BCC Briefs

At the July 21, 2009, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Ethics Reform – endorsed a series of recommendations in a grand jury report on government corruption. The board agreed to establish an independent inspector general’s office, an ethics commission, and a new code of ethics for county government; approved a November 2010 charter referendum that would require constitutional officers, school board members and municipal officials to follow the same standards of ethics; and directed staff to bring back the necessary ordinances and ballot language by the end of the year.

Budget – tentatively approved a millage rate of 4.344 mills for the FY-2010 budget. The final adopted rate can be lower but not higher than $4.344 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

Early Retirement – adopted an ordinance establishing an employee voluntary separation incentive program. Under the proposal, employees who are nearing retirement would have the option of receiving two months’ salary and up to three years’ paid medical benefits to discontinue their employment with the county.

Animal Care & Control – adopted an ordinance strengthening the county code pertaining to dangerous and vicious dogs. Among the new measures: a dog could be declared dangerous after just one attack on another pet; a declared dog must be kept in an escape-proof enclosure and must wear a muzzle when being walked; owners of dangerous dogs are prohibited from taking them to a public dog park, beach or commercial establishments that allow animals.

Roads – approved mid-year amendments to the five-year road program to include approval of the findings of fact pertaining to the delay of three projects in Boca Raton, Lantana and Belle Glade; also agreed to keep the proposed extension of Roebuck Road from Jog Road to Western Parkway (State Road 7 extension) in the five-year plan.

Ag Reserve – approved a reduction in rent totaling $1.4 million for farmers and nurserymen leasing county-owned land in the Agricultural Reserve; also approved the termination of a lease in the amount of $370,000 per year with Mecca Farms for the 215-acre Amestoy Farm. Mecca Farms has been unable to obtain water-use and drainage permits.

FEMA – granted employees with the Federal Emergency Management Administration free use of four work stations at the Vista Center complex and parking for a period of nine months.

Supervisor of Elections – agreed to lease for the Supervisor of Elections 76,000 square feet of warehouse space in an industrial park in Riviera Beach for ballot tabulation and equipment storage.

Risk Management – approved a three-year contract with Preferred Government Claims Solution, a private vendor, to provide the claims adjusting and medical bill paying functions of the self-insured/self-administered workers compensation program. The move eliminates four full-time county positions and ISS professional services and will save the county an estimated $400,000 in the first year.

Small Business – received the 2006-2009 Scripps Small Business Enterprise Utilization Report from the Office of Small Business Assistance; also approved on preliminary reading and advertised for public hearing on August 18 amendments to an ordinance allowing gross receipts to be used to determine the size of the small business enterprise for certification purposes.

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