Indian Trail Groves Preservation Proposal

At the October 26th Board of County Commissioners workshop on the Agriculture Reserve, I requested a presentation on the potential environmental benefits of preserving the Indian Trail Groves (ITG) property in the Acreage and transferring development rights to other areas of the County where development is already occurring. This presentation is scheduled for December 15th.

The ITG land consists of nearly 5,000 acres of contiguous farmland in private ownership. This land could be used for environmental restoration benefiting the Loxahatchee River/Everglades restoration project currently in the plans for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

Palm Beach County is slated to receive $291 million from the federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. With this funding, local governments are allowed to make necessary investments in water infrastructure. Eligible investments include water conservation and reuse, watershed pilot programs, and water storage projects.

I look forward to this discussion about the best use of this land for the future of environmental protection and development in Palm Beach County.

Orange Bowl Field Phase II

Awesome news for the Glades! Glades Pioneer Park - aka Orange Bowl Field - Phase II is getting ready to break ground! I am excited about this improved recreational space for the community. When complete, this park will be a $7 million asset to the Glades! And, more importantly, a fun place for our kids.

Thanks to County Parks staff for working on this and to my friend Sean Pittman and the Orange Bowl Foundation for partnering with us.

South Bay 80th Anniversary

Happy 80th Anniversary to the City of South Bay - the Crossroads of South Florida! On October 19th, I presented a proclamation recognizing this significant milestone. I'm honored to represent this tiny but mighty city and to work with these dedicated leaders and public servants.

Emergency Repair Assistance Available to PBC Residents

Palm Beach County's Department of Housing and Economic Development (HED) has announced the availability of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Emergency Repairs assistance funds for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.

Applications must be submitted online and will be processed on a first submitted, first qualified, first served basis, subject to funding availability by visiting the website here.

10-Digit Dialing

On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, easy-to-remember 3-digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors.

Due to this change, and the fact that there is a 988 exchange within the 561 area code, Palm Beach County is one of the areas designated across the United States required to use 10 digit dialing beginning this week. Even if you are dialing a local number, whether on your cell phone or landline, you MUST dial the area code. If you only dial using 7 digits you will begin to get a message that your call cannot be completed and that you need to hang up and use the area code.

Additional information can be found here.

Code Enforcement Lien Forgiveness Program

As a reminder, the Board of County Commissioners has approved a Code Enforcement Lien Amnesty program that will provide Palm Beach County property owners/lienholders with a method to clear Code Enforcement liens.

Many property owners have faced economic difficulties due to COVID-19 and this program will assist so they can obtain clear title and allow them to refinance or sell properties. The County has over 1,000 outstanding Code Enforcement liens on residential and non-residential properties. This program will enable property owners/ lienholders to apply to have 100% of the outstanding lien balance forgiven and the lien released. The program will run from October 1, 2021 to November 30, 2021. In order for a property owner/lienholder to participate in the program, the property must be in compliance with all county codes, file an application before November 30, 2021, and pay a $250 nonrefundable application fee.



To apply for this program, visit here. For more information, please contact Marie Jasmine at the Office of Financial Management and Budget at 561-355-4010.