State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Wednesday filed legislation shielding families from abusive fees and fines levied immediately following a homeowner’s or managed community resident’s death.
“Residents deserve to be treated fairly,” said Stewart. “Homeowners associations are typically important pillars in the communities they manage and they improve the quality of life for those who choose to live in them. But not always. There is nothing sensible about assessing fines on the estate of an elderly resident on a fixed income. There is nothing reasonable about subjecting grieving families to these unnecessary hardships. I look forward to working with my colleagues on resolving an issue that affects every corner of our state.”
Senate Bill 950 places families dealing with death first, and the management of their estate and any violations after.
Presently, Florida law allows a homeowners association to go so far as placing liens on a property immediately following the owner’s death. Senate Bill 950 would change that by placing a hold on how quickly they can begin levying fines and special assessments that would lead to such an action being taken. While the bill does not abrogate those processes, the measure would prohibit for 6-months after death any fines or special assessments, and late charges may not be imposed for one full year after the death of the parcel owner.
Senate Bill 950 is being introduced in the House by Representative Emily Slosberg as House Bill 713. “As a member of the State Legislature, my responsibility is to protect my constituents,” she said. “This bill is to protect homeowners and their families during a time of loss. Our goal is to prevent the unnecessary burdens of excessive fines incurred during the transition of property ownership due to a loss of a loved one. It is not rational for family members to inherit a lien when they do not even know that a home owner association assessment is due.”
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Commissioner Adam Putnam to Tour East Polk County Fire, Discuss Heightened Wildfire Danger Across Florida
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam will be in Polk County Friday morning to tour the Highway 630 fire, which has burned approximately 2,000 acres in the Indian Lake Estates area, and discuss heightened wildfire danger across the state. Commissioner Putnam and the Florida Forest Service will be available to media to discuss ongoing efforts at the Highway 630 Fire as well as wildfire conditions.
Event: Media availability with Commissioner Adam H. Putnam
Date: Friday, Feb. 17, 2017
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Indian Lake Estates Golf & Country Club
95 Red Grange Boulevard
Indian Lake Estates, Florida
Forecasts predict hotter and drier conditions than normal throughout the state in the coming months, and wildfires are anticipated to increase throughout the state due to these conditions.
There are more than 50 active wildfires currently burning throughout Florida. Since January, the Florida Forest Service and its partners have responded to more than 466 wildfires that burned more than 9,400.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FloridaForestService.com.
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Begins 2017 with New Leadership, Focus on Mission and Plan to Expand and Engage its Community of Supporters
The statewide non-profit dedicated to protecting Florida’s extraordinary history and heritage is seeking nominations for the Florida’s 11 to Save program, the annual list of Florida’s most endangered historic places, and its Florida Preservation Awards
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation began the year with a new executive director and a renewed commitment to connect with, protect and share the diverse historic places throughout the state.
Melissa Wyllie began the year as the new executive director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Wyllie, a Floridian and dedicated preservationist, returns to Florida after 10 years in Nashville where she served as President of Historic Nashville, consulted for the Tennessee Preservation Trust and collaborated on preservation campaigns throughout the state including working to secure Music Row as a National Treasure. In Nashville, she was recognized as a Female Entrepreneur to Watch and named to the 2016 40 Under 40 by the Nashville Business Journal. Under her new leadership the Florida Trust will connect with a broader community to protect places of architectural, historic and archeological importance throughout the state.
Nominations are open for both the Florida’s 11 to Save program and the Florida Preservation Awards, celebrating 38 years of acknowledging those making a difference in historic preservation in their communities. The two programs represent a significant opportunity for the Florida Trust to hear from preservationists around the state.
“We believe this will be an exciting and successful year for the Florida Trust,” Clay Henderson, Board President of the Florida Trust said. “We are confident Melissa will head the organization in a dynamic direction while keeping its roots in place. Her broad skill set and experience will help us reach and engage the community to raise awareness and protect Florida’s historic places.”
