10BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 10 , 2017
PALM BEACH REPORT
Hot Bu�on Issues in Palm Beach County
By : Ann Marie Sorrell
Ann Marie Sorrell , MBA President & CEO The Mosaic Group
Palm Beach County , as all coun�es in the South Florida region , is buzzing with hot bu�on issues . From the penny sales tax infrastructure projects to the outcomes of disparity studies , Palm Beach County has much to offer and even more to direct your a�en�on to .
Issues to watch include : the $ 2.7 billion penny sales tax infrastructure improvement projects ; disparity studies and the future of government contrac�ng opportuni�es for minori�es ; and the proposed $ 2.4 billion plan to purchase agriculture land South of Lake Okeechobee to restore the Everglades – this plan will adversely impact the already impoverished Glades region which includes Pahokee , Belle Glade , and South Bay .
In November 2016 , Palm Beach County voters approved a referendum to raise the
MILLENNIAL
By : Gregoire Carter Narcisse
Gregoire Narcisse Financial Representa�ve Northwestern Mutual
Reflec�on is a powerful concept that empowers the individual to have an introspec�ve moment wherein you can put events and yourself in perspec�ve . As we reach the end of the term of the 44th president of the United States of America , let us take a moment of reflec�on . As I reflect on this presidency , one word comes to mind . For not only the millennial genera�on , but also those that preceded us , the word that encapsulates this presidency is blessed . Blessed is my genera�on to be exposed to a watershed moment in this country ’ s sales tax rate from 6 cents per dollar to 7 cents . It is expected that $ 2.7 billion in revenue will be generated over the next 10 years for repairs and improvements to schools , roads and other infrastructure projects . Half of the money generated will go to Palm Beach County Schools , 30 percent to Palm Beach County and 20 percent to the ci�es . Two primary areas of concern are : will this tax cause a hardship on poor families who already pay a high percentage in sales tax , and of the $ 2.7 billion of infrastructure projects , how much of it will include minority businesses par�cipa�on ? Community groups including a Ci�zen ’ s Commi�ee created by the agencies receiving the revenue ( city , county , and school system ), Unify Palm Beach , the Black Village Voice and the Black Chamber of Commerce are watching closely as revenues come in and projects begin to move forward . See the proposed projects at h�p :// pbcgov . com / ib /.
In 2014 , both the City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County announced moving forward with a disparity study . This study was the result from leaders , residents , business owners and civic organiza�ons in the African American community that demanded the study be done to see if minority vendors had been ge�ng a fair shot at contrac�ng opportuni�es . In 2015 , the Solid Waste Authority also launched a disparity study . Mason Tillman , a California based company was contracted to conduct the study for all
history . Blessed that we were witness to one of the most groundbreaking eight year spans in this country ’ s 240 years of existence . Blessed are we that our children will know that it is possible to become the leader of the free world – regardless of appearance , background , or notoriety .
Reflect not on the efficacy of this presidency , but rather reflect on how blessed we are that Barack Hussein Obama II sha�ered a glass ceiling that has stood for centuries -- crea�ng a new floor for genera�ons to come . Despite tensions , divides , and statuses , be not oblivious to the monumental strides that have been made towards social equality . We do not know when the next black president will be elected . We do not know what history will say about how President Obama was as a leader . However , pause and reflect on the legacy of being black in this na�on and realize how blessed we are to be alive during an event that will be etched in three agencies . So what is a disparity study supposed to tell us ? The Study will determine if a disparity exists in the award of contracts to ready , willing and able Minority and Women Business Enterprises with regard to commodi�es , trade services , construc�on and professional services . The study for the City of West Palm Beach is complete and a public mee�ng will be held by the City of West Palm Beach Commissioners in February ( date TBA ) regarding the results and the policies to take effect . The results for the Palm Beach County Disparity Study are tenta�vely scheduled to be revealed in March . An update is not yet available for the Solid Waste Authority . The outcome of these studies is paramount to the future of contrac�ng opportuni�es for women and minori�es with these agencies . Look out for the dates , �me , and loca�ons of public mee�ngs in the coming weeks . Plan to a�end and let your voice be heard .
Last summer ’ s toxic algae plumes have caused a vicious a�ack on the residents and farming communi�es of Palm Beach County ’ s Glades region . Coastal residents and some lawmakers have launched campaigns and planned legisla�on to “ purchase agriculture land and send the water south ”. The Senate Appropria�ons Commi�ee on Natural Resources is dra�ing a $ 2.4 billion plan to use tax money to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee to bring fresh water to South Florida and avoid another toxic algae summer . Senate
Reflect and Feel Blessed
history .
As a genera�on we were not even alive when Rosa Parks took a stand , when Mar�n Luther King Jr . spoke to thousands , when Malcolm X led marches ; therefore , do not take for granted how privileged we are to gaze upon the fruits of labor that hundreds of thousands who came before us fought so hard for . A small wrinkle in the fabric of �me is all that is needed to make an everlas�ng impact . Barack Hussein Obama II will be a name that stands next to the greatest figures in black history , social change , and jus�ce for all . Not for anything he said , not for anything he did , but for what he symbolized .
As you sit and reflect with me , I hope you can see why I feel most blessed . Blessed are we that part of Barack Hussein Obama II ’ s legacy is that when we engage in conversa�on about the possibility of a black president of the U . S ., no longer is it hyperbole or hypothesis , but rather truth
President Joe Negron , a Republican whose district is primarily based in Stuart , but also covers the City of Pahokee has proposed bonding $ 60 million of Land Acquisi�on Trust Fund . Sounds like this should be a great move for our environment right ? Purchasing the land and sending the water South can have several nega�ve implica�ons including destruc�on of the agriculture industry resul�ng in thousands of jobs lost and increased economic hardships on a community that already has over 30 % unemployment ; reloca�on and displacement of lifelong residents ; and massive flooding could occur if necessary federal and state funds are diverted away from repairing the Herbert Hoover Dike which protects the surrounding lake community from another tragedy like Storm of 1928 that claimed thousands of lives or in more modern terms Hurricane Katrina .
Lake Okeechobee is not the sole contributor to bluegreen algae blooms . Other contributors include local stormwater runoff and sep�c tanks . Therefore , it will take everyone working together to find a solu�on that benefits all communi�es . 31,000 lives cannot be ignored or overlooked . It is impera�ve that we stand with the people of the Glades . Environmental preserva�on is necessary , but people preserva�on must be priority # 1 . Write le�ers , send emails , and call your state legislators to stop the plan to purchase agriculture land and send the water south .
and reality . Realize the power that lies in having courage in the convic�on of our voice be given by actual fact , as opposed to idealis�c thought . There is no greater �me of the year to ponder the magnitude of what we were able to live through – how far we have come . Reflect not on what we s�ll have to achieve , but rather on how privileged we are to witness a genera�onal blessing during our life�me . Gregoire Carter Narcisse 954-881-6335 gregoirenarcisse @ gmail . com Gregoire Narcisse attended Florida State University where he became the youngest to ever graduate with a Bachelor ' s Degree , doing so at 18 years of age . He then went on to pursue his Master of Science in Education at the University of Miami , achieving it at the age of 19 . He is currently a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual .