Extreme weather is the new pandemic for Florida businesses reliant on tourism

For small businesses that rely on summer tourism to keep afloat, extreme weather is replacing the pandemic as the determining factor in how well a summer will go. The pandemic had its ups and downs for tourism, with a total shutdown followed by a rush of vacations due to pent-up demand. This year, small businesses say vacation cadences are returning to normal. But now, they have extreme weather to deal with — many say it's hurting business, but more temperate spots are seeing a surge. [Source: WFSU]

Business Beat - Week of September 8th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

AccuWeather updates hurricane season forecast, predicting 3-5 major hurricanes

With less than three months left in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season — and a possible Category 5 hurricane brewing in the Atlantic — AccuWeather has updated its seasonal forecast. The biggest difference: forecasters are now predicting more major hurricanes. The season has been ahead of the historical average and forecasters said they now expect more major hurricanes to develop than predicted in earlier forecasts. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Florida teachers seek better pay from their districts’ booming budgets

It’s time for school boards around Florida to consider final adoption of their budgets for the fiscal year that started July 1. Most districts are projecting spending more than a year earlier, as revenues rise even while tax rates decline. As they examine the numbers, teachers are asking why more of the money isn’t being made available for pay raises. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

How a Florida fight could help Democrats win Congress or bring a constitutional clash

A fast-tracked Florida Supreme Court decision on whether a North Florida congressional district drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis is legally valid could either help Democrats retake Congress in 2024 or set up a historic showdown between the state and U.S. constitutions. The state has appealed a state circuit judge’s ruling from this past weekend that the map designed to eliminate a Black district was in violation of Florida law. The high court, which contains a supermajority of conservatives appointed by DeSantis, could uphold that decision or strike down the state’s Fair Districts Amendments, which have acted as a bulwark against gerrymandering since their passage by voters in 2010. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› DeSantis’ tourism district agrees to narrow Disney federal lawsuit [Orlando Sentinel]
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ tourism oversight district agreed Thursday to narrow Disney’s federal lawsuit to just the issue of free speech. Disney wants to focus on what its lawyers call “a retaliatory weaponization of government in violation of Disney’s First Amendment rights,” leaving other matters dealing with development agreements and contracts to be resolved in state court. On Sept. 1, federal Judge Allen Winsor rejected Disney’s motion to narrow the lawsuit because of a procedural rule requiring it to confer with the state’s lawyers.

› Lake Worth Beach becomes Florida’s first 'LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City' ... what does that mean? [Ocala Star Banner]
Lake Worth Beach has solidified itself as a safe place for LGBTQ+ people in a move that may be the first of its kind in Florida. Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to declare the city a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people, along with all other gender identities and sexual orientations.

› Clevelander announces plans to replace iconic Ocean Drive spot with affordable housing [Miami Herald]
The owners of the Clevelander Hotel and Bar on Ocean Drive are looking to replace the iconic South Beach establishment with an affordable housing development. In a press release Thursday morning, Jesta Group, which owns the Clevelander and adjoining Essex House hotel, said it plans to submit plans to the city of Miami Beach in the coming days for a development with 40% of units designated as affordable and a maximum height of approximately 30 stories.

› Will Tampa’s Ybor City get a pro soccer stadium? Here’s what we know. [Tampa Bay Times]
A vacant lot in Ybor City could be transformed into a training field for a new professional women’s soccer team set to launch next August. Earlier this year, local real estate mogul Darryl Shaw announced that he would partner with Bern’s Steak House co-owner David Laxer and former BluePearl Pet Hospital chief information officer Jeff Fox to bring a women’s soccer franchise to Tampa as part of the forthcoming United Soccer League (USL) Super League.

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› July saw another dip in Orange County tourist taxes [Orlando Sentinel]
Tourist-tax revenues fell in July from a year ago, the fourth straight month that collections were lower year-over-year, according to figures released Thursday morning by Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond. July collections totaled $27.1 million, down about 5% from $28.4 million in July 2022 and down from $30 million in June, but total collections for fiscal year 2022-23 are still tracking ahead of last year’s record pace.

› FIU partners with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to survey business owners about needs, challenges [Miami's Community Newspapers]
Florida International University and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) today launched a survey of South Florida business owners and hiring decision-makers to identify and raise awareness of the challenges they face to meet current and future workforce needs.

› Sarasota's growing number of short-term rentals has long-term impact on affordable housing [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Noise, traffic and changes to community character are the topics that tend to dominate recent debates about the area’s booming increase in short-term vacation rentals. But Cicely Hodges at the Florida Policy Institute is more concerned with short-term rentals' severe impact on affordable housing. Hodges is the institute’s new housing and community development policy analyst, adding her statewide expertise to a special focus on Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties.

› Idalia kills at least five million chickens in Florida [Southeast AgNet]
Almost a week after Hurricane Idalia hit Florida, the livestock body count is climbing higher, especially in poultry operations. The Messenger says estimates say as many as five million chickens died from the Category Three storm. Winds were around 125 mph when the storm hit land, and the hurricane tore apart barns and fence lines and killed livestock from cattle to chickens.