7 PM, City Hall, 150 NE 2nd St. [View agenda/meeting]

Online water bill payments will be temporarily unavailable on beginning at 5:30 PM on Friday, Mar. 19 through 5 PM on Saturday, Mar. 20. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

In an effort to support local businesses feeling the strain of the economy, the City Commission recently extended the successful temporary "Sign of Relief" program through May 31, 2010. The program began in October 2009 as a way to give struggling businesses more opportunities to reach their customers. Banners, vehicle signs, inflatables, and menu boards are all permitted as part of this program, giving businesses additional, relatively inexpensive, promotional tools for advertising.

Corin and James Loper, co-owners of Fresh Aroma Coffee in the Deerfield Mall, have been participants in the program since it began. “We can use banners to advertise upcoming events, such as live music night, or our ‘pay what you want for your coffee’ special”, says Corin Loper.

To date, more than 30 businesses are signed up for the program. Commissioner Bill Ganz initially proposed the temporary sign relief program, and says he hopes more businesses will participate. “Most of the current participants are concentrated in the Hillsboro Boulevard, Powerline Road and Federal Highway areas. I would really like to see businesses citywide benefitting from this program.”

The application process for the program is very simple. Before participating, businesses must first apply for a temporary sign permit. Applicants will also be required to sign an agreement with the city, acknowledging certain restrictions and limitations of the program. As part of the application process, businesses must submit a detailed description of their sign including location, dimensions and wording. With an application turnaround time of 48 hours or less, and no fee to apply for the program, business owners’ only concern will be the cost of the new signage.

Businesses who are interested in participating in this program can download an application packet by clicking the link below. For more information about the program, contact City of Deerfield Beach Economic Development Manager, Keven Klopp, at 954-480-4222, or via email at kklopp@deerfield-beach.com. [Application packet...]

Did you know that you are at risk of financial harm if you pull an "owner builder" permit for someone without a contractor's license? [Learn more...]

Sign up for E-Subscriptions, a convenient way to stay updated on the city news that's important to you. Follow the link below to the subscription page, where you can quickly sign up to receive e-mails on a variety of topics. For more information about E-Subscriptions, email web.pio@deerfield-beach.com or call 954-480-4417. Sign up now

Registration for the city's summer camps is currently underway, and can be completed conveniently online or in person at any of the city's recreation centers. [Additional info...]

The City of Deerfield Beach is partnering with Food For The Poor to help the people of Haiti after the recent devastating earthquake. Several drop-off points throughout the city have been established to collect specific food items. All items collected will be delivered to Food for the Poor, the largest international relief organization in the United States.

Effective immediately, drop-offs can be made from 8 AM - 5 PM, at the following Deerfield Beach locations:

City Hall: 150 NE 2nd Avenue
Fire Station 4: 928 E Hillsboro Boulevard
Westside Park: 445 SW 2nd Street
Fire Station 102: 1441 SW 11th Way
Constitution Park: 2841 W Hillsboro Boulevard

The only food items that will be accepted are: canned meats and fish, canned baby formula, and canned milk (not powdered). The city is also accepting blankets, and canvas tents that can house 8-10 people. NO monetary donations will be accepted at city facilities.

Food donations will also be accepted at this weekend's Festival of the Arts. More information about the Festival of the Arts is available on the home page of this website.

Although the city cannot accept monetary donations, experts say that cash donations are one of the best ways to assist Haiti at this time. Anyone wishing to make this type of donation can visit www.clintonbushhaitifund.org for information.

The Mitigation Operations Center (MOC) Hotline for Emergency Information is available to assist residents with inquiries about relief efforts for Haiti. For more information, call the MOC Hotline at 954-571-7525. The hotline will be active Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM. [National response...]

The City of Deerfield Beach and the Deerfield Beach Beautification Authority are pleased to announce the re-launch of the Shady Streets Tree Program, a popular low-cost tree purchase program for Deerfield Beach homeowners. The program was created several years ago to help beautify the city, and to restore the tree canopy lost to recent hurricanes. Residents can purchase trees and have them delivered and installed in their swale for only $75 per tree.

