Broward County Office Closings for Labor Day Holiday

Broward County governmental offices will be closed Monday, September 3, in observance of Labor Day. There are a few agency exceptions. More…

Commission Schedules Two Public Hearings on 2013 Budget

Broward County Commissioners will conduct two public hearings in September on the 2013 Fiscal Year budget recommended by County Administrator Bertha Henry. Public testimony will be taken at both hearings on Monday, September 10, and Thursday, September 27, beginning at 5:01 p.m. in Room 422 in the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Hearings will be televised live on participating cable channels and AT&T U-verse, and webcast live on broward.org/Video. Budget documents are posted online at broward.org/Budget.

County Responds to Tropical Storm Isaac; Prepare for Hurricane Season

September is the peak of hurricane season and 2012 has already been active with 11 named storms, including Tropical Storm Isaac, August 24-27. Broward County opened two special needs shelters and two general population shelters. The 311 Emergency Hotline received more than 4,800 calls from residents. To keep informed before, during and after a storm with email news about hurricane watches and warnings, evacuation orders and public safety issues, subscribe to Broward County’s Emergency Update emails. Visit broward.org/Hurricane and click SUBSCRIBE TO EMERGENCY UPDATES. Residents can also follow us on Twitter@ReadyBroward or "like" us on Facebook.com/BrowardEMD.

Animal Care and Adoption Continues its Quest for $100,000 Grand Prize

Broward County’s Animal Care and Adoption Center continues its quest for the grand prize in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge Event, continuing through October 31. The goal for Animal Care is to successfully adopt 1,636 dogs and cats and win $100,000 to help continue the fight to save more of Broward's animals. To date, more than 325 pets have been adopted. The ASPCA $100K Challenge has weekly events at the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center, 1870 S.W. 39 Street, Fort Lauderdale.

New Courthouse on the Horizon in 2015

Broward County has broken ground for a new 741,000 square-foot courthouse that will transform the downtown skyline with a 20-story tower, 77 new courtrooms with room to expand, and a 500-car secure parking garage. More…

State to Temporarily Close Motor Vehicle Agencies September 7-9

All of Broward County's motor vehicle registration agencies, including the private auto tag offices, will be closing at 4:30 p.m. Friday, September 7, and will resume business at 9 a.m. Monday, September 10. The closure is to allow the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) Department to consolidate online data services to one location in Tallahassee. This closure also affects the state's online renewal option, GoRenew.com and Broward County's auto tag agencies that are open on Saturday, September 8. More…

"Broward County TV" Now Available on AT&T U-verse

"Broward County TV" is now available on AT&T U-verse channel 99. Now you can watch educational programming 24/7 on a variety of subjects including emergency preparedness, Broward’s history, transportation, public safety and environmental programs on recycling, water conservation, solar power and ways to go green. “Broward County TV” also features live broadcasts of County Commission meetings. Or, you can tune in to VideoCentral or broward.org/Video. More…

Public Can Comment on Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) invites residents to participate in a 90-day comment and appeal period on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, now through November 29. Homeowners and business owners, renters, realtors, mortgage lenders and insurance agents in Broward County can view the preliminary maps. Comments should be directed to the property owner’s municipal floodplain administrator.

Residents Can Train and Volunteer to be SKYWARN Storm Spotters

September is National Preparedness Month and residents are encouraged to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. As part of National Preparedness Month, Broward Emergency Management Division will host a training class for SKYWARN Storm Spotters on Saturday, September 22, at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center in Plantation. The registration deadline is September 19 and preregistration is required by phone or email. Space is limited; only 60 seats are available on a first come, first served basis. To register, call 954-249-5343 or email n4hhp@comcast.net. More…

Sign up for Annual Coastal Cleanup Event

Volunteers are needed to participate at any of the 13 locations in Broward County for the 27th Annual International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and coordinated by Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, September 15. Last year, 2,344 volunteers collected an estimated 82,000 pieces of trash. To register, visit Sign Up to Clean Up and use the map’s zoom feature to select your preferred Broward County location. More...

Library’s Career Connect Helps Residents with Job Search

The Urban Libraries Council recently featured Career Connect, Broward County Library’s free one-stop shop for education and workforce development needs, on the group’s Innovations website. Located at eight Library locations, Career Connect offers resource materials on all aspects of finding a job, free workforce development workshops, interactive online resources, and computers with writing and employability skills software. Career Connect helps residents manage their job search, submit applications and résumés online, obtain interviews and get hired – all for free at your library. For more information contact Learning Services at 954-357-6230, or email learningservices@browardlibrary.org.

Residents Can Now Receive Environmental News on Facebook and Twitter

Broward County has launched Broward County Facebook and Twitter sites featuring environmental community events, educational competitions, daily tips to save energy and protect our natural resources, videos, public service announcements and educational resources for schools and the community. To become a fan, “like" us on Facebook.com/BrowardCountyEnvironment and follow us on Twitter.com/BrowardEnv. More…

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Broward County residents, be sure to get the latest news about your community delivered to your email inbox each month. To subscribe, email PublicInfo@broward.org. Homeowner associations please pass this newsletter along to your members, or invite them to subscribe.