FREINDS & NEIGHBORS MARCH 20, 2022

Tom Campenni

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IN THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER

Apparently, there is indiscriminate target practice going on in places other than Pal-Mar.

I was at a meeting yesterday when someone who lives in “Clementsville” near Indiantown was complaining about errant gunfire that is whizzing by as she and her family are on their property. One of her horses have been hit. Yet the state has pre-empted local governments from prohibiting this behavior.

These are 5-acre parcels. And for some odd reason yahoos think that their bullets must stop at the property line. This is another shining example of supposed rights bumping up against the good of the community and everyone’s rights.

There is a constitutional right to own and have arms. There is also a right to responsibly use those weapons. Shooting on your property when your neighbor can be feet away is not using your rights responsibly. It is dangerous and cavalier and this serious problem was wholly created by the legislature.

Whoever discharges a weapon has obligations to make sure that no innocent person is going to be imperiled. A bullet can travel a mile or more. It may not be an accurate shot, but it could be lethal. Some Martin County person is going to be killed. Then I hope the justice system makes an example of the yahoo who indiscriminately fired the shot and took away someone else’s right to be alive.

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The Newsletter once again explores why the county is not fully allowing the rural lifestyle amendment to the comp plan a full public airing. Nerissa Okyie from the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing gives us an update. VanRiper, Hafner, and Pine share their views. Dr. Michele writes about Vitamin D deficiencies. Missie Campbell form Palm City Chamber gives us an update about that area.

We have our monthly Fishing Tips from Captain Paul. Tiffany Kincaid from Martin Beautiful explains the Martin County cleanup. Joan Goodrich from the BDB writes about a return of her “side hustle” program. MCTA on the new real estate exemption for certain occupations. Our announcements from our constitutional officers and other governments. Not to mention all the news from the county, school board, and municipalities.

Keep those letters coming. I and the readers want to hear your opinions. Have an idea for a column send me an email. I am always looking for interesting writers.

Don’t forget if you are reading this on Facebook you can have your own edition delivered to your email address by signing up. You can do it online or by sending me your email address.

Enjoy the March 20^th edition!

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IT’S A SECRET

Remember the promise from the BOCC that the citizens of Martin County would have one information meeting regarding the “Rural Lifestyle” amendment. It has not happened yet.

                         Pinterest

As of March 12^th, (when I am writing this), nothing is on the county website advertising the meeting. The supposed facilitator, the Guardians of Martin County, have nothing on their website. The commission meeting when the rural lifestyle was approved for transmittal to the state was on Feb 22nd and included was the plan for just one information meeting. At that time, staff said the state would have the approval back to the county within 50 days. The BOCC can vote to add the rural lifestyle amendment section to the comp plan once it is returned.

This may be the most significant change to the comp plan since its inception. What I am hearing from the majority of the commission and county government is “trust us.” Well, I would trust you if you were transparent and you have been anything but that.

Perhaps by the time you read this, the meeting date, time, and place will be on Martin County’s website. Perhaps a press release will go out soon. Members of the public get only one bite at the apple to have their questions answered and their fears either confirmed or alleviated.

Through detective work this is what I have learned. The meeting will take place on March 23^rd at the Wolf Technology Center at IRSC Chastain Campus between 4-8 pm. This is apparently your only chance to know more. If you can’t attend, then too bad. If you live in Palm City Farms, Jensen Beach, or western Martin put aside time for the commute. If need be, the county believes, you should take off from your job, your business, and your kid’s ballgame. You won’t get another opportunity. In fairness the meeting will be recorded, I have been told.

Discovery, which precipitated the comp plan amendment, is a good project. It could have been approved without the rural lifestyle change. They do believe in transparency because they have a sound project.

They will be having a second meeting to explain their project at 7:45 am, March 24^th at the Polo Club off Bridge Road on the site of the proposed development. Because it is a good project, I am hoping that Discovery will have more informational meetings throughout the county and speak about the rural lifestyle amendment. Yet this is no substitute for the county making sure that the public is informed. The county idea of one meeting in one place just won’t suffice.

Martin County government makes it impossible to trust them because they are not working to gain the citizens’ trust. If this amendment to the comp plan is so good, then they should be anxious to make sure that citizens have the information to have an informed opinion. A little openness goes a long way.  

The county is the one with an artificial time limit on approval not the people. Let us have 20 meetings. Go to each part of the county and make sure the citizens have the information.

