Hurricane Expo on June 2
To Emphasize Preparedness

With the beginning of the six-month hurricane season in June, Broward County will conduct its second annual Hurricane Expo on Saturday, June 2, 2007, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 201 N.W. 84 Avenue, Plantation. The event will be free and open to the public.

More than 30 exhibitors, including businesses, governments and other agencies, will provide valuable hurricane preparedness information and demonstrations. There will be public tours of Broward’s EOC and the Mobile Command Center. In addition to the exhibitors, there will be displays, informational literature and giveaways. Last year, more than a thousand residents attended the event. Free parking is available.

As part of this year’s educational and outreach efforts, Broward County will again be mailing copies of the County’s official Broward County Hurricane Preparedness Guide to all households in the County. The 12-page, color tabloid features important tips, information, maps, telephone numbers and web site addresses.

Late last month, Broward County, in cooperation with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel News in Education Department (NIE) and the Deerfield Beach Disaster Survival House provided all public and private school children (grades 5 through 12) with a copy of a 24-page guide to hurricane preparation.

For additional information on hurricane preparedness, call 954-831-4000, or visit www.broward.org/hurricane.

To subscribe to Broward County’s free Hurricane Update E-mail System, click on the button located on www.broward.org. The system provides residents with important information from the Broward County Emergency Operations Center before, during and after a hurricane. E-mail notifications will be sent to subscribers with news about hurricane watches and warnings, evacuation orders, recommended protective actions and related public safety information.

Hurricane Sales Tax Holiday
Begins Friday, June 1

During the first 12 days of the 2007 hurricane season, residents throughout Florida will be given an opportunity to purchase hurricane supplies tax-free. The tax-free holiday begins on Friday, June 1 and runs through Tuesday, June 12. Among the items exempted from the sales tax:

• Items $10 or less: reusable ice or items sold as artificial ice

• Items $20 or less: portable self-powered light sources, battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, gas-powered lanterns and candles

• Items $25 or less: gas or diesel fuel containers

• Items $30 or less: batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 6-volt, 9 volt--excludes auto & boat batteries); coolers and ice chests

• Items $40 or less: any cell phone charger

• Items $50 or less: cell phone batteries & chargers; radios; tarpaulins, flexible waterproof sheeting, ground anchor systems and tie-down kits.

• Items $60 or less: any cell phone batteries

• Items $75 or less: radios (self-powered or battery-operated); any package consisting of two or more of the previously listed qualifying items)

• Items $200 or less: storm shutter devices.

• Items $1,000 or less: portable generators for light, communications, food storage.

Free Disposal of Yard Waste
Accepted at County Locations

As the 2007 hurricane season begins, Broward County residents may dispose of residential yard waste at no charge at the County’s three trash transfer stations every Saturday during June, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This service is available for free to the residents of all Broward County cities except Pembroke Pines, Parkland, Pompano Beach and Hallandale Beach, who are not participating in the program. Proof of Broward County residency is required. Acceptable materials include tree trimmings and residential yard waste, such as lawn and landscape items, and fencing. Debris brought in on commercial vehicles, by private contractors, or on trailers longer than 8 feet will not be accepted.

Yard waste will be collected at 2780 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach; 5490 Reese Road, Davie; and, 5601 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd, West Park. For additional information, call 954-765-4999.

Phase III Restrictions
Remain in Effect

Despite a declaration by the National Weather Service that South Florida is now in the rainy season, Phase III Water Restrictions, imposed by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), remain in effect. The district has declared an extreme water shortage for eastern Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Most parts of Broward County are entering the rainy season with deficits in rainfall of more than six inches. The rainy season usually begins in mid-May and continues through mid-October. Current Phase III water restrictions apply to residents who get their water from public utilities, private wells, canals, ponds and lakes. Restrictions mandate:

• Outdoor watering and car washing is now limited to ONE DAY a week.

• ODD-number addresses can use water for irrigation on Saturdays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

• EVEN-number addresses can use water for irrigation and car washing on Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

• Low-volume, spot-watering, using a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, is allowed from 4 to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the designated landscape watering days.

• Additional watering days and times also have been allowed for new landscaping over a 30-day establishment period.

County Commission Schedules
Airport Public Hearing June 5

Broward County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing and deliberation on the runway alternatives for the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday, June 5, 6 p.m., Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center, Floridian Ballroom A (3rd Floor), 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale.

Individuals can register to speak at a registration table in front of the Floridian Ballroom A beginning at 5:30 p.m. Detailed charts, graphs and aerial photographs will also be displayed in the registration area. Vouchers will be available at the registration table for free parking in the Convention Center Parking Garage. Be prepared to show a government-issued photo identification (such as a driver’s license) to enter Port Everglades, where the Convention Center is located.

Small Claims Court Clinic
Set for June 21

The Broward County Consumer Affairs Division, in partnership with the Broward County Office of the Clerk of Court and the Broward County Sheriff, will hold a Small Claims Court Clinic on Thursday, June 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m., City of Sunrise Soccer Club Park, 10200 Sunset Strip, Sunrise.

The clinic will provide information on how to file a small claims court action, explain court procedures and how to prepare for your day in court. Although the clinic will not address individual legal problems, it will provide information on proper filing, fees, subpoenas and more. A question and answer session will follow.

Information on County’s
2008 Budget Online

Residents interested in details surrounding Broward County’s spending plan can visit www.broward.org and click on Budget 2008. The site explores how tax revenues are collected, how they are spent and identifies portions of the budget under the direct control of the Commission. Detailed information is provided on the role property tax dollars play in funding government services, the County’s role as tax collector for other taxing authorities and the impact of state and federal mandates on the budget process. The site contains a budget glossary, questions and answers about property tax reform and compilation of how tax dollars are spent on a daily basis. The site is updated on a regular basis. The next Broward County Commission workshop on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19, 10 a.m., Broward County Governmental Center (Room 430), 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Public participation is welcomed.