City of West Palm Beach, FL
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City Center Podcasts highlight many of the great things in and about our City. Listen to some "behind the scenes" insights and learn from some of the department directors that provide you with essential services every day or help you discover all that is West Palm Beach.
Listen in as host Gerry Marcelo interviews City personnel to unlock you some of the most fascinating aspects of the City where people come to "Live, Work and Play" along the scenic Lake Worth Lagoon.
Where does West Palm's Water Come From?
Without water there's no West Palm Beach. Where does it come from, how is it made pure, and how will we keep water plentiful as our City continues to grow? Click here to listen as Victor Carosi, Director of Public Utilities for West Palm Beach explains.
Getting the most out of 4th on Flagler
Summer is here and it’s just about time for South Florida’s largest FREE outdoor Independence Day celebration. We’re talking about 4th on Flagler, where fun, food and fireworks all happen on the West Palm Beach waterfront. We’ll talk about what’s in store and you can get the most out of this year’s celebration. With Mary Pinak, Marketing and Community Events Manager.
Get Hurricane Ready:
Should you stay or should you go?
Preparing for hurricane season means deciding if you should ride out the storm in your home or evacuate to safer shelter. How do you decide? Listen in as Assistant Fire Chief Brent Bloomfield goes over the checklist and details the pros and cons of each. Visit the City's Hurricane Readiness Guide for more information.
Helping the Homeless: Understanding the Challenges
Part 1 of 3
Trying to help those who are homeless is a challenge for every community in America. West Palm Beach is no exception. In this, the first of a three-part podcast series, we explore the challenges communities face and learn about our city’s effort to truly help those who don’t have a home. Listen in with Allie Severino, Social Services Supervisor for the City of West Palm Beach.
Part 2 of 3
The problems and challenges faced by those who are homeless are complex. In this, the second part of our series on homelessness, we will look at what can be done to truly help, give effective relief to those on the street, and consider actions residents can take to truly help those in need. With Allie Severino, Social Services Supervisor for the City of West Palm Beach.
Part 3 of 3
The emotionally charged effort to help those who are homeless is the subject of many half-truths, myths, and misconceptions. In this, the third of a three-part series on homelessness, we talk to Social Services Supervisor Allie Severino about the top five misconceptions she hears every day on the streets of West Palm Beach.
Top 5 Tips for Enjoying the WPB GreenMarket
Code Enforcement: Improving the Quality of Life for All
Code Enforcement Officers have a tough job that requires patience, determination and most of all, a desire to help neighborhoods stay beautiful, safe and strong. Learn more about this little understood job in our city and how their number one job is to improve the quality of life for all residents. With Code Enforcement Officer Valerie Luster.
How Oily Kitchen Cooking Can Clog Your Home’s Sewage System
Rinsing off a frying pan or sending greasy food down the disposal contributes to a growing problem for cities like West Palm Beach: household and neighborhood sewage pipes are being clogged with cooking fats, oils and grease. These clogs can back up your drain system and cause big headaches for the city systems. How can you keep cooking oils and grease from clogging our drains? With Charles Phoenix, Brian Sealey and Brandon Ingraham.
West Palm Beach: A Home for LGBTQ+ Equality
A community is defined by the people who call it home. West Palm Beach takes pride in its diversity and welcomes residents from every background, creed and culture. The City's relationship with its LGBTQ+ community has a long and productive history. We talk with the City's LGBTQ+ Liaison Melissa Anderson on why West Palm has become such an attractive place to visit, live and work.
Office Of Sustainability: Working To Preserve Paradise and Protect our Future
West Palm Beach is a natural Paradise, but threats from pollution and climate change could change it forever. Learn about a City department that works to educate and enable residents in the fight to preserve our home's natural beauty. With Penelope Redford.
WPB Key: Your Direct Connection to City Hall
Introducing WPB Key, a web- and app-based system that puts the power of City Hall into resident's hands. WPB Key is a way to alert the City of maintenance problems, ask for a new trash can, even upload a photo of that new pothole with just a few clicks of a button. Learn how to put this new service to work for you! Charlotte Wright unlocks the many ways WPB Key puts City Hall just a click away.
