LEE COUNTY
In order to allow the community to recover from the effects of Hurricane Irma the SR 82 (from Lee/Colonial Boulevard to Shawnee Road) Preconstruction Public Meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, September 14th at Gateway Trinity Church is CANCELLED. Notifications will be sent out when a new date for the public meeting is confirmed.
Flagler College to reopen residence halls Sept. 16 and resume classes Sept. 18
Flagler College officials have decided to postpone the start of classes until Monday, Sept. 18, at normally scheduled times, as the campus continues to cleanup from Hurricane Irma. Residence halls are expected to be ready for student arrivals on Saturday, Sept. 16.
We have done this to complete assessment of campus, continue cleaning and preparing the campus after the storm, and to alleviate the concerns of our students, faculty and staff about making travel arrangements after Hurricane Irma.
The college Emergency Operations Team is currently assessing and surveying the campus, which sustained minor damage and flooding. The safety of students, faculty and staff has been the primary concern of college administration, and all necessary steps are being taken to prepare the college for a return to normal and safe operations.
Commissioner Putnam Thanks Secretary Perdue for Modifying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Wake of Hurricane
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today thanked U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for taking action to modify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
“I thank Secretary Perdue for his leadership and taking action in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma to assist Floridians,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
According to the USDA, the temporary waiver and other actions include the following:
- Allowing SNAP participants in Florida to buy hot foods and hot ready-to-eat foods with their benefits through Sept. 30.
- Supporting Florida’s plan to issue all September SNAP benefits on Sept. 7 and Georgia’s plan to issue all remaining benefits for September on Sept. 10; both actions will ensure families have access to their monthly benefits sooner during this time of immediate crisis.
- Supporting Puerto Rico’s action to issue all September Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Sept. 5, before the storm.
Governor Rick Scott: Consumers Must Be Protected
Governor Rick Scott directed Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier to take every action authorized pursuant to Executive Order 17-235 to provide additional protections to support recovery efforts as it relates to Hurricane Irma’s impact on Florida’s families. Governor Scott made it clear that his expectation for Florida’s insurance companies is to expeditiously respond to policyholders’ needs and to treat families fairly. The quick response of insurance companies is critical to the recovery of Florida families following Hurricane Irma.
Governor Scott said, “As Hurricane Irma leaves our state, it is critical that Floridians have every resource available to quickly recover. By providing additional protections for consumers, we are making sure that each family has ample opportunity to get their claims filed in a timely manner.
“Throughout the preparation and response to Hurricane Irma, we have been in constant contact with the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to find ways to help our state recover. I know that CFO Patronis and his team will quickly respond to the needs of Florida families, prevent fraud and quickly assess claims so families can get the service they deserve. We will not stop working until every family in Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma.”
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Hurricane Irma was a storm unlike anything we have seen before, and as residents across the state travel home to assess damages to their homes and businesses, we stand ready to help with any insurance issues that arise. Insurance can be complicated, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect policyholders throughout the entire recovery process. Our team of insurance experts are standing by to take Floridians’ calls at 1-877-693-5236.”
Governor Scott also directed his staff to work closely with OIR, DFS and the entire insurance industry prior to landfall to ensure Florida’s policyholders are the top priority. This includes pre-staging assets to quickly assess claims and ensuring each insurance company has the resources they need to expedite the claims process.
Governor Rick Scott directed Commissioner Altmaier to take the following action to provide additional protections for Florida policyholders:
- Provide an additional 90 days to policyholders to supply required information to their insurance company. Many Floridians were displaced during this dangerous storm, and providing additional time to submit information to insurance companies gives them needed flexibility.
- Require all non-renewal or cancellations issued to policyholders in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma be rescinded for 90 days. This gives policyholders 90 days to either renew their insurance policy, or find a new policy; and
- Freeze any and all efforts to increase rates on policyholders for 90 days. Due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, Floridians should be focused on getting back to their normal lives without their insurance premiums being increased.
