Good Afternoon Valued Chamber Member,
It’s official! The start of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season begins today. In fact, it looks like we will be tested with a serious weather system this weekend. Our partner and friends at Florida Power & Light (FPL) have already started to prepare for an active six-month season. Additionally, they have made improvements to their grid and infrastructure to help reduce the chance of system interruption. FPL still encourages residents and businesses to make sure they have a contingency plan in place. For additional information on preparing for a hurricane, click here.
Tomorrow – Palm Beach County will be hosting an Economic Summit focused on housing and transportation. Held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, the summit will be open to anyone who wants to be informed and involved in shaping the future of Palm Beach County. Speakers include Alanna McCargo, President of Ginnie Mae, Clarence Anthony, CEO of the National League of Cities, Paul Skoutelas, CEO of the American Public Transportation Association, and Ethan Harris, Head of Global Economics Research at Bank of America. Additionally, panel discussions include local and national experts focusing on Affordable/Workforce Housing and Transportation Issues. For more information and to register, click here. Registration closes today. As a sponsor of this event, your Chamber is committed to identifying meaningful solutions to the critical challenges facing the business community.
The Chamber’s Annual Golf Classic, driven by Truist, is this Friday, June 3rd at The Boca Raton! Although we have a lot of golfers playing – there is still time to join us with a foursome. Enjoy a day of networking and a round of golf on one of the most beautiful private resort courses in South Florida. With a morning shotgun tee-off, the day will include a continental breakfast and an awards luncheon after the conclusion of the tournament. Consider a sponsorship to demonstrate your support of the Chamber and gain valuable exposure with your fellow golfers and the Chamber community. Contact our Events Manager, Chasity Navarro, for more information.
We look forward to seeing you at next week’s Membership Breakfast, sponsored by Office Depot. Please note the breakfast will be held at Boca West Country Club. Alex Price, National Director of Community Investment for Office Depot Corporation, will be highlighting the importance of strengthening communities in a post-pandemic world. Purchase a table and bring your colleagues and friends to learn about this organization’s positive impact in our region. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Florida House of Representatives gave final passage to property insurance legislation, which included two bills. The first bill creates a $2 billion Reinsurance to Assist Policyholder’s program for insurers to purchase insurance to help insulate themselves from risk. To access the fund, an insurer would have to reduce policyholders’ rates.
The second bill forbids insurers from automatically denying coverage because of a roof’s age if the roof is less than 15 years old. Homeowners with roofs 15 years or older would be allowed to get an inspection before insurers deny them coverage. Another measure would provide grants worth up to $10,000 each to retrofit homes so they are less vulnerable to hurricane damage. To qualify, properties would have to have insured values of $500,000 or less, be homesteaded, constructed before 2008, and located in areas where wind speeds from storms can exceed 140 mph. Homeowners would get $2 from the state for every $1 they invested in mitigation efforts.
The package also includes requiring all condominiums – higher than three stories – statewide to have periodic inspections of their structural integrity. It also seeks to limit various attorney fees in insurance-related cases. Supporters of the legislative package have frequently noted that Florida accounts for 9% of all insurance claims filed nationally but nearly 80% of all the property insurance lawsuits. The bills would allow for more State oversight so regulators can spot trends, analyze reasons and prevent the future failure of insurers. The legislative package now awaits the signature of the Governor.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com. Below is a list of our upcoming in-person and virtual experiences:
6/3 – 7:00 a.m. In-Person 52nd Annual Golf Classic For more information and to register, click here
6/7 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person From How to Wow! For more information and to register, click here
6/8 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Lunch and LearnFor more information and to register, click here
6/9 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast For more information and to register, click here
Only 87 days left until the return of Florida Atlantic University football! The Conference USA announced kickoff times for 10 of FAU’s 12 games this season, including all six home games. The Owls will open their season at home on August 27 against Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. All home games, with the exception of the regular-season finale against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers which will be played at noon on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, will be played under the lights at FAU Stadium. The only games still awaiting kickoff times are September 3 at Ohio and September 24 at Purdue. For more information on the FAU Football schedule, click here. In other exciting football news, the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is returning to its original Tuesday night slot this year. Palm Beach County’s only college football bowl game since 2014 will be played on December 20 at 7:30 p.m. at FAU Stadium and will be nationally televised on ESPN. For more information on the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, click here. The tragic loss of life in Uvalde, Texas is unimaginable and reminiscent of the horrific incident that occurred in our neighboring community, Parkland, just four years ago. Please continue to keep those affected by this tragedy at Robb Elementary School in your thoughts and prayers as those families and that community takes on the daunting task of trying to heal. Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.