Turning Small Business Dreams into Reality: Mayor’s Jumpstart Academy
Borne from the financial challenges of the Pandemic, Mayor's Jumpstart Academy in West Palm Beach is a 10-week, cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all backgrounds with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn dreams into reality. Learn how this extraordinary program came into being and how it can help dreams of locally-owned small businesses come true. With Charlotte Wright, Community Building and Engagement Coordinator for The City of West Palm Beach.
Getting the Most Out of "Holiday In Paradise"
"Holiday In Paradise" is one of the City's most popular events. People love the sights and sounds of holiday celebrations along the waterfront! But there's much more going on than lights and music! Join Marketing and Community Events Manager Mary Pinak for an expert's guide of Holiday In Paradise, and hold onto your hats for a huge special guest joining us for the podcast!
Keep West Palm Beach Beautiful:
Making Our Community Clean and Green
Keep West Palm Beach Beautiful is an affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful program. Learn what progress they are making and what challenges lie ahead to ensure our community has a clean, green and beautiful future! With KWPBB Coordinator Duane White.
Mandel Public Library: Connecting people with Ideas
The Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach is considered to be one of the best public libraries in the United States and, in 2022, was ranked by Fodor's Travel as one of the 11 Most Beautiful Libraries in the United States. Library Director Lisa Hathaway explores what makes this place so special and what the future holds for its four floors of books, music, and technology.
Leon Pinder: The Road to Leadership
The City of West Palm Beach is a place where hard work and dedication does pay off. There is the promise of career development and professional growth for those who do their jobs well. A good example of this is Leon Pinder, who started with one of the toughest jobs in the City and is now the leader of one of the busiest departments in West Palm Beach. We talk to Leon about his experiences and what motivated him to be a leader.
Art and the City:
How Public Art Can Awaken and Inspire a Community
Culture can help shape the character of a community. West Palm Beach's ArtLife Public Arts program helps to bring public art that creates local pride and heightens our sense of cultural diversity. With Sybille Welter, Director of Arts, Culture and Community Building for the City of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Development Services:
Keeping the City's Growth in Check and on Track
No other City department has more to do with our growth than the Development Services Department. Handling a long list of requirements and jobs, Development Services makes sure the City's ever-changing landscape is carefully planned to meet current and future needs. Development Services Department Director Rick Greene discusses the steps being taken to ensure planned growth is carefully managed.
Grassy Waters Preserve: Pristine Nature for All Ages
| One of West Palm Beach's best-kept secrets, Grassy Waters Preserve is 23-square miles of untouched natural perfection. It also serves an essential role for the future of our growing city. Find out what you can learn, do and see in this time machine to Florida's undeveloped past. Listen in as Charles Wilson, GWP Environmental Education Coordinator, discusses the unique character that is Grassy Waters Preserve. |
EPL: A New Way of Doing Business with the
City of West Palm Beach
The job of getting permits, submitting building plans and associated applications has just gotten a lot easier in the City of West Palm Beach! West Palm Beach is now the home of EPL (Enterprise Permitting & Licensing), where online submissions will replace trips to City Hall and all the extra paperwork once required. Learn more about EPL and how it will make business with the City easier than ever! Listen in to see how EPL will save you steps and time.
West Palm Beach GreenMarket:
A Community Icon That's Gained National Recognition
For more than 28 years, the City of West Palm Beach GreenMarket has been a community landmark and the place for people to gather during the local high season. It is so popular that it has been recognized as the best farmer's market in the U.S. by USA Today 10Best Reader's Poll. Learn about the greenmarket's humble beginnings, what makes it so special, and how YOU can help it capture a third year as #1 in the country!
Hurricane Season 2023:
Simple Steps for Protecting Your Family & Property
After 2022's devastation from Hurricane Ian making landfall on Florida's West Coast, Floridians are asking what they need to do to protect themselves from a tropical storm or hurricane. The City Center Podcast talks with Assistant Fire Chief Brent Bloomfield to learn the important steps all residents need to follow to protect love ones, pets and property from the next threatening storm.