Citizens, you are treated this way because some commissioners may feel you are irrelevant. You should stop voting for commissioners if they are not listening to what you want. If you have been a commissioner term after term for years and years because there is no (or only token) opposition, then why bother to listen to the people. Re-election is a certainty since so many of us have no memory of how we are treated between elections.

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FLORIDA’S INSURANCE MESS

Recently, my homeowner’s insurance carrier went out of business. The state has placed me with another carrier through the end of my term in August. Then what?

I have a 17-year-old house that is in excellent condition. I do live on the river, but the house is 12 feet above my sea wall. Though my back yard has had water during severe storms, none ever came close to the house. In general, I feel safe.

There is no mortgage on my house, so it really is a risk analysis of whether to keep property insurance depending on the premium. Like many others, I have seen my premiums jump quite a bit in the last few years. In almost 50 years of home ownership, I have never made a property claim.

The legislative session just ended, and nothing was done about the state’s worsening property insurance situation. There were “red meat” social issues that were addressed that, in some cases, 60% of Floridians disagreed with, that had legislation passed to “fix” the problem.  But I would bet close to 100% of us would cheer to have our insurance debacle fixed.

Tallahassee has forgotten about the real purpose of government. It is to improve the lives of citizens. Shouldn’t the governor and legislature make sure the average person can afford property insurance. Most of what was done this session was grandstanding for their base. It is so insignificant for most Floridians.

What is going to happen if we are hit by a major storm and fewer people have insurance? Our vaunted economy is going to suffer. Individuals without the financial wherewithal will end up leaving. It is hard enough for most people. You would think our state representatives would do more than mug for the cameras. 

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OTHER OPINIONS

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MARTIN COUNTY OFFICE OF TOURISM AND MARKETING

Nerissa Okyie, Director

Thank you for asking me for some tourism information and an update on the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing.

We are delighted to report that Tourism Tax collections in Martin County continue to exceed expectations. The tourist development tax is currently up 52% over FY21 and ahead of FY19 collections by 54%.   We attribute a large part of this increase to be due to the ability of our hotels to command higher rates based on the current market demand.

I thought it also might be helpful to explain how the Office of Tourism and Marketing is funded and provide some additional information on our office.

How is the Office of Tourism and Marketing funded? 

The Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing is funded solely on tourist development tax.

What is Tourist development tax?

Tourist development tax (TDT) is a 5 percent tax on the gross rental amount charged on the total rental amount from any person who rents, leases, or lets for consideration any living quarter or sleeping or housekeeping accommodation for a period of 6 months or less. These taxes are regulated by State Law (Florida Statute 125.0104), and here in Martin County, TDT is remitted to the Martin County Tax Collector.

How are these funds allocated? 

In Martin County, per adopted ordinance 967, funding is allocated into several categories.  Approximately 45% of the TDT is allocated towards beach and inlet maintenance. 12% is allocated for sports marketing, event grants and can be used to enhance facilities utilized for sports tourism. The remaining 43% is allocated to the Office of Tourism and Marketing to market and promote Martin County.

What is the difference between the Martin County Tourist Development Council and the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing? 

The Tourist Development Council serves as an advisory board to the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing and makes recommendations to the Martin County Board of County Commissioners. Per Florida Statute 125.0104), the governing board of each county which levies and imposes a tourist development tax appoints an advisory council to be known as the “  (name of county)   Tourist Development Council.” The council shall be established by ordinance and composed of nine members. Two members of the council shall be elected municipal officials, six members of the council shall be persons who are involved in the tourist industry, and not less than three nor more than four shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations in the county and subject to the tax.  The Office of Tourism and Marketing is part of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners and resides within the Administration Department.

What is the Mission of the Martin County Office of Tourism? 

To inspire and promote overnight visitation to Martin County. Inspire first-time visitation and engage returning visitors with relevant destination information. We aim to increase awareness of our destination in source markets while amplifying perceptions that the area is desirable for leisure and business travel.

Where can someone find ideas and inspiration on travel to Martin County?  

The Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing manages www.discovermartin.com and is active across several social media channels. We encourage our stakeholders, tourism industry members and interested individuals to follow us by searching for @discovermartin and get involved by using #DiscoverMartin. Together we can raise awareness of Martin County, our tourism businesses, and unique tourism experiences.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at nokiye@martin.fl.us if you have any questions or need additional information.

