Pinellas County, Florida -- As of Jan. 1, anyone applying fertilizer commercially must carry the new Limited Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certificate.

This requires completing the Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) training, passing the exam and then applying for the license.

On Tuesday Jan. 28, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the Pinellas County Extension is offering a GI-BMP certification class. The class is $15 and the state certification is $25.

Gulfport, Florida -- If council approves a loan, contractors could fix Gulfport's aging sewers by the end of 2015. At Tuesday night's council meeting, councillors heard the second of two presentations.  The first presentation, heard at the December 3 meeting, came from ConEdison Solutions. ConEd Solutions' program would allow Gulfport to borrow the money over up to 20 years. ConEd representatives told Gulfport the city would save money annually with the sewer improvements but if it did not, ConEd would pay the difference.

Gulfport, Florida -- Don Sopak warned council that the city’s sewers needed replacing, and Tuesday night the city heard about one of two possible programs that would help Gulfport finance what city staff calls much-needed repairs.

Mr. Sopak, the city’s public works director, presented a plan for the city in the summer of 2011. That plan, a state revolving fund, allowed the city to borrow up to $1-million and repay the loan over five years at 2.35%. Council initially agreed to borrow the money but reversed their decision in October 2011.