Sec. 804.406. - Speed limit reduction by application.

(a) As used in this Section, the following terms shall mean: i. Affected property owners means those owners of real property located adjacent to the local road segment(s) which would be impacted by the speed limit reduction. ii. Department means the Department of Public Works. iii. Residence district has the same meaning as it is defined in Section 316.003, Florida Statutes. (b) In addition to the method prescribed in Section 804.402 above, applicants may request to have the speed limit reduced on a local road within a residence district from 30 miles per hour to a maximum speed limit of 20 or 25 miles per hour. Such a request requires agreement from at least 75 percent of affected property owners. (c) Requests to reduce the speed limit on a local road may be made by an affected party including an individual citizen, group of citizens, homeowners' association or similar property owners' association, or a City Council Member (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Applicant") and shall be initiated by an application completed and submitted to the Department, to the attention of the Chief of Traffic Engineering. The form of the application shall be generated by the Department. (d) Within 30 calendar days of receiving an application for speed limit reduction, the Department shall review the application for sufficiency and, if found sufficient, the Chief of Traffic Engineering or their designee shall conduct (or have conducted by a third party) an engineering and traffic investigation that determines whether the speed limit reduction is reasonable and in conformity to criteria promulgated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the Manual for Speed Zoning for Highways, Roads, and Streets in Florida . The Chief of Traffic Engineering, or their designee, after consultation with the Sheriff or their designee, shall make the final determination of the appropriateness of the requested speed limit reduction and the location and placement of speed limit signage. (e) After submitting the application, the Applicant shall be responsible for contacting their District Council Member, who shall schedule and notice a public meeting for the purpose of discussing the proposed application and the implementation process with members of the public. The District Council Member shall coordinate with the Traffic Engineering Division, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Sheriff's Office regarding the date and location for the public meeting to ensure that a representative from each will be in attendance. During the meeting, the Traffic Engineering Division shall explain the process, identify all costs related to the request and provide a cost estimate to the Applicant and any other interested property owners or associations attending the meeting. (f) After the meeting, the Department shall send two written notifications to affected property owners, which shall request the affected property owners to indicate their written agreement or objection to the proposed speed limit reduction. Should any affected property owners fail to respond within 60 days of the City's first written notification, then such non-response shall be deemed as agreement to the proposed speed limit reduction. The City's written notification shall include language to this effect. (g) If the agreement of 75 percent of affected property owners is established, the Department shall then invoice the Applicant for 50 percent of the costs for signage and any other applicable costs related to the requested speed limit reduction. Upon receipt of the invoice, the Applicant shall remit payment within 60 calendar days. If the Applicant fails to timely remit payment, the Application shall be considered withdrawn. (h) If the Chief of Traffic Engineering or their designee, in consultation with the Sheriff or their designee, determines that the speed limit reduction is reasonable and appropriate, and the Department determines that the public meeting has been held, the Applicant has remitted payment and at least 75 percent of affected property owners agree, then the Chief of Traffic Engineering may reduce the speed limit on the segment of the local road(s) as provided in the application, with notification to the Sheriff. The Department shall be responsible for posting the new speed limit with clearly legible signs, and such new speed limit shall not take effect until the posting of said signs. (i) The procedures outlined in this Section shall be applicable to applications received on or after January 1, 2025. (Ord. 2024-730-E , §§ 1, 2; Ord. 2025-465-E , § 1) Editor's note— Ord. 2024-730-E , §§ 1, 2, amended the Code by repealing former § 804.406 and adding a new § 804.406. Former § 804.406 pertained to speed limit reduction on local roads by petition, and derived from Ord. 2014-666-E , § 1.