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
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