Description: This article is going to be talking about a series of news about the upcoming meetings and events at the Collier County
At the recent Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Tom hitting urged his fellow board members to make a show of support for senate bill 192 which changes the way independent special fire districts could merge.
The bill provides an easier way for independent districts to consolidate instead of having to come back after the citizens vote to merge or dissolve, this bill provides it, so it doesn’t have to go back to the legislators for a codification.
The board voted unanimously to send a letter of support regarding the bill to the Florida Senate, the lord also voted unanimously to approve a recommendation to oppose the US Postal Service’s plan to close the fort Myers postal distribution center. The potential closure would have a reported 40 million dollar economic impact on five Southwest Florida counties including Collier.
The impact who the businesses in Southwest Florida is very significant, Arthrex purchased a building near the airport to fly their goods to their customers, that’s very important. So what I’m asking is that we send a letter to our congressional delegation to oppose a closing of the fort Myers facility. I can tell you that the Lee County Commissioners John Manning was working on this and I’ve been working with him.
There are currently two distribution centers in the Tampa area that would remain operational if the fort Myers location is shut down. As it’s customary for the first BCC meeting of the year, the commissioners elected a new chairman and vice-chairman. Commissioner Fred Coyle was elected to serve as the board chairman for 2012 and Commissioner Jim Coletta was elected to serve as vice chair, we wish them both well.
The commissioners unanimously proclaimed the month of January as Myra Janko Daniels’ month in honor of her contributions to the Arts in Collier County, it was nineteen eighty-two when Daniels began her drive to see a Philharmonic Center for the Arts built in Collier County.
30 years later, the Naples philharmonic center for the arts is one of the finest in the country. As Mrs. Daniels retires from her involvement with the fill, the commissioners honored her for her commitment to the culture enrichment for all of Collier County.
Congratulations to the Naples botanical garden for being named kyler County’s business of the month. In 1993, a group of eight Naples residents founded the garden with nothing more than the dream of creating a world-class botanical garden. In 2000 a gift from the Catholic family enabled the purchase of an extraordinary 170 acre site with seven different habitats.
The federal emergency management agency issued the final digital flood insurance rate maps for D firms for Collier County in November. The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to adopt the finalized maps at the January 24th meaning the growth management division has spent years working with FEMA to make the maps as accurate as possible.
They have also spent a great deal of time trying to get all Carter County residents informed on their responsibilities and options as these maps will cause many residents to have new flood insurance requirement.
The counties are required states and counties municipalities require to have the most current and up-to-date flood maps, so we go through a process of flying the county, determining the elevations and then correlating that information with FEMA to establish those new maps.
In the past 10 years, we’ve noticed a lot of development in Collier County, a significant growth through 2004 and 2008, so the county as part of doing their updated lidar to our notice the discrepancy between the old lidar that the maps were going to be adopted by with the new lidar that we have today.
So we pushed FEMA to try and get some of that more information into the map adoption that we’re doing right now, that said the Board of County Commissioners directed us to take two of those basins and bring them up to date with the new lidar. We’re going to be adopting the new maps they’ve been submitted by FEMA with an effective date of the end of March, so we’ll have some opportunity.
Most mortgages in the country are federally backed and if you’re a female participant, you are required to carry flood insurance if you aren’t as in a zone that requires insurance. Everybody in Carter County is in some sort of flood zone, some require insurance, some don’t, so these map amendments do have an impact on some people.
I think if you had flood insurance, it may not change as you move out of the urban area. However when you move into the rural area, big changes happen especially in golden gate state, we were in an unidentified zone before not requiring flood insurance.
These new maps now identify a base flood of the elevation, we call a BFE, so that has the biggest impact which is if you were in a flood zone before, undetermined did not require flood insurance, but today it will.
The Board of County Commissioners did a major outreach effort. We’ve had five public meetings, one in almost each district and we’ve had two more meetings to get the word out and get people prepared for what’s about to happen.
Our consultant is working feverishly to get these other ten basins done, as they come forward they’re submitted to FEMA for review, as FEMA approves those maps that will come back to the Board of County Commissioners for adoption, so it’ll be an ongoing process until we get all 12 done.
If you have a house that’s on a pad or raised, especially in the States or even in the urban area, the lidar was done previously did not pick that up, but the new lidar that we’re going to work it on right now does, that interim period between that new lidar being adopted in the old one.