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VANRIPER’S VIEWS

By Darlene VanRiper

What a ride!

Americans have really been turning green with this roller coaster of an economy.  Only a couple of years ago we were buying everything in sight.  Interest rates were at all-time lows, and it was time to buy a new house, or a first house, or a new car.  If not for Covid we would have all been enjoining a nice vacation.  Now ugly inflation is all we can talk about aside from Ukraine.

We’d better be budgeting.  Re-thinking those little luxuries we’ve splurged on in the past.  Hopefully, you own a home already with a fixed rate mortgage because the Federal Reserve has promised to raise interest rates, perhaps as much as 5 times this year!  So, if you are young and have been saving to buy a home, you might consider buying it now.   If you rent, you are likely to get an increase upon renewing your lease.

If you think of inflation as a tax, it is very regressive.  It hits those with only cash and no investments hardest.  It hits renters harder than property owners.  It hits those on fixed incomes hard.  Its insidious because it eats away at the value of your hard-earned money.  And it affects most everything. Prices go up and you can’t afford to buy as much…of anything.

This can become a vicious circle difficult to bring back into line. You will want a larger salary to keep up with rising prices. If you get that salary, your boss has to recoup his cost by raising his price.  If you purchase the product, you pay more for it and you actually caused the price increase!

You may stock up on goods because you realize if you don’t buy items with “today’s” dollars you will be paying more for those same items tomorrow. If everyone stocks up, the economy overheats and creates more demand than supply.  Suppliers can’t meet the demand.  So…. prices go up some more!

Unfortunately, the cure can be as bad as the disease.  A recession often follows inflation!  Why?  Because the policies necessary to reduce the inflation often involve raising interest rates which slows the economy down because people don’t borrow to build or buy at higher interest rates.

The unintended consequence is that when the economy slows down, people lose their jobs.  Another option the government can use is wage and price controls.  There is raising taxes as one way to keep wages in check.  So, now you can’t buy as much.  The government is getting it.

Imagine the popularity of the politician who suggests a tax hike with the prices of goods rising! What about price controls?  Afterall, inflation is rising prices.   If I’m producing the ever-popular widget and the government tells me I can only charge so much for it, that price may not be enough to cover my costs.  So, I quit making widgets.  That increases the demand for widgets which are now scarce because I have stopped making them and now you have …inflation!  There are many other unintended consequences. These policies are very short term, and the whiplash can be devastating.

It’s a problem wrapped in a conundrum indeed.

Darlene VanRiper’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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PINE’S PONDERING

By Tom Pine

The building boom continues throughout Martin County and another controversial development starts out west.

Several years ago, a mega church was built on Pratt Whitney Road just west of Kanner Highway.

Courtesy Tom Pine

In January of 2020, the church asked the Martin County Commission to change the density from one unit per two acres to one unit per one acre which of course the majority of commissioners approved with long presentations by our two biggest spenders on the commission Smith and Ciampi.

During this same time period the majority also approved a Public Shopping center across the street.

Well that project is under way today and of course every single tree was cut down, so I’m a little troubled by Commissioner Smith’s rant at the November 16, 2021 meeting when he went on and on saying, we don’t do things like that in Martin County, our Comp Plan has lots of protections for that very reason and our Land Development Regulations also have a lot of protections for that very reason, we don’t allow clear cutting in Martin County.

If there really are any protections why are they never followed, is it always about the money ???

Next up, at the County Commission meeting of February 22, 2022, a man spoke during public commit, why did Martin County close one of the beach accesses on Hutchinson Island #23 Santa Lucia.

The man who spoke claimed that he dug out the non-beach sand that the county used to close the access. He asked several questions that need to be answered, Why was the beach access closed off in the first place? Was it because the property just north had just sold for five million dollars ???. We’re there permits pulled? What agency approved it? How many hours of county labor were used? Just to name a few.

The Commission meeting of March 8, 2022, three women spoke of the dangers they are presently living in. They are from the Trailside Equestrian Community which boarders on Pal-Mar. They spoke of a severe fire on March 17, 2021 that almost took out three structures and several fires since then, They spoke of illegal shootings and a couple of months ago shots where fired into a barn when the owner was in side, luckily he wasn’t injured.

Every few months the commissioners talk about Pal-Mar they seem stymied as to what to do. This is the first time I have heard any of these problems at a commission meeting.

