Good Morning, Sunland
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🌡️ Weather Update: Cloudy vibes with a stormy edge.
☁️ Day: High of 89°F | Morning clouds giving way to afternoon overcast skies
🌙 Night: Low of 74°F | Some early showers or thunderstorms, then mostly cloudy
🌅 Sunrise: 6:58 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:47 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 10:50 AM | 🌘 Moonset: 10:10 PM
🎶 Sounds like: “Cool It Now” — New Edition
🛍️ Poll: Would you pay $131/yr more for
2/x a week trash pick up in PSL?
Ja’Min Devon
🗑️ Main Squeeze: Trash Fee Hike Fuels Tension in Port St. Lucie
TL;DR: Port St. Lucie homeowners will see a $20 increase on their property tax bills this November, tied to annual solid waste costs. The new total is $467.33 for the year.
What happened: On Monday night, the city council approved the rate increase, citing rising landfill fees and a binding contract with FCC Environmental Services. But residents showed up in numbers to push back.
The meeting got heated. People spoke out not just about trash fees, but about the rising cost of living overall. Some said they’re on fixed incomes and can’t keep up. Others questioned service quality.
“Why are we paying more if we’re not even getting better service?” one resident asked.
Why the increase:
The city’s contract requires rate adjustments based on inflation and landfill costs
The county is also raising disposal fees starting October 2025
Not increasing the rate would breach the city’s agreements
The breakdown:
📬 Annual total: $467.33
💵 Up $1.74/month or $20.89/year
🏠 Affects over 90,000 households
What about twice-a-week pickup? Some residents pushed for increased service if fees are going up. The city previously said that would cost roughly double what homeowners currently pay. The city says that it will put this debate to rest by potentially adding it to a ballot vote to settle the dispute once and for all.
💬 Want to see how the meeting went?
Watch the full city council meeting right here
Got thoughts on the increase? Leave a comment and let us know.
🍊 Press Round: Road Cancelled!
🚫 Road Plan Scrapped After Uproar
Port St. Lucie officials canceled plans for an east-west road through the Torino and St. James neighborhoods after residents pushed back. Neighbors said the corridor would have cut through one of the last quiet green spaces in the area.
📚 Oldest Library in PSL Closing for Rebuild
The Port St. Lucie Branch Library will close August 30 ahead of a full teardown and rebuild. The new $7.8 million space will be four times bigger, packed with tech like 3D printers and podcast gear, and is expected to reopen in 2027.
🏆 Martin County Wins Big
Martin County Tourism brought home two international awards for its art-forward and authenticity-driven marketing campaigns. The office’s “Sea Where Art Takes You” and “A.I. Means More Here” both impressed judges with their creativity and cultural flair.
🤩 People Pass: What your support means!
From school coverage to better tools like play.sunlandnews.com, every upgrade you see is made possible by readers who pitch in. Thank you to everyone who already has. This is what the People Pass makes possible. Want to support it too?
🎉 The Weekender: 5 Events to Check Out This Weekend!
Saturday, Aug 30
🛍️ Pop-Up Night Market – Support local vendors and community businesses at Smith & Co. Mercantile | 7–11 PM | Free | Details
⚾ Swing into Summer Reading – Chamber event rescheduled as Back to School Night at St. Lucie Mets | 5 PM | Ticketed | Details
🎨 Highwaymen Art Show and Soul Food – Local art exhibition with food at Highwaymen Art Gallery in Fort Pierce | 11 AM–4 PM | $19.10 | Details
🥂 Brunch & Beatz – Bottomless mimosas, crafty cocktails, and DJ at Meating Street | 11 AM–2 PM | Menu prices | Details
Sunday, Aug 31
🌊 Labor Day Weekend Splash Market – '80s and '90s music with local vendors and family fun | 9 AM–2 PM | Free | Details
⚓ Raise on the Marina – Waterfront therapy for your soul at Marina Square in downtown Fort Pierce | 5–8 PM | Free parking | Details
👗 Fashion Display Fundraiser – "Laboring While It's Day" fashion show at River Walk Center | 7–9 PM | $50 donation | Details
Want more events? Go here
💧 The Last Drop: Art Wall!
🏡 Real estate update… Home prices fell in PSL and Stuart but rose in Vero. Listings dropped across the Treasure Coast. Read more
🎨 New mural alert… A 625 sq. ft. mural just dropped at Project Lift in Fort Pierce. Go see “Forging Futures.” See it here
📸 New classes in Vero Beach… Photography, pickleball, and HIIT Tabata are all starting soon at the IG Center. Sign up
📸 This is Sunland: For The Road!
Thank you to everyone who reads this, helps me, corrects me, encourages me, I truly can’t thank you enough!
See you tomorrow!
With Love, Ja’Min
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