​At the December 17, 2019, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Vehicles for hire – approved an amendment to the Palm Beach County Vehicle for Hire Ordinance expanding the regulatory framework by creating a special event reciprocity provision. The amendment is necessary to ensure that adequate processes are in place to accommodate anticipated regulatory demands in the tri-county region during special events such as Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

Westwood Road – adopted a resolution abandoning public interest in a 30-foot-wide right of way south of Westwood Road to eliminate conflicts with future redevelopment plans by D.R. Horton, Inc. The abandonment site located south of Purdy Lane and west of Haverhill Road is surplus and serves no present or future public purpose.

Palm Beach Farms – adopted a resolution abandoning public interest in portions of several platted right of ways associated with the Palm Beach Farms Company plat and a 12-foot-wide utility easement in the Cam Estates plat. This eliminates the public dedications that are in conflict with future redevelopment plans by the Palm Beach County Facilities Development and Operations Department. The abandonment sites are located east of Jog Road and north of Belvedere Road.

Roads – approved the annual update of the county’s five-year road program, which is required to be considered each year by the program ordinance. Included in the adoption is authorization for the hiring of professionals to design, appraise and assist in the acquisition of lands, rights of way and easements necessary to undertake the projects identified in the program.

BDB – approved an amendment to the agreement with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB), revising the scope of services. Changes include requiring BCC appointees to the BDB Board of Directors to be private business leaders, adding standard contract language regarding the Office of the Inspector General, and adding general manufacturing to new company recruitment efforts.

Opioids – ratified the mayor’s signature on the 2019 U.S. Department of Justice Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-Based Program award of $1.2 million for the period October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2022. This funding will support development of a comprehensive, locally driven response to the opioid epidemic. A full-time equivalent planner II position for the length of the grant was also approved. The position is 50 percent funded from the grant and 50 percent from previously allocated opioid response funding, and will be eliminated if grant funding is discontinued. No additional county funding is required.

Stadium – approved an updated term sheet with Jupiter Stadium Limited (JSL) identifying key provisions of new developer and sports facility use agreements with JSL to facilitate renovation of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and extend JSL’s use rights through April 2, 2048. The amended term sheet 1) reduces the total project cost to $108 million; 2) reduces county contributions in years 1 through 10; 3) requires the county to issue a portion of the bonds as tax exempt to maximize construction proceeds; 4) authorizes the county administrator or designee to commence negotiations of the new agreements, and; 5) places a condition in the terms allowing either party to terminate the agreement if additional parking for the stadium is not acquired.

Climate change – approved an interlocal agreement with Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana and Ocean Ridge to conduct a joint climate change vulnerability assessment. The Florida Resilient Coastlines Program has awarded two grants totaling $147,000 to fund this work. Palm Beach County will contribute $20,000, an amount approved for the FY 2020 supplemental request. Participating municipalities will cover the remaining costs according to an agreed upon cost-sharing methodology.

Interns – recognized and thanked the approximately 160 college students currently working as interns in 15 different county departments.