Maybe if our commissioners and their senior staff weren’t so concerned about destroying Martin County’s Growth Management plan they would have plenty of time to take care of real problems.

Truth To Power

Tom Pine’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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HAFNER’S CORNER

By David Hafner

We need colleges and universities to teach the skills necessary for white collar jobs, and we need the people who fill those occupations. We also need people who work with their hands in trades like electrical, mechanical, tech, and farming because without people filling these blue-collar jobs everything will shut down.

Mike Rowe is well known for his role as host and participant on the Discovery Channel’s television show Dirty Jobs. The show highlights different blue-collar jobs by having Mike Rowe get his hands dirty and do the jobs himself. Dirty Jobs really helped bring back to mainstream the importance of training people to do the “dirty jobs” so society can continue moving forward.

Jobs highlighted on the show include the agriculture, construction, waste management, and pest control industries, to name a few. These jobs always put Rowe in positions that are shocking to the audience because so many jobs that are done every day are unknown to the average citizen. These jobs are dangerous, dirty, and pay very well with limited training required.

“The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.” – Mike Rowe

The spark of recognizing the importance of blue-collar work that was ignited by Dirty Jobs is being felt right now in Martin County as a new charter high school has been approved by the Martin County Board of County Commissioners. The school will emphasize training students to be career ready for a blue collar “dirty job” upon high school graduation. The school will be Indian River State College’s 2^nd charter school in Martin County and will be located on Citrus Blvd in Indiantown just outside the Village of Indiantown’s boarder. Teaching industries such as electrical and mechanical technologies, automotive, and agriculture will be the areas of focus.

Although there has been no groundbreaking ceremony yet, the program is expected to accept its first students this fall. 75 freshmen will begin the program at a temporary location until the campus can be built. Then each year thereafter 75-100 students will be added until the goal of having 400 students enrolled in the school is met by 2025.

I cannot find where to sign up for this program. If you have a child entering the 9^th grade who would be a good fit for this program, I recommend you contact IRSC for information.

David Hafner’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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MICHELE’S MEDICAL MOMENT

By Michele Libman M.D.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Even though we live in the Sunshine State I find that many of my patients are Vitamin D deficient.

Provided Dr. Michele Libman

Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to the skin being exposed to sunlight.  It also occurs naturally in a few foods including fish, egg yolks, fish liver oils and several foods have vitamin D added to them such as many cereals and milk.

Most people know that Vitamin D is essential to help build strong bones and that vitamin D deficiency has been associated with rickets, a disease where the bone doesn’t properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities.  But new research is revealing that Vitamin D helps prevent a host of other health problems.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in older adults, severe asthma in children, and cancer.  There is a known link between Vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer! Research suggests that Vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of several different conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a number of reasons.  People who follow a vegan diet are at increased risk for Vitamin D deficiency because most of the natural sources of Vitamin D are animal based.  People whose exposure to sunlight is limited such as homebound people, people who live in northern latitudes, people who wear long robes or head coverings for religious reasons or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure. Sunscreen will also contribute to Vitamin D deficiency.

People who are dark skinned have reduced ability to produce Vitamin D due to the effect the pigment melanin has on the skin. Many older adults who have darker skin are at high risk of Vitamin D deficiency.  People with underlying kidney disease are unable to convert Vitamin D to its active form.  Certain medical problems that affect your gastrointestinal tract such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or cystic fibrosis can prevent your digestive tract from absorbing vitamin D.

Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation.  People with a BMI above 30 often have low blood levels of vitamin D.

The most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body is by performing a simple blood test…the 25-hydroxy Vitamin D blood test.   Levels between 30-60 is considered adequate.  If below 20 you are considered Vitamin D deficient.

Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recently increased the recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin D to 600 IU per day up to age 70 and raised it to 800 IU for adults older than age 70 to optimize bone health.  The safe upper limit was also raised to 4000 IU, although your doctor may prescribe higher amounts to correct a deficiency.

So contrary to popular belief, many people living in Florida may need Vitamin D supplementation.  Talk with your doctor if you are concerned that you are Vitamin D deficient.

Michele Libman’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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PALM CITY HIGHLIGHTS

By Missi Campbell

Executive Director of the Palm City Chamber

Palm City is the happening place in Martin County!

We continue to work to create our own walkable downtown area.  Mapp Road is becoming the center piece for our downtown.  The new road design and landscaping along with the 10-foot sidewalks make it THE place to be in Palm City.  Mapp Road connects the two bridges that are the gateways to Palm City from other Martin County areas.  We will continue to feature this area with events as the progress continues.

