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PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES

The Greater Naples Chamber supports a wide range of policies at the local, state and federal level aimed at furthering our mission of cultivating economic opportunity for all. We believe efforts to make housing accessible to our workforce, protect valuable natural resources, supports those with mental or behavioral health concerns, and provide economic sustainability to businesses that want to relocate to the area are part of a community betterment plan that will help Collier County maintain its position as the best place in America to live, work and play.

Read more about Collier County's one-cent sales surtax
Read More on Economic Opportunity

Local

  • We support the use of local incentive programs to recruit, retain and expand high-wage, high-skill jobs in targeted industries that diversify the local economy.

  • We support policies and initiatives that protect private property rights, while supporting growth that fosters commercial, industrial and maker spaces; includes housing that is affordable to our workforce; and encourages sustainability.

  • We support policies, initiatives and infrastructure improvements that prepare and protect coastal communities against the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, while respecting property rights.

State
  • We support statewide incentive programs that reward and encourage the creation of high-wage, high-skill jobs in targeted industries that diversity the local, regional and statewide economy.

  • We support fully funding Visit Florida and removing the agency’s sunset clause from Florida statutes.

Read More on Workforce Training

Local

  • We support Collier County’s decision to allocate $15 million in local option sales surtax revenue to acquire or construct a career and technical education facility.

  • We support educational programs that encourage work-based learning opportunities, including mentorships, career shadowing and internships.

State
  • We support fully funding workforce education programs provided by the state technical college system, including Lorenzo Walker Technical College and Immokalee Technical College.

  • We support legislation that expands, encourages and incentivizes work-based learning opportunities, including career and technical training, internships and apprenticeships, and post-secondary education.

Read More on Workforce Housing

Local

  • We support Collier County’s decision to allocate $20 million in local option sales surtax revenue to acquire and support construction of affordable workforce housing.

  • We support the developing policies, included changes to zoning and growth management plans, that incentivize the development of affordable workforce housing for rent or purchase.

State
  • We support fully funding the Sadowski housing trust funds during the 2021-22 fiscal year.

  • We support expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care options in Southwest Florida and across the state.

  • We support initiatives that incentivize child care providers to offer infant care and non-traditional hours to better serve Florida workforce.

  • We support initiatives that encourage, promote and incentivize at-home providers to become registered child care providers.

Local
  • We support Collier County’s decision to allocate $25 million in local option sales surtax revenue to construct a mental and behavioral health central receiving center on the campus of the David Lawrence Center.

  • We support mental and behavioral health priorities identified in Collier County’s mental health strategic plan and by the Collier Coalition for Healthy Minds.

State
  • We support legislative action that eliminate barriers to access mental and behavioral health services, including eliminating the prior authorization requirement and codifying COVID-19 related emergency orders that allow for the expanded use of telehealth, including for behavioral health, in Florida.

  • We support initiatives that incentivize behavioral health clinicians to adopt electronic health records to facilitate intra-agency data sharing, data collection and outcome reporting.

  • We support integrated care models that focus on prevention and early detection, thus decreasing future health care costs to employers and government.

  • We support expanded Medicaid coverage to allow for additional, supplemental payments to providers to treat behavioral health patients.

  • We support local appropriations requests to support the development and operations of a mental and behavioral health central receiving center to support the needs of Collier and Lee counties.

  • We support Collier County’s request to build a state veterans’ nursing home on county-owned property, located near Golden Gate Parkway and Collier Blvd., and to contribute $30 million in local option sales surtax revenue for construction costs.

  • We support Collier County’s request for $14 million in operational and maintenance costs for the first two years of operations, until the facility is census is at or near capacity.

Read More on Water Quality

  • We support consistent sustained funding levels to accomplish the Everglades Agricultural Area projects and objective of sending clean water South as quickly as possible, including implementation of critical infrastructures projects north and south of Lake Okeechobee.

  • We support legislative actions implementing the Blue-Green Algae Task Force recommendations that aim to reduce nutrient pollution from all sources, in order to protect the public, businesses and the environment from harmful algal blooms.

  • We support strengthening stormwater standards for urban landscape (statewide stormwater rule update and ratification) and agricultural runoff, particularly for nutrient pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus that feeds harmful algal blooms.

  • We support funding for and plans to upgrade and build advanced wastewater treatment to reduce nutrients in reuse/reclaimed irrigation water with monitoring of nutrient concentrations.

  • We support the establishment of statewide septic tank inspection and maintenance requirements. We also support legislative action that incentivizes the use of public and private funds to upgrade septic systems or convert septic to sewer.

  • We support local appropriations requests that address aging infrastructure, improve local and regional water quality, and benefit the local and regional communities.