Property Tax Reform - Charlotte County Commissioners are closely monitoring the on-going property tax reform discussions of the Florida Legislature.  The Save Our Homes amendment has created an inequity among our residents that should be addressed, but the Commissioners are concerned about the local impact of some of the proposals currently under review.  The County has sent a letter to Tallahassee outlining how the proposed budget cuts could affect local programs and services. The Florida Legislature has called a special session for June 12 through the 22 to further refine the property tax reform proposals. 

Know Your Zone - Hurricane season starts June 1st.  This year Charlotte County Emergency Management urges residents to "Know Your Zone".  Know the elevation of your home and the possible hurricane impacts.  You can now check for zone information on-line.  Enter your address into the search engine to find out what zone your home is in; learn when you should evacuate and when you should stay put.  During hurricane warnings evacuation notices will be announced by the media using zone numbers. While on-line you can access emergency bulletins, hurricane shopping lists and an All Hazards Guide.

Murdock Village Update - The vision for Murdock Village is to create a mixed-use community with a variety of housing products and employment opportunities. The project continues to move forward, as this month the Commissioners held a workshop to review the redevelopment proposal from Kitson & Partners.  The full proposal can be viewed on-line. The County, following legal mandates, has a thirty day waiting period before the Commissioners can make a final determination on the Murdock Village Redevelopment proposal.  There will be a public hearing on July 6 for further discussion and public input.

Public Safety Complex Grand Opening - During Hurricane Charley emergency workers stationed at the Emergency Operations Center had to flee to other quarters when the building began to disintegrate around them.  Just in time for the 2007 hurricane season, the new Public Safety Complex is ready for occupancy.  The new Complex will house not only the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), but also Fire/EMS headquarters and the 2-1-1 call center. The building is designed to withstand 175 mph winds and is self-contained with it's own emergency power system and water supply.  The technology will be state of the art, with 30+ computer workstations, large projection screens and the ability to broadcast live television and radio programming directly from the EOC. This will enable the EOC to quickly transmit emergency messages to the public. The Grand Opening will be held on June 1st, with public tours of the facilities scheduled from noon to 3:00 p.m. The new complex was funded through sales tax, as well as insurance and FEMA reimbursements.

Burning Ban - Residents are reminded that Charlotte County has enacted an emergency ban on open burning and fireworks.  We are currently in our driest period of the year and the Board of County Commissioners took this action due to extreme drought conditions. Charlotte County’s drought index is over the 600 severe limit according to the Keetch Bryan Drought Index (KBDI) and due to the current weather conditions and rainfall deficit is not expected to improve in the near future. The ban will be reviewed by Fire Chief Dennis Didio every fourteen (14) days beginning June 1 and again June 14, with any recommended actions forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. It is in the best interest of the citizens and visitors to be mindful of the ban to protect their health, safety, welfare and property. Residents are urged to quickly report any fires by calling 9-1-1.

Hurricane Recovery Continues -

The County opened two new facilities in May, replacing buildings that were destroyed in Hurricane Charley.

• The EastPort Operations Building on the EastPort Environmental Campus on Harbor View Road houses Utilities operations and warehouse, as well as Environmental Services offices of Pest Management, Mosquito Control and Aquatic & Exotic Weed Control. This building was hardened to withstand 146 mph winds for protection against future storms.  Cost for this project was $2.9 million.

• The Florida Street Operations Center, part of the Public Works complex on Florida Street in Punta Gorda, will house the Public Works Maintenance & Operations staff in addition to Building Construction Services customer services representatives.  This building was also fortified for additional protection and cost $1.2 million.

The County celebrated one groundbreaking in May.

• The former Memorial Auditorium located on the waterfront in downtown Punta Gorda was destroyed in Hurricane Charley.  On May 24 a large crowd celebrated the construction start of the new Event Center in Punta Gorda.  The very unique "ground breaking" ceremony was a hibiscus themed event (the flowers are noted for their healing properties), and officials stepped forward to cast hibiscus blooms into the Peace River as a symbol of rebirth.  The new Event Center is estimated to cost $19 million and should open August 2008.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MEETINGS

Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners holds its regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.  Land use issues are addressed on the third Tuesday and Commissioner's Roundtable is held on the first Tuesday of each month. These meetings are held at the Murdock Administrative Complex, Room #119.

To view the agenda for the Board meetings click here: Commission Agenda.  The meetings can also be viewed live on CCTV20, (Comcast Channel 20) or can be viewed via live stream on our website - Streaming Video 

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A variety of government meetings are archived for on-demand viewing. Check out our inventory here: On Demand Video

Charlotte County has dozens of official meetings and activities each month.  For an itemized listing click here: Meeting Calendars

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