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Survey shows Floridians like their HOAs and condo associations

Homeowners associations and community condominium boards can be highly influential in Florida with their covenants and residential stipulations. They can influence city councils and county commissions and often can be contentious with their own residents.

That’s why the Tyson Group National Research Firm has conducted a unique survey of people who live under the guidance of HOA’s and condo boards in the Sunshine State.

Tyson Group researchers found that many residents who live under the bylaws and stipulations in those community boards generally like the panels and their guidelines. However, those same residents say they’re conflicted about community associations and see them as part of the reason housing costs are skyrocketing.

“Despite the broad-based rising costs of homeownership, Floridians are positive about living in their community associations,” said Derek Falcon, of the Tallahassee-based Tyson Group. “However, Florida homeowners place much of the blame for those rising costs on overregulation from state lawmakers —  and this will inform how they will vote in November.”

Biden declares major disaster for Florida counties affected by Debby

President Joe Biden on Saturday approved a major disaster declaration for Florida counties affected by Hurricane Debby, including Manatee and Sarasota.

The president ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the storm. The assistance can come in the form of grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the storm, the declaration said.

Biden’s move makes federal funding available to those affected in the following counties:

Back to school brings new laws

Most students in Florida are headed back to class today, with some big changes coming to districts across the state.

One of the most noticeable has to do with building safety. Under a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, schools will be obligated to lock all their doors and gates during learning hours, or to have staff at any entrances that are left unlocked. The law was, in part, a response to the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

But it’s raising some concerns about implementation, including from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Commission that met earlier this month. Officers noted that students might be coming and going from classrooms outside class change times, making the new law logistically difficult to adhere to.

Some local education officials say the Legislature or the Department of Education might need to issue a clarification to make the law workable on campuses.

Snake hunters will wrangle invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades during 10-day challenge

Friday marked the start of the annual Florida Python Challenge, where hunters head into the Everglades to track down invasive Burmese pythons in hopes of grabbing a share of $30,000 in prizes.

The annual 10-day hunt, which started more than a decade ago, promotes public awareness of issues with invasive species in Florida while engaging the public in Everglades conversation, said Sarah Funck, the wildlife impact management section leader with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“They are a well-established invasive species across much of South Florida, unfortunately, in our natural areas,” Funck said of Burmese pythons.

“A huge part of this challenge is to make sure that people understand about this issue and understand that in general, when you have a non-native species present in the state for whatever purpose, don’t let it loose, that can be really detrimental to our environment.”