BCC Briefs

At the February 24, 2009, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Water Utilities – approved on first reading and advertised for public hearing on March 17 a rate increase of 11.75 percent and the elimination of a 15 percent surcharge for Palm Beach County Water Utilities customers. The surcharge was imposed last year to offset lost revenue due to mandatory water restrictions. The rate hike, if approved, will take effect April 1.

Water Main – approved a special assessment for the extension of a water main along 3rd Place and 81st Avenue. Fifteen affected property owners will each pay $7,283 per acre for installation.

Roads – agreed to allow portions of Dillman Road, Whippoorwill Way and Whippoorwill Blvd. west of Lyons Road to become privately owned and maintained by the Whippoorwill Lakes Property Owners Association and Dillrun Estates Regency Homes.

South Florida Regional Transportation Authority – approved an additional payment of $85,298, to be matched by Broward and Miami-Dade counties (the combined $255,894 to be matched by FDOT), for Tri-Rail commuter train operations. Commissioners also agreed to send a letter to Tallahassee and to support a resolution by Miami-Dade urging state lawmakers to approve a proposed $2 surcharge on rental vehicles to fund Tri-Rail.

Budget – agreed to ask constitutional officers to reduce their budgets for next year by 10 percent, as other county departments are doing.

Housing and Community Development – adopted a resolution allowing for the creation of four planning positions and one financial analyst position in HCD and approved a budget amendment of $27.7 million to establish the budget for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant. These positions are time-limited and will expire upon exhaustion of federal grant funds appropriated under NSP.

Legislative Affairs – received a report on the proposed FY 2010 federal legislative program, including appropriation requests and legislative issues to be lobbied in Washington.

FAC – named Commissioner Shelley Vana as one of the county’s representatives on the board of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC).