SunSentinel Mention

November 22, 2019

Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP

President, Chen Moore and Associates

Last week: Earlier this week, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown through mid-December. While short-term spending measures are by no means ideal, the good news is the bill included an allocation of $7.3 billion to the Census Bureau so the agency has the resources needed to achieve a complete count in the 2020 census. This funding could not come at a better time, particularly in light of newly-updated reports showing the Census will impact the distribution of $1.5 trillion dollars, up from previous estimates of $880 billion. #GetCounted!

Looking ahead: Kudos to the Broward County Commission, County Administration, and Office of Economic & Small Business Development (OESBD) for consistently proactive efforts to include our entire community in the benefits generated by the penny transportation surtax. When the County Commission voted to place the surtax referendum on the ballot, there was unanimous approval for a 30% small business participation goal. This means hundreds of millions of dollars being pumped into our small businesses over the course of 30 years. Broward's small businesses are the backbone that drives our economy forward, and they'll continue to do so well into the future.

SunSentinel Mention

November 15, 2019

Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP

President, Chen Moore and Associates

Last week: This past Wednesday, the Dutch Assembly passed a measure lowering speed limits on all roadways to 60 mph in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Major building projects for roads and airports have been put on hold in the Eurozone's fifth-biggest economy as the government seeks ways to meet the mandating court order. It has also brought in changes to farmers' working methods, for example for animal feed. These represent major economic sacrifices for climate change. What would this mean if the US had to comply? Logistics, construction and agriculture mean so much to our economy.

Looking ahead: In addition to its impact on government funding and representation, data gathered by the 2020 Census will have an extraordinary influence on both short and long-term economic activity. In fact, the business community is the largest consumer of census data in the country. Companies of all sizes rely on the Census to make decisions on opening new stores, marketing products, investing in new services for customers, and so much more. In total, businesses use data from the Census to make decisions that determine the flow of almost $4 trillion in annual private investment! On April 1, 2020, get counted! #ShapeYourFuture

SunSentinel Mention

November 8, 2019

Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP

President, Chen Moore and Associates

Last week: Last week, SB 710 was filed requiring that the entire envelope of certain buildings being constructed or rebuilt be impact resistant and constructed with high wind-resistant construction materials. While this is second nature to those of us in South Florida, it could bear significant cost for other areas of the State. This is a great reminder that while the Florida Legislature won’t start session until January, it is truly during the Committee Weeks that the real activity gets started.

Looking ahead: With the 2020 Census just around the corner, the Census Bureau is looking to hire between eleven and twelve thousand Broward County residents to work as Census enumerators beginning in January. In addition to competitive wages, weekly paychecks, and flexible hours, you can help shape your community’s future and ensure that Broward has the resources it needs for schools, roads, housing, hospitals, healthcare, and more. Did I mention it impacts our representation in Congress? For more information or to fill out an application, visit https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.htmlor call 1-800-JOB-2020. You may also use the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY/ASCII.