A Tri-County broadband presenter told Jefferson County commissioners the local portion of the project has connected about 7,200 customers but that an estimated $17 million is still needed to reach all unserved properties; residents and businesses pressed for timelines, pole vs. underground options and contingency plans for FEMA delays.

After debate about need, timing and funding sources, the City Commission rejected a $40,000 emergency relief allocation for food pantries and later rejected a compromise $20,000 allocation; commissioners asked staff to survey need and propose an allocation process.

County commissioners discussed options to spend Gulf consortium funds—citing a $12 million Pot 3 allocation and about $3 million in Pot 1—exploring emergency management facilities, roadway sewer extensions, workforce training and broadband, and were advised to prepare SEP amendments in 2026 to line up projects for 2027.

The CRA voted to follow consultant Dover Cole’s recommendation for a consolidated three-day charrette (Jan. 21–23) for the downtown Panama City marina, with staff noting the CRA previously committed about $122,000 for the project; implementation and community workshops will continue into March.

The Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency voted 5–0 to contract with the Incremental Development Alliance for a virtual small-development boot camp, a pitch-session add-on and a minimum of six monthly meetup cohorts, with staff citing prior workshops that drew strong attendance.

County water utility staff presented a four‑phase plan for exploring acquisition of the City of Boynton Beach utility (serving ~125,000 customers), estimated initial feasibility work at about $50,000 and 30–60 days for an initial financial review, and requested direction to proceed with phase‑1 due diligence.

The board approved multiple affordable and workforce projects recommended from the county's housing bond RFPs, denied or deferred others (including CityView denied and Seventh on Haverhill postponed to January) after developer testimony and discussion about scoring, cost-per-unit and tax-credit impacts.

The Board of County Commissioners approved revisions to the Office of Small Business Development ordinance to simplify certification, move procedural details to policy, and standardize an SBE evaluation preference representing 15% of bid points; board vote was unanimous.

Palm Tran staff told the Palm Beach County commission the on‑demand 'PonTran' pilot generated nearly 200,000 trips and about 5,000 unique riders; the board approved changes to split the oversized East Central zone, cap riders at two subsidized trips a day and reduce vouchers from $8 to $5 to encourage fixed‑route connections.

After hearing that 70% of approved units were affordable rentals and only eight were for‑sale, commissioners directed staff to protect at least $40 million for for‑sale housing, ask for a modified RFP after the new year, and work with industry partners to incentivize ownership projects.

Staff recommended conceptual approvals for multiple workforce and affordable housing projects funded by the county's $200 million housing bond. The board approved a subset, denied some projects due to cost/leverage scoring and deferred at least one (7th on Haverhill) for resubmission after clarifications. Commissioners asked staff to ensure cost breakdowns and underwriting detail before final approvals.

Water Utilities staff briefed commissioners on a preliminary review of acquiring the City of Boynton Beach water/sewer system — about 125,000 customers, two plants (24 MGD and 10.4 MGD), operating budget just over $72M and a six‑year capital plan near $466M — and requested direction to proceed with financial feasibility work over the next 30–60 days.

Palm Beach County commissioners directed staff to allow one more RFP for rental projects, then to direct remaining (underwriting‑returned) bond funds toward for‑sale housing; the board discussed protecting at least $40 million (some favored $50 million) of the unallocated bond pool and approved two workforce projects and impact‑fee assistance earlier in the meeting.

The council adopted Resolution 2025-166 to conclude a Chapter 164 dispute with Lakeshore Hospital Authority and to support a conveyance and conditions tied to Meridian Behavioral Health; the measure passed with Councilwoman Harris recused because of employment ties to Meridian and public commenters protested the hospital's condition and a late exhibit addition.

Residents at the Port Richey town hall urged the council to revive the Cody River Landing roads, sidewalks and lighting project instead of waiting for a private development to finish; organizers set a workshop for Jan. 23 to discuss zoning, funding and next steps with county and property owners.

Ritchie FM founder James Stahl told the Port Richey town hall his 107.9 station is designed to stay on air during prolonged outages using solar and battery backup, offering hyperlocal emergency updates, shelter and resource messaging as well as low-cost promotion for small businesses.

Pasco County has launched a HUD-approved disaster recovery housing program, dedicating roughly $205 million to housing repairs, rebuilds, buyouts and temporary relocation; county staff stressed strict federal income rules and duplication-of-benefit checks and urged eligible residents to complete multi-step applications.

During public comment and partner remarks at a Dec. 1 workshop, a CBRE broker and Palm Beach County economic development leaders urged Delray Beach to combine proactive marketing and real‑estate planning with faster permitting to land higher‑wage employers.

Delray Beach commissioners heard updated economic data, input from county and redevelopment partners and public comment Dec. 1, and asked staff to return in January with concrete proposals on expedited permitting, marketing resources and a real estate inventory to pursue targeted, higher‑wage employers.

Presenters using the InVEST model told the Martin County Commission the Indian River Lagoon generates more than $10 billion a year in ecosystem service value, supports roughly 128,000 jobs regionally and yields very high estimated returns on restoration spending (about 24x overall).

The commission voted to accept an unsolicited expedited P3 proposal from Building Tomorrow Schools Inc. for a 114,000 sq ft maintenance facility (total project ~$74 million) and directed consultants to evaluate the proposal; commissioners discussed advertising and competing unsolicited proposals and set Feb. 24 as the earliest return date.

The board approved a public purpose lease with the Martin County Fair Association (10‑year initial term plus three 10‑year renewals) after extended questioning about past lease violations, revenue from a prior unauthorized Buick parking leasing arrangement, overnight camping language in procedures, and infrastructure timelines; the motion passed 3–2.

The Guardians of Martin County asked the commission to allocate staff resources and schedule a public hearing on a proposed beef processing facility at Chancey Bay Ranch, citing hard‑to‑obtain permitting facts and concerns about water use and pollution; Commissioner Capps moved to put the matter on a future agenda and the board agreed to do so.

The Board of County Commissioners voted 3–2 to adopt a new economic development toolkit that creates a suite of incentive tools (Opportunity Fund, Local Closing Fund, expedited permitting, workforce grants, IDA bonds, and ad valorem exemption). Supporters said it helps diversify the tax base; opponents warned of corporate welfare, unclear clawbacks and infrastructure strains for data centers.

Major Bell of the Army Corps briefed the Martin County commission on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (SERP), LOSEM operations and local projects including the C‑44 reservoir and STA work. He said Lake Okeechobee recovery operations have saved about 22,500 acre‑feet since March and that the EAA reservoir schedule is being accelerated toward 2029, while seepage management remains a design challenge for reservoirs.