You can have a survey or show that your pad or your home is above the base flood elevation and submit that LOMA letter of map amendment to FEMA to get that adopted and be exempt from homeowners insurance flood insurance.
Although this is a federal program, I do not recommend contacting the federal government, I think Collier County local government the board has adopted a policy that for us to take action. So contact us directly, you can reach us at our number 25 22 40 0 or on our website, we have staff on hand that can walk you through the process.
It’s particularly important for the building industry, applications that come in right now is not the time of application that’s submitted, it’s the time the application is approved, that determines when that base flood elevation be used. So we have to do a lot of public outreach to make sure our builders know that be cognizant of that application coming forward and the approval date around that March 30th date could cause you to have to resubmit again.
The supervisor elections would like to remind you that you don’t have to wait until January 31st to cast your vote in the upcoming presidential preference primary. Any registered voter is permitted a request and vote a male / absentee ballot, request may be made online at callyourvotes.com or by calling the supervisor of elections office at 25 28 45 0, the last day to request an absentee ballot be sent through the mail is January 25th.
It is important to note that male / absentee ballots are not forwarded and will be mailed to the address provided to the supervisor of elections office after January 25th, voters requesting an absentee ballot will be required to pick up their ballot at the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Absentee ballot pickup request may be made by 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and will be available for pick up after 8 a.m. the following day. Absentee ballot pickup request made on Friday will be available for pickup after 8 a.m. the following Monday.
Once the absentee ballot is completed the ballot must be returned by 7 p.m. on election day in the official ballot envelope provided by the supervisor of elections office, don’t forget the ballot envelope must be signed by the voter.
If we’re turning an absentee ballot by mail, please be aware that on January 22nd, the United States postal service will be increasing the cost of mailing a one ounce piece of mail from 44 cents to 45 cents. If you received an absentee ballot and decide to vote in person during early voting or an election day, you should bring the marked or unmarked ballot to the polls, so it may be canceled.
Now early voting is available beginning January 16th through January 28th, registered voters have the option of voting early at any one of the seven designated early voting sites. Early voting has offered Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m at the Supervisor of Elections Office, Everglades City Hall, Naples City Hall, Golden Gate library, Headquarter library Immokalee library and the Marco Island library.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is a $3,383 price tag on each employee that smokes that is $1,760 in lost productivity and $1623 on excess medical expenses. The Carter County Health Department encourages businesses and agencies to partner with the tobacco control program to implement tobacco-free policies as well as receive free smoking cessation resources. Partner with the Collier County Health Department to learn more about implementing tobacco-free policies on your campus
The following meetings are all held in the Board Meeting room on the third floor of the main Administration Building 3299 Tamiami trail east at the Collier County Government center unless otherwise indicated. On Tuesday January 24th at 9 a.m., the board of county commissioners will meet in regular session
Parks and Recreation Department after-school adventures offers parents a safe and fun environment for their children when school is not in session, the program is for children from ages 5 to 12 and run weekdays from 2:40 p.m. to 6 p.m. from January 2nd to June 2nd. The program is available in east Naples, Immokalee, Max Hasse, Veterans and vineyards community parks and the Golden Gate Community center.
The golden gate aquatic facility offers youth aquatic lessons for children in five different levels based on their current abilities, there are several options for dates and times, so if you want more information on schedules and costs, call the golden gate aquatic facility at 35 37 12 8.
The golden gate aquatic facility offers you the low or no impact exercise, instructors for these classes are all trained by the Arthritis Foundation and the exercises are specifically designed to give you a good workout with little or no joint impact. Classes are Fridays and Tuesdays from 11 a.m. until noon and are five dollars each. If you want more information, call the Golden Gate aquatic facility at 35 37 12 8.
If you are interested in quilting, then the Naples Goulding Club is the place for you. They meet every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the East Naples community park and the cost is free. If you feel like trying the tango, then sign up for ballroom dancing classes. This course will introduce and review a new dance each week, including the foxtrot, the tango, the Rumba and swing dancing, the class is on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the cost is five dollars per class.
Babysitting bootcamp is designed to teach all the basics in babysitting including CPR and first aid training participants must be 11 years old and must attend all classes, for more information and costs, call 25 24 00 0.
If you’re having trouble controlling your canine, then basic dog obedience may be what you need, using consistency, repetition and positive reinforcement. This course helps owners learn how to communicate with their trusted companions, you will also learn handling skills basic, obedience, cues and verbal commands. This course is for dogs four months to 10 years old. The class meets on Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. at Veterans community park.