Palm Bay & SBA New Partnership Offers Opportunities to Local Small Businesses
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Must Read
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Celebrates Melbourne’s Behind-the-Scenes Heroes
To recognize the critical role 911 communications officers play in keeping our community safe, the City of Melbourne annually joins with communities nationwide in designating the second week of April (April 11-17) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
“Our communications officers consistently answer ‘emergency’ calls, provide a calming influence and relay critical information to first responders,” said Melbourne Police Chief David Gillespie. “They provide vital and sometimes lifesaving support to our police officers yet often do not receive the credit for the tremendous job they do.”
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week honors the men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance.
When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property. Melbourne’s Communications Center receives, classifies and prioritizes calls from the public and dispatches calls that require police or fire rescue response. In addition to handling a tremendous number of calls (an average of 130,000 per year), they often help de-escalate volatile situations and help police officers and detectives stop and solve crimes.
The Communication Center employees continue to respond to the need of the community as well as the Police Department on a daily basis. The dedication displayed by the Communication Center employees was exemplified during COVID as they continue to report to work to help serve their community and ensure the calls for help never go unanswered.
During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week we encourage residents to learn more about these behind-the-scenes heroes and to send messages of thanks and support to them via the Melbourne Police Department Facebook page (@MelbourneFLPolice) or by e-mailing ray.desmarais@mlbfl.org.
Palm Bay Fire Rescue to Host Community Outreach Event Featuring New Vehicles
PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Palm Bay Fire Rescue invites community members to an outreach event celebrating the City’s new fire tender and brush truck. The event will take place at 10:00am on Saturday, April 10 at Fire Station 1 located at 1201 Port Malabar Boulevard. Palm Bay Fire Rescue staff will lead guided tours of the new vehicles and Fire Station 1 at the event.
The purchase of the new equipment was made possible thanks to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding awarded by the City of Palm Bay’s Community Development Advisory Board. Thanks to the CDBG funding, Palm Bay Fire Rescue saved a combined $367,088 on the new vehicles, and a further $63,673 for lifesaving equipment for Fire Stations 1 and 3.
To learn more about Palm Bay Fire Rescue, visit www.pbfl.org/fire.
Palm Bay Renaming and Dedication Ceremony Set for Baseball/Softball Complex at Fred Poppe Regional Park
PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The City of Palm Bay Parks & Recreation Department will host a renaming and dedication ceremony of the baseball/softball complex at Fred Poppe Regional Park on Thursday, April 15 beginning at 5:30pm. The park is located at 1951 Malabar Rd NW, in Palm Bay. The media and public are invited to attend.
The ceremony will commence with a dedication and proclamation reading by Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina. The baseball/softball complex will be officially named as the Roberto Clemente Walker Baseball/Softball Complex. The two baseball fields will then be officially named as Jackie Robinson Field and Hank Aaron Field.
Following the ceremony, there will be an exhibition baseball game between the Space Coast Rockets, who will honor Jackie Robinson by wearing #42, and the Alpha Prime Aviators, who will honor Hank Aaron by wearing #44. The game will begin at 6:00pm. Concessions will be available for purchase. The ceremony and game will be broadcast live by Brevard Sports Network.
Brightline Railway Crossings Will Prompt Temporary Closures/Detours
BREVARD COUNTY, FL. – Motorists will encounter various road closures and detours in the days and weeks ahead as a result of ongoing construction and railroad crossing upgrades for the Brightline rail line from Orlando to West Palm Beach.
Among those slated to begin as early as April 19 are:
A full road closure for the railroad Crossing at Suntree Boulevard from 7 a.m. Monday, April 19, through 5 p.m. Saturday, April 24. An additional closing is planned for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 8.
Detours are as follows:
- Eastbound Suntree Boulevard traffic will be directed to travel south on N. Wickham Road to Pineda Causeway, travel east on Pineda Causeway to U.S. 1 and travel north on U.S. 1 to access Suntree Boulevard.
- Westbound Suntree Boulevard traffic will be directed to travel south on U.S. 1 to Pineda Causeway, travel west on Pineda Causeway to N. Wickham Road and travel north on N. Wickham Road to Suntree Boulevard.
Also planned is a full road closure at the railroad crossing at Lincoln Avenue in Melbourne, beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, April 22, through 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 28.
Detours are as follows:
- Eastbound Lincoln Avenue traffic will be directed to travel north or south on Waverly Place to access Fee Avenue or Palmetto Avenue. From Fee avenue then travel east to U.S. 1 and travel south on U.S. 1 to access Lincoln Avenue. From Palmetto Avenue travel east to U.S. 1 and travel north on U.S. 1 to access Lincoln Avenue.
- Westbound Lincoln Avenue traffic will be directed to travel north or south on U.S. 1 to access Fee Avenue or Palmetto Avenue. From Fee Avenue travel west to Waverly Place and travel south on Waverly Place to access Lincoln Avenue. From Palmetto Avenue travel west to Waverly Place and travel north on Waverly place to access Lincoln Avenue.
A long term closure through May 22 is planned at the railroad crossing at Prospect Avenue in Melbourne to allow for bridge work completion.
Detours are as follows:
- Eastbound Prospect Avenue traffic will be directed to Stone Street, travel south on Stone Street to WH Jackson Street, travel east on WH Jackson Street to U.S. 1 and travel north on U.S. 1 to access Prospect Avenue.
- Westbound Prospect Avenue traffic will be directed to U.S. 1, travel south on U.S. 1 to WH Jackson Street, travel west on WH Jackson Street to Stone Street and travel north on Stone Street to access Prospect Avenue.
