"Best of
Broward" Highlights County Agencies
If you’ve ever wondered what Broward County agencies
do, how they operate and the benefits they provide,
you might want to attend – or watch – County
Commission meetings at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, when
various County agencies will be highlighted
throughout the year as part of a new “Best of
Broward” feature. A recent presentation by Greater
Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
(GFLCVB) included the following facts:
• In 2010, Broward County had 10.8 million visitors.
Total visitor spending was $8.6 billion – which
equates to $23 million each day, $992,000 each hour
or $16,500 every minute!
• Last year, 640 business groups visited Broward
County, booking more than 1 million room nights at
local hotels – an economic impact just under $1
billion.
• Innovative marketing campaigns in the cold and
snowy Northeast have included a traveling “Beach
Mobile” featuring a glass enclosed trailer exposing
a swimsuit clad couple relaxing in the sand on the
beach, and a “Defrost Your Swimsuit” promotion that
displays a bikini and other swim trunks frozen in
6-foot high blocks of ice – reminders to those
passing by all bundled up in the cold what they
could be wearing in Broward County, where it’s
nearly always sunny.
While it may appear to be fun and games, it’s a
serious business that brings serious money and jobs
to Broward County. For the $4 million in tourist tax
dollars the GFLCVB spends on advertising, there is
an estimated economic benefit of $588 million to the
economy of Broward County. Hospitality and tourism
industries employ more than 119,000 people and for
every 91 visitors, one job is created.
For more information, visit
www.sunny.org.
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County Honors Veterans in April
Broward County will celebrate
National County Government Month in April. This
year’s theme is “Serving Our Veterans, Armed Forces
and Their Families.” Activities and exhibits
throughout the month will honor veterans and
highlight programs of Elderly & Veterans Services,
which include free counseling to veterans and their
families, to help ensure they receive benefits they
are entitled to. Elderly & Veterans Services staff
is always available to speak to homeowner
associations and other community groups on benefits
for veterans and the elderly. To schedule a
presentation, call Owen Walker with Elderly and
Veterans Service at 954-357-6622 or
owalker@broward.org. |
Prime Time
Program Seeks Seniors to Read to Children
Broward County Libraries
Division’s award-winning early literacy program,
Prime Time, is seeking senior volunteers who want to
read stories to children, ages 3 to 5, at day-care
centers in Broward County. Potential volunteers are
being recruited now through March 15 for the next
training session, a free half-day workshop on how to
present an effective story program for preschool-age
children. The next training workshop will be held
March 29, at a library location to be announced.
Volunteers should leave their name and phone number
at 954-357-7846, to receive a return call with
complete program details. |
Water
Matters Day is March 12
The Ninth Annual Broward Water
Matters Day will be held Saturday, March 12, at Tree
Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100th Ave., Davie, from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Get tips on how to save water and money at
home, and learn how to “green” your yard while
lowering your water bill. Water Matters Day is
Broward County’s signature water conservation event
where residents can learn what they can do to
protect our drinking water supplies, and can get
free native plants or trees just for learning how to
do the right thing. Admission to Water Matters Day
is free, but the park’s weekend and holiday
admission fee of $1.50 per person will be in effect.
Children five and under are admitted to the park
free. For more information on Water Matters Day or
water conservation, visit
www.broward.org/watermatters. |
Hallandale
Elementary Wins Conservation Challenge
Hallandale
Elementary School is the winning entrant in the Conservation
and Climate Change (C3) Challenge coordinated by Broward
County’s Pollution Prevention, Remediation and Air Quality
Division. The C3 Challenge is an educational competition
intended to engage students, teachers, school
administrators, staff and parents in practical strategies to
reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions
school-wide and at home.
Hallandale Elementary performed an energy audit that
resulted in the elimination of energy vampires, which are
electronic appliances that consume power while they are
switched off or in a standby mode. The school provided
energy conservation tips during the morning announcements
and checked the rooms each day to ensure lights and
electronics were off. The school also met with city
officials to initiate a recycling program. For more
information about the challenge, visit
www.broward.org/PollutionPrevention.
