County Participates in Tourist Tax Amnesty Program through September

The Florida Department of Revenue’s tax amnesty program is available through September 30, 2010, for eligible taxpayers who owe tourist development taxes on rental accommodations that were due on or before June 30, 2010.

Living accommodations in a hotel, apartment hotel, motel, resort motel, apartment, apartment motel, rooming house, mobile home park, recreation vehicle park, single family dwelling, a beach house, cottage, condominium or any other sleeping accommodations that are rented for a period of six months or less are subject to the Broward County Tourist Development Tax. Rentals longer than six months may also be subject to the tax for the first six months.

For more information, call the Broward County Tourist Development Tax Section at 954-357-8455. To participate, visit www.broward.org/revenue and click TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX.

New Tools to Help You Prepare for Hurricane Season

Residents are encouraged to “get connected” to receive official Broward County public safety and emergency information on Twitter. To receive timely updates on your cell phone or by email, register at www.twitter.com/ReadyBroward. During a hurricane threat, these updates come directly from the County’s Emergency Operations Center and could include evacuation notices, shelter openings, flooding alerts and other pertinent information that will keep you safe before, during and after a storm.

Home Damage Assessment Program Goes Mobile

The County’s Home Damage Assessment program, first introduced during the 2009 hurricane season, has gone mobile. In the first few hours after a storm, residents can access a new mobile device application, report damage to their home, and help emergency responders quickly identify areas of devastation, even before damage assessment teams are able to canvass the County.

After a storm passes, residents are encouraged to compare their homes to four photos representing different levels of damage and flooding and send in a report via the new mobile application. Residents can also send in a report through the Broward County Web site (www.broward.org/hurricane) or by calling the Hurricane Hotline (3-1-1). When using the mobile application, the cell phone’s location is automatically geo-coded to a map. As the data is reported it is color-coded and displayed on a map to show emergency responders where the most damaged sections are located in the County.

Don’t wait! Bookmark the home damage assessment application on your cell phone now: http://gis.broward.org/mda. Broward County has also enhanced its Hurricane Preparedness Web site, located at www.broward.org/hurricane, including lists, by city, of generator-ready grocery stores, gas stations, home improvement and other types of stores.

FLL Receives Zero Discrepancies

For the 12th consecutive year, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) has achieved a result of “zero-discrepancy” during its annual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certification/Safety Airport Inspection. The FAA inspection reviews the Airport’s compliance with its airfield safety requirements. It is one of the most comprehensive evaluations that an airport faces from the FAA. More...

New Program Implemented for HIV Patients

Broward County has implemented a new program to simplify client enrollment and recertification processes for access to HIV treatment and services. Effective August 1, 2010, the new Ryan White Part A Centralized Intake and Eligibility Determination Service is being offered through the Broward Regional Health Planning Council. The Council serves as a single point of entry for those receiving Ryan White Part A services in Broward County.

Services, which include assistance to access health services, eligibility assessments, benefits application and information, referrals and recertification that were provided by the Ryan White Part A Medical Case Management, are now with the Broward Regional Health Planning Council Main Office, 915 Middle River Drive, Fort Lauderdale. For more information or program hours of operation, call 954-566-1417.

Broward County’s 365 Food Drive Collection Exceeds 6,000 Pounds

Since the beginning of the year, Broward County employees and members of the public visiting governmental facilities have collected and donated 6,775 pounds of food to local food pantries through the 365 Food Drive.

All non-perishable food items, such as canned meat, vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, jelly or jam, soups, pasta and toiletries, are welcome at any time, but the focus for August is on canned meats, vegetables and fruits. Next is “Souper September,” focusing on donations of canned and instant soup. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of “buy one-get one free” offers from area grocery stores, by donating the second item to the 365 Food Drive. Visit any of the 12 collection sites throughout the County to donate your items. For a complete list of donation sites, visit www.broward.org/FoodDrive.

Animal Care Opens Pet “Snack Shack”

Broward County Animal Care and Regulation, which shelters, feeds and cares for more than 20,000 lost and surrendered animals each year, has launched a pet food donation drive through August 31, 2010. Suggested items for donation include cat and dog food (canned or dry, pop-top cans preferred), cat and dog treats, and cat litter.

Residents can participate by dropping donations into collection boxes at the downtown Governmental Center, Government Center West, the main and regional County courthouses, Broward County Main Library and all branch libraries, and Broward County’s two animal adoption centers:

• 1870 S.E. 39th Street, Fort Lauderdale
• 3100 N.W. 19th Terrace, Pompano Beach

Get breaking news from Animal Care by following us on Twitter. To join, visit www.twitter.com/BrowardPetPals. You’ll get updates on upcoming Animal Care events and ways you can help Broward County’s homeless animals through adoptions, donations of money, supplies or volunteer time (age 14 and older). Be sure to visit Animal Care’s new Web site at www.broward.org/animal.

Parkpaws E-news Keeps You Informed

Broward County residents interested in receiving Parkpaws E-news, an electronic newsletter of interest to local pet owners produced by the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division, can subscribe by sending an email to Parkpaws@broward.org. This publication features news about animal events in Broward County parks, including dog parks, photos and stories about adoptable animals, and news about animal care programs and special events sponsored by Broward County agencies and local animal organizations.

Broward County Transit Plans Community Meetings

Broward County Transit (BCT) will hold community meetings in advance of a public hearing scheduled by the Broward County Commission on proposed service reductions, service eliminations and bus fare increases.

The following community meetings will allow bus passengers to review and comment on the proposed service changes, scheduled to become effective in October 2010:

Tuesday, August 17 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Broward Health Weston Conference Center
2300 N. Commercial Parkway, Weston
Bus Route 23

Monday, August 23 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Carver Ranches Branch Library
4735 S.W. 18 Street, West Park
Bus Route 15

Thursday, August 26 - 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Joseph Meyerhoff Senior Center/Southeast Focal Point
3081 Taft Street, Hollywood
Bus Route 3

Monday, August 30 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Broward Community and Family Health Center
5010 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Bus Routes 7, 15, Transfer routes at Hollywood Young Circle

Tuesday, August 31 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Tamarac Branch Library
8701 W. Commercial Boulevard, Tamarac
Bus Route 55

Wednesday, September 1 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Northwest Branch Library
1580 N.W. Third Avenue, Pompano Beach
Bus Route 20

Tuesday, September 7 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Main Library, Bienes Ceremonial Meeting Room, 6th floor
100 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
All Bus Routes to Broward Central Terminal

The public hearing is proposed to be held by the Broward County Commission at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14, 2010, at the Broward County Governmental Center, Commission Chambers, 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.

Persons with disabilities who require special accommodations to participate in the community meetings should call 954-357-8355 or 954-357-8302 (TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. For more information, call 954-357-6786 or 954-357-8400.

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.