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Destination Marketing Organizations Statement on Speaker Corcoran's Announcement

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Statement by Robert Skrob, Executive Director, Florida
Association of Destination Marketing Organizations

Regarding new accountability agenda items, legal action and trade
secret reform announced today by Speaker Richard Corcoran

“Florida’s Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are fully transparent and in compliance with all state and local laws. Adding more government bureaucracy and redundancy just adds costs. Our state tourism numbers are at record levels. The current structure is working.
If there are ways to further strengthen accountability, we welcome the opportunity to have a dialogue on an approach that protects the jobs of the 1.4 million Floridians whose livelihoods depend on tourism.”

UCF Part of National Team Helping Protect Infrastructure from Future Hurricanes

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The simple words spoken by an elderly woman in Cape Coral are as an example of why UCF engineering Assistant Professor Luis Arboleda-Monsalve works so hard to make a difference in his profession, which in turn has a direct impact on hurricane readiness.
“She told us to make sure to do something good with the report,” said the structural and geotechnical engineer. “That’s what we are doing, issuing a set of recommendations about building codes and standards so we not only help infrastructure be more resistant, but also more resilient so that after the next disaster, people can return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.”
The woman was one of hundreds in Cape Coral who saw the canal seawalls behind their homes collapse under the brunt of Hurricane Irma last month. These walls help keep the canals from flooding homes, protect them from the wave impact, and keep the soil under the homes stable.
Arboleda-Monsalve was one of three researchers who traveled from Cape Coral to Everglades City and from Miami to Key West taking inventory of geotechnical and infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Irma’s storm surge, waves and subsequent flooding.
Arboleda-Monsalve is part of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association, a National Science Foundation-funded group based at the University of California at Berkeley. The volunteer organization dispatches experts in civil engineering to areas hit by natural disasters. GEER’s mission is to turn disaster into knowledge that can be used for future improvement of engineering standards and practices nationwide. Reports with observations and recommendations are posted to the GEER website, creating a national, centralized hub of peer-reviewed post-storm technical reports that can help guide the community to create, improve or modify construction practices and codes.
GEER had teams in Texas after Hurricane Harvey, in Florida after Hurricane Irma, and in Mexico after a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The GEER teams arrive after emergency personnel have assembled so they don’t get in the way of distributing services to people who need it.
Two teams worked in Florida following Irma. Arboleda-Monsalve’s team included Professor Nina Stark from Virginia Tech and Professor Inthuorn Sasanakul from the University of South Carolina. They focused on geotechnical damage on bridges, roads, canals and shoreline damage from hurricane-related erosion in the west and south side of Florida. Another team focused on the north and east part of the state. A different team of structural engineers handled damage caused by wind and focused on other parts of the state affected by the hurricane.
The team collected more than 1,500 photos, and the U.S. Geological Survey, NSF, Florida Division of Emergency Management and other agencies helped them gain access to areas and target the visit to the most affected areas in the state.
“We saw a lot of seawall collapses, especially the older seawalls. The newer ones did their job,” Arboleda-Monsalve said. “Riprap, typically used to prevent erosion under bridges and coastline, did help. We also saw a lot of exposed foundations and some areas decimated. I wasn’t prepared for the human toll.”
The first Irma report was uploaded to the GEER website last week. Reports about the earthquake in Mexico and other natural disasters, including massive flooding, landslides and tsunamis in the United States and around the world, also are posted on the GEER website. “In a few months the report about Irma will be updated to include official recommendations about codes and standards. This will happen after the teams have time to go through all the data collected during their visits, Arboleda-Monsalve said.
“It’s civil engineers who come up with solutions and recommend codes and standards to help keep highrises from collapsing during earthquakes, bridges from failing under heavy truck loads and homes from being destroyed during tropical storms and hurricanes.”
“I know I’m not curing cancer, but I am making a difference,” Arboleda-Monsalve said. “By researching how our work holds up in the real world and making recommended changes when needed, we are helping keep people safe. That person from Cape Coral, I’ll never forget her words. She reminded the team that it is our responsibility to help secure our shores from the next natural disaster.”

