News Politics

From Black and White to Digital: Public Notices Undergo Changes in Parkland

by Bryan Boggiano July 20, 2023

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Parkland City Commission Anticipates Tax Hike Amid Rising Property Values

{City of Parkland}

By Bryan Boggiano

The City of Parkland began utilizing Broward County’s website to publish legally required meeting notices on June 20, becoming the first city in Broward County to do so after the state passed CS/HB 7049.

As of July 19, only Cooper City, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the Memorial Healthcare System, and the North Broward Hospital District have followed suit.

The development comes following the state legislature’s passage of House Bill 7049 in the 2022 legislative session. Under Section 50.0311, cities may use a county’s website rather than certain newspapers, depending on readership, size of the county, and publishing frequency, among other requirements, to communicate public notices.

Property owners and residents, however, can still receive legally required advertisements and public notices from the city by first-class mail or email by registering through the city clerk’s office.

Parkland Updating Public Meeting Notice Requirements After CS/HB 7049 Passage, Implementation

Advertisement announcing the new procedures after CS/HB 7049 passed {City of Parkland}

HB7049 passed in the Florida House 79-40 in 2022, mainly along partisan lines. According to the Florida Bar, supporters of the legislation argued local governments should not subsidize local papers, but newspaper publishers argued losing advertisement revenue from posted notices will hurt the industry further.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed CS/HB 7049 in May 2022, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

In a July 13 email, Todd DeAngelis, public information officer, said the new public notice requirement will save the city about $6,000 per year. Additionally, since the city started the online notifications prior to June 30, they saved an additional $2,000.

Among other effects, DeAngelis said the notices are immediately available to the public.

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Author Profile

Bryan Boggiano

A University of Florida journalism graduate, Bryan plans to pursue geosciences at Florida International University for his master's. He has a strong interest in weather, entertainment, and journalism.