The Florida Trust will continue to expand this year, broadening its audience and membership to better serve a diverse state. In support of that goal, the Florida Trust asks for community input through nominations to Florida’s 11 to Save and the Florida Preservation Awards.
The Florida’s 11 to Save list reflects the preservation concerns of the people of Florida, and helps to guide the organization’s advocacy and education focus for the year. The 2017 Florida’s 11 to Save will be announced at the Florida Preservation Conference in St. Petersburg on Thursday, May 18.
“Historic places are an important part of our neighborhoods and our shared Florida story,” Wyllie said. “We have to be the voice for all of Florida, collaborating with communities to advocate and protect our state’s extraordinary heritage. I look forward to working together to preserve Florida’s unique history.”
The Florida Preservation Awards recognize significant contributions to the preservation of Florida’s historic resources through outstanding historic preservation projects, programs and achievements by individuals and organizations. The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the 2017 Annual Preservation Conference in St. Petersburg on Friday, May 19.
Additional information, including nomination forms for both Florida’s 11 to Save and the Florida Preservation Awards are available at www.FloridaTrust.org. The nomination deadline for both programs is Tuesday, February 28.
The 2017 Florida Preservation Conference is May 18 – 20 in St. Petersburg, and provides an opportunity for education and advocacy for Florida’s preservation community, as well as hands-on workshops and tours. This year’s theme is Preservation Reinvented for Art and Enterprise. Additional information about the conference is available on the Florida Trust website https://www.floridatrust.org/.
Media interested in attending the Florida Preservation conference, the Florida’s 11 to Save media event or the awards ceremony may be added to the media list by emailing [email protected].
About the Florida Trust
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation is the state’s non-profit dedicated to protecting Florida’s extraordinary heritage and history. Founded in 1978, the Florida Trust has collaborated to save irreplaceable Florida treasures like the Historic Florida Capitol and is a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Learn more at www.FloridaTrust.org and follow on Twitter: @FloridaTrustHP.
FAPPA statement on today’s 24 hour mandatory delay ruling
Statement on today’s 24 hour mandatory delay ruling from Laura Goodhue, Executive Dirctor, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates:
“Today’s ruling is yet another example of the courts telling politicians that they cannot pass laws that block access to safe and legal abortion. Every woman should be able to make her own decisions about her reproductive health care.
“The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates has always opposed this medically unnecessary law which creates a burden on women who have already made their decision. We believe laws should not be introduced with the intention of shaming, coercing or judging a woman but rather based on best health care policies and medical standards.”
“A woman’s ability to access abortion must be a right not just in theory, but in reality. Florida legislators should quit playing politics with abortion and focus on improving women’s access to health care, including reproductive health care.”
What’s wrong with a 24-hour reflection period?
- Mandatory delay laws unnecessarily postpone access to abortion even when a woman has already received state-mandated counseling and made a deliberate and fully informed decision.
- State laws that require mandatory delays before a woman can get an abortion do not offer any health benefits. They result in increased expenses, travel difficulties, and medical risks.
- Mandatory delay requirements are especially burdensome to rural women and those living in poverty that may not be able to take extra days off from work, travel long distances, or find appropriate child care while they are away from home.
- Implicit in this legislation is the unfounded assumption that women who decide to have an abortion don’t carefully consider their decision. The reasons women decide to have an abortion are complicated.
- This legislation does nothing to decrease the number of unintended pregnancies or reduce the need for abortion. In fact, the challenges women may face in scheduling travel, childcare, and work arrangements to get doctors’ appointments 24 hours apart means the procedure could be forced later into the pregnancy, posing an unnecessary risk to women’s health.
Anti-abortion lawmakers have already filed three bills ahead of the 2017 Florida Legislative Session, including a ban on abortion after 20 weeks and a bill that opens up doctors performing abortions to frivolous lawsuits. They’ve even introduced a bill that requires the state of Florida to promote anti-abortion propaganda.
