At the October 3, 2017, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:
 
Las Vegas – observed a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
 
CRA – adopted a resolution approving the 2017 Westgate/Belvedere Homes Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) amended redevelopment plan establishing a shared revenue process to begin in 2036 and extending the CRA from 2035 to 2047. The board also approved the CRA’s FY 2018 budget in the approximate amount of $3.591 million.
 
Legislative Affairs – adopted the Palm Beach County 2018 state legislative agenda to be lobbied at the Florida Legislative Session in Tallahassee. The county’s top four funding priorities will be affordable housing/homelessness, opioid/substance abuse, hurricane-related issues, and transportation and infrastructure.
 
Hurricane Maria – directed staff to meet with Palm Beach County Cares representatives to identify county supports for Puerto Rico relief efforts.
 
Project Wizard – conceptually approved a cash incentive of $30,000 over eight years to be matched by the city of Boca Raton for Project Wizard. The foreign limited liability company is considering establishing corporate headquarters for its financial services/information technology company in Boca Raton. The project will invest $2 million to lease, renovate and equip a 10,000-square-foot facility and create 50 new jobs over a five-year period at an annual average wage of approximately $76,000. The estimated five-year economic impact is $54 million.
 
Project Panther – conceptually approved a cash incentive of $60,000 over a five-year period for Project Panther. This amount is the required local match for a state grant of $240,000. The company is considering establishing its manufacturing business in Palm Beach County, as well as Georgia and Connecticut. The project will invest $18.5 million to purchase, renovate and equip a 32,000-square-foot facility and create 50 new jobs over a two-year period at an annual average wage of $75,000. The estimated five-year economic impact is $210 million.
 
Disparity Study – approved a waiver of the competitive solicitation process for professional consulting services for Franklin M. Lee, Esq. based on his extensive experience in disparity study review and analysis and prior experience with the Palm Beach County disparity study RFP. The board approved a $39,500 contract with Tydings & Rosenberg, LLP through January 31, 2018, to provide consulting services that include conducting a third-party review and analysis of the draft disparity study and provide policy recommendations narrowly tailored to the study’s findings and recommendations.
 
SHIP – approved FY 2017-2018 State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) allocations for affordable housing strategies in the following amounts: purchase assistance, $1.803 million; owner-occupied housing rehab, $1 million; developer rental housing assistance, $700,000; rental housing re-entry assistance, $250,000; foreclosure prevention, $60,000; disaster mitigation, $250,000; administrative costs, $451,500. These are state funds that require no local match.
 
Mortgages – approved satisfaction of 29 mortgages received from homeowners in exchange for funding under the SHIP program and authorized the county administrator to execute the satisfactions.
 
EAP – approved an agreement for student experiential training with Palm Beach Atlantic University to allow psychology students obtaining graduate degrees to gain clinical experience in employee and family counseling with the county’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). No county funding is required.
 
Pennock Point – authorized staff to acquire professional services for the Pennock Point drainage study and authorized Mock Roos and Associates to perform the project. A failing pipe culvert under Old Fort Jupiter Road needs to be replaced. The study is needed to determine design flow and adequate sizing. Estimated cost of the project is less than $50,000.
 
Silver Beach Road – accepted a 4.25-acre perpetual easement at a negotiated purchase price of $1.6 million for a drainage pond needed for construction of roadway improvements on Silver Beach Road east of Congress Avenue.