BCC Briefs

At the May 5, 2009, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Value Adjustment Board – approved a budget transfer of $170,314 to supplement the Value Adjustment Board budget. The VAB received a record 13,200 petition filings this year, an increase of 1,875 over last year.

Homeless prevention – approved the 10th amendment to the FY 2008-2009 action plan enabling the county to receive $2.823 million in Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) funding under the federal stimulus plan. The amendment allocates approximately $1.826 million for housing relocation and stabilization, $800,000 for homeless prevention services, $56,000 for data collection and evaluation, and $141,000 for administrative costs. These federal funds require no local match.

Abandoned properties – approved on preliminary reading and advertised for public hearing on May 19 an ordinance amending the property maintenance code to allow the boarding up of a vacant structure where repeated vandalism has occurred or where there is evidence of unauthorized access.

Water Utilities – adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $90 million in revenue bonds to finance the cost of acquisition, construction and installation of additions, extensions and improvements to the county’s existing water and sewer system. Per a reclaimed water agreement, Florida Power and Light will pay the debt service on the bonds.

Criminal Justice Commission – authorized the application for federal funds from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. The county is eligible for a direct award of $1.246 million for a total of nine proposals submitted by the state attorney, public defender, sheriff, 15th Judicial Circuit, PBC Justice Services and PBC Public Safety.

Little Lake Worth – approved on preliminary reading and advertised for public hearing on May 19 an ordinance amending the code to prohibit the use of boats as living quarters and restricting commercial activity aboard vessels in the Little Lake Worth section of the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Boat races – tentatively approved the use of Burt Reynolds Park by organizers of the Tropic Thunder 2009 World Championship Invitational Offshore Powerboat Races in October. The park will be used as a day dock for storage of boats between races.