Nationwide, state lawmakers have passed more than 316 restrictions on abortion since 2011. A PerryUndem poll commissioned by Vox found that the majority of Americans oppose restrictions meant to shutter health centers or make it more difficult for women to access abortion, and that 70 percent of Americans don’t want to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates is the state public policy office representing Florida’s Planned Parenthood affiliates. The Alliance works to advance public policy in areas of reproductive health care, family planning and medically-accurate sex education in order to make comprehensive reproductive health care available to all.
Gov. Scott announces Chewy to create 600 jobs at new e-commerce fulfillment center in Ocala
Governor Rick Scott announced today that Chewy, an online retailer of pet food and products in the United States, will locate a new fulfillment center in Marion County. The new facility will create 600 jobs and a $49 million capital investment in the region.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Chewy will be building a new facility in Ocala and creating 600 new jobs for Florida families. While Chewy is a Florida-based company, they could have chosen to invest in any of their locations across the country. Instead, they decided to create hundreds of new jobs in Florida because of the hard work of Enterprise Florida and local economic development organizations, and our unrelenting focus on making Florida the best place for business. I am proud to celebrate Chewy’s expansion today and look forward to continuing to bring more jobs wins to our state.”
Chewy was founded in 2011 by CEO Ryan Cohen and CTO Michael Day. The company offers around 20,000 items for dog, cats, and other pets. Chewy is headquartered in Dania Beach and donates a portion of each purchase to select animal shelters. The new facility will be located on at the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park.
Ryan Cohen, CEO of Chewy said, “We are pleased to expand our workforce and bring fulfillment operations to our home state. As a Florida-based company, we recognize the importance of driving economic opportunities in the region and we appreciate the partnership of Enterprise Florida and the CEP as we work to invest in the Ocala community through the creation of 600 new jobs. In addition to job creation, we look forward to the opening of this fulfillment center helping to better serve Chewy customers with even more efficient and faster delivery times.”
Chris Hart IV, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. said “Not only is a great Florida company continuing to grow, but Chewy has chosen to grow in their home state. Florida continues to shine as a national leader for job creation, and companies like Chewy are a big part of our success as a state. I commend them on their success and look forward to seeing their continued growth.
Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Chewy’s expansion in Marion County is great news for Central Florida’s economy and I am proud that the company is continuing to invest in Florida. The 600 new jobs Chewy’s is bringing to the area will provide new opportunities to local job seekers and a chance for more Florida families to live their American Dream.”
Carl Zalak, Chair of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, said, “We are excited about bringing another great company to our community. Bringing Chewy to Marion County is great news for our county. This project means more jobs, investment and momentum to our community and we couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
Brent Malever, Ocala City Council President, said, “On behalf of the Ocala City Council, we are incredibly excited to welcome Chewy to Ocala/Marion County. In addition to creating nearly 600 jobs, this is another great investment to keep Ocala moving in the right direction.”
Ken Ausley, Chairman of the CEP Board of Trustees, said, “This announcement represents a partnership between Chewy, the City of Ocala, Marion County, Duke Energy, CareerSource CLM, Ocala 489 LLC, Enterprise Florida, and the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership.”
About Chewy
Headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, Chewy’s dedicated staff – furry and non-furry alike – are committed to providing the kind of service that makes you go “wow.” Our warehouses all over the country can ship the freshest, highest quality products–and fast. And our amazing gals and guys in customer service are here day and night to help. Bottom line is, we’re here to make pet happiness happen.
Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched “Florida – The Future is Here” to promote the state as the nation’s premier business destination.
About The Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership
The Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) was formed to create a one-stop approach to business retention, attraction and creation efforts. Moving Forward is our charge and it reflects our desire to be a unified voice and catalyst for the business community. By working together with our partners and community investors, we will continue to improve our quality of life and build a strong base for economic development in Marion County.