DEO Awards Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants to Eight Florida Communities

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More than $90,000 in grant funds will be
used to support economic development projects

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) recently awarded $91,000 in Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants to eight communities across the state. The grants provide funding that assists local governments in pursuing specific economic development projects or supplementing existing projects.
DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor, said, “DEO is committed to using our resources to help all Florida communities flourish. The Competitive Florida Economic Development Project grants offer valuable tools to help support communities in reaching their local economic development goals.”
Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants are available to all counties and municipalities to help communities learn more about local assets and economic conditions, and develop specific local projects. Grant awards range from $5,000 and $15,000.
The Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants for 2017-18 are:

The Competitive Florida Partnership is a two-year program that provides technical assistance and support to rural areas seeking to improve their communities through an asset-based economic development strategy. The Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants are offered for communities that may already be undertaking economic development efforts and allows local governments to pursue a particular facet of the Competitive Florida model without obligating to the Competitive Florida Partnership.
For more details on the process and provisions of this facet of the Competitive Florida Partnership grant, visit the Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grant.

Step Up For Students Honors Insurance Industry, Tower Hill for Record-Setting Contributions

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More than 3,200 Volusia County children
benefit from Florida Tax Credit Scholarships

Florida insurance companies have been protecting more than just Floridians’ homes this hurricane season, as they have made generous contributions to Step Up For Students, the nonprofit that helps administer the needs-based Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program.

Tower Hill Insurance, a significant contributor from the insurance industry, and Step Up For Students hosted an event at Calvary Christian Academy in Ormond Beach to celebrate the insurance company’s contributions and the work Step Up continues to do for Florida’s lower-income families. Since 2011, Tower Hill has contributed over $3 million to Step Up For Students, providing scholarships to more than 600 of Florida’s most underprivileged students who are given access to a private school or financial assistance for transportation to attend an out-of-district public school.

“By investing in the future of our students, we are investing in the future of Florida,” said Don Matz, president of Tower Hill. “One of our top priorities at Tower Hill is to give back to our community as much as we can, and we choose to start with these deserving students.”

Step Up For Students provides opportunities to nearly 105,000 lower-income students across Florida this school year with 3,213 scholars in Volusia County.  

“We are so grateful for Tower Hill’s investment in our program and the children who depend on it,”  said Joe Pfountz, CFO of Step Up For Students. “The company’s generosity is crucial to the work our team does and shows just how much they really care about Florida’s kids and its future.”

The typical scholarship student comes from a single-parent household where the average income is $25,353. A recent study found that students who receive these scholarships for at least four years are 40 percent more likely to attend college than their public school counterparts, and 29 percent more likely to earn an associate degree.

During the event, Step Up For Students fourth-grade scholar Mia Rauseo shared her experience.

“I am so happy to be given the chance to come here,” said Rauseo. “And I know it would not have been possible without the help of Step Up For Students and companies like Tower Hill Insurance. I am doing well in my classes and I truly enjoy coming to school.”

To learn more about Tower Hill Insurance, visit www.thig.com. To learn more about the impact of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program or how to support Step Up For Students, visit www.StepUpForStudents.org.

Commissioner Adam Putnam Announces 50th Concealed Weapon Permit Partnership With County Tax Collectors

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that the 50th concealed weapon permit partnership with county tax collectors’ offices will go live Friday, Oct. 27. With the addition of the Franklin County Tax Collector’s Office, Florida residents can now apply for or renew concealed weapon licenses at 57 tax collector office locations in 50 counties.
“We’re dedicated to making our concealed weapon license application and renewal process as convenient as possible for law-abiding citizens,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “By partnering with county tax collectors, we’re increasing efficiency while enhancing customer service.”
In 2014, Commissioner Putnam implemented this first-of-its-kind partnership, which allows tax collectors to receive applications, take fingerprints and photographs and send the information to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to process the request for a concealed weapon license. Tax collector offices also offer on-site, same-day printing of renewal licenses for Floridians.
The convenience of applying at a tax collector’s office does not affect the integrity of the concealed weapon license program. Since the partnership with tax collectors began, more than 217,000 concealed weapon license applications have been accepted by tax collector offices. There are currently more than 1.8 million concealed weapon licenses.
The 50 tax collectors participating in both the application and renewal process for concealed weapon licenses include the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gulf, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Walton, Wakulla and Washington.
Consumers can still apply for or renew a concealed weapon license via mail or at one of the department’s eight regional offices in the following locations: Doral, Fort Walton, Jacksonville, North Port, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa and West Palm Beach. Concealed weapon licenses are valid for seven years.
For more information on Florida concealed weapon licenses, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