Martin County High School Art Club students under the direction of Amanda Jones, Studio Art Teacher, are currently working on a beautiful Salute to Service mural on the east wall of the Palm City Post Office located at the intersection of Mapp Road and State Road 714.  This is what drivers see as they cross over the Veterans Memorial Bridge and enter Palm City.

Mapp Road is in the CRA, Community Redevelopment Area, which also oversees Art in Public Places.  This mural, along with others to come, is the vision of District 5 County Commissioner Ed Ciampi.  He presented his idea to the Palm City Chamber of Commerce, and we contacted the Palm City Postmaster, Allison Rios, and Amanda Jones, at Martin County High School, to put together a meeting to discuss the process.  Everyone was on board and very happy to bring this concept to life.

Community support is always crucial to any undertaking of this size.  We were very fortunate to have the local Sherwin Williams store, right on Mapp Road, donate the materials necessary to the project. This type of teamwork is what sets Martin County aside from other communities.

The art students from Jensen Beach High School and Commissioner Ed Ciampi donated their time to join in the fun and experience being a part of this fabulous community mural.

The mural features military personnel, medical workers, educators, first responders, and a postal worker. Once completed we will have a ribbon cutting to highlight the mural and our continued effort to recognize those who give so much to our community.  It is all about the Salute to Service.

Missi Campbell’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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FISHING TIPS

BY Capt. Paul Sperco

Its daylight savings Sunday and although we lost an hour of sleep last night its officially the start of the best surf fishing our Martin County beaches has to offer all year.

Whiting, croakers, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, snook, bluefish, permit, jack crevalle, and the star of the surf, the pompano, will all be available. The extra hour of daylight will change the feeding habits and times that the pompano will be most active, and the other species will follow suit.

The conditions of the last few days have made fishing in most areas, river, offshore, or the beach, almost impossible but by mid-week the forecast is for things to calm down. March and April are the two months where the number of pompano really increase as they prepare to start their northerly spring migration.

Look for afternoons when you have an incoming or high tide and fish the hour before the high mark to two hours afterward. I had a big catch of pompano this past Wednesday and as usual Fishbites continue to produce. There has been a scary absence of mole crabs, better known as sand fleas along our beaches the past few months so having Fishbites in your bait supply will be the difference of going home with some nice pompano, whiting, and croaker, or having to go to Publix and buying some hamburgers to cook on the grill instead of cooking up some great tasting fish.

Some of our beaches that have been producing action are Glasscock, Bob Graham, Tiger Shores, Santa Lucea, the public beach in Hobe Sound, and Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. As the waters in our area warm there will be increasing numbers of bait schools and the predatory species will really turn on. Whether you are going to run offshore for mahi, fish the river for snook, or hit the beach for pompano, the next two months should provide everyone with some great fishing.

Paul Sperco’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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KEEP MARTIN BEAUTIFUL

By Tiffany Kincaid

Executive Director

The Great American Cleanup Is Going on Now!

Gathering with friends, working up a sweat, and improving our neighborhoods—it’s time once again for the Great American Cleanup.

All across the country this spring, volunteers will be out in force to clean up parks, paint old houses, repair dilapidated fences, and pick up trash from beaches, roadways and other public areas.

In Martin County, the Great American Cleanup is coordinated by Keep Martin Beautiful, our local nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter prevention, waste reduction, beautification and community improvement, and environmental stewardship education.

It’s easy to be a part of this great event. On your own, or with a group, all you need to do is:

• Pick a location. A park, a beach, a roadway, or anywhere in your neighborhood that could use some care.
• Choose a date and time. Anytime between now and June 20 counts as part of the 2022 Great American Cleanup.
• Spread the word. Send your cleanup info to Keep Martin Beautiful, with any flyers or graphics, so we can share on social media and in e-mail blasts.
• Ask us for supplies. Keep Martin Beautiful can provide volunteers with garbage bags, gloves, and pick-up sticks.

Get to work improving your community! Be sure to take pictures and share them with Keep Martin Beautiful via email and through social media so we can acknowledge your efforts and inspire others to participate.

If you have a project in mind but need more volunteers, let us know. Keep Martin Beautiful can help match up people who would be happy to help. A list of events and activities can be found on our Keep Martin Beautiful website.

