By Robert S Weinroth
To keep residents up to date on the matters being addressed by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, I will periodically be using this space to provide the overview my office disseminates via my email newsletter.
Feel free to contact my office for additional information on these or other county issues. Your emails to: RWeinroth@PBCGove.org or phone calls to: 561.355.2204 will receive the attention of my office.
At the February 5, 2019, Board of County Commissioners meeting, we took the following action:
Home caregivers – continued to the March 12 BCC meeting a public hearing for adoption of a series of amendments to the Home Caregiver Ordinance.
Voting equipment – approved a sales order agreement with the Supervisor of Elections Office and Election Systems & Software, LLC (ESS) in the amount of $8.676 million for the purchase of the following voter tabulation equipment: 900 complete DS200 scanners, 75 DS200 scanner components, 10 high-speed digital scanners, and 525 ExpressVote terminals with ADA-compliant accessory equipment. A budget transfer of $4.551 million was approved to acquire additional equipment including a new VR Systems voter registration/check-in system and more computers to handle provisional ballot processing, phone banking and vote by mail.
Dubois Park – agreed to suspend imposition of parking fees slated to take effect March 1 at Dubois Park in Jupiter and to remove the fees from the current budget. Staff was directed to draft an agenda item for further discussion.
Palm Tran Connection – mutually agreed to terminate the contract with Maruti Fleet & Management, LLC for Palm Tran Connection paratransit services, and reallocated Maruti’s payments and shift runs to MV Transportation, Inc. and First Group America, Inc. (First Transit).
Roads – adopted a resolution abandoning public interest in a 30-foot-wide by 154-foot-long portion of the unimproved right of way of Marguerita Street, east of Haverhill Road and north of Ceceile Avenue. This will eliminate the public dedication that is in conflict with future redevelopment plans by AHC of West Palm Beach, LLC.
SHIP – approved the second amendment to Palm Beach County’s State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) for fiscal years 2016-17 to 2018-19 and transmittal of the 2018 Triennial Report to non-SHIP entitlement municipalities in Palm Beach County.
Ocean Breeze East – approved an Impact Fee Affordable Housing Assistance Program (IFAHAP) funding award of $106,399 to Ocean Breeze East Apartments, LLC. The project at 700 North Seacrest Boulevard in Boynton Beach will offer 123 multifamily apartment units for affordable rental to very low, low, and moderate income persons or households. These funds are from interest earned by the Impact Fee Fund.
Fire inspections – approved on first reading and to advertise for public hearing on March 12 an ordinance amending the Palm Beach County Fire Code to include annual inspections of certain apartments. This will enhance public safety, improve PBC Fire Rescue’s ISO PPC rating, and lower insurance rates in the future for homeowners within Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s jurisdiction.
Labor – approved and ratified collective bargaining agreements with Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Local 2928, IAFF, Inc. for the period October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2021 for firefighters and paramedics and for district chiefs in the supervisory unit. The board also approved a labor-management bargaining agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Local 3181 for the same period.
Juvenile laws – adopted a resolution stating Palm Beach County’s preference for juveniles to be treated as juveniles when they break certain Florida laws and urging state lawmakers to adopt legislation that would create additional statewide standards for prosecution of juveniles under the age of 18 who commit certain offenses, and require that children prosecuted as adults be held separate and apart from adult inmates.
Water Utilities – congratulated the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department on winning the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association’s 2018 Division 8 Water Distribution System Award as the best 
large water distribution system in the state. The award recognizes outstanding water quality, operational efficiency, system maintenance, professionalism, safety standards, emergency preparedness and cross-connection programs.
large water distribution system in the state. The award recognizes outstanding water quality, operational efficiency, system maintenance, professionalism, safety standards, emergency preparedness and cross-connection programs.Next week, a number of the County Commissioners will be traveling to Washington DC and Tallahassee to, among other things, lobby our federal and state legislative delegation on issues impacting our county. The 60-day Florida legislative session begins next week.