Page 15 - Abacoa Community News - September '23

Abacoa, Page 15
Town Of Jupiter News

By Jim Kuretski, deliver excellent levels of service at a lower, more sustainable In late 2022, the Town
Mayor, Town of Jupiter cost to Jupiter residents and businesses. retained the Center for
The Town Council works with our town manager, staff, The Town Council will have local control over costs, Public Safety Management
and others to address issues affecting our residents and operations, and levels of service. This will enable the council (CPSM) to conduct a Fire
businesses. The following provides a summary of actions and to make fiscally responsible decisions on behalf of Jupiter’s and EMS Sustainability
achievements since last month’s community newspaper report: residents and businesses. It significantly decreases the cost of and Feasibility Study that
Created New Jupiter Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) fire rescue and emergency services compared to that charged explored different service
On Aug. 15 the Jupiter Town Council directed Town staff by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR), currently and provider options for future
to create the new Jupiter Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) to into the future. fire and EMS services.
The study outlined start-up
costs, ongoing operational
Tax Talk from page 14 Visit our website at www.pbctax.com/careers for the costs, and a 36-month
latest open positions and you could enjoy our no nights, no implementation timeline for creating the JFRD.
• Tax Services (batch processing and payment processing) weekends schedule! In July 2023, the Town and Palm Beach County
– is made up of two departments that handle services related executed a 10-year interlocal agreement for PBCFR to
to payments. continue providing fire rescue and EMS services to Jupiter.
• Administrative Support: PBCFR’s costs to provide service to Jupiter have risen
about 40 percent from $20 million in 2020 to a proposed
Communications & New Produces all budget of $28 million for fiscal year 2024. By the end
Group Media (CNMG) communications, marketing of the 10-year interlocal agreement, which runs through
campaigns and community 2033, the projected PBCFR budget is estimated to be $44
engagement activities. million, and possibly more.
Excellence Manages strategic change A homesteaded Jupiter property valued at $550,000
and t he c onti nuous will pay about $951 in 2024 for PBCFR fire rescue
improvement of processes, services. This represents a significant cost as well as a
projects, and performance. significant cost savings opportunity.
Finance And Budget Recording and reporting of Over the 10-year time frame of the interlocal
financial transactions and agreement, it is forecasted that Jupiter taxpayers will
the distribution of over $4 save approximately $68 million by establishing the new
billion in taxes, licenses, JFRD, when compared to maintaining the agreement with
and fees. PBCFR.

The Town has historically managed its financial
Human Resources Initiates hiring, maintains positions well, which will enable the Town to start the
employee records and JFRD through a combination of cash, financial debt and
distributes benefit ad valorem taxes. Even when start-up costs and financing
information. costs are incorporated, Jupiter residents and businesses
Legal Ensures compliance with all will pay far less in taxes once the JFRD is operational
laws governing the agency. than they currently pay to PBCFR for the same service.
Information Technology Maintains all computer The Town of Jupiter has established a culture of
software, hardware, and excellence in public safety. The Jupiter Police Department
technical equipment for the sets this benchmark every day, and JFRD will start its
agency. service from a position of excellence on day one.
Stay tuned.
Keep Kids Safe As They Head Back To School

Center For Child Counseling Launches smart choices in all areas as they become healthy, powerful Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
Bekidsafe.Org Platform To Ensure All adults. For teachers, schools, districts, and parents interested
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Children Grow Up Safe From Abuse CampSafe ultimately serves the same purpose as Stay in learning more about how to be proactive in preventing
KidSafe!™ but is training for camp leadership and staff. and responding to child sexual abuse, visit bekidsafe.org

Twenty-eight states, including Florida, and D.C. have For summer 2022, more than 7,000 camp staff across 54 or email info@centerforchildcounseling.org to learn more.
passed legislation mandating instruction within schools camps participated in the CampSafe training program. Layman emphasized, “Education is the key to prevention
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on child sexual abuse awareness and prevention, as of Sexual abuse and human trafficking can have long- – we must empower our schools, homes, and communities
January 2023. Unfortunately, 14 states have no laws in lasting physical and emotional effects, including: with the tools to teach children and adults how to keep kids
place. With the start of the new school year, Center for depression, eating disorders, self-blame, self-destructive safe. It’s time we move beyond awareness and take action
Child Counseling (CFCC) wants to ensure every student behaviors, intergenerational cyclical abuse, learning to stop sexual abuse before it happens so kids can grow up
throughout Florida, and across the United States, is disabilities, drug abuse. to be healthy, powerful adults!”
protected and safe from abuse. To attain this goal, the “As devastating as this public health crisis is, sexual
Palm Beach Gardens-based agency recently launched abuse and these long-term effects can be prevented through
beKidSafe.org – an online platform with prevention education. We created beKidSafe.org to make it easy for About Center For Child Counseling
education for all adults who work with children. ALL adults to become trauma-aware and recognize and Center for Child Counseling has been building the
Every nine minutes, a child is a victim of sexual abuse stop childhood trauma and abuse in its tracks,” stated Renée foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for
and assault (rainn.org). Florida ranks third in the nation Layman, CEO for Center for Child Counseling. children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999.
in calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline. It is The training programs and workshops offered on Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of
reported far too often—teachers, coaches, pastors, priests, beKidSafe.org were developed by professionals with adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting
family members, friends, neighbors, political and business expertise in sexual abuse prevention and training. Center resiliency and healthy family, school, and community
leaders charged with sexual assault. One in four girls and for Child Counseling partnered with experts in learning relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org, Twitter: @
one in thirteen boys will report they were sexually abused and development, using the most up-to-date elearn method ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling,
by the age of 18. 70 to 90 percent of commercially exploited utilizes engaging, child-friendly content, including Instagram: @childcounselpbc
youth have a history of child sexual abuse. Awareness of professionally animated
these offenders and those victims being grotesquely violated videos and age-appropriate
and trafficked is not enough: the abuse needs to be stopped safety skills and lessons.
before it happens! Stay KidSafe!™ is available
beKidSafe.org is a platform for educators, camp staff, at no cost to child-serving
and other child-facing professionals to easily access online organizations and schools in
training programs, like Stay KidSafe!™ and CampSafe , Palm Beach County, Fla., and
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and workshops to learn how to keep children safe through reduced cost to other schools
effective strategies that prevent abuse, build safety and and districts throughout the
communication skills, promote positive relationships and state and country thanks
resilience, and identify risk early. to financial support from
Stay KidSafe!™ is an online training designed to provide partner organizations, such as:
educators and students with the awareness and knowledge Impact the Palm Beaches, the
needed to prevent child sexual abuse. Since 2009, the Stay Morgridge Family Foundation,
KidSafe!™ program has empowered more than 60,000 Boca Regional Hospital, Boca
children with personal safety education and has taught West Children’s Foundation,
more than 50,000 parents, guardians, teachers, and child- The Batchelor Foundation,
serving professionals how to keep kids safe. In addition First Horizon Foundation,
to protecting children from sexual abuse, KidSafe teaches Florida Blue Foundation, and
children safety tools and skills that help them make safe and Community Foundation for