St. Lucie Commissioners Earn Two 2013 NACO Awards
The Board of County Commissioners earned an Achievement Award in the Civic Education and Public Information Category for its Sea Turtle-Friendly Beaches Campaign and in the Public Safety Category for its Fleet Watch Program.
“Once again, it’s wonderful to be recognized on a national level for the efforts of our Board and dedicated staff, especially for two programs that have such a positive impact on public safety and the environment,” said St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Tod Mowery.
The Sea Turtle Friendly Beach Campaign is a program that educates St. Lucie County’s coastal residents about proper sea turtle lighting regulations. Administered by staff members from the IFAS/St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension Office, Media Relations, the Mosquito Control and Coastal Management Services Department, the Tourism Division and Code Compliance Division, the program has resulted in improved code compliance, record numbers of sea turtles nesting on County beaches since 2001, and increased public knowledge of sea turtle biology and conservation. Created by the County’s Solid Waste Division, the Fleet Watch program works with law enforcement agencies to train field crews on how to spot and report suspicious activities in the community. The program has put an additional 2,000 eyes and ears on the streets, helping law enforcement agencies observe, report and solve criminal cases.
NACo's Achievement Awards recognize innovative programs development by counties in 21 different categories. Award winners were announced last week. St. Lucie County was one of 12 Florida counties to be recognized in the 2013 Achievement Award program, along with Broward, Dade, Flagler, Hillsborough, Leon, Manatee, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties. During the past four years, St. Lucie County’s has received 12 Achievement Awards for its various programs and services.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo's membership totals more than 2,000 counties, representing more than 80 percent of the nation's population. For more information visit: www.naco.org.