This month the Greater Naples Chamber provided members the opportunity to network with local lawmakers at Pints & Politics. The event took place at The Cove at Paradise Sports Complex where attendees were able to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, beverages and open conversation.

Local lawmakers included State Rep. Lauren Melo, State Rep. Bob Rommel, Collier County Commission Chairwoman Penny Taylor, Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro and Collier County Commissioner Andy Solis.

Are you're interested in hearing the latest updates on policy issues at the federal, state and local levels? Sign up for the Chamber's public policy email, Advocacy Watch, or find ways to get involved. ​

The 2021 legislative session ended April 30, shortly after Florida lawmakers approved a $101 billion budget for fiscal 2021-22.

The Greater Naples Chamber advocated for a variety of issues, ranging from COVID-19 liability protections to increased funding for career and technical education, during the 2021 legislative session. Although the Florida Capitol was closed to the public due to COVID-19 protocols, the Greater Naples Chamber stayed in regular contact with legislators throughout the 60-day session.
​
WHERE WE STAND

• The Greater Naples Chamber supported proposals ((HB7/SB72) to provide liability protections to businesses and other organizations for damages related to COVID-19.
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 72, which provides a variety of COVID-19 liability protections, into law on March 29.
• The Chamber supported proposals (HB15/SB50) to require online retailers to collect sales tax on goods sold in Florida.
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 50 into law on April 19.
    • The law requires out-of-state, online retailers to collect sales tax on goods sold in Florida. Money collected will be used to replenish the unemployment compensation trust fund until it reaches pre-pandemic levels.
    • Once the unemployment trust fund is replenished, revenue generated from out-of-state, online sales tax collection will be used to reduce the commercial lease tax rate to 2%.
      • The Chamber has advocated for the state to reduce, and eventual eliminate, the commercial lease tax.

Workforce training

• Collier County will receive about $10 million for workforce development funding in fiscal 2021-22, which is the same as current year’s funding. Under the budget approved by state lawmakers, Collier remains 88% funded.
• The Legislature considered several bills that addressed workforce programs, work-based learning and internships.
  • The Legislature approved HB 1507, which coordinates data collection among state workforce and education programs, and only pays workforce partner programs that show results.
  •  The House approved HB 1505, which would have required state career planning resources be provided to students, create and establish criteria for work-based learning opportunities and require the Department of Education to establish minimum standards for governing apprenticeships. The bill did not get a vote in the Senate, and died when the session adjourned.

 
Workforce housing

• The Legislature approved SB 2512, which changes how much money is distributed to affordable housing trust funds. The bill splits the documentary stamp revenues between the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, sea level rise projects and wastewater grants.
  • The affordable housing trust fund is expected to receive approximately $200 million in fiscal 2021-22.
  • The bill also prevents funds distributed to the state and local housing trust funds from being transferred to the general fund.

Water quality

• The Florida Legislature included significant funding for environmental projects in the budget, including:
  • $500 million for wastewater grant programs
  • $360 million for Everglades restoration
  • $354 million for water quality improvements, which includes funding to administer the wastewater grant program and incentives to upgrade septic systems.
  • $108 million for water quality improvements related to the Blue Green Algae Task Force.

The Collier County Business Climate Survey Report, published in partnership between Collier County Government, the Greater Naples Chamber, and Florida Gulf Coast University, provides primary research to the business community, elected officials, and other concerned citizens in an effort to gauge the state of Collier County’s economy over time as well as impressions and concerns about it in the future. The survey respondents are executives from a broad range of industry and company size across Collier County. Below are highlights from the Q1 2021 report.

 Economic Conditions

• 81% of respondents expect economic conditions to be moderately or substantially better next year.

 
Investment

• 46% of respondents plan to moderately or substantially increase investment over the next year versus 9% who plan to moderately reduce investment.

