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Commissioners waive civic-center fee for Martha's House domestic-violence awareness event
Summary
The board unanimously approved a fee waiver for Martha's House to hold a private, agency-only event in October to reintroduce services and hear a survivor's story.
The Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a fee waiver Thursday for Martha’s House to use the Okeechobee Civic Center for an agency-only domestic-violence awareness event.
Megan Osborne, identified herself as the director of advocacy services for Martha’s House, said the event — scheduled for Oct. 23 at noon — is intended to reintroduce the local nonprofit’s services to partner agencies and to feature a local survivor who will describe how the agency helped her. Osborne said the event is not ticketed or for profit; the organization will provide lunch and expects 50–75 attendees drawn from partner agencies.
Osborne told the board Martha’s House has served more than 300 people locally, noted more than 100 injunctions were filed in the county last year and that the Okeechobee Sheriff’s Office logged 588 domestic-violence calls in the county (her figure excluded calls logged by the city police). She said available county resources remain constrained and that the nonprofit is working to rebuild and strengthen partnerships.
Commissioner Goodbread moved to approve the fee waiver; Commissioner Burrows seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
County staff noted the event is for agencies only and that Martha’s House has provided the required insurance and a sheriff’s-office quote for event coverage, per requirements for events with alcohol or public-safety impacts.
