BCC Briefs

At the March 9, 2010, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Convention Center Hotel – approved a selection committee’s ranking of respondents proposing to build a 400-room Hilton hotel adjacent to the Palm Beach County Convention Center; directed staff to begin financing discussions with The Related Companies, the top ranked firm.

Internal Auditor – approved on preliminary reading and to advertise for public hearing on March 23 ordinances that will a) replace the current audit committee members with five private citizens appointed by the BCC and b) reinforce the internal auditor’s independence from the county administrator and expand the internal auditor’s responsibility for monitoring and reporting of operational risks.

Environmental Resources Management – authorized ERM to submit an application for Palm Beach County to become a certified Florida Green Local Government.

Libraries – approved contract change orders for three completed library expansion projects decreasing the guaranteed maximum price by a combined $2.887 million. The unused contingency funds will be returned to the Library Expansion Program II and the Library Department.

Florida Atlantic University – adopted a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to support establishment of a free-standing medical education program at FAU and the introduction of a joint Ph.D. program linking FAU with the Kellogg School of Science, a division of the Scripps Research Institute.

Fairgrounds – approved capital improvements in lieu of a payment in an amount not to exceed $8,500 for rental and operational expenses associated with the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps/United Cancer Foundation healthcare event in April at the South Florida Fairgrounds.