Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
When voting in the upcoming March 9th Boca Raton City Council Election, please note that three voting precincts have changed locations. The new location for Precinct 4160 is the Swim and Racquet Club located at 2168 St. Andrews Boulevard and the new location for Precincts 4214 & 4216 is the Children’s Science Explorium in Sugar Sand Park at 300 S. Military Trail.
As we get closer to election day, be sure to create your voting plan. With no in-person early voting offered this year, vote by mail and day of election voting are the only options. With two of the five City of Boca Raton Council Seats on the ballot, this election could ensure that businesses will be supported, and the city’s quality of life is maintained while Moving Boca Raton Forward. The Chamber’s Business Leaders United Political Action Committee (BLU-PAC), has endorsed Constance Scott for Seat C, and Brian Stenberg for Seat D.
In addition to the candidates on the March 9th ballot, the City of Boca Raton will be asking residents to consider two amendments to the City Charter. The first proposed question considers changing the residency requirement for candidates running for municipal office from the current 30 days to one year. If passed it would also disqualify anyone with a non-City homestead exemption. The second question considers eliminating the qualifying fee and requiring a candidate to secure a minimum of 200 signatures from electors. If approved, both amendments would take effect on April 1, 2021.
Governor DeSantis is expected to lower the eligibility age for the COVID-19 vaccine for residents in March. As demand decreases within the senior population and more supply of the vaccine becomes available in Florida, the age could be lowered to 60, or even 55. Additionally, starting next week, Florida will begin offering the vaccine to law enforcement personnel and teachers who are 50 and older at four federally operated vaccination sites in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Those sites are due to open on March 3rd, operating seven days per week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A Food and Drug Administration report released this week shows that Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is 85% effective in reducing severe instances of the disease. This vaccine requires only a single shot and does not need to be stored at ultra-cold conditions like other COVID-19 vaccines. Potential approval and distribution are expected within the coming days.
Public Safety in our schools has been an issue the Boca Chamber has championed. We are fortunate here in Palm Beach County to have our own full-time School District Police Department. As part of the organization’s continuing professional development, the Police Department has begun the process of receiving accreditation from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Association (CFA). As part of the assessment, agency members and the general public are invited to offer comments to the assessment team. For more information regarding CFA or for persons wishing to offer written comments about the School District of Palm Beach County Police Department's ability to meet the standards of accreditation, please write: CFA, P.O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida 32302, or email to flaccreditation@fdle.state.fl.us.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars, along with virtual and in-person experiences. Most are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
Topic: Global Ventures: South Florida’s Soft Landing Center for International Entrepreneurs
Speaker: Andrew Duffell, MBA, President, Research Park at Florida Atlantic University
3/5 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual PRIME Professionals Group
Sponsored By: Allegiance Home Health
Topic: Keep Your Loved One Independent
Speaker: Rosie Inguanzo-Martin, President & CEO, and Joe Martin, Vice President & Owner, Allegiance Home Health
3/10 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsored By: iThink Financial
Topic: Be the CEO of Your Success: 3 Game-Changing Strategies to Maximize your 2021 Results
Speaker: Patricia Cimino, Certified Coach for Entrepreneurs
3/11 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast
Sponsored By: Virgin Design
Topic: Step into the Center: Update on the Boca Raton Center for the Arts & Innovation and How it's Set to Make Waves in Our Local Economy
Speaker: Andrea Virgin, President, Boca Raton Center for the Arts & Innovation
Location: Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center, 5150 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton
3/11 – 11:30 a.m. Virtual Government Affairs Committee Meeting
Topic: Business in D.C.
Speaker: Moore Hallmark, Vice President, Regional Affairs and Advocacy Congressional and Public Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center was recently recognized as Hotel of the Year. The Marriott received top honors as the top-performing hotel in Dimension Development’s 81 hotel portfolio. In addition to the Hotel of the Year award, General Manager (and Boca Chamber Board Member) Ron Wichowski, and Director of Sales, Casey Ademski Millard, were recognized for their high performance in their respective positions. Congratulations Ron, Casey, and the entire time at the Boca Raton Marriott! We appreciate our valued partnership and all the support you provide the Chamber and the entire community.
As always, thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and all South Palm Beach County the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
