BCC Briefs

May 20, 2008

At the May 20, 2008 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Traffic cameras – adopted an ordinance authorizing the use of automated cameras to deter red-light running at certain intersections. A private company will be hired to install and operate the cameras. Violators will be notified by mail and issued a fine, tentatively set at $125. No points will go on the vehicle owner’s driver license.

Reclaimed water – approved agreements with Florida Power & Light, the East Central Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility and the City of West Palm Beach for construction of a 27-million-gallon-per-day reclaimed water facility and a pipeline to supply reclaimed water for cooling purposes to FPL’s West County Energy Center. FPL will pay the full cost of design, construction and operation, estimated at $62 million.

Palm Tran – accepted a supplemental grant in the amount of $585,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation to purchase three “go green” hybrid buses for a limited stop/express transit route between Stuart and West Palm Beach.

Impact fees – adopted an ordinance amending the Unified Land Development Code to reduce certain categories of the law enforcement impact fee. The measure also increases the allowable administrative fee from 2 percent to 3.4 percent, and creates a public buildings credit when civic sites are donated without specific identified uses.

Voting equipment – approved a four-year agreement in the amount of $1.46 million, with the state paying approximately one-third of the amount, to lease on-demand paper ballot printers from Runbeck Election Services. The Sentio Ballot Printing System will be used for early and absentee ballots.

Florida Turbine Technologies – approved on first reading and advertised for public hearing on June 17 an ordinance revoking the four-year ad valorum tax exemption for Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. The company was unable to meet job creation/retention requirements and has paid back the $23,104 credit it received for the 2007 tax year.

Mecca Farms – agreed to terminate a grove management agreement with Lantana Farm Associates, Inc., effective August 1. Since 2005, the company has been leasing 530 acres of the county-owned Mecca Farms tract, but is no longer actively cultivating citrus on the property. The county plans to lease the land to a row-crop grower.

Roads – adopted a resolution to abandon portions of unimproved rights of way of Wakula and Asima streets located within the Pine Jog Environmental Center at Jog Road and Summit Boulevard for use by the Pine Jog Elementary School.