CFO Patronis’ toll-free Insurance Consumer Helpline (1-877-693-5236) can answer business and consumer-oriented insurance-related questions. CFO Patronis has launched a Hurricane Irma Insurance Resources webpage to provide comprehensive insurance information. Access the webpage by clicking on the “Hurricane Irma” button on www.myfloridacfo.com.
The Office of Insurance Regulation also has additional storm-related materials here.
One Million Bottles of Water Headed to Florida, Selling for $2.97 a Case
Attorney General Pam Bondi today thanked Home Depot for sending 45 tractor trailers containing disaster-relief supplies to Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Irma and pledging even more supplies before the end of the week. Millions of Floridians are still without power and thousands more have been displaced by flooding or storm damage. Attorney General Bondi continues to work with businesses to help Floridians get much-needed supplies and avoid price gouging.
“We will go after anyone drastically raising prices to take advantage of Floridians during this state of emergency—but another way to guard against price gouging is to increase the supply of disaster-related goods in hard hit areas. That is why I am grateful for our good businesses like Home Depot that are rushing essential supplies to Florida and keeping the price of those items stabilized,” said Attorney General Bondi.
The Home Depot trucks are carrying cases of water, plywood, generators, and electrical cords, among other items. The supplies are headed to South Florida, and will be sold at normal prices. The company is shipping additional supplies in the coming days—with more than a million bottles of water expected before the end of the week. Additionally, Home Depot will sell the water for less than three dollars a case.
Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline remains open during this emergency declaration covering all 67 counties. Citizens can also contact the hotline to report common disaster-related scams, such as: building-repair, tree-removal, water-treatment and charity scams. For more on these types of scams, click here.
Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period, in addition to other civil penalties that may apply. State law also criminalizes the sale of goods and services to the public without possession of an occupational license. Violators of the law can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
To report price gouging or any scam call (866) 9NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at MyFloridaLegal.com. Callers using out-of-state cellphones can dial (850) 414-3990.
Florida universities move up in U.S. News & World Report rankings
University of Florida and Florida State University each vaulted five slots in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with UF earning the No. 9 spot and FSU landing at No. 33. The jumps in the rankings mark significant achievements for both institutions, with UF meeting its long-standing goal of breaking into the prestigious list of Top 10 public universities and FSU making remarkable progress toward its goal of landing in the Top 25. University of South Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida International University also moved up in the rankings, landing at No. 68, No. 90, and No. 122, respectively.
The rankings appear in the “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook by U.S. News & World Report and are based on widely accepted indicators of excellence, including undergraduate academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
“Over the past several years, the State University System has made a real push to align its degrees with the state workforce, increase its prominence in research, and improve the quality of our universities,” said Tom Kuntz, chair of the Board of Governors. “After U.S. News & World Report recently named Florida the top state for higher education in the country, it’s good to also see our individual institutions recognized.”
Florida has aggressively sought to improve the quality of its universities, with the Governor and Legislature implementing an initiative known as “Preeminence,” which strengthens the national reputation of Florida’s universities by providing resources for world-class faculty, improved student-faculty ratios, and more. Additionally, the Board of Governors incentivizes improvement through its nationally recognized performance funding model, which directs money to the universities based on student outcomes. In the past five years, the System’s graduation rate improved by 5.3 percent, the retention rate improved by 3.4 percent, and the number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) increased by 31 percent.
“The Board of Governors, through performance funding and other initiatives, has helped define what it means to be a Florida university,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System chancellor. “Above all, it means a focus on outcomes and an absolute commitment to student success.”
Even while enhancing its national reputation, Florida has maintained its status as one of the most affordable states in the country to achieve an education, with the average cost of earning a bachelor’s degree less than $15,000 after financial aid is included. Furthermore, University Work Plans, in which institutions lay out their future financial goals, indicate that universities are expected to decrease their prices further in the coming years, cutting the student cost per degree from $14,820 to 14,090 by the 2019-2020 school year.