The project could be close to home, helping an elderly neighbor paint their house, repair an old fence or clean up the yard.  Or it could be a bigger community cleanup where volunteers might be needed for removing exotic vegetation or planting flowers and trees. Maybe you’d like to organize a household hazardous waste removal day in your neighborhood, and we can help you coordinate with the HazMobile – Martin County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection vehicle.

Our local Great American Cleanup has truly had an impact in Martin County. During the last five years, about 7,500 volunteers removed over 167,000 pounds of litter, debris, exotic vegetation, and hazardous waste materials — saving the county more than $350,000 in taxpayer dollars.

We hope you will join us and be part of this year’s Great American Cleanup. No meetings, no dues, no lengthy reports – just community-minded citizens making Martin County a better place to live through simple acts of volunteering. To get started, simply go to our website or call us at 772-781-1222.

Tiffany Kinkaid’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD BENT

By Joan Goodrich

CEO BDBMC

“Don’t quit your day job.”

We’ve all heard that one before. But Side Hustle to Main Gig—one of our newest and best-received programs—returns Tuesday to flip this phrase into something akin to: “Quit your day job for your dream job—here’s how.”

Starting Tuesday, attendees of the six-week series will hear from featured speakers representing diverse industries and sharing insights and principles vital to successfully launching a business. For only a $25 fee, they’ll cover:

• 6 Steps to Success
• Lean Biz Planning
• Magnetic Marketing
• Side Hustle Financial Basics

Attendees will also have access to a panel of local business advisory experts from technology, banking, law, marketing, and accounting disciplines.   Finally, a lucky participant will win a business laptop (drawing the last night of the program), with all participants who take the step of starting a new Martin County business, can get their new business registration fees with the State and locales reimbursed.

Created last year in conjunction with Martin County, City of Stuart, NAACP of Martin County, Indian River State College and the Small Business Development Center, Side Hustle supporters are now expanding. That’s most evident in this season’s new location. We’ll be at the Indiantown facility of Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County—which is preparing kids as young as middle-school-aged for fulfilling careers in hospitality and other fields.

A big shoutout to Village of Indiantown and the Indiantown Chamber of Commerce, the Business Development Board of Martin County partners who suggested making access to Side Hustle classes more convenient for its aspiring entrepreneurs.

The program offers something for everyone, novice, or seasoned professional, as graduates of our inaugural 2021 class attest.

“I have an existing business and I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly—so I went there for inspiration.  It was a younger crowd—which was perfect—and I wish I could have done something like that when I was their age,” says Steve Ottley, in his 40s.” Here, there were all the resources to steer you in the right direction.”

“I liked the way that everyone was sharing the knowledge and expertise about what they did,” says Jorge Wander Santana Urena, 32. “There was some exercises where we could practice what we learned. And I left more confident to talk with other business owners—and got better opportunities—because I learned how to express myself through the information that I learned in these scenarios.”

“For someone who really had no idea about how to start a business or even if your business is a good idea, this course explained things in a way that even those without business experience could follow the flow,” says Maygan Milton, a 24-year-old student graduate of the inaugural class. “Side Hustle also gave me the confidence in thinking outside my comfort zone when it comes to potentially starting my own company in the future.”

Talking to local established and highly successful entrepreneurs is among my favorite job duties. Their stories faithfully feature a key mentor who played a pivotal role in their current success. Who knows: Side Hustle to Main Gig just might provide the wisdom, or broker the introductions, that enable such an outcome for Martin County’s next great entrepreneur.

Visit bdbmc.org to register and for all the details.

Joan Goodrich’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

10

Correction: In our last article for this newsletter, we made an error. The sales tax in Martin County is currently 6.5% including the school district’s ½ cent that was approved by the voters in 2018. They also have a ½ mill property tax for mostly increasing pay to school personnel which is expiring this year. If the BOCC does move to adopt a ½ cent sales tax to buy preserve property and it is approved by the voters, then the sales tax will be 7%.

PROPOSED NEW EXEMPTION

Florida voters will see a new property tax exemption on the ballot this year.

Currently, the Property Appraiser on her website lists 16 property tax exemptions that can be applied for if the criteria are met. This newest one as listed in the passed bill is for “a classroom teacher, a law enforcement officer, a correctional officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, a paramedic, a child welfare service provider, an active-duty member of the United States Armed Services or a member of the Florida National Guard.” All these jobs are necessary and appreciated. Yet why should occupation determine whether you pay tax or not.

