Good Afternoon Valued Chamber Member,
Palm Beach County originally received approximately $261 million from the Federal CARES Act Relief Fund. Over the past several months, these funds have been allocated for numerous programs in response to the pandemic – such as rental/mortgage relief and programs for small business. Last week, the Board of County Commissioners approved the following allocation for additional CARES Act Relief Programs.
Cultural grants: $1,025,000 The Cultural Council will administer the program which will include the allocations for cultural nonprofit grants in a manner similar to the County’s small business grant program with an online application process on a first-come, first-eligible basis.
Nonprofit grants: $4,240,000 United Way of Palm Beach County will handle the distribution in a manner similar to the county’s small business grant program with an online application process on a first-come, first-eligible basis.
Health Department Contact Tracing: $1,000,000 Recognizing the importance of contact tracing in minimizing the spread of COVID-19, this new allocation will assist in increasing these efforts.
Broadband: $3,750,000 As the County continues to work with school officials on expanding broadband, a greater need was identified in addressing the underserved communities in the County. This is in addition to the original allocation of over $13 million. Additionally, FPL has also played an integral role in providing 1,000 poles for broadband equipment installation.
The City of Boynton Beach has launched a new mobile app available on Google Play and the Apple Store. Residents can use the app to report issues such as non-functioning streetlights, potholes in the road and other safety concerns. The user also has the convenience to pay city related bills. To learn more about the app, visit the city’s website. In other Boynton news, on Saturday, October 17th from 9 am – 11 am, the City will host a grand opening of two new playgrounds in Downtown Boynton Beach. The playgrounds are located in the new Town Square project. This is a family- friendly event that includes a DJ, free Kona Ice treats, and other fun giveaways while they last.
The Florida corporate income/franchise tax is imposed on all corporations for the purpose of conducting business, deriving income, or existing within Florida. Corporations, including entities that are taxed federally as corporations, are subject to the tax. The Florida Department of Revenue announced the Florida corporate income tax and franchise tax rate will not increase, but rather continue at the current rate of 4.458% until January 1, 2022. The deadline for the Department to evaluate and report any related adjustments to the tax rate is October 1st of each respective fiscal year end. Any adjusted tax rate will subsequently be repealed for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, and the rate will revert to 5.5%.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses. The PPP program has provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to American small businesses and supporting more than 51 million jobs.The SBA began approving PPP forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to PPP lenders for PPP borrowers on October 2, 2020. The SBA will continue to process all PPP forgiveness applications in an expeditious manner.
We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences. The majority of these presentations are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel. Below is a list of our upcoming virtual experiences:
10/13 – 10:00 a.m. Virtual New Chamber Member Benefit from the Boca Tribune Topic: Learn about the free listing in the Tribune’s Business Directory and Geo-Fencing feature that will be FREE to Chamber members through December 31, 2020.Speaker: Douglas Heizer, CEO & Publisher, Boca Raton Tribune & Pedro Heizer, Managing Editor, Boca Raton Tribune Click here to register
10/14 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn Topic: Everyone Communicates, Few ConnectSpeaker: Jordana Foster, Owner of Ready Set Go Beyond, LLC Click here to register
10/15 – 8:00 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Coffee Plus Topic: Perk Up Your Leads virtually over a Cup of Coffee! Meet new people and give your best 30-second elevator pitch – all before the workday begins!Click here to register
10/15 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Successful Women in Business Luncheon Topic: Managing Health as a Working Woman – Diet, Exercise and Mental HealthSpeaker: Dr. Jessica Schwartz, Internal Medicine, West Boca Medical CenterClick here to register
10/20 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual PULSE Panel Presentation Topic: Pivoting During a Pandemic – How Local Businesses Prevailed During the Covid-19 PandemicSpeaker: Danielle Rosse, Oceans 234, Ken Lebersfeld, Capital Lighting and Giana Pacinelli, Crocker Partners Click here to register
10/21 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Healthcare Advocacy Network – Sponsored by Memorial Healthcare System Topic: Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?Speaker: Lynn Lessell, Owner & Founder, Itz Why Click here to register
10/22 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Government Affairs Council Topic: Committee Discussion: Finalizing Boynton Beach Legislative Business Issues Click here to register
10/23 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council Topic: State of the City Speaker: Lori LaVerriere, City Manager – City of Boynton Beach Click here to register
10/23 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Business Awards Celebration Topic: Honoring Businesses and Business Leaders Recipients: Small Business Leader of the Year – Ahnich Khalid, Maggiano’s Little Italy Business of the Year – TherapeuticsMD Business Leader of the Year – Bill Mitchell, Boca Raton Community Church Click here to register
To stay up to date on all Chamber activity, visit bocachamber.com or download the Chamber App on your phone or tablet and stay connected!
On Wednesday, January 21st from 1:00pm – 4:00pm the Chamber will host an in- person open house for prospective Chamber members. Interested attendees are asked to make a reservation through Alison Miuccio, Membership Development Manager, to help us facilitate all physical distancing and safety protocols.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Physicians at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute are part of a multi-institutional randomized study on the use of umbilical cord stem cells to treat patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 infection. The treatment involves an infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), known for their ability to reduce inflammation and regenerate damaged lung tissue. Investigators from Duke University, Wake Forest and New York Medical College are among those participating in the study. The Pilot Study of Safety and Efficacy of Cord Tissue Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hCT-MSC) in COVID-19 Related ARDS, will enroll 30 patients who meet specific criteria. Patients will receive the cells via IV, once a day for three consecutive days.
I continue to hear stories about Chamber members supporting Chamber members. It gives me great pride to know that the Chamber family is there for one another. Let’s remember to continue to be Responsible, Safe and Respectful. And as always, thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and all of South Palm Beach County the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play!
Moving Business Forward,
Troy M. McLellan, CCE, FCCP
President & CEO
Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce #movingbocaforward #movingboyntonforward #movingdelrayforward