The St. Johns River Water Management District has initiated a rulemaking process to amend the District’s irrigation rules. The District encourages all local governments and interested persons to participate in the rulemaking process. The proposed amendments are a work in progress and your input can help shape the final product. Public workshops will be held to provide information about the proposed rule amendments and to obtain public comment on the proposed changes.

Rule Development Workshops will be held:

June 18, 2008 – Seminole County Commission Chambers
June 19, 2008 – Indian River County Commission Chambers
July 1, 2008 – Department of Environmental Protection in Jacksonville
July 3, 2008 – Lake County Commission Chambers

Click here for a summary of the proposed amendments. For more information, visit the District’s website at www.sjrwmd.com/irrigationrule.

CUES, in partnership with the Florida Department of Community Affairs, is proud to announce the release of the Florida Planning Toolbox, an effort to further regional visioning initiatives in Florida by providing descriptions and examples of planning tools designed to protect and enhance natural resources, promote economic prosperity for all residents, and enable a sustainable quality of life. Tools have been compiled in sixteen broad categories, including agricultural land conservation, benchmarking, climate change, coastal planning, diversity and social equity, economic development, education and health, fiscal analysis &financing, housing, infill and redevelopment, land use planning &development, military-community growth planning, natural systems conservation, public involvement &education, transportation planning, and water resource planning. The toolbox can be accessed in print and web-friendly versions at www.cuesfau.org/toolbox.

The Research Coast Business Financial Consortium brings together the following charter member lending institutions to offer unique financial assistance to businesses seeking to locate or expand in the region that will help foster high paying wages:

Ameribank
Bank Atlantic
Bank United
Citrus Bank
First Bank and Trust of Indiantown
First People's Bank
Grand Bank & Trust of Florida
Gulfstream Business Bank
Indian River National Bank
Integrity Bank
Marine Bank & Trust Company
National City Bank
Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.
Riverside National Bank
Seacoast National Bank
Suntrust Bank

On April 24, 2007 the charter members attended a signing ceremony to formally ratify the creation of the Consortium.

For further information please contact:

Greg Vaday, Economic Development Coordinator
(772) 221-4060

Candace Walker, Vice President
Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County
(772) 879-4144
E-mail: cwalker@edcstlucie.org

As part of a statewide initiative by the Florida Division of Emergency Management to coordinate up-to-date regional evacuation information across Florida, the Florida Regional Planning Councils will be preparing Regional Evacuation Studies. The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council will research, analyze and compile data to generate a report containing a demographic and land use analysis, a hazards analysis, a behavioral analysis, a critical facilities inventory, a shelter analysis, a regional evacuation transportation networks analysis, and a vulnerability analysis specific to the Treasure Coast region. This Regional Evacuation Study will produce important, thorough and relevant information for emergency management decision-making.

For additional information, please contact Terry Hess