When one class is exempted from paying their fair share of tax, then any revenue loss must be borne by the rest of the taxpayers. Some would argue that a member of those professions is not paid enough. If that is true, then shouldn’t that issue be addressed through bargaining by the parties as all other issues are? How is it fair to the waiter struggling to pay his real estate taxes or the store clerk trying to keep her home?

MCTA is adamantly opposed to Florida having an income tax with all the carve outs for special interest groups that the federal and other state’s income taxes have become. We are also opposed to turning our property tax code into one riddled with bad policy exceptions. Real estate taxes are supposed to derive their tax amounts by applying a tax rate to the value of the property. Florida has strayed farther and farther from this concept.

This exemption seems to us to be nothing more that the legislature currying favor with selective voting blocks. It further does so not by reducing what Tallahassee collects but by reducing what local government collects. Property taxes are what counties and municipalities count on to provide local services.

The only proceeds from property taxes that partially go to Tallahassee are those collected for the schools. School district taxes are exempted in general from exemptions, and this one no exception. It is another example of an unfunded mandate on local government.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if local governments would have to furlough the very people the latest give away from Tallahassee purports to help because of a lack of tax money? This will cause a further diminution of local tax money to pay for needed services. Because it is bad policy, we cannot support this referendum.

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CONSTITUTIONAL CORNER AND OTHER GOVERNMENT NOTICES 

And from our Supervisor of Elections:

From The Clerk of The Court:

From the Property Appraiser

Tax Collector

From The City of Stuart:

From Martin County School District:

From Martin County:

Check out exciting career opportunities at Martin County at Martin County’s hiring event on Friday, April 1 from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Blake Library! Benefits include holidays, PTO, healthy benefits and retirement plans.

Join us on Wednesday, March 23 at 2 p.m. for a special ribbon cutting ceremony for Pettway Village. Celebrate with us as we turn over the golden shovel to Habitat for Humanity of Martin County for the future construction of affordable single-family homes as part of the Gomez Affordable Housing Project.

The first letter is from Daniel Braden who is an architect regarding something that was written in the newsletter:

Your columnist concerned with affordable housing should look at the County CRA 

regulations. They add 15 to 20 thousand dollars to a small home for useless

vanity additions such as stem wall footings and porches across 50% of your home.

They do not care about working class. They are all academics with no actual real-world knowledge.

Sincerely,

Our next is an opposite view on Darlene’s column by Richard Hoffman:

Dalene Vanriper’s article was ‘right on’ stating there is no low cost housing in Martin County. However my wife and I have always been the ‘low cost providers’. It worked for us in both the Philadelphia market as well as our home for the last twenty years in Martin County. Please do not confuse us with Slum-lords. Our apartments are some of the nicest units in Martin County. That is the reason we invited Ed Caimpi to visit our units in Palm City. units

Everybody talks about low cost housing but let’s see what a commissioner does about it when then have a chance.

Again Tom thanks for your column and please pass my thanks to Darlene for reminding me not to ‘take their BS any more….do something..

He followed that up with an email he sent to Ed Ciampi and the CRA:

Mr. Campi

On November 8, 2021 we visited with you at our property at 781 Gardens Blvd, Palm City. The purpose of that visit was to introduce you to what kind of property we were renting and to advise that we were scheduled to build an additional three units and an a fur car garage. We provide quality rental housing at affordable pricing, something that is not available in Martin County.

As we parted you asked what you, as a commissioner, could do for us. I mentioned that we  were on hold until 2024 until the sewer would be complete. At that time you asked if we would consider a private sewer until the city installed their system. I immediately agreed and told you that we were working with Nicky Norton of N2 Architecture & design.

I later contacted Phil Keating 772-260-8256 to confirm the schedule of the sewer installation. Phil confirmed the system construction would be starting on/or about the Summer of 2021 and be complete two years later in Summer of 2023. Based on that information Ms. Norton and I have actively begun generating plans for the  construction.

This morning I received an email (attached) stating the completion date will be 2025. I will add the comment ‘maybe’

I would like to go ahead to install our own private septic system or add to one of two existing systems that presently serve the existing 10 unit apartment.. The new system will serve three individuals. As I stated during our visit we only write leases with one occupant.