Norwegian Cruise Line will require passengers and crew to be vaccinated
World News-Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will require all passengers and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when U.S. cruises restart, becoming the first of the three largest cruise companies to mandate inoculations for all on board.
The new mandate will apply to the company three cruise lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. The company made the announcement today with hopes of convincing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow its ships to start sailing in July.
The CDC is preventing companies from cruising from U.S. ports until they meet the requirements of its ” conditional sail order”.
City of Palm Bay to Open Vaccine Distribution Site
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Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina Releases April 2021 Mayor’s Message
It’s a great day Palm Bay!
This April, in observance of Water Conservation Month, I will be leading Palm Bay in the 10th annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation by asking my fellow Palm Bayers to make a long-term commitment to use water wisely. Join me in protecting one of our most precious natural resources by taking the pledge to conserve water at www.mywaterpledge.com from April 1 through April 30. If we all do our part, we can preserve our shared water resources and protect our natural waterways for years to come!
I invite Palm Bayers to join me for the 2021 Trash Bash community cleanup event on April 3 and 4. Give back to our community and help clean up our great city by participating in this event. This year, Keep Brevard Beautiful will be holding Trash Bash virtually, meaning that you can participate anywhere in Palm Bay. All you have to do is download the KBB app and log your participation and your efforts will count towards Palm Bay’s overall Trash Bash ranking. Keep Brevard Beautiful will be giving awards to the city with the most participants and the city that collects the most trash, so let’s work together to beautify our city and make each other #PalmBayProud!
Beginning April 5, all Floridians will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. I understand and respect that the decision to get vaccinated is a personal choice, however I want all Palm Bayers to know that there are several ways to get vaccinated if you want to – and best of all it is “F-R-double E” free! You can pre-register to be vaccinated through the Department of Health in Viera by signing up at myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling (866) 201-5420. Vaccination is available through select medical providers, including Health First and Omni Healthcare. You may also seek vaccination through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, with numerous participating Brevard locations at CVS, Publix, Walmart, and Winn Dixie. Visit www.pbfl.org/COVID19 for vaccine information and registration details, as well as news and updates about future community vaccination events in Palm Bay.
I’m excited to announce that my fellow Councilmembers and I will be hosting a series of town hall meetings in the coming weeks to engage with citizens. The meetings will be led by City Manager Suzanne Sherman and include news and updates from the City, as well as a question-and-answer session with the public. I invite residents, business owners, and community partners to join us at one of our upcoming meetings:
- Town Hall Meeting #1 – Monday, April 19 at 6:00pm
- Location: Council Chambers, 120 Malabar Road SE
- Town Hall Meeting #2 – Thursday April 29 at 6:00pm
- Location: Tony Rosa Community Center, 1502 Port Malabar Boulevard NE
- Town Hall Meeting #3 – Thursday, May 13 at 6:00pm
- Ted Whitlock Community Center, 370 Championship Circle NW
I look forward to speaking directly with the public and engaging with the community. I believe that we are writing a new chapter in our city’s history and I believe that many great things are on the horizon.
In March, City Council approved a Strategic Alliance Memorandum with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). The agreement will enable the City of Palm Bay to work collaboratively with the SBA to deliver information, resources, training, and events designed to nurture and support local businesses. Business owners are invited to participate in the first educational opportunity: a free webinar series on exporting for business. The webinars will be offered at 11:00am on April 21 and 28. Visit www.pbfl.org/calendar and click on the dates to access the registration links.
Finally, I would like to wish a very Happy Easter to all Palm Bayers! May you and your families have a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday!
The City of Melbourne Seeking Public Input on Coastal Resiliency Plan
The City of Melbourne is seeking public input in the development of a Coastal Resiliency Plan that will help prepare for impacts to our coastal areas out to the year 2080.
The plan will include an assessment of the City’s coastal flooding vulnerabilities and recommended adaptations, including measures to protect and prioritize infrastructure improvements in areas that are susceptible to coastal flooding events.
Public input is crucial to the planning process. If you would like to participate in the gathering of information on current coastal flooding impacts in the City of Melbourne and take a short survey about coastal resiliency, please visit the City’s Coastal Resiliency Plan website at https://smeinc.mysocialpinpoint.com/melbourne-coastal-resiliency-plan.
The city will also be hosting a second virtual workshop meeting on April 21 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) to give residents an additional opportunity to share their thoughts regarding current and future coastal flooding.
City of Palm Bay to Participate in Virtual Trash Bash Event
PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The City of Palm Bay invites citizens to celebrate Earth Month and give back to the community by participating in the 2021 Keep Brevard Beautiful (KBB) Trash Bash community litter cleanup event on April 3rd and 4th in support of The Great American Cleanup. Participating cities across Brevard will compete to win the title for the city with the most trash collected and the city with the most volunteers. The cities that earn the titles will be presented with $500.00 to donate to charity.
The 2021 Trash Bash event will be held virtually via the KBB app. Participants may pick up trash anywhere within Palm Bay’s city limits and are invited to collect litter individually, with their family, or in small groups of less than ten individuals. Suggested cleanup sites are available on Keep Brevard Beautiful’s Trash Bash webpage, but any location in Palm Bay will be accepted.
This year’s virtual Trash Bash event will require volunteers to register, chick-in, and submit data through the KBB app. In order for Palm Bay to receive credit for cleanup efforts, participants must select the Trash Bash initiative in the app.
For more information on the 2021 Trash Bash, visit https://keepbrevardbeautiful.