Below is a summary of some of the approvals and decisions made by the City Commission at a meeting on Monday, October 5, 2020. To watch meetings live or to watch recorded meetings on-demand, please visit: https://www.wpb.org/government/communications/wpb-tv18/watch-wpb-tv18-live or https://www.wpb.org/government/communications/wpb-tv18/watch-the-latest-city-commission-meeting

• Approved accepting $8,007,597.36 in funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to be used to hire 28 additional Fire Department firefighters. The purpose of the SAFER grant program is to provide funding directly to fire departments to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards, attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments. This staffing is critical to maintaining safe fire department operations, adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710, and the City's favorable Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of "2".
• Approved authorizing submittal of an application to the State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity under the Rebuild Florida General Planning Support Program requesting a grant in the amount of $450,000 for a sea level rise planning project in conjunction with Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The City has been working with FAU in identifying projects that further the City’s strategic goals. Recently, the State made Community Development Block Grant dollars available for cities to pursue planning efforts that make their communities more resilient to natural disasters. After careful consideration and discussions, FAU proposed a sea level rise study that would illustrate to residents in the north end of the City the potential impacts of sea level rise by using mobile devices. These devices will allow residents to interactively visualize the impacts of sea level rise and then apply different strategies to mitigate the negative effects. Residents will then be surveyed asking how they feel about sea level rise and what mitigations strategies should be pursued, if at all. The data will then be shared and used by local and state planning agencies.
• Approved authorizing submittal of an application to the National Science Foundation for a CIVIC Innovation Challenge Grant in the amount of $50,000 for Phase 1 and $1 million for Phase 2 to develop a cohesive research-to-innovation pipeline for projects. The City has been working with FAU identifying projects that further the City’s strategic goals. Recently, the National Science Foundation announced a research and action competition that can assist the City in achieving Strategic Goals in Pillar 1 – Built Environment. The Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) is a research and action competition in the Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) domain designed to build a more cohesive research-to-innovation pipeline and foster a collaborative spirit. CIVIC will lay a foundation for a broader and more fluid exchange of research interests and civic priorities that will create new instances of collaboration and introduce new areas of technical and social scientific discovery.
• Approved a Federally Funded Subaward and Grant Agreement with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to accept a grant for reimbursement of eligible expenses from COVID-19. The State received public assistance grant funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is authorized to sub-grant a portion of such funds to the City pursuant to the requirements of federal and state law. The City desires to enter into a Federally-Funded Subaward and Grant Agreement with the State’s Division of Emergency Management to receive grant funds and reimbursement for eligible costs and expenses resulting from COVID-19. The City's estimates expenses resulting from COVID-19 totaled $1,340,000. It is expected the City will be reimbursed by FEMA for 90.0% ($1,206,000), 5.0% from the State ($67,000), leaving the City responsible for 5.0% ($67,000).
• Approved granting "Face of the City" approval of the design features for the proposed new HCD Community Resource Center located at 1540 N. Australian Ave. The new center will be located at 1540 N. Australian (formally 1600 N. Australian). The former building that was on the site has been demolished and will be replaced with a 5,422 SF building that will also house the Sickle Cell Foundation of PBC, a replacement center for Vickers House, and other non-profit organizations. The former building had seen major damage from water intrusion and needed to be replaced. The proposed center will consist of office/co-workspaces, a computer lab, energy efficient materials, restrooms, and meeting rooms for programming/multipurpose activities.
• Approved granting “Face of the City” approval of the design features of the replacement of the Nancy M. Graham dedication signs located in Centennial Square Plaza and approving a project funding interlocal agreement between the City and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for funding of the replacement signs in the amount not to exceed $16,729. Design and renovation construction activities are ongoing at the Centennial Fountain and Plaza, and the original Nancy M. Graham Dedication Sign was removed. As part of the Centennial Fountain Plaza improvements, the dedication signs are being relocated to Centennial Square and located on the large planter leading up to the fountain plaza.
• Approved finding that City-owned property located at 8111 South Dixie Highway is not needed for City purposes, declaring the property surplus, and providing the method of disposition. The City hereby desires to make a determination of surplus of property located at 8111 South Dixie Highway, consisting of approximately 6.51 acres. Given the significant interest for development of the property and its importance as a gateway to the southern border of the City, staff seeks authorization to declare the property surplus and the method of disposition to be a competitive invitation to negotiate (ITN) with interested parties.

For a complete list of the approvals and decisions made at the October 5, 2020 City Commission Meeting, please click here to view the pass/fail agenda.