Certain criteria must be followed. Trees must be planted in the swales of public streets, on property that is zoned Residential, and trees cannot be used for code mitigation or to meet site plan requirements. Members of Homeowners’ Associations (HOA) must have a letter of approval from the HOA accompanying their payment and tree care agreement. This program is not for commercial property.

Each residential lot will be limited to one tree species. City staff will make recommendations on the appropriate tree(s) for the space provided, as well as how many trees the space will accommodate. Because there is a twenty tree minimum per area, it might be helpful for neighbors to coordinate tree purchases, to meet the installation minimum.

To participate in this program, residents can pick up an information packet at the Public Works Facility, 401 SW 4th Street. For more information, contact the Deerfield Beach Landscape Division at 954-571-4521 or e-mail shadystreets@deerfield-beach.com.

RESCHEDULED Late Work Hours, Biscayne Well 22

Unfortunately, the work scheduled for March 9 and 12 ran into problems that prevented completion. THE WORK HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 17, starting at 7 AM, and will run into the evening. Once the procedure starts it cannot stop.

The Biscayne Aquifer well, or WW 22, is almost complete. The final reaming of the 29" well hole to 180 feet below land surface has been redone and is now ready. On Wednesday, March 17, the driller will set the stainless steel screen and carrier pipe to a total depth of 177 feet. This will be followed by backfilling the remaining space outside the screen and carrier pipe with a special blend of clean gravel.

The running equipment, mainly a generator for lights after dark, will be screened to reduce the noise as much as possible. The actual placing of the gravel into the space around the screen and carrier pipe may also generate some additional noise.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you in advance for your patience as the contractor works to complete this important phase of the project. For questions or concerns about this work, please call 954-480-4390 or 954-520-2549.

The pier entrance redesign project is currently in the design and development phase, and is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in October 2010. For more information about this project, call the Deerfield Beach Community Redevelopment Agency at 954-480-4206 or visit the project home page. [View project home page...]

The benefits of reconstructing and beautifying Hillsboro Boulevard from Federal Highway to A1A are becoming more and more evident as the transformation nears completion. Some portions of the major construction project are complete, such as drainage system improvements, new turn lanes, water main replacements, and the underground conduits that will allow for the removal of the overhead wires.

Recent work included demolition of existing walks surrounding Hillsboro Boulevard and US-1, roadway signs, irrigation piping, new streetlight foundations and new pavement for the Cove, 15th & 12th Avenue intersections, concrete curbing & pavers for pedestrian walkways and crosswalk island with traffic and safety crossing signalization.

Work scheduled for the next several weeks includes: new street lighting poles, additional asphalt for roadway intersections, existing Headwall repairs at the Little Harbor Canal, CVS driveway, two bus stop canopies followed by benches and trash receptacles, pedestrian crossing islands at US-1, Florida Power & Light inspections for undergrounding of the existing aerial electrical and make-ready operations.

The brick paver walkways, traffic signals, bus stop amenities and many decorative street lights will be finished in the next few weeks. FPL will be pulling wires through the underground conduit, transferring electrical service to the underground system, and taking out the old poles and overhead wires. After FPL finishes, the irrigation system will be finished, lush landscaping will be installed and decorative metal tree grates will surround the new trees. The final layer of asphalt will then be put down on all the travel lanes and parallel parking spaces. After the top layer of asphalt cures for 30 days, the permanent pavement striping and bike lane markings will be applied. The timetable for these final steps will be contingent upon FPL’s schedule for their work as described above.

The Hillsboro Boulevard project is a cooperative effort between the City of Deerfield Beach and the Florida Department of Transportation, funded mainly by the Deerfield Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The project was designed by the engineering firm Keith and Associates and is being constructed by general contractor Ric-Man Construction. Significant coordination will continue with the adjacent property owners, businesses, and residents to minimize disruption. Coordination with FPL, ATT and Comcast, as well as storm water regulators, traffic engineers, and other Broward County agencies has been a significant aspect of the work. Terrific patience and understanding has been shown by the residents and businesses that have endured the construction and cooperated in overcoming the challenges that have arisen. For more information about the project, you may call the Community Redevelopment Agency at 954-480-4206 or the Public Works and Environmental Services Director at 954-770-4246. [View conceptual plan]