C-23/C-24 STA Groundbreaking

On February 18, federal, state, and local partners joined together to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Indian River Lagoon South C-23/C-24 Stormwater Treatment Area project, part of the Everglades Restoration Plan.

For the past seven years I’ve been a member of the 16 County Lake Okeechobee Coalition and currently serve as its Vice Chair. This group of local leaders has been supporting St. Lucie County Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson’s decades long push to start this project. It was awesome to see her finally get to shovel that dirt her last year in office!

And, a side note, I had a great time traveling up to Ft. Pierce with my federal friends from Sens. Rubio’s and Scott’s offices: Greg Langowski and Ryan Hnatiuk. These two guys are two of my dearest friends and colleagues. I’m told regularly that being a former Senate staffer means I’m a part of the fed family for life. Thanks Greg and Ryan for the lift!

New County Commission District Map

Due to redistricting, the boundaries for the seven Palm Beach County Commission districts were recently redrawn. To see the full map of all districts, visit here. To see a larger map of District 6, visit here.

This means there are areas that were previously in District 6 that are now in new districts. These include the communities of Ibis, Ironhorse, Bayhill Estates and Rustic Lakes. Ibis and Ironhorse are now in District 2, represented by Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss. Bayhill Estates and Rustic Lakes are now in District 1, represented by Commissioner Maria Marino.

Likewise, new areas have been drawn into District 6. I am excited to represent these communities, which include VillageWalk, Sherbrook Estates, and all of the communities west of the Turnpike south of Southern Blvd to just south of Hypoluxo Road. Feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Westlake Tax Collector's Office Grand Opening

The grand opening of the new Westlake Tax Collector's Office was held on February 22nd. I joined Tax Collector Anne Gannon, Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks, and Westlake Mayor Roger Manning at the ribbon cutting ceremony for this beautiful new facility.

The office is located at 16440 Town Center Parkway South, Westlake. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 am to 5 pm. Services available include driver licenses, motor vehicles, vessels and boats, property tax, business tax, and hunting and fishing. Click here to schedule appointments.

Photo credit: Palm Beach County Tax Collector's Office

Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce Banquet

I had a wonderful time at the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Congratulations to Dr. Robert Rease for being honored as Citizen of the Year and Willie Lee as the Ag Industrial Man of the Year!

Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship

Friends of Youth Services and Palm Beach County, Inc. has announced the call for applications for the 2022 Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship. The scholarship opened on February 1 and will close on March 31, 2022.

The Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship is dedicated to those who need a little extra assistance in achieving educational goals. The scholarship provides $1,000 per year, distributed over two semesters to each recipient, and is renewable for up to four years, depending on the degree or certificate program.

For more information on the scholarship and the application criteria, please visit http://pbcgov.com/ysd-scholarship or contact Geeta-Loach Jacobson, Director of Outreach and Community Programming of Palm Beach County Youth Services, at 561-242-5713.

PBC Cooperative Extension to Offer Workshop for First-Time Homebuyers

Are you thinking about purchasing a home? Learn about the steps to homeownership and how to obtain an affordable mortgage in Palm Beach County (PBC) by attending the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension First-Time Home Buyer workshop. The class is provided by the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension, a local agency approved by Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The course is HUD-approved and is an 8-hour, pre-purchase, homebuyer workshop that meets the homebuyer education requirement for workforce housing and down payment assistance programs. Participants must attend two 4-hour sessions or one 8-hour session for successful completion of the 8-hour program.

Classes are $10 per individual/couple. A scholarship is available to those who qualify. The sessions are offered online via Zoom in English and Spanish.

To purchase tickets, visit https://homebuyered.eventbrite.com 

Workshop Dates in English:                       

March 18 & 25 (Fridays)                        9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (two sessions)

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For more information, please contact Cyndi Longley at clongley@pbcgov.org or 561-233-1744.​

In Closing

For rental assistance, click here: Emergency Rental Assistance Program