2000 Annual Report Page 9

marketing is accomplished through ad placements, attending travel trade shows, working with travel writers, travel agents, tour operators and consumers. More that 34,000 visitor inquiries were received, and approximately 230,000 attractions brochures were distributed locally and through the Florida Welcome Centers. For the last three years, the resort tax collections have continued to escalate and break the million-dollar figure yearly, this year's revenue increased by over $122,848 from the previous year. The Tourism award winning website was translated into three languages, German, French and Spanish. A new seven minute visitor video was completed and will be distributed to the travel trade industry. The $15,000 Tourism grants program continues to expand as well as the Treasure Coast Sports Commission by increasing more awareness of the areas sporting activities and venues. Marketing plans are being developed to promote the soon to be completed Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit located on South Hutchinson Island.

The Resource Protection Officer successfully completed the examinations to become an ISA Certified Arborist. The Vegetation Protection Committee completed its review and revisions of the "Tree Protection & Preservation" and "Landscaping & Screening" sections of the St. Lucie County Land Development Code which were approved by the BOCC in June 2000. Conscious enforcement of the County's Tree Violation Fund has grown to over $80,000 in the year 2000. The Vegetation Protection Committee completed its review and revisions of the "Tree Protection & Preservation" and "Landscaping & Screening" sections of the St. Lucie County Land Development Code. The BOCC approved these changes in June 2000. The Resource Protection Officer was successful in obtaining the VISIT Florida EcoHeritage survey grant and the Tree Spade acquisition grant. She also conducts final landscape inspections and assists in Code Enforcement issues relating to vegetation and vegetation removal.

The grants writer applied for a total of eleven grants from June 1999 through

December 1999 for a total of $3,374,200. Seven of the proposals received over $260,000 in funding including exhibit planning for the Historical Museum, a dune crossover for Ocean Bay Coastal Park, a tree spade to assist in Resource Protection and a community transportation planning project with the schools. Computer hardware, software and server upgrades were added to the GIS Department from grant funds from the transportation planning project and a One-Stop Permitting project. A total of twenty-four grants were submitted in the year 2000 for projects for the library, ecosystem restoration, bike trail and road improvements. Seven of the grants have been funded including the development of a manatee protection plan, picnic pavilions and a Zora Neale Hurston Heritage Trail. Five important grants were recently submitted to the Department of Community Affairs Emergency Management Preparedness Assistance program for improvements to the Special Needs Shelter, Fairground Portable Animal Stalls, Indian River Estates Drainage Improvement and a Wildfire Mitigation Plan. The grants writer brought in $260,000 for the grants written in 1999, $251,986 for the FIND grant, and $172,680 for the projects already funded for grants written in 2000, totaling $684,666.

The Technical Services Division continues to provide innovative solutions and support for the efficient use of computer and Geographic Information Systems technology. The Division is in the process for configure and provide interface for the Census 2000 products and is redesigning the Department's websites for better public access. The Technical Services Division provides mapping services to all other departments in the County and is heavily involved in providing graphics for the various grant applications submitted by the County. GIS will be available on desktop to internal and external users within the near future, and a new comprehensive building permitting system will be on line shortly facilitating one-stop permitting and user interface.