2022 FSA Vehicle Graphics Contest

Administrative Vehicle Category Opens

Send your photos of the vehicles you drive that represent your community

The Florida Association of Counties and the Florida Sheriffs Association announce the 2022 Vehicle Graphics Contest for the Administrative Vehicles Category.

 

This award is to raise awareness about local city, county, and government fleet programs and how they represent the community they serve.

CONTEST RULES

Send us a photo of your fleet vehicle that we’ll publicize online, and you’ll be eligible to win the contest. The winner is selected from the most Facebook likes with a final selection by the FSA Committee.

 

Vehicles pictured do not have to be purchased through the FSA Cooperative Purchasing Program, but agencies participating in the contest must be active users of at least one of the FSA Cooperative Purchasing Program contracts.

 

Entry photos will be added to the Florida Sheriffs Association’s Facebook page and votes will be cast using the “LIKE” feature.

 

The contest begins Monday, May 9 and ends at 5pm EST Wednesday, May 11. The top 5 photos will be submitted to the Committee for review and a winning selection will be made.

 

PRIZE

 

The winner will receive a custom trophy and one complimentary voucher to the Thursday luncheon at the 2022 Florida Association of Counties Annual Conference & Educational Exposition. The winner will be recognized at the Conference.

 

The 2022 Conference will take place June 28 – July 1 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Winner can also brag until the 2023 Administrative Vehicle winner is selected.

 

PHOTO FORMAT

Web and Electronic Media

Unedited, full size landscape photo (1,200 x 628 pixels) as high quality JPG or PNG format

 

-Photo must include entire vehicle and no people.

-Submit one photo of the format above with contact information and agency to kdixson@flsheriffs.org

-If selected, the winner must provide a commercial print quality (300 PPI) vector graphic either Adobe Illustrator or EPS format.

2022 NACIO Awards of Excellence

We are live! The 2022 NACIO Awards of Excellence contest is actually happening! Here’s all you need to know:

When is the entry period? Entries will be accepted from May 1, 2022, through May 20, 2022.

When will winners be recognized?
Winners will be recognized at the annual NACIO meeting in conjunction with the NACO conference in July. More info about this to come.

What can you enter? Work produced in 2019, 2020, and 2021. That’s right, for this year only, NACIO is accepting work from counties and county associations produced during the last three years. COVID took a lot from us, but it isn’t going to take away the opportunity to recognize the amazing work you produced during this time.

Work produced in 2022 will be eligible for the 2023 Awards of Excellence. In other words, do not submit this work for this year.

What are the categories?

  • Annual Report
    • Brochures: One page and Multi-Page Booklet
    • Publications: Internal and External
    • Writing: News writing; Feature Writing or Columns; News Releases: Speeches
    • Graphic Design: Logos, Themes and Letterheads; Graphics for Brochures and Publications; Special Graphics
  • Photography
    • Audio Visual Production: One-Time Visual Programming; Video Series; Podcasts or Audio Programming
    • Special Projects: Ceremonies or Community Events; Public Education Campaign
    • Electronic Communications: Websites; Best Facebook Page; Best Twitter Feed; Email Newsletter to Citizens

Do I have to be a member of NACIO to enter the Awards of Excellence Contest?
No. Although we don’t know why you wouldn’t want to be a member of NACIO, this contest is open to any county or county association public communications person – NACIO member or not.

How much does it cost to enter? $35 per entry for NACIO members $50 per entry for non-NACIO member

Where do I submit my entries?
Submitting entries is easy through the Reviewr platform – it’s all digital. Click here to start building your submission.

Do I pay for my entries through the Reviewr platform?
Payment for your entries will be made through our NACO portal. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF NACO TO ENTER THIS CONTEST OR TO PAY FOR YOUR ENTRIES.

That said, you will need to go to this page and enter a username and password of your choosing. NACO staff will approve your username/password account within 24 business hours. Once you receive a response from NACO staff approving your account, you can log into the NACO portal and continue with payment.

If you have an existing NACO username and password, you can use that instead of creating a new one.

This sounds complicated, is it?
No. It’s really easy. Here’s what we recommend.

Click here if you do not already have a NACO username and password. Enter a username and password of your choosing and hit submit. That will get that process started.

Then, go to Reviewr and start building your submissions. You don’t have to do it all at once. With your Reviewr account you can save, edit and add to your submission up through the day submissions close – May 20.

After you have your submissions built and submitted in the Reviewr platform, go to the NACO portal, log in and complete the payment for your entries. You can pay for all your entries at once, if you like.

Hint: Don’t wait until May 19 to request approval for your NACO username and password. In fact, please make that request no later than May 16.

Now, get going. Let’s see the amazing things you have done while the world stopped, but you didn’t.

Questions? Email Jennifer Finch or Christine Strak with questions.

Message from UF/IFAS, Dr. Scott Angle

In all the traveling I’ve done in my career, I’ve never been greeted with finish-line tape, “Chariots of Fire” playing on a public address system, a 4-H’er hanging a medal around my neck and a state map cake with a different color frosting on every county.

 

When I became leader of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in July 2020, I announced my intention to visit Extension offices in all 67 counties. I fulfilled that pledge on April 8 in Lake City by breaking the tape at the Columbia County Extension office.