Everyday there are articles in the Stuart news about no low cost housing available, you have a chance to continue to help us serve that need with low cost housing as we have in the past 20 years we have been landlords in Martin County. The alternative is that we put our upfront costs into an investment and forget all about low cost housing in Martin County

Looking forward to your positive comments for a go on our own private septic system.

Best regards

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The next letter is from Tom Steele:

Remember when you were gullible enough to think all the covid restrictions actually made sense and saved lives?

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/coronavirus/johns-hopkins-university-study-finds-lockdowns-only-reduced-covid-deaths-by-0-2

So 0.2% of lives saved, which I’m sure are in the “beyond life expectancy” range, was worth ruining 100% of everyone’s lives and destroying the entire country’s economy.

You are a wise man indeed and this study doesn’t even address things like suicide rates, drug and alcohol addiction, the rise in spousal and child abuse, etc., which easily negate the 0.2%.

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And last from William Dean:

I think the real question is who is the bully that directed that group of kids/ young adults that they had 

To wear a mask ……… of were they chosen because they had a mask …….. those kids didn’t all have

Masks on 30 min before the event and were chosen or directed by a person that represents everything 

Wrong with our country and our world ……… The deaths last month from Covid rivaled or were 

More than two years ago and the President Has Politically flip flopped and said the same thing 

but slightly different than the Governor ……..The difference is the President didn’t have some Jack

 Wagon stage a silent political attack/ view for the cameras behind his back while trying to lead 

our state…………. How Can You Lead when people are staging and undercutting your leadership

for the cameras to see ……… this would be the equivalent of having 10 people that disagree with 

You be able to insert sayings or pictures of their choice in each of your news letters undercutting

All the hard work you do …………. There are some adults that acted out of character we just don’t 

Know who they are ??

Keep Up The Good Work !! 

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THE PROBLEM WITH AUTHORITARIANS

The Russians are experiencing the problem of motivating their citizens to believe their ever changing rational for invading Ukraine.

Many military experts are asking why the Russian military is bogged down, doesn’t have enough fuel and supplies, and their army’s readiness is so poor. This should have been ideal terrain for the Russian way of fighting.

Pinterest

For the past 30 years, Ukraine has been heading toward a western style democracy but with severe growing pains. The ideal of what that means is embedded in Ukrainian minds. If the Ukrainian government was a repressive state like Russia, I don’t believe the resistance would be anywhere near as effective.

If the Ukrainian people were trading in one dictator for another, there would be little to fight over. The Russians and Ukrainians are very close in language, religion, and customs.  But the differences between the Ukrainian and Russian governments are significant, and that is the fuel for the resistance.

While the Ukrainians have turned to the west for inspiration since the Soviet Union collapse, Russians couldn’t see past the initial chaos to a freer future. Instead, they embraced free enterprise but then allowed severe crony capitalism to be the norm. And in the last decade, it can’t even be called crony capitalism because all power in the economy radiates from Putin. It is a medieval empire with the Tsar dispensing the goodies.

Russian elections are a farce. The everyday person has no say. Free expression of ideas has been relegated to being allowed in the individual mind only. In the last few weeks, billions of dollars in wealth have evaporated. Not only for the oligarchs (under this system they can always make more) but also the fledgling middle class that had managed to save a few rubles. This system is not something that would motivate you to fight.

Authoritarians are always telling their people how tough they are and only they can solve their country’s problems. Yet when called on to show courage, they hunker down in their bunkers far from the bullets and bombs. Contrast that with Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is leading from the front as all good leaders should be.

The U.S. military is the best in the world not because of our ordinance and supplies. It isn’t even because of it being an all-volunteer professional force. Our officers and non-coms lead from the front. Our men and women in uniform know why they are being sent into harm’s way.

Today’s American military is far removed from the Vietnam era conscripted soldiers fighting a war that the American people had not bought into. Sounds like today’s Russian military. Our military, if sent to fight, believe in their mission.

The Ukrainians believe in what they are fighting for and while they may be defeated on the battlefield, I don’t believe they will ever surrender. Their leadership is leading from the front unlike Mr. Putin who is managing from the safety of his palace in the rear.     

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GET THE WORD OUT  

Friends and Neighbors of Martin County is your eyes and ears so that you know what is going on in Martin County’s municipal and county governments. I attempt to be informative and timely so that you may understand how your tax money is being spent. Though I go to the meetings and report back, I am no substitute for your attending meetings. Your elected officials should know what is on your mind.