Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners has approved an additional $20 million to the Restart Business Grants Program and will resume accepting applications on Monday, October 26, at 8:00 a.m. Grants up to $15,000, based on six months of expenses (net of any PPP, other grants or forgivable loans) will be available to an expanded list of eligible businesses impacted by COVID-19 who did not previously receive a Restart Business Grant through Palm Beach County. The application process will be completed entirely online through the county’s portal and requires general information about the applicant’s business to include; applicant certifications, tax returns, payroll reports, and an active Palm Beach County Business Receipt or valid exemption from the Palm Beach County Tax Collector. Sole proprietors and general partnerships not required to register with the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations are exempt from the Sunbiz requirement. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-eligible basis. The online application is expected to be open for one-week, closing on Monday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. For more information, please visit the Department of Housing & Economic Sustainability.

Yesterday, Palm Beach County unveiled a new tool yesterday to provide COVID-19 testing to residents in coronavirus hot spots, along with those in underserved communities. Hero – a 38-foot mobile testing vehicle is operated by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. In addition to Hero, the County also has companion vehicles Warrior and Scout. Each have a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, and two medical assistants on board. All vehicles provide workspace for Health Care District team members to prepare test kits, IT equipment to connect to patients’ medical records, refrigeration, and exam rooms. The Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center will determine where to deploy these vehicles each week based on COVID-19 hot spots.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new guidance which expands the pool of people considered at risk of contracting Covid-19 by changing the definition of a close contact of an infected individual. These changes are likely to have an impact on schools, workplaces and other group settings where people are in contact with others for long periods of time. The CDC had previously defined a close contact as someone who spent at least 15 consecutive minutes within six feet of a confirmed coronavirus case. The updated guidance now defines a close contact as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

The School District of Palm Beach County and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County have been working to close the digital divide to ensure that all students in the County have access to technology. The Education Foundation has secured financial commitments from various public and private entities for a total of $265,000 in grants to support the expansion of digital access. The Education Foundation is continuing to work closely with the School District, Palm Beach County government, the Economic Council, and Quantum Foundation, to raise $1.2 million to fund the purchase of 25,000 Wi-Fi Extenders for families in need. Nearly 8,000 households will receive resources through this initiative for internet connectivity. If you would like to sponsor a WiFi Extender than click here.

Starting Monday, October 26^th through Sunday, November 1^st, Boca Raton will be the home to the TimberTech Championship. The PGA Tour Champions tournament will be held at the Old Course at Broken Sound, one of the premier golf communities in South Florida. The TimberTech Championship brings together the best of acclaimed golfers such as Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia, Nick Price, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Hale Irwin, as well as an additional 50 more players who highlight this event. Bernhard Langer, who won last year’s Championship, will be returning to defend his title. You can watch the tournament on the Golf Channel and the latest videos and news about the tournament can be found at PGATour.com or on FaceBook at @TimberTechChampionship. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament will not be allowing general spectators.

Looking for an easier way to find an event, register for an event, and receive popup notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca and City of Boynton information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store . Keep your Chamber at the tips of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.

We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences with most being recorded and are 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:

10/23 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Business Awards Celebration Topic: Business Awards Celebration of Excellence Click here to register

10/27 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for Women Topic: Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Networking Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder and President, Proffitt Management Solutions Click here to register

10/27 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five Network Network with Fellow Chamber Members, Connect with Clients and Build Solid Relationships! Click here to register

10/29 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual How to Wow Topic: Are you ready to…Create an endless stream of prospects, Network more effectively, Leverage partnerships, Build your personal brand and Truly maximize your Chamber membership? Speaker: Greta Schulz, President & CEO, Schulz Business Click here to register

10/29 – 11:00 a.m. Virtual Boca Raton Regional Hospital Expansion Presentation Topic: Keeping the Promise-Boca Raton Regional Hospital Campus Expansion. Speaker: Lincoln Mendez, CEO, Boca Raton Regional Hospital Click here to register

I hope that you will join us this afternoon for our Business Awards Celebration as we honor three local businesses that have taken a lead in helping us Move Business Forward. There is still time to register: Click here.

The Palm Beach County Administrator has issued Emergency Order 2020-029 extending the use of facial coverings until November 21^st. Please 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,