Florida Supreme Court: Regular weekly opinion release, 2/16/2017, 11 a.m. ET
Filings for the Florida Supreme Court
February 16, 2017
SC15-1037 – Ruth D. Ledoux-Nottingham v. Jennifer Joy Downs, etc.
SC15-1147 – John Patrick v. Richard Hess, et al.
SC15-1257 – State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, Inc.
SC15-1323 – The Florida Bar v. Michael Eugene Wynn
SC16-181 – In Re: Amendments to the Florida Evidence Code
SC16-381 – Gainesville Woman Care, LLC, et al. v. State of Florida, et al.
Gov. Scott: Florida sets another tourism record
112.8 million tourists visited Florida in 2016
Governor Rick Scott announced today that Florida set another record in tourism by welcoming the highest amount of visitors in the state’s history with 112.8 million visitors in 2016. This is the sixth consecutive record year for visitation to Florida, exceeding the previous high of 106.6 million in 2015 by 5.9 percent. Tourism jobs also hit a record high in 2016 of 1.4 million jobs, exceeding the previous record in 2015.
Governor Scott said, “Today, I am proud to announce that Florida has once again welcomed a record number of tourists with 112.8 million visitors to the state in 2016. Visitors spent $109 billion and supported a record 1.4 million Florida jobs in 2016 – a testament to the vital importance of tourism to our growing economy.
“I have seen firsthand how tourism impacts our state. Since I have been in office, we have made important investments in VISIT FLORIDA and broken record after record of visitors, added more than a million new residents and seen Florida’s private sector create more than 1.25 million new jobs. Unfortunately, even with these incredible successes, politicians in the Florida House are trying to eliminate VISIT FLORIDA. I don’t understand how anyone can look at Florida’s booming tourism industry, and the more than 1.4 million jobs it supports, and vote to kill it. The legislation the Florida House is pushing puts more than 1.4 million jobs at risk and we cannot let that happen. We have to fight to continue investing in our tourism industry so we can keep breaking records and adding even more jobs.
“Over the past week, I have traveled the state meeting with small business owners, economic development leaders, tourism leaders, community members and hardworking Floridians who all had a clear message – Florida’s economy needs tourism. Last year, Florida was challenged like never before as we faced the Zika virus, two hurricanes and the terror attack at Pulse Nightclub. In the face of adversity, we continued in our mission to promote our great state and thanks to the hard work of VISIT FLORIDA, we continue to see record visitors to Florida.”
In 2015, every 85 tourists supported one job. Today, VISIT FLORIDA data shows that every 76 tourists support one job – proof that tourism continues to be a major and growing influence on job creation in Florida and that we must continue to invest in this vital part of our growing economy.
VISIT FLORIDA estimates that a record 98.0 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in 2016, reflecting a 7.3 percent increase over 2015. Estimates also show that 11.1 million overseas visitors and 3.7 million Canadians came to the Sunshine State last year. Total enplanements at 18 Florida airports during 2016 increased 4.3 percent over the previous year, with a record 83.7 million enplaned passengers. For 2016, the average daily room rate (ADR) rose 2.0 percent and the number of rooms sold grew by 1.1 percent compared to 2015.
Ken Lawson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said, “Six years of record-setting visitation would not be possible without a strong global marketing strategy focused on maximizing the economic impact of Florida tourism. To have achieved another tourism record in 2016 given all the challenges this state faced last year is an incredible testament to the cooperative relationship VISIT FLORIDA has with our more than 12,000 industry business partners around the state. Today’s announcement proves that sustained collective tourism marketing works and we have Governor Scott and our supporters in the Florida Legislature to thank for their unparalleled leadership over the past six years that has helped position our industry for this unprecedented success.”
