§ 10-36. Landscape enhancement program.

(a)

Purpose. To create a program that will govern the administration and collection of landscape enhancement funds.

(b)

Authority and scope. Hernando County Code of Ordinances, chapter 10, article II, section 10-33 and section 10-35.

(c)

Source of funds. The Hernando County Landscape Enhancement Program shall consist of the following funds:

(1)

Mitigation of specimen and majestic protected trees. If a commercial, subdivision, or residential site cannot accommodate all of the required replacement trees, the developer/applicant shall pay the planted market value of the trees that are unable to be planted, on site, into the Hernando County Landscape Enhancement Fund.

(2)

Special penalty procedures. The illegal removal or damage to a protected tree shall require the violator to contribute the planted market value of the replacement trees on an inch-per-inch basis into the Hernando County Landscape Enhancement Fund.

(d)

Maintenance of fund. The administrative official or his/her designee shall act as the local authority to administer this program and is hereby authorized to receive and disburse moneys in accordance with the provisions of the landscape enhancement program.

(1)

Interest. All interest earned by the investment of all moneys in the Hernando County Landscape Enhancement Fund shall accrue to the fund and shall be disbursed for any project authorized consistent with the program.

(2)

Administrative costs. The department or agency administering the Landscape Enhancement Program is entitled to an administrative fee of three (3) percent of the funds collected on all contributions for administering the program.

(e)

Use of funds. Use of the landscape enhancement fund shall only be made to re-establish landscaping, or as an enhancement to existing landscaping and trees on park lands, conservation lands, public rights-of-way and public properties owned by governmental agencies. Funding shall be limited to material and installation costs only. Funds may be applied as matching funds for grants associated with, but not limited to, landscaped street rights-of-way, public lands, parks, scenic highways, open space, conservation areas, properties owned by Hernando County governmental agencies, or other similar site locations approved by the administrative official that meet the standards of this program.

(f)

Application procedure. An application for the use of funds under the landscape enhancement program shall be submitted to the administrative official. The application shall be on a form approved by the administrative official and shall include the following minimum information:

(1)

The location and amount for which funding is requested.

(2)

A landscape plan indicating all areas scheduled for new plant installations. This plan shall be drawn to scale on drawings no larger than 24″ x 36″ and shall depict the following minimum information:

a.

North arrow, date, and scale.

b.

Property lines.

c.

Existing structures, rights-of-way, easements, utility lines or other natural or manmade features, that could be impacted by new plant installations.

d.

A table indicating the species, quantity, size, and drought tolerance of proposed plant installations.

e.

All plants within installed planting areas shall be healthy.

f.

All new plants must be in conformance with the standards adopted in chapter 10, community appearance, article II, landscaping, including caliper, height, grades and standards, spacing, and acceptable species.

(3)

A maintenance plan for all plants scheduled for installation. This plan shall detail the following:

a.

A watering schedule in accordance with University of Florida Extension IFAS standards for both short-term establishment and long-term survival.

b.

A designation of the responsible party including name, contact phone number, address, and affiliation. This person/entity shall sign an approved affidavit stating, "I understand that I am responsible for maintaining all new landscaping and shall replace any dead plant material." The applicant shall be responsible for the health and welfare of the installed landscaping for a minimum of five (5) years.

c.

A certified cost estimate from a landscape architect, professional engineer, or landscape design professional detailing the cost of the proposed plant material and installation.

d.

A schedule to complete the landscape installation. Landscaping must be installed within six (6) months of approval by the administrative official or designee.

(g)

Review. The administrative official or his/her designee shall review the application, plans, and cost estimate for compliance with the standards set forth in the landscape enhancement program.

(1)

Deficiency. If the application does not meet the minimum standards set forth by the landscape enhancement program, the reviewer shall send a deficiency letter to the applicant detailing a list of items to bring the application into compliance with the program standards.

(2)

Issuance. When the application meets all prescribed standards of this program and is approved by the administrative official or his/her designee, the applicant shall be notified in writing that the project is approved for funding.

(h)

Final inspection. Upon completion of the landscaping the applicant shall provide a final detailed and itemized cost for the project, and call to schedule a final inspection. After inspecting the site and determining that all landscaping has received proper care and maintenance for long-term survival, funds shall be released to the applicant in accordance with the approved final schedule of cost for the project. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to replace any landscaping material that has died or does not pass the inspection and to reschedule subsequent inspection(s) to verify that the landscaping is healthy and meets the standards of the landscape enhancement program.

(Ord. No. 2013-29, § I, 10-22-13)