City of Port St. Lucie Mortgage and Rental Assistance

City of PSL Advisory #18 on COVID-19

 

PORT ST. LUCIE – The City continues to adapt to the evolving situation regarding the COVID-19 virus. As of 5 p.m. Friday, May 8, 2020, the City of Port St. Lucie had these updates:

City Manager’s Weekly Video Update: Port St. Lucie City Manager Russ Blackburn’s latest weekly video update is now available to watch here.

Mortgage and Rental Assistance: On Monday, May 11, 2020, the City Council will be voting and reviewing proposals regarding assistance to help with hardship due to COVID-19. There are two sources of funding they will consider providing, both emergency rental and mortgage assistance. The Council will also discuss eligibility and how residents can apply.

Port St. Lucie’s City Council holds regular meetings that occur on the second and fourth Mondays of every month at 6:30 p.m. (depending on holidays). There are three ways to watch City Council meetings:

• Visit the City’s website at www.CityofPSL.com/TV


• Cable customers tune in to AT&T UVerse Channel 99, Comcast 20, and Blue Stream Fiber Channel 20


• Watch it live on the City of Port St. Lucie’s Facebook @CityofPSL

 

Waste Pro Reminder: All Waste Pro services are operational. Please have all waste out for pickup no later than 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. For your convenience, waste may be set out the night before your collection day. If customers experience a delay in collection, please contact our Waste Pro Liaison at (772) 873-6317. Customers may also text questions or concerns for trash pickup to (772) 202-5150. Waste Pro and the City are asking residents not to throw away cans or buckets of paint unless the paint is completely dry, and the lids are removed. You can put fresh kitty litter in the cans or buckets to help dry out the paint. Additionally, there are products available for purchase at home improvement stores that will cause the paint to harden quicker.

1PSL

Residents are encouraged to download the 1PSL app to stay connected with Port St. Lucie’s City Hall – no matter the time or day. Citizens can use the 1PSL mobile app to request services, pay their utility bill, ask questions, and learn about City news and updates. The new 1PSL mobile app is free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.  Those who prefer to use the telephone can call 772-871-1775 (1PSL) at any time of the day and reach a 1PSL navigator who can assist with questions or requests. For those who prefer to use their computer, the 1PSL web portal can be accessed at www.cityofpsl.com/1PSL.

Social Media and Website:

The City’s COVID-19 webpage https://www.cityofpsl.com/covid19 is accessible with all relevant information. The City’s Facebook page @CityofPSL and the City’s Twitter page, @CityPortStLucie and NextDoor App page also will have up-to-the-minute information.

Happy Mother's Day

On this Mother’s Day Weekend, we want to send out a special wish to ALL the Mom’s, that have blessed and graced our lives.

Mother’s are some of the strongest people that we have ever known.  We admire ALL of the Mom’s for their Strength, Kindness and Compassion.

Mother’s are Our Teachers and Our Best Friends.

We don’t say it often enough, but Our Mother’s mean the world to each and every one of us, and every year that passes, we are more grateful for every Mother each and everyday!

Today and every day, it is our honor to wish each and every mom a Very Happy Mother’s Day!

Your Friends at the Mortgage Masters Group.

 

St. Lucie County reopening select parks, facilities Thursday May 7th

Several county parks and facilities will reopen Thursday, but with restrictions following state and federal guidelines regarding the coronavirus,  the county said Wednesday.

The Savannas Recreation Area and Campground, 1400 E. Midway Road, will begin taking overnight reservations Thursday  but only 16 sites, about 25% of the spaces, will be available, according to the county news release.

Tent camping and access to the dog park, playground, Palm Island, pavilions and picnic tables will remain prohibited. Congregating in groups of 10 or more also remains prohibited.

The track at Lawnwood Stadium, 1302 Virginia Ave., will open for individual use, but group sports and practices will not be allowed.

St. Lucie County Skate Park, 2100 Virginia Ave., will reopen with limited access. Only 10 skaters at a time will be allowed in the park. If attendance becomes an issue, time will be limited to one hour.

