significant progress has been made on completing those tasks. In June, the county hired CityScape as its consultant, and CityScape has begun its work. However, completion of the wireless master plan and interim ordinance tasks has proceeded slower than anticipated. Particularly disruptive to the planning and ordinance review process was the necessary postponement of the Board of County Comrnissioners/Planning and Zoning Commission public workshop originally scheduled for September 11, 2001. That workshop was re -scheduled, and could not be held until November 13, 2001. Because the workshop schedule was disrupted and an interim ordinance cannot now be adopted before the January 6, 2002 expiration of the moratorium, the moratorium needs to be extended by ordinance. In accordance with ordinance adoption requirements, the County Attorney's Office has drafted such an ordinance and has advertised for a December 18, 2001 public hearing. The Board is now to consider the ordinance and is to adopt, adopt with modifications, or deny the proposed ordinance. ANALYSIS: The proposed ordinance would extend the moratorium by three (3) months, and would take effect on January 7, 2002. The effect of the ordinance, if adopted, will be to extend the moratorium to April 71 2002. This three month extension should allow sufficient time for Professional Services Advisory Committee (PSAC), Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), and Board of County Commissioners (BCC) review and consideration of an interim telecommunications tower ordinance prepared and revised by CityScape. Simultaneously, CityScape is obligated to perform wireless master planning services. If the moratorium is extended as proposed, the interim telecommunications ordinance could be reviewed by the PSAC in January, by the PZC in February, and by the BCC in February and March 2002. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the attached ordinance extending the moratorium on acceptance of applications for new telecommunications towers; said moratorium to expire on April 7, 2002. DECEMBER 18, 2001 -64-