PAHOKEE — A public information session will be conducted this month with the consultant helping to administer the city’s $300,000 brownfields grant. PPPM Consultants and the City of Pahokee are looking forward to seeing residents at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov 14.

The session will take place in the Parks & Recreation Department Cafeteria Building at 360 Main St., Pahokee.

Brownfields are properties that are not being used to their full potential and may be affected or contaminated by the presence of petroleum or hazardous substances. Examples would be abandoned service stations, industrial and commercial properties. There is money for cleanup of these types of properties in the city, as Pahokee was among 144 communities nationwide named as a recipient of the Brownfields Redevelopment Program announced in April 2008.

According to a flier from the consultants, taking advantage of this program being financed through federal government agencies could present a number of opportunities for the city, in community economic development and redevelopment, enhancing livability and public health, and supporting housing; as well as chances for property owners to increase their home values, get grants or loans for cleanup or redevelopment.

Residents are invited to come to this session to learn how they can qualify. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped land, and both improves and protects the environment.

Go online to pahokeebrownfields.org to get your questions answered. Three examples of local buildings that qualify are shown on the site.