Cities, counties and state governments turn to drones to help fight crime, combat fires and assist in rescue efforts. By 2018, at least 910 U.S. sheriff’s offices, police and fire departments, and emergency services agencies had purchased drones, an 82 percent increase from the previous year, according to a study by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard…
Former longtime Gulf Breeze City Manager Edwin “Buz” Eddy has taken on yet another responsibility following his retirement two years ago. He was recently hired as a part-time administrative consultant by the City of Century, which has been going through some challenging times. The city of about 1,500 has a mayor and five city council…
Two years ago, Tacoma, Washington, declared a state of emergency over homelessness. With 1,300 people experiencing homelessness in the surrounding Pierce County, and hundreds of them living on Tacoma’s streets, officials kicked off a three-phase plan to address the issue. They deployed rapid resource pop-ups, such as hand-washing stations and portables, and worked to expand…
Several cities are experimenting with applying fees to parked e-scooters as means of managing the devices and helping to prevent an over-distribution of them on streets. Omaha, Neb.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Detroit are part of a three-month pilot organized by the parking technology platform Passport to assess parking fees when scooters are not being ridden.…
The FloridaMakes Board of Directors announced today that Florida manufacturers who received services through the state-wide FloridaMakes network have reported a combined total of over one billion dollars in measurable economic impacts and created or retained 6,953 manufacturing jobs since the program started delivering services in 2016. The FloridaMakes network is an industry-led initiative operated…
CityGrader, the social platform that encourages constituents to become civically engaged with their local government, expands to all Florida cities. Just one year ago, you’d have to be in South Florida to benefit from the network, but now it is “available in all Florida cities and counties including the Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee…
ST. PETERSBURG — The risk of flood damage is on the rise in the city. So is the number of new construction projects, including in flood zones. Soon, the city will be forced to decide how to balance the two. In the coming months, the City Council will grapple with an existential question facing the…
LAKELAND — The city is paving a path through Lakeland’s history as depicted through the eyes of student artists. Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency is working in partnership with the Polk County School Board to construct a multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians along West Lake Parker Drive that will provide a visual history lesson to the…
It’s been almost three years since Hurricane Matthew brought the city of St. Augustine’s storm resiliency to the forefront of discussion. Hurricane Irma in 2017 didn’t help. But out of both disasters came a much-needed federal boost to the city’s budget to fix flooding problems, repair storm damage and give the Ancient City a fighting…
JUPITER — Ask Noah Narut if there’s an appetite in Jupiter for a memorial to honor U.S. military veterans and you’ll get a matter-of-fact answer: “Absolutely.” The 45-year-old Marine Corps veteran said he sees proof each Memorial Day he spends at the South Florida National Cemetery in suburban Lake Worth Beach. Narut suspects many visitors honoring…
LEESBURG — The Leesburg Partnership won a state award this week. The Main Street program on Thursday won a fundraising development effort honor award for its annual Mardi Gras fundraiser. The partnership won one of 26 state awards at the Florida Main Street Annual Conference. Read the full story
Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee announced today the winners of the 2019 Florida Main Street Awards. The annual awards program showcases the innovative practices and projects that contribute to the success of local Main Street programs. Two award categories were presented including the Honor Awards, which highlight the very ‘best of the best’ Main…
Florida will continue growing by more than 300,000 people a year and will top 22 million residents in 2022, according to a report posted online this week by state economists. The Demographic Estimating Conference updated population forecasts through April 1, 2024 and showed steady growth during the multi-year period. Read the full story
Lynn Haven City Commissioners held their second monthly meeting Tuesday. The board discussed recovery efforts and plans for the rebuilding of Lynn Haven. The board approved a Taxable Bond Resolution designed to aid in Hurricane Michael recovery efforts. The bond length is 15 years and it will allocate $32,000,000 to Lynn Haven. They say the…
Homeowners in flood-prone neighborhoods in Bonita Springs might be able to sell their properties through a voluntary buyout program run by the city. The state has set aside $75 million to buy property impacted by Hurricane Irma in an effort to reduce flood risk, according to a city news release.The block grant is competitive —…
If you have visited Coral Gables recently, you may have seen the large black-and-white photographs displayed in empty storefronts. All of the subjects, from postal workers to politicians and chefs to booksellers, are exhibiting the universal gesture for quiet. The 75 people in the photos represent the diverse community of Coral Gables and their portraits…
Sarasota – The high cost of living for many people living and working in Sarasota County, but thanks to a new state grant one city on the Suncoast may soon have more affordable housing options. That future development will be built off of West Price Boulevard and Citizens Parkway. North Port generally has the most…
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The city of St. Pete just announced an aggressive plan to stave off gentrification and promote affordable housing as development pushes low- to moderate-income families outside the city limits. “Our plan will provide an increased supply of dwelling units, assist those who want to have homeownership, and help keep families in…
A Pensacola lawsuit could be the first test case for a new Florida law that prevents local governments from regulating tree trimming or removal trees — even “heritage” trees — on residential property. The city of Pensacola is suing the owners of a vacant lot to stop the removal of a heritage tree. Property owners…
CLEARWATER — In 1992, Mayme Hodges became the first and last black woman on the Clearwater City council, and only the third black council member. There hasn’t been a fourth. Zebbie Atkinson IV, president of the Clearwater and Upper Pinellas County branch of the NAACP, hopes changing Clearwater’s voting system would help more black people…
In a partnership with Florida Power and Light, the city of Palmetto is looking to replace several hundred lights and some other utilities across the city to save money and energy.FPL’s Energy Savings Guarantee program allows FPL and the city to make upgrades to water and electric fixtures and use the money saved on bills…