 
Hiring Trends

• 31% -of respondents moderately or substantially increased hiring over the last year versus 15% who moderately reduced employment.
• 56% of respondents plan to moderately or substantially increase employment over the next year versus 2% who plan to moderately reduce employment. 

Special Topic  

• Minimum wage measures taken (see below infographic)

The Leadership Collier Foundation (LCF) recently hosted a “Celebration Meeting” to recognize the growing body of work in leadership, mentorship, and talent development impacting our community.
 
The Leadership Collier Foundation is the Chamber’s 501c3 Foundation, specifically focused on developing community leaders to become informed and engaged on community issues and opportunities and become the difference-makers. 
 
For 32 years, the LCF has cultivated a leadership network that shaped Collier County for the better. LCF Alumni can be found in several of our highest and most critical leadership roles, responding to our community’s calls-to-action like no other. Because they are now a part of this informed and engaged, they can work together, and with us to address our community’s most challenging needs, from housing or talent, to the environment or health care. There is tremendous power this network of leadership has in being the difference-makers we need for a stronger Collier County. 
 
As the LCF wrapped up the 2020 fiscal year last May, we were able to successfully educate and cultivate an additional 117 local leaders, from youth to young professionals, to senior executives. And after surveying all graduates in 2020, 94% of them felt inspired to take on additional community leadership roles to build a stronger Collier—and if there were ever a year where community leadership was needed—this was it!  
 
Like so many, 2020 also came with its many challenges. We questioned how we would be able to continue our mission, when our ability to provide experiential learning was put to a sudden halt.
 
It was not more than 2 weeks post the “stay at home” order that the Leadership Collier Foundation began to shift to virtual education to assure our community leaders were informed and engaged on weekly topics, focusing on health care, education, first response, mental health, government, and more. 
 
Virtual education programming continued through the fall, until we began our first, in-person (and safely managed) education sessions for class members and alumni, beginning with Youth Leadership Collier in October. 
 
Through a variety of creative solutions, from outdoor concepts, to postponing sessions, and only because of our incredibly strong network of community partnerships, we have continued on with 100% of our leadership and alumni programming to assure the foundation of our foundation—LEADERSHIP—is stronger than ever. 
 
And we didn’t just continue our mission—we strengthened it. 

• In June of 2020, we developed the Leadership Collier Foundation’s first ever 3-year Strategic Plan, in partnership with the LCF Board of Advisors, to provide a clear vision and structure for our future success. 

 

• Created a new alumni committee, focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to assure we are best addressing needs on this topic within our own body of work. 

 

• Incorporated a new community leadership project for Youth Leadership Collier, in partnership with the Collier County Community Foundation, in which our YLC class members were able to make a difference by deploying a $10,000 grant to mission’s they felt passionate about, including housing and talent development. 

 

• Working on future educational programming to educate and engage hundreds more citizens on community leadership opportunities. 

 

• Strengthened efforts on matching needs, as we work to formally connect alumni to needs within the community, from mentoring students to board and advisory positions. 

 
The chamber’s Work-Based Learning initiative through the Leadership Collier Foundation also pivoted to assure the work of student-business connections, education, and experiences marched on. The Work-Based Learning initiative is a talent development strategy that provides students with real-life work experiences where students can apply academic and technical skills to develop their employability. The Greater Naples Chamber’s goal is to build and maintain a qualified, motivated and diverse workforce which is critical to the success of our local employers.  This last year, the LCF:

• Successfully connected students to internships, information interviews, and job shadowing experiences.

 

• Conducted virtual mentoring sessions, virtual guest speakers, virtual mock interviews, and a virtual tech expo to connect high school students to local tech experts. 

 

• Currently working on our first employer video with Lenkbar which highlights a local employer and showcases their various career opportunities to students. 

 

• Reaching over 5,000 students since its inception in 2018 by educating and connecting students to local careers through hands-on, work-related experiences.

 
 
We invite you view our LCF Celebration video below and hear testimonials from LCF Alumni, students, and employers on how this work has activated their potential in building a stronger Collier.