FWC invites public comments for Division of Law Enforcement reaccreditation assessment

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement is seeking reaccreditation from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA).
“A team of CFA-certified assessors will arrive Dec. 12 to examine the division’s policies, procedures, equipment and facilities, and conduct interviews with employees,” said Col. Curtis Brown, division director. “This important process assures that the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement maintains the highest standards.”
The division must comply with approximately 240 standards to receive reaccreditation status. If the CFA determines the Division of Law Enforcement has complied with the appropriate standards, the reaccreditation will be awarded for three years.
“Accreditation is a voluntary pursuit and a valuable means of external accountability. This will be our fourth accreditation assessment, with the initial assessment taking place in 2008.  Our commitment to excellence in conservation law enforcement is apparent by our continued commitment to the accreditation process through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation,” said Juli Brown, the Division of Law Enforcement’s accreditation manager.
The general public, including members of the FWC, are invited to offer comments related to the agency’s ability to comply with CFA standards. Comments must be submitted in writing to CFA, Attention: Public Comment, P.O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, FL 32302, or may be submitted by email at [email protected].
A copy of the accreditation standards is available by visiting the CFA website or by contacting Robert Klepper, public information coordinator for the Division of Law Enforcement, at 850-617-9666 or by email at [email protected].

$220 Million Settlement with Bank for Manipulating Interest Rates

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today announced a $220 million multistate settlement with Deutsche Bank for fraudulent conduct involving the manipulation of LIBOR. LIBOR is a benchmark interest rate that affects financial instruments worth trillions of dollars and has a widespread effect on global markets and consumers. By manipulating LIBOR, Deutsche Bank defrauded government entities and not-for-profit organizations in Florida and throughout the U.S. out of millions of dollars.
The investigation, conducted by a working group of 45 state attorneys general, revealed that Deutsche Bank manipulated LIBOR in a number of ways. Deutsche Bank employees improperly made internal requests for LIBOR submissions to benefit Deutsche Bank’s trading positions. Deutsche Bank also attempted to influence other banks’ LIBOR submissions in a manner intended to benefit their trading positions. Lastly, Deutsche Bank received communications from inter-dealer brokers and external traders attempting to influence Deutsche Bank’s LIBOR submissions. At times, Deutsche Bank LIBOR submitters and supervisors expressly acknowledged and indicated they would work to implement the requests received.
Deutsche Bank employees had strong reason to believe that these LIBOR submissions did not reflect the true borrowing rates pursuant to published guidelines. Additionally, the LIBOR rates the bank submitted did not reflect the actual borrowing costs of Deutsche Bank and other panel banks. Even though these rates are material terms of LIBOR-referenced transactions, Deutsche Bank employees did not disclose these facts to the governmental and not-for profit counterparties who executed the transactions with the bank.
Governmental and not-for-profit entities with LIBOR-linked swaps and other investment contracts with Deutsche Bank will be notified if they are eligible to receive a distribution from the settlement fund of more than $213 million. The balance of the settlement fund will be used to pay costs and expenses of the investigation and for other uses consistent with state laws.
As part of the settlement, the Florida State Board of Administration is receiving more than $10 million and other Florida counter-parties are receiving a total more than $5 million.
To view a copy of the settlement, click here.
Deutsche Bank is the second of several USD-LIBOR-setting panel banks under investigation by the state attorneys general to settle. In August, 2016, the states settled with Barclays Bank PLC and Barclays Capital Inc. Deutsche Bank is cooperating with the investigation. The investigation into the conduct of several other USD LIBOR-setting panel banks is ongoing.

