City of Hallandale Beach plugs into innovative electric vehicle research program with free EV charging

The City of Hallandale Beach today unveiled four new electric vehicle charging stations in its City Hall parking lot to encourage our employees and the residents who visit City Hall to adopt plug-in vehicles. The charging infrastructure is part of Florida Power & Light Company’s new electric vehicle research initiative, FPL EVolution.

“We are excited to be an FPL EVolution partner,” said Hallandale Beach’s Sustainability & Resiliency Officer. “Free charging for electric vehicles is a state-of-the-art employee benefit and community amenity that aligns with our organization’s sustainability goals and will help more drivers get behind the wheel of these environmentally friendly cars and trucks.”

FPL EVolution chargers double as research stations and collect valuable data to help FPL further advance electric transportation in Florida, the third-largest EV state in the Country. Employees with access to EV charging at their jobs are six times more likely to drive electric vehicles, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“FPL has been at the forefront of advancing affordable clean energy for decades,” said Matt Valle, FPL Vice President, Development. “Through FPL EVolution, we’re partnering with organizations that value sustainability to make Florida a leader in electric transportation.”

FPL plans to install more than 1,000 charging points at more than 100 locations across the state, including large employers, popular destinations, and Florida Turnpike Service Plazas. The company estimates FPL EVolution could increase the availability of charging stations, which is a key factor in the efficient growth of EVs, by more than 50% alone.

Since at least 2007, coyotes have been found in all of Florida’s 67 counties. Coyotes arrived in Florida as part of a natural range expansion from western states and they now live in every state except Hawaii. The coyote found in Hallandale Beach appeared to be injured and was taken for medical care at the South Florida Wildlife Center. The coyote is doing well and is under observation with an anticipated release into a natural area in the next few days.
 
For more information about coyotes, you can attend an upcoming virtual “Living with Coyotes” workshop on Tuesday, March 30^th at 7 pm. Register for the virtual workshop here. You can also find a number of resources on the Fish & Wildlife Conservation’s Coyote Website.

City Commission Approves First Electric Vehicles in City's Fleet

Last night the City Commission approved the purchase of the City’s first two electric vehicles for our fleet! Last year, the Hallandale Beach CRA purchased their first electric vehicle as well. The City intends to transition a total of 38 of its fleet vehicles to electric over the next 10 years as the existing vehicles reach their end of life. This number is expected to increase as affordable electric trucks enter the market. Keep your eye out for when these new City EVs hit the road!

Earth Day Webinar

Join us for a webinar on Earth Day (April 22) at Noon to learn all about the City’s Sustainability & Resilience Efforts. We will present on progress on the Sustainability Action Plan, preliminary projects and standards to adapt to sea-level rise, and share ways in which the public can help the City improve the overall sustainability of our community. Volunteer hours will be available to students to attend and participate. 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/98569658939...
Passcode: 696366
Or One tap mobile :
US: +13126266799,,98569658939# or +16465588656,,98569658939#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 985 6965 8939
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/abmw13akVy 

Help us with the City's Climate Action Plan

45% by 2030, that’s the goal for the City's first Climate Action Plan. How would you like us to get there? We will only know if you tell us. Share your thoughts, concerns, and priorities with us – there are no bad ideas. We’re still gathering your input on actions and details before we put together the first draft. If you need some inspiration, we recommend taking a look at Project Drawdown. Get engaged on www.haveyoursayhallandale.org between now and May to ensure your ideas make it in our first Climate Action Plan!

Mark your calendars for a public meeting about the Climate Action Plan

After we receive all your feedback by the end of May for the Climate Action Plan, we will be putting together a draft of the Plan. We will bring that draft to our community through a virtual meeting on June 21, 2021 at 5:30 PM. Get the link for the zoom and more information here. We really want this Plan to be something we create together, so please share your ideas between now and May and attend the meeting in June to give us feedback on what we've created so far.

City Nature Challenge starts April 30

We encourage you to participate in a citizen science challenge taking place from April 30 through May 9 called the City Nature Challenge. For this challenge, you simply need to take pictures of wild plants and animals and upload them to a smartphone app called iNaturalist. Scientists all over the world use the data collected through the iNaturalist app. This challenge is a great way to have some socially distant competition among friends, neighbors, and family members, and all for a great cause!

Sea Turtle Nesting Season

Sea Turtle Nesting Season started on March 1 in Broward County. During Sea Turtle Season there are many things you can to do support these endangered animals:

• Keep the beach dark. Shield or turn off any lights that can be seen onto the beach. This includes interior lights from buildings on the barrier island, as well as outdoor lighting.
• Keep beaches clear of marine debris or trash that a sea turtle could get entangled in or eat.
• Remember that plastic bags, plastic straws, balloons, and Styrofoam of any kind are not allowed on beaches within City limits.
• Fill in any holes and knock over sandcastles when you leave the beach. These can be obstacles for nesting turtles or emerging hatchlings.
• If you see a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle or hatchling(s) in Broward County call 954-328-0580.
• Realize that sea turtles are endangered species and that even touching them without the proper permits could be considered against the Endangered Species Act. When in doubt, call the Broward Sea Turtle Conservation Program at 954-328-0580.
• Be patient with us regarding sargassum seaweed management. Our equipment is not allowed on the beach until the daily sea turtle surveys have been completed during sea turtle nesting season. This may result in delays in us getting the beach tractor on the beach.
• Reduce your personal plastic consumption and waste. We use plastic for seconds, but it takes thousands of years for it to break down. 

Get in touch or involved with Sustainability & Resilience

If you're interested in learning more about Sustainability & Resilience in the City or if you want to get more involved, please reach out to our Sustainability & Resiliency Officer Alyssa Jones Wood at ajoneswood@cohb.org and visit cohb.org/green.