2023 South Palm Beach County Legislative Business Agenda

BOCA RATON CITY ISSUES
• Advocate for a tiered rate structure to allow a more equitable method of allocating the costs of fire services among the properties that benefit from the services.
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Assure the use of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds is transparent and that there is an equitable allocation for business retention, expansion, and infrastructure.
• Support development of affordable housing projects.
• Continue supporting Palm Beach State College, Florida Atlantic University, Lynn University and Palm Beach County Public Schools in their efforts to partner with the City of Boca Raton and the business community for internships, workforce development and small business training.
• Advocate for the use of public/private partnerships, to deliver capital, technology, and infrastructure improvements in the City of Boca Raton.
• Support the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University’s efforts to further integrate its activities with those of the wider business community and Florida Atlantic University to ensure a viable environment for technology entrepreneurs to develop and grow successful companies that create jobs.
• Support meaningful incentives for sustainable building within the City of Boca Raton.
• Improve the time taken for approvals and increase communication with customers regarding Permit Issuance.
2023 South Palm Beach County

BOYNTON BEACH CITY ISSUES
• Support the implementation of the City of Boynton Beach’s Economic Development Study, focusing on stimulating economic growth through identifying short- and long-term strategies that identify tourism growth opportunities, improving the time taken for approvals and increasing communication with customers regarding Permit Issuance, and supporting the Impact Fee Credit Reimbursements for projects that make non-site related road improvements that add capacity.
• Continue to partner with Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway at the new Innovation Center, powered by the Florida Atlantic University Innovation and Business Development Pipeline, in order to stimulate economic development in the City of Boynton Beach
• Support the reduction of the Art’s Assessment fee from 1% to 0.5% on projects that are $10 million and above.
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Assure the use of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds is transparent and that there is an equitable allocation for business retention, expansion, and infrastructure
• Support development of affordable housing projects
• Support solutions to reduce flooding in high flood impact areas to reduce negative impacts on business and the community.
• Support initiatives to harden existing public internet access (City Hall, libraries, schools) to ensure availability after extreme weather events/power outages.
• Propose the elimination of the CRA Advisory Board and promote the re-appointment of the two citizen members to the CRA Board.

PALM BEACH COUNTY ISSUES
• Support Public/Private efforts, streamline regulations and processes to deliver affordable housing units.
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Assure the use of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds is transparent and that there is an equitable allocation for business retention, expansion, and infrastructure.
• Advocate that cities producing tourism revenue receive an equitable allocation of tourism investment.
• Advocate Palm Beach County Schools offer life-skills training for students by providing services and experiences that are critical to their future success.
• Advocate for increased efforts by Palm Beach County Schools to ensure all Palm Beach County’s 3rd and 8th Graders read at or above grade level.
• Support efforts to increase opportunities for Palm Beach State College and Palm Beach County School District to collaborate on career, certificate, vocational and apprenticeship programs to ensure that students are college and/or work ready.
• Continue to support Florida Atlantic University and the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in leveraging of its resources and strategic partnerships to enhance and/or develop programs that foster entrepreneurship and expand the region’s high-tech workforce.
• Support private and public efforts to reduce homelessness.
• Continue to support Palm Tran in its efforts to serve South Palm Beach County by further improving and coordinating public transportation circulation between downtowns, the train station, Research Park, and educational facilities.
• Support a regional approach for beach re-nourishment projects by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners.
• Support solutions for and funding of science-based energy, flood and water management policy to address Red Tide, toxic algae, and other clean water initiatives.

STATE ISSUES
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Continue to reduce the statewide sales tax on commercial leases.
• Continue to support efforts to address the affordability and availability of coverage for homeowners and commercial property insurance.
• Assure the use of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds is transparent and that there is an equitable allocation for business retention, expansion, and infrastructure.
• Keep the Sadowski Trust Fund permanently fully funded in statute, which will produce and preserve affordable housing in communities across Florida.
• Support the full funding and mission of Enterprise Florida.
• Resume the Job Growth Grant Fund.
• Oppose workplace initiatives and/or regulations which seek to inhibit employer rights by expanding employee rights in vague and unenforceable ways that interfere with employer-employee relationships.
• Support workforce funding for Palm Beach State College to assist with rapid credentialing and retooling in a short amount of time that will give students a competitive edge in securing a high-wage job.
• Support the allocation of appropriate funding of outstanding capital projects at Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College.
• Support identifying an alternative funding source for Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding for K-12, Florida College System, and State University System buildings.
• Support efforts to create standard operating procedures (such as we have for hurricanes) for Florida for health and safety threats with prescribed actions aligned with data benchmarks.
• Support science-based energy, flooding and water policy solutions that allow for Florida’s continued economic growth. Support the continued dedicated funding for dune restoration as part of the beach-management funding program.
• Create an improved and HIPAA-protected system to identify those with signs of mental illness, including the appropriate and secure recording of critical information to a central repository with access by all relevant law enforcement and health care agencies.
• Support legislation that prohibits the sale of assault rifles.
• Support requiring transparency when third-party financiers or hedge funds are financing litigation.
• Support continued investment in Florida’s transportation infrastructure by funding the Florida Department of Transportation at or above 2022 levels.
• Assure the use of the American Rescue Act Funds is transparent and that there is an equitable allocation for business retention, expansion, and infrastructure.

FEDERAL ISSUES
• Support fair workplace rules that protect workers and promote employer flexibility and economic growth, while opposing harmful proposals and burdensome regulations that will generate litigation instead of jobs.
• Promote and advance thoughtful legislative and regulatory changes to permit greater flexibility in benefit design and coverage that will improve health, reduce unnecessary costs, and reward high-value care.
• Support work to strengthen the nation’s educational standards and promote effective workforce training programs.
• Support an immigration policy that encourages employment-based and national security immigration reform as well as job protections for U.S. Citizens.
• Support a national effort to encourage pro-growth energy action that increases diverse energy supplies, improves efficiency, and promotes environmental stewardship while putting Americans back to work.
• Support legislation to end lawsuit abuse and to ensure that businesses receive a fair, efficient, and consistent justice system.
• Support modernization and expansion of our nation’s transportation system, along with our telecommunications (including 5G rollout), energy and water infrastructure