EDGEWATER, Fla. – City leaders in Edgewater say they are working to balance a new state law with ongoing concerns over flooding caused by new development.

Senate Bill 180, signed into law last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis, prohibits local governments from enacting temporary bans on new construction. However, the Edgewater City Council says it still plans to move forward with the goals outlined in a building moratorium it passed earlier this year.

“Tonight we continue to move forward with the goals of the moratorium, even if it cannot be enacted,” Mayor Diezel Depew said after Tuesday night’s council meeting. “We are going to follow the law here in the city of Edgewater.”

[BELOW: Get the lowdown on other laws signed on the same day as SB 180]

The one-year moratorium, passed in January, was aimed at pausing large-scale developments while the city updated its stormwater master plan and building codes following major flooding in the Florida Shores neighborhood. Some residents blamed the flooding on runoff from a nearby construction site.

Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew said city leaders plan to keep pushing for smarter development, even if they are legally barred from enforcing a ban.

“I have full confidence in our state representatives,” DePew said. “I think we can work with them to see how SB 180 could become a positive instead of a negative. Maybe add some amendments next year.”

DePew also issued a message to developers, asking them to work with the city and be mindful of environmental impacts.

“Please do the right thing,” he said. “We are open for business. Develop in a correct manner. Be a positive, not a negative. Please don’t build 12 feet above the Florida Shores corridor.”

[BELOW: Check out the four bills that DeSantis vetoed this Legislative session]

City leaders also acknowledged that while SB 180 might have been intended for good, it could hurt communities like theirs.

“Every city is different. I can’t speak for other municipalities,” DePew said. “But for the city of Edgewater, it is going to slow us down a lot.”

The city attorney told council members he expects to receive a letter next month from an attorney encouraging municipalities to join a lawsuit challenging the new state law. The council said it plans to consider whether to join the legal challenge at a future meeting.

For the full list of new Florida laws passed this year, click here.