Broward County Receives More than $9
Million To Help End Homelessness
The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the 2010
HUD Homeless Continuum of Care awards, including more than
$1.4 billion for the Homeless Continuum of Care Program
nationwide. Broward County
received 18 project grants totaling $9,579,307. This award
funds Supportive Services, Transitional, Permanent
Supportive Housing (including Shelter and Care) and helps to
fulfill goals set out in the Ten Year Plan to End
Homelessness. The Ten Year Plan was approved by the Broward
County Board of County Commissioners in December 2005 and
has since been endorsed by nine cities, United Way of
Broward, Coordinating Council of Broward, Florida Department
of Children & Families, businesses and others.
Animal Care to Host Rabies Clinic
March 12 in Fort Lauderdale
Broward County Animal Care will hold a
Rabies Clinic on Saturday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.,
Roosevelt Park, 2841 N.W. 11th St., Fort Lauderdale. At the
clinic, pet owners will be able to get their pets vaccinated
against rabies. In addition, they will receive a Broward
County pet license. Cost for the vaccination and license is
$15 per pet with cash only payment accepted. To qualify to
attend the Rabies Clinic, a pet owner must prove they are a
Broward County resident by producing a valid Florida
driver’s license or a current utility bill. No appointment
is necessary and customers are taken on a first-come,
first-served basis. All dogs must be on leashes and all cats
must be in carriers. For more information on animal
licensing and adoptions, visit
www.broward.org/animal or
follow us on
Twitter@BrowardPetPals.
Port Everglades Named Best U.S.
Homeport
Broward County’s Port Everglades has been
selected for the third consecutive year as the Best U.S.
Homeport by Porthole Cruise Magazine, a world-class
leading cruise travel magazine. The magazine’s editors
annually pick the best in cruise itineraries, destinations,
attractions and excursions, and reveal winners in their
January/February 2011 issue.
The award is timely, as Port Everglades just announced a
record 25 percent increase in cruise travel during the first
quarter of fiscal year 2011 (October through December 2010)
over the same time period last year. Since welcoming its
first cruise ship in 1931, Port Everglades has grown to
become the second largest cruise port in the world, with
nearly 3.7 million passengers passing through the Port in
2010, and also hosts more ships, more cruise lines, more
sailings, and more vacation itineraries than any other
cruise port in the world. Details on the latest cruise
offerings are available on the Internet at
www.porteverglades.net.
Annual Waterway Cleanup Scheduled for
March 5
The 34th Annual Waterway Cleanup will be
held Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at sites
throughout Broward County. The annual waterway cleanup is
one of the County’s largest environmental events. Last year,
more than 1,800 volunteers on land and in 117 boats worked
to successfully remove 15 tons of trash and debris from the
County’s waterways, rivers and canals. To volunteer and for
more information, visit
www.miasf.org/waterwaycleanup.
Water and Wastewater
Services Bonds Rated AA+
Broward County announced
that the series of utility revenue bonds being used to
finance capital improvements in the County’s water and
wastewater services program has received a AA+ rating from
Fitch Ratings. Fitch affirmed the bonds as a
“stable financial profile” and commended Water and
Wastewater Services for its healthy financial operations.
Broward County Water and Wastewater Services operates a
combined water and sewer system. The water system services
approximately 59,000 residents and one wholesale user. The
wastewater system services 80 percent of the residential
water customers and 11 wholesale users. The County also
operates a wastewater treatment plant, with a capacity of
100 million gallons per day. The bonds are secured by system
revenues.
County Law
Enforcement Memorial Planned for Markham Park
A groundbreaking
ceremony was held February 26 for a memorial honoring
Broward County law enforcement officers killed in the line
of duty to be constructed at Broward County’s Markham Park
in Sunrise. The “Broward County Police Memorial Wall of
Honor” was approved by Broward County Commissioners in early
February.
The Broward Police Memorial Association will provide a venue
where families and friends can reflect and pay tribute to
fallen law enforcement officers who gave their lives in
service to the community. Markham Park is located at 16001
W. State Road 84 in Sunrise.
Community Update, a monthly newsletter from the
Board of County Commissioners, is produced by the
Office of Public Communications. Address questions
concerning articles to 954-357-6990. To receive
Community Update electronically, send an email
to
publicinfo@broward.org. Please include your
first and last name and email address. Hearing
impaired residents can call the TTY line at
954-831-3940 for additional information. |
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