Message from Comissioner Aaronson - January 2010

Sheila, Mary Lou, Vivian, Meaghan and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Recently I received a number of emails asking that the County Commission take action to regulate pain clinics.  One parent wrote:  “My son is addicted to prescription pills…There is no reason a teenager should have access to drugs…Stop the pill mills.”  Another parent wrote: “I am a mother writing to you to ask you to please put some laws into place in order to stop the pain clinics here in Florida…My son is 19 years old and is now living in a half-way house.  He was buying the pills from a father in our neighborhood who was doctor shopping and getting these prescriptions from the pain clinics.” 

At the December 8th County Commission meeting, the Board voted unanimously to stop issuing approvals for new pain clinics immediately and agreed to begin the zoning process to adopt an ordinance mandating a one year moratorium preventing new pain management clinics from opening in unincorporated Palm Beach County.  Permission to advertise the ordinance will be heard at the January 28th County Commission Zoning Meeting with final adoption expected this March.  The County’s ordinance will only apply to the unincorporated area and not to any of our 37 municipalities.  With the County Commission’s approval, I sent a letter to the League of Cities urging that the municipalities also consider the regulation of pain clinics. 

I am proud that the Commission heard our residents’ pleas and acted quickly.  Hopefully this one-year moratorium will allow sufficient time for our State Legislature to consider and approve bills that have been filed by Senator Dave Aronberg and Repesentative Joe Abruzzo requiring that only licensed physicians own and operate pain clinics.

On a lighter note, I want to take a moment to recognize the West Boca Community Council’s upcoming Celebrate West Boca event scheduled for Saturday, January 16th at 7:00pm. at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater at South County Regional Park.  I look forward to joining with the Council and the residents as we remember all the good things that have been accomplished in the West Boca area over the past 30 years.

In closing, I would like to comment on the West Boca Community Council and its sister organizations, COBWRA and the Alliance.   These groups work as individual civic organizations and together as the South County Community Partnership to raise awareness of the issues that affect all of us.  I have worked with all three organizations since I became a county commissioner and I can assure you that these are three very dedicated groups who have worked hard for many years to make sure our quality of life is the best that it can be.  I am proud that we have worked together to create a district that has outstanding fire rescue stations, excellent libraries and beautiful parks.

As always, I invite your comments on any issue of interest to you.  As your Commissioner, I am here to help you.  You may write me at 301 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, 33401 or call my staff at 276-1310 or toll free at 877-930-2205.  My email address is:  baaronso@pbcgov.org.