With the new year, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce kicks off efforts to meet the legislative priorities set last year by the board of directors to advocate on behalf of its members.
Chamber president and chief executive officer John Lai already took a solid step toward water quality advocacy, one of the board’s two-pronged objectives, with attendance at the Everglades Coalition Conference held Jan. 9-13 at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island.
The largest forum for discussing restoration progress in the Florida Everglades, its programming focused on the major role the Everglades plays in ensuring clean water for Southwest Florida shorelines.
Later this month, chamber representatives will travel to Tallahassee to again support water quality, along with part two of the chamber’s legislative priorities, namely funding for and stabilization of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency.
On Jan. 21, for Tourism Day in the state capital, the push will be to support Visit Florida, which is set to dissolve in June if not re-funded for another year. Last year, the legislature decreased the agency’s funding by 34 percent, from $75 to $50 million, for fiscal 2019-20.
“We will urge legislators to increase the appropriations back to full funding for the upcoming fiscal year, with hopes to effect long-term reauthorization of Visit Florida following that,” said Lai. “This year’s cut meant the loss of one-thirds of the agency’s staff, which really hurt. Visit Florida is crucial for promoting tourism worldwide and asserting a positive state image when national media misrepresents us.”
On Jan. 30, more than 35 Southwest Florida Alliance of Chambers members and staff will attend Southwest Florida Day in the legislature. Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber is a founding member of the alliance, which coalesced seven local chambers in the wake of 2018’s algae catastrophe.
Chamber representatives will meet with legislators and testify in the House and Senate on various pertinent issues including improved water quality through strengthened standards for storm-water and agricultural runoff, advanced wastewater treatment, septic tank requirements, and funding for reservoirs and structures around Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.
“Our objective is to send clean water south and west as quickly as possible,” said Lai, who also serves on the Water Resource Accountability and Collaboration Committee for the South Florida Water Management District. “The climate for strong support is good right now at the federal and state executive levels, thanks to our efforts last year, and we mean to reinforce that sentiment.”
Other issues Southwest Florida chamber members plan to support in Tallahassee include increased funding for Southwest Florida transportation studies and improvements and policy development for affordable workforce housing.
“The chamber last year began the Southwest Florida Day bus trip to Tallahassee, and it was highly successful,” said Lai. “This year we hope to build on that momentum in more ways that benefit our membership and the region as a whole.”
Lai also will be representing the islands and Southwest Florida in Tallahassee in February for Everglades Coalition Action Day and in March during appropriations legislation.
ABOUT SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting the prosperity of its members and preserving the quality of life of our community. With over 560 active Chamber members from both islands including businesses from Lee and Collier counties, the Chamber plays a key role in facilitating communication and cooperation between business, residents and government to enhance the economic health of the islands. The Francis P. Bailey, Jr. Chamber Visitor Center is located at the entrance to Sanibel Island and welcomes over 160,000 visitors each year. VISIT FLORIDA named the Visitor Center one of thirteen official Florida Certified Tourism Information Centers. The Visitor Center is open 365 days a year and provides visitors with comprehensive information about things to do, places to visit, where to stay, shop and dine. The Chamber website http://sanibel-captiva.org receives over 1.3 million website visits per year.
For more information about the chamber, visit sanibel-captiva.org or contact Ashley Pignato, member services manager, at 239-472-8255 or [email protected].
