Page 6 - Abacoa Community News - May '21
P. 6
Page 6, Abacoa
GOverNmeNt
Commissioner’s Update
Hurricane Preparedness 2021 keep dry if you experience water intrusion. I remember exceed the allowable six cubic yards at the curb for
once filling my dishwasher with my heirloom china. If unincorporated areas or beyond what your municipality
By Commissioner you are a diabetic or have any medications that need to allows, Solid Waste Authority can arrange for removal
Maria Marino be kept cold, please make sure to have enough ice in a of vegetation at a rate of $8 per cubic yard. For more
With hurricane season cooler to keep your medicines cold should you lose power. information about debris removal, visit https://www.swa.
around the corner, it is Have a phone charger you can use in your car, especially org/153/Before-During-and-After-the-Storm.
important that we remain if you do not have a landline phone. Lastly, be a “check- If you have specific questions or concerns about the
mindful of preparation. in buddy” with your friends and family so that everyone accessibility of the Official Palm Beach County Hurricane
After the past year of will know who is safe. Planning Guide, we have trained individuals available to
stocking up on toilet Remember to complete all major cutting of vegetation, assist you. Please contact public affairs directly at (561)
paper, paper towels, including tree removal long before June, which means that 355-2754, or via email at pbcaccessibility@pbcgov.org. As
cleaning products and hand you should focus on this type of property maintenance always, if I can be of assistance to you, please call me at
sanitizer, we cannot neglect between December and April. If your trimmings (561) 355-2201 or send an email to mmarino@pbcgov.org.
our hurricane supply kits.
by recent news reports from the National Oceanic and Tax Talk
I can already hear the collective groan, made worse
Atmospheric Administration about moving up the season
start date by a few weeks. The storm season of 2020 Dear Friends: progress has been readying the building for an anticipated
was the sixth in a row in which named tropical storms When I think of change, I December 2021 opening. This recent construction photo
developed before the official start on June 1. like to think of it in terms of shows that the roof has been installed and windows will
Palm Beach County has the resources you need progress. It’s true that change soon be in place allowing for the interior work to begin
to prepare and respond. Our Division of Emergency can sometimes be scary – like in earnest.
Management is your go-to for the latest information on changing lanes at 65 mph on We look forward to moving into our newest location
matters you should consider, such as your flood zone, I-95 with five lanes of traffic later this year.
evacuation zone, emergency shopping list, FEMA tips zipping around you! But
for storage of food and water, shelters, gas stations and change can be a good thing
grocery stores with generators, and the list goes on. and I like to think of those
From the county’s webpage at https://discover.pbcgov. changes as progress. Progress
org/publicsafety/dem/Pages/Preparedness.aspx, you can is what we strive for and what
explore links to find out how you can best prepare, based fuels our ability to create and deliver new products, services,
on your personal situation. The basic steps include: and conveniences to you. From the construction of our
• Make a plan – devise your own disaster plan newest service center to the placement of self-serve kiosks
including where you will wait out a storm, what you will in several Publix locations, I am very proud of the progress
do with your pets and whether a loved one requires the our office is making to deliver better service and diversified
care of a special needs shelter. conveniences to our clients.
• Build a kit – in additional to nonperishable food, Our mission continues to be our commitment to provide
health and first-aid supplies, paper goods and a full unparalleled service that inspires trust. I hope you enjoy this
prescription of your required medications, keeping issue of Tax Talk.
important documents secured in a waterproof container Anne M. Gannon,
can save you time and aggravation later. Cleaning Constitutional Tax Collector, Self-Serve Kiosks At Publix
supplies, tools, and of course, candles and/or flashlights Serving Palm Beach County
and batteries are essential. Several months ago, we launched the self-serve kiosks in a
• Be informed – along with monitoring local Update: Westlake Service handful of Palm Beach County Publix stores and invited you
radio, television and social media, you can sign up for to try them to process your vehicle registration. If you had the
ALERTPBC, the county’s emergency notification system, Center opportunity to use the kiosk, we would be eager to hear more
that will quickly provide you with critical information about your experience with that technology. Please feel free
in severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing Crews have been extremely busy over the past several to send us an email at clientadvocate@pbctax.com and let us
persons and evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods. months, constructing our new service center in Westlake, know your thoughts on your experience in using this convenient
You can specify where you want the message sent. located at 16640 Town Center Parkway South. When new technology to process your vehicle registration. While we
By downloading the free PBC DART app on your finished, this 23,735-square-foot building will provide currently have these kiosks in operation at five area Publix stores,
smartphone, you will have immediate access to up-to- our full slate of services to the residents in the western
the-minute emergency information, and you can report area of the county. It is exciting to see how fast the Tax Talk on page 7
damage following a storm event.
• Get involved – our emergency managers like to say
that preparedness is a responsibility we all share, and
this is so true. You can volunteer with organizations that
activate during disasters such as American Red Cross,
The Salvation Army, United Way, Medical Reserve Corps,
and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
CERT is a community-based organization of residents
who learn how to take emergency response actions in
safe ways until the professional emergency responders
can respond. The Division of Emergency Management has
trained over 3,200 CERTs throughout Palm Beach County
in disaster preparedness, response, and communications.
Things I’ve Learned Along The Way
Although you may have insured your valuables, take
pictures of them and if you can, move them to a safe place.
Make sure to remove your ice from the icemaker and turn
it off. If you lose power, this will prevent melting. Put that
ice in a plastic tub and keep it in the freezer. Take all of
those recyclable water bottles you have around the house
and fill with tap water and any other container you can
seal. This saves you from having to buy an overabundance
of plastic water bottles. Your dishwasher, washer and
dryer make great storage places for items you want to
Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing
Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
To reserve your vehicle:
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com