Commissioner Adam Putnam Visits Cold Storage Facility Shipping 200,000 Meals to The Salvation Army
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today visited Adams Cold Storage in Auburndale, Fla., which is loading 200,000 meals for shipment to The Salvation Army in Ft. Myers, Naples, and Ft. Lauderdale as part of Hurricane Irma response efforts. The food is typically held for use by schools; however, in the wake of a disaster, the USDA makes it available to mass care organizations to feed those affected by a disaster.
Gov. Scott: FHP Continues to Escort Fuel Trucks to Gas Stations Across Florida
At Governor Scott’s direction, the Florida Highway Patrol continues to escort fuel resupply trucks so fuel is quickly delivered to communities across Florida. The US Coast Guard approved opening Port Everglades and Port Tampa Bay earlier today and fuel tankers are being given top priority as FHP stands ready to provide traffic escorts.
Sen. Nelson asks IRS for administrative relief for taxpayers affected by the storm
Sen. Bill Nelson today sent the following letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.
Following is the text of Nelson’s letter to the IRS.
September 12, 2017
The Honorable John A. Koskinen
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20224-0002
Dear Commissioner Koskinen,
As you know, Florida is reeling from the effects of Hurricane Irma. This was no ordinary hurricane, with nearly the entire state feeling the effects of the storm—including widespread electricity loss. We must now begin the road to recovery. As we do, I ask that you use all means within your authority to provide appropriate administrative relief to taxpayers affected by the storm—including a delay in quarterly estimated payments, a delay in tax filing deadlines, and a moratorium on private debt collection proceedings.
Now is not the time to add unnecessary stress to Floridians trying to put their lives back together. It’s important that all of us work together to provide needed relief to folks most in need. I stand ready to work with you in whatever way I can if you need additional authority to provide this type of relief. Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Municipal Electric Utilities Working to Restore Power to Customers Across the State Following Hurricane Irma
According to the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), there are approximately 500,000 municipal utility customers without power following the three days that Hurricane Irma battered the state. Hardest hit areas for municipal electric utilities include the Florida Keys, Homestead, Moore Haven, Clewiston, Wauchula, Lakeland, Bartow, Fort Meade, Orlando, Ocala and the Jacksonville area. Currently, 37 percent of municipal electric utility customers are without power, which is down from 61 percent yesterday.
Power has already been restored to an approximate 300,000 municipal electric utility customers. The City of Tallahassee electric utility and Kissimmee Utility Authority are close to 100 percent restoration and their available resources will be reassigned to other utilities once they are complete.
“Florida municipal electric utility workers, along with our fellow municipal electric utility lineworkers from other states and investor-owned utility personnel, immediately began working on power restoration efforts as soon as it was safe to do so following the incredible destruction and damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Crews are working nonstop to get power restored to all municipal electric utilities following this powerful national weather event.” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director.
Nearly a week before Hurricane Irma hit Florida’s shores, FMEA began coordinating with municipal, cooperative and investor-owned utilities across the state and nation to assemble crews prepared to enter the affected areas once safe to assist with power restoration efforts. There are currently 1,000 Florida-based public power lineworkers working on power restoration throughout the state and more than 1,000 additional public power personnel from other parts of the country assisting. Statewide, there are more than 30,000 total personnel helping to restore power.
Crews are already in Florida or on their way from Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia and across New England.
“Cooperation and assistance from others is critical during times like these. We greatly appreciation the help of personnel from public power and investor-owned utilities who left their homes and families to rush to our aid even before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida,” added Zubaly.
FMEA reminds residents that there is still danger even after a storm has moved out of the area. Downed power lines pose a significant threat. Residents should keep these important safety precautions in mind as they clean up after Hurricane Irma:
- Never, ever touch a downed power line or go near one. Always assume the power line is live.
- Do not touch anything or anyone in contact with a fallen power line or other equipment.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay inside the vehicle and call for help.
- Do not pull tree limbs off power lines. Leave those for utility crews to safely handle.
- Avoid areas with debris and downed trees. There could be live power lines hidden inside.
- Also avoid chain link fences and puddles that could have become electrified by downed power lines.
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 34 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.