 

What made the day extra meaningful was Ginger Delegal’s message from the lectern. Ginger was the only person at the event—and perhaps one of the few anywhere—who fully appreciates what it means to visit all 67 counties.

 

She spoke of the partnership between the Florida Association of Counties and UF/IFAS to run the Advanced County Commissioner and Certified County Commissioner programs.

 

“Governing from a place of knowledge allows Florida communities to solve their own problems and create their own opportunities,” Delegal said.

 

That’s a great encapsulation of the UF/IFAS mission in the counties. We equip Florida’s citizens, whether they are elected officials or their constituents, with the science-based information they need to improve their lives and their communities.

 

As Ginger testified in Lake City, this can’t be done cookie-cutter-style:

 

“You’re everywhere in the state in every single county providing knowledge and training and consulting on subject matters and life skills that are unique to each county. No other organization is present in every single county in this way,” she said.

 

Again, she nailed it.

 

Extension simply doesn’t exist as we know it without the partnership with the counties. I’m grateful to Ginger and FAC for strengthening that partnership. I hope to see you at the conference in Orlando this summer.

2 Day CCC/CGE Growth Management & Environmental Planning Program

March 16-17, 2023

As a part of FAC’s Legislative Day program, the Institute for County Government (ICG) is offering an additional 2-day hands-on program on land use, planning and land conservation. Commissioners enrolled in the Certified County Commissioner Program (CCC) are required to take 30 hours of core classes which includes the “Growth Management and Land Use Decisions” course. To help meet this requirement, ICG will be offering this class in-person on Friday, March 17 in Leon County. To complement this class, ICG has created an additional field trip to Tall Timbers the day before the Growth Management workshop on Thursday, March 16.   Tall Timbers is one of the largest regional land trusts in the nation, permanently protecting over 145,000 acres of private land in the Red Hills and Albany regions. It is also an internationally recognized research station with over 60 years of experience studying fire-adapted ecosystems and advocating for prescribed fire use. Following a half-day day of field education, a reception will be held at the Tall Timbers Research Facility overlooking Lake Iamonia.

Course Description – Growth Management and Land Use Decisions

Local land use and zoning decisions are often the most important – if not the most controversial – actions county officials can make. With one of the most complex land use regulatory regimes in the country, Florida requires every county to adopt a Comprehensive Growth Management Plan and implementing land use regulations that guide existing and future development. While every Florida county has an adopted plan in place, the “process” includes a broad range of requirements that can overwhelm a new commissioner. Land use variances, special exceptions, conditional uses, concurrency, consistency, and quasi-judicial decisions are only a few of the terms that confront a new commissioner.  This course is designed to give commissioners an understanding of the history of land use planning in Florida and how we got where we are today. Participants will learn the realities of implementing comprehensive plans including how amendments, development approvals, and exceptions should be handled.

This course is open to all county commissioners and county staff. Participants who attend this field trip and workshop both days will receive 6 hours of elective credit (fieldtrip) and 6 hours of CCC/CGE core credit for the Friday workshop. Registration for this in-person, 2-day fieldtrip/ workshop is $125 and will include transportation to Tall Timbers, lunch and a reception on Thursday and course materials, breakfast and lunch on Friday.

Register Here.

2023 NACo Achievement Awards

Apply Today and Celebrate Your County’s Most Innovative Programs

Applications are now open for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2023 Achievement Awards! We invite you to join us in celebrating 53 years of county innovation by applying today.

Since 1970, the NACo Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding county government programs and services. Through a non-competitive application process, noteworthy programs receive awards in 18 categories that cover a vast range of county responsibilities.

By participating, your county can earn local and national recognition. Achievement Award winners have been featured in local media, in County News, and at NACo’s Annual Conference. Eighteen “best of category” winners will receive special recognition, and all winners will receive a customizable press release to share the good news.

We encourage all counties, parishes and boroughs to apply.

EARLY BIRD APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 3, 2023 (save $25 off the application fee)

REGULAR APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 7, 2023

For more information, please review the Achievement Awards online guide, or email awards@naco.org with any questions.

DEO Stormwater & Wastewater Assistance Grant Program

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a new funding opportunity for local governments that operate a stormwater or wastewater management system in Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sarasota and Volusia counties that were impacted by Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole.

“The department is committed to helping these communities rebuild,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “This new funding opportunity will ensure stormwater and wastewater systems are able to be restored as quickly as possible to protect our communities and our environment.”

To be eligible for the program, the impacted facility must be operated by the county, municipality or special taxing district and the applicant must provide proof that:

• The applicant’s stormwater or wastewater systems sustained damages as a result of Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole.

• The damage to the stormwater or wastewater system poses an immediate threat to public health or the environment if not immediately addressed.

During the December 2022 special legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature created the Hurricane Stormwater and Wastewater Assistance Grant Program and allocated $100 million to help impacted local governments address damages to stormwater and wastewater infrastructure as a result of storms. DEP developed emergency rules for this new program in accordance with Chapter 2022-272 Laws of Florida.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 31. To submit an application, visit ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/grants.

Please note, any information submitted to DEP will become a public record, subject to disclosure in accordance with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, and Article 1, § 24 of the Florida Constitution.

Submittal of a project proposal does not create an agreement nor does it guarantee funding.

For questions or further information, email Sandra Waters, Deputy Director of DEP’s Division of Water Restoration Assistance.