For fourth quarter 2016, estimates show a record 27.6 million people visited the Sunshine State. This represents the largest fourth quarter visitation number Florida has ever seen and reflects an increase of 6.1 percent over the same period in 2015. VISIT FLORIDA also reports that an estimated 24.0 million domestic visitors, 3.0 million overseas visitors and 587,000 Canadians traveled to Florida in the fourth quarter of 2016.
William D.Talbert III, CDME, Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, said, “Given the hyper-competitive global tourism marketplace, the series of challenging events the state faced and the uncertain economies of some of Florida’s key international markets, I am extremely encouraged to see that the programs VISIT FLORIDA and our statewide marketing partners conducted have resulted in another record year for visitation which ultimately supports and generates jobs throughout the state. This success in the face of tough times means it’s more important than ever to invest in smart tourism marketing.”
To view additional Florida visitor data, go the Research page on VISIT FLORIDA’s media website.
*Preliminary estimates are issued 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Final estimates are released when final data are received for all estimates in the report.
RoadWatch Advisory: New Traffic Pattern for US 41/Venice Bypass in Sarasota County
SARASOTA COUNTY
US 41/Venice By-Pass from Gulf Coast Boulevard to Bird Bay Drive: Construction project: Crews continue installing utility and storm drain systems and constructing temporary pavement. Expect intermittent nighttime/overnight northbound and southbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. throughout the project limits while crews are working.
Southbound Traffic Shift: Traffic on southbound US 41 from Bird Bay to Warfield Road will shift to the newly constructed lanes along the west side of the road during the nighttime/overnight hours on Sunday, February 19. Use caution and pay close attention while driving throughout the project limits.
Northbound Traffic Shift: Traffic on northbound US 41 from Ridgewood to Bird Bay will shift to the newly constructed lanes along the west side of the road during the nighttime/overnight hours on Monday, February 20. Use caution and pay close attention while driving throughout the project limits.
Motorists should be mindful of the construction signs in place and traffic control officers and use caution while traveling through the project area. Bergeron Land Development is the contractor. Expected completion is spring 2018.
Law enforcement to announce multiple arrests in child predator operation
The results of a coordinated weeklong law enforcement investigation targeting child predators will be announced today at press conferences in Tallahassee and in Lake City.
Tallahassee Press Conference
What: Operation Cupid’s Arrow Press Conference
When: Thursday, February 16
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Where: FDLE Tallahassee, Rotunda, lower level
Address: 2331 Phillips Road, Tallahassee
Lake City Press Conference
What: Operation Cupid’s Arrow Press Conference
When: Thursday, February 16
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Where: Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Operations Center Training Room
Address: 4917 U.S. Hwy. 90 East, Lake City
Representative Byron Donalds Files House Bill 843, Efficiency in Sunshine Bill
Representative Byron Donalds (HD 80 – Naples) has filed House Bill 843 to improve the efficiency of local governing boards. Similar to the practices in the Florida Legislature, under Donalds’ bill, two members of a Board (of five or more) would be permitted to gather information and discuss topics without such an action constituting an official public meeting, all the while ensuring that no public policy is being made. Senator Dennis Baxley (SD 12 – Umatilla) filed the Senate companion bill.
Donalds stressed that the goal of his bill is to improve efficiencies in local government while still maintaining strict safeguards to ensure the public’s business is conducted in the sunshine.
“This bill provides the opportunity for public servants to be more effective while maintaining the intent of Florida’s government in the sunshine principle,” Donalds said. “We should allow local officials to have the same flexibility we have in the Legislature to educate themselves on matters they are addressing.”
“It’s time to clarify what Sunshine law means with local officials and to add a level of common sense and reason,” said Baxley.
Donalds is a freshman Republican elected to serve House District 80, covering eastern Collier County and all of Hendry County.
Baxley is a freshman Republican elected to the Senate to serve Senate District 12, covering Sumter and parts of Lake and Marion Counties.
ON THE WEB: www.ByronDonalds.com