Skaters with active annual memberships will be reimbursed for one month when their card expires because of the shutdown.

Lawnwood Tennis Complex, 1302 Virginia Ave., and Pepper Park Tennis and Pickleball Courts, 3302 North A1A, will resume operations with only four players allowed per court.

The St. Lucie County Fairgrounds, 15601 W. Midway Road, will reopen for outdoor events such as dog shows and equestrian events with limited capacity.

Horsebacking riding on the beach has resumed at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3500 South A1A, both for the Tours on Horseback and individual permit holders. Those with annual permits to ride on the beach will be provided a 41-day extension when their certificates expire.

Fairwinds Golf Course, 4400 Fairwinds Drive, resumed operations Friday, with limitations such as single-rider golf carts, expanded tee times and online/telephone booking only. The Rusty Putter restaurant is open for take-out orders only.

Facilities still closed are St. Lucie County Aquarium and Regional History Center, 420 Seaway Drive; and all park playgrounds, basketball courts and athletic fields.

 

Read the Article online Here

Keona Gardner covers the cities of Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County. Contact her at 772-221-4206 or keona.gardner@tcpalm.com with news tips.

‘Goat 2 Meeting’ Service Lets Farm Animals Make Cameo Appearance on Your Next Zoom Call to Support Shelter

We’ve seen some incredible displays of creativity during the long weeks of COVID-19 self-isolating. (GNN even produced a fun television pilot.) But nothing quite matches the brilliant strategy of a California animal shelter which is struggling to pay its bills during the lockdown.

Sweet Farm Animal Shelter, a nonprofit sanctuary started by a Silicon Valley tech employee, is using the animals’ daily empty schedules to inject humor into hundreds of business meetings taking place—by necessity, now—over Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other video chat program.

Teleconference organizers can contact Sweet Farm and for less than $100 have one of the farm animals make an appearance during their next video-conference call—sitting in as a rather distracted member of the group.

The initiative is known as Goat 2 Meeting, which is a pun based on another popular teleconference software, GoToMeeting. Not only goats are available, though. You can arrange visits from turkeys, sheep, pigs, and llamas, as well.

For readers who haven’t used Zoom, the caller who is speaking is the one who appears on the screen, so imagine a goat bleat not only interrupting your boss, but replacing his face with a goat’s!

Speaking with Business Insider, Anna Sweet, the brains behind Goat 2 Meeting reported that more than 300 requests for animals have come in since the middle of March when they launched the program. One video conference set up for lawyers sent notices that their kids were invited to the call to take a virtual tour of the farm.

“I think we’re all a little stressed with what’s going on — many of us have been sitting inside,” Sweet told Business Insider. “We’re just hoping to bring some smiles to people’s faces, while bringing them out to the farm at the same time.”

If you are interested in bringing a farm animal onboard for your next teleconference, fill out the request form on the Goat 2 Meeting website.

Share the Good News Network with your friends, family & co-workers and spread some much needed sunshine and laughs.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This day marks a historic victory by the Mexican army over the invading French. The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862. The Mexicans were largely outnumbered. However, led by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin they managed to hold off and defeat the French.

Cinco de Mayo isn’t Mexican Independence Day. But it has come to symbolize pride in Mexican heritage and resistance to foreign domination. In California, it has been celebrated since 1863, and it has become an annual ritual of Mexican-American culture.  In fact, Los Angeles, CA boasts some of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations anywhere!

So however you choose to celebrate the day… Happy Cinco de Mayo to all.

GUIDANCE FOR SEEKING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS?

The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has announced new requirements and application processes for individuals seeking unemployment benefits:

If you are self-employed, a contracted worker or gig worker and applied for unemployment benefits prior to April 4, the DEO has advised that claimants must resubmit a new unemployment claim.

The DEO has released a “Benefits Scenario” flow chart to advise claimants how to apply for benefits based on their current unemployment status.

If you are seeking to apply for a new unemployment benefit claim, claimants should apply at https://covid19.floridajobs.org.

COVID-19 Safety Recommendations for Essential Businesses