State Road (S.R.) A1A Public Hearing

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South 22nd Street to South 9th Street permanent repairs


The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding a public hearing regarding the portion of S.R. A1A from South 22nd Street to South 9th Street. The department is designing permanent repairs as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Matthew and other coastal storm events. The project is funded for construction in summer of 2018, after July 1. No additional right of way will be required. Other information:

  • Estimated cost is $4.99 million
  • The new road will have two lanes (one in each direction) and a median in portions of the section; the intent of the median is to retain storm water runoff
  • Recommended posted speed limit of 30 miles-per-hour
  • The project also proposes installing sand and native plantings on the east side SR A1A between the road and the right of way line.

The hearing is Thursday, November 2, 2017, at the Flagler Beach Methodist Church, 1520 South Daytona Avenue, Flagler Beach, Florida 32136. The purpose of this hearing is to introduce the project and present the design concept to the public. The hearing will begin as an open house at 5:30 p.m. A formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a comment period. A court reporter will prepare a verbatim transcript of the proceedings. Persons wishing to submit written statements or other exhibits, in place of or in addition to oral statements, may do so at the hearing or by sending them to Mr. Ty Garner, FDOT Project Manager, [email protected], 386-943-5299, 719 South Woodland Boulevard, DeLand, Florida 32720. All exhibits or statements postmarked on or before November 13, 2017, will become part of the Public Hearing record.
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Ty Garner, FDOT Project Manager, by phone at 386-943-5299 or via email at [email protected]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.  Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Jennifer Smith, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator by email at [email protected].
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) pursuant to 23 U.S.C. §327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 14, 2016 and executed by the Federal Highway Administration and FDOT.
Media inquiries may be directed to the FDOT regional communications office at: 386-943-5479; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].

AHCA Statement on Florida Healthy Kids Board Meeting

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The Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior today released the following statement on the upcoming Florida Healthy Kids Board meeting.
Secretary Senior said, “Our Agency remains steadfastly committed to ensuring that no children lose their insurance coverage due to Hurricane Irma. During tomorrow’s Board meeting, the Board will hear and discuss the facts and the options Florida may have. We look forward to learning the facts, and discussing strategies that ensure that no child loses insurance as a result of Hurricane Irma.”
Ensuring that children have access to health care has always been a priority of our Agency. Under Governor Scott’s leadership, Florida has had much success in lowering the rate of uninsured children. According to a Georgetown University study, in 2009 Florida’s uninsured rate among children was 14.8 percent, and by 2016 had dropped to 6.2 percent. This is the second best improvement of any state in the U.S. this decade.
To qualify for CHIP, families can have incomes between 133 percent and 200 percent of the poverty level. This means the children in a family of four would qualify with an annual income between $33,000 and $49,000. Children included in the full-pay population are families living over 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

Upcoming Public Kickoff Meeting for the I-75 and C.R. 514 Interchange

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has scheduled a Public Kickoff Meeting for the I-75 at County Road (C.R.) 514 Interchange from 0.5 Miles West of I-75 to C.R. 525 Extension PD&E Study in Sumter County. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential impacts of a new interchange near the I-75/C.R. 514 (Warm Springs Avenue) overpass to the natural, physical, and human environments.
The purpose of this project is to improve the existing transportation network and support regional travel demand by providing additional access to I-75 at C.R. 514. The existing transportation network facilities in the project and surrounding area will be unable to support future demand associated with the planned Florida Crossroads Industrial Activity Center and residential development expanding from the north and east toward the project area. An additional access to I-75 is expected to provide relief to the surrounding transportation network and meet anticipated growth and future travel demand.
The Public Kickoff Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the City of Coleman Community Center, 1204 N. Church Street, Coleman, FL 33521.  This meeting will be held in an informal, open-house format and is an opportunity to introduce the project and study process, present information regarding existing conditions, and receive initial feedback.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for these projects are being, or have been, carried out by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 14, 2016 and executed by the Federal Highway Administration and FDOT.
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Mary McGhee, Project Manager, by phone at 386-943-5063 or via email at [email protected] at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.  If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.  Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Jennifer Smith, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator by email at [email protected].
For media-related questions, please contact the Public Information Office at 386-943-5473 or [email protected].