June 23 is Pink Flamingo Day!

Stand tall - Stand out - Be balanced

Touring the EOC with Emergency Management Director Mary Blakeney (left) and Public Safety Director Stephanie Sejnoha (right)

In preparation for hurricane season, I toured the county's Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach, also known as the EOC. 

The EOC is one of the most important facilities in our county. It features a state-of-the-art operations room and is ground zero during emergencies. It can even withstand a category five hurricane and has 12-inch walls of solid concrete.  

The EOC is activated during emergencies. Depending on the severity, representatives from county departments, FEMA and FPL along with state and local emergency officials are available 24/7 to assist before, during and after emergencies.

These key agency representatives have access to high-tech tracking and communication systems that monitor weather, roadways, shelter and evacuation operations and damage assessments.

The coordination is substantial and can include members of more than 100 responding agencies.

While county emergency officials are prepared, we urge everyone to take the necessary steps in preparing for a potential active hurricane season.

Emergency officials advise that residents be prepared to survive on their own for at least 72 hours. 

Supplies sell out fast once a storm has been forecasted, so planning is imperative.  

Please take some time to prepare and access the resources below.

AlertPBC notifies users of imminent threats via text messages, email or telephone calls. 

Users will be alerted for weather hazards such as tornadoes, floods and tropical storms. 

PBC DART provides vital information such as storm surge evacuation areas, flood zones, shelter locations, building supply stores with emergency generators and gas stations that remain open. 

Additionally, individuals and businesses can send damage reports to emergency officials during and after a storm. 

Click here for a comprehensive hurricane preparedness guide.

Below is a recent update from the Engineering and Public Works Department on the Palmetto Park Road Bridge project.

The bridge reconstruction necessitated re-routing certain utilities (i.e., water main) since they are attached to the south bridge (eastbound travel) and needed to be done before removing the remaining south bridge structure. 

The new water main will be put into service this week and bridge demolition will continue the week of July 19, weather permitting. 

The project schedule shows completion in October 2023.

I live nearby and recognize the impact this project is having on residents and businesses and will continue to monitor it closely and provide updates.

Expect FPL road crews on Coconut Lane from Military Trail to Barwick Rd. with periodic lane closures until September for pole replacements and other maintenance.

Detour signs and crews will direct traffic for those who live in the surrounding communities. 

The Linton Blvd. Bascule Bridge, located over the Intracoastal Waterway in Delray Beach, will be out of service to vehicular traffic starting Saturday, July 8, at 8 a.m. for bridge repair work.

Detours will be set up until the bridge returns to full operation.

The expected completion is Tuesday, July 11, at 5 a.m., weather permitting. 

Property tax exemptions follow the property owner; consequently, a new owner will most often pay a different tax amount for the same property.

To determine your property taxes, search the property's address on Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's website at pbcgov.org/papa. 

At the bottom of the property detail page, you’ll see a “Property Tax Calculator” button (see image below).

Enter your purchase price and whether or not you intend to homestead the property, and the calculator will give you a property tax estimate.

Additionally, the Property Tax Detail provides a list of ad valorem and non ad valorem taxing authorities applied to the property (i.e., Palm Beach County operating taxes, the School District and the Health Care District) and their millage rates.

Preliminary millage rates are set in August and finalized in October for the November Tax bill.

Palm Beach County Office of Community Revitalization is doing many "NEAT" projects in neighborhoods throughout Palm Beach County by helping residents implement sustainable neighborhood improvements!

The Neighborhood Engagement and Transformation (NEAT) grants program provides grants of up to $10,000 to neighborhood-based groups and/or organizations.

Some completed projects we visited include an upgraded playground/fitness area, a community garden (where we enjoyed plantain banana bread and jam straight from the garden), a community center and more!

Shout out to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for being terrific escorts and for playing an important role in these communities.

Summer Lunch at the Library

The Palm Beach County Library System will be offering free lunch and snacks at all of the branches to children aged 18 and under weekdays through July 28.

Free Meals at School

The School Food Service will continue to offer free meals during the summer, at various schools throughout the county. 

Garden Explorers Summer Camp

Join the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden for science-based fun and nature experiences. 

 July 10-14 and July 24-28 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach 33415 

The Habilitation Center (HAB) is a local nonprofit dedicated to serving adults with lifelong developmental and intellectual disabilities.

The center provides a full-time day program with services, including mental/behavioral health, job training and placement, and educational and recreational activities.

The HAB manufacturing facility provides training and work opportunities in a highly sophisticated technical environment that supplies products for aviation/aerospace, maritime, communications, medical and pharmaceutical industries.

Additionally, the plant nursery provides a tranquil, therapeutic environment for members under the direction of experienced horticulturists who teach all aspects of growing and caring for bedding plants.

The nursery produces over one million plants yearly for customers, including municipalities, golf courses, country clubs, landscape contractors, property management companies and garden centers.

Constitutional Officers

Constitutional officers were established by the Florida Constitution and are independently elected officials.

Palm Beach County has seven constitutional officers who manage their offices separately from the Board of County Commissioners including:

• Clerk​ of the Circuit Court & Comptroller​
• Property Appraiser
• Public Defender
• Sheriff
• State Attorney
• Supervisor of Elections
• Tax Collector

Additionally, they establish the budgets for their offices, independent of the operating budget set by the Board of County Commissioners.

The Public Defender

The public defender is an elected office recognized in the Florida Constitution. There are 20 elected public defenders in Florida—one for each judicial circuit.

All persons charged with a crime who face jail time are entitled to representation by an attorney. The public defender represents people who cannot afford a lawyer — commonly referred to as being indigent (a person with income equal to or less than 200% of the current federal poverty guidelines). 

Carey Haughwout is Palm Beach County's elected public defender and has served since 2001. As the office's leader, she oversees the $18 million budget and over 50,000 cases annually.

I recently had an opportunity to meet Ms. Haughwout and discuss her challenges and how to enhance effectiveness in our justice system, including offering job training, mental health resources and social services. 

We welcome your feedback on our District 4 newsletter. Please let us know if you found this information helpful and what else you would like to know.