Message from Commissioner Aaronson - May 2010

Our winter season has come to a close.  No matter where you will be in the coming months, Sheila, Mary Lou, Vivian, Meaghan and I wish all of you a safe, healthy and happy summer.

I am certain that by now you know that the Florida Senate, by a vote of 30-7 and the Florida House, by a vote of 77-33, passed the red-light camera bill.  Many of the County’s legislators worked very hard to ensure its passage and I am grateful for their support.  I made two trips to Tallahassee during the Session and personally urged as many legislators as I could to support this bill.  In addition, several other members of the County Commission met with legislators on the bills during their trips to Tallahassee.  I also want to commend Todd Bonlarron, the County’s Legislative Affairs Director who worked diligently every day following the progress of the bills in House and Senate.  Some of you also went to the Capitol and assisted us in this battle.  Many others called, emailed or wrote to the Legislators asking them to pass the bill.  This was a collaborative effort by so many people and that effort paid off.  Hopefully, by the time you read this, Governor Crist will have signed the bill.  Some have said that this law’s only intent was to make money for local governments.  But many of us remember the 1999 accident on Yamato Road outside the Whisper Walk community that took the lives of six wonderful residents:  Sy and Sue Insler, Sam and Elaine Beja and Neil and Paulette Marvin.  They were the inspiration for this long journey.  My only intent was to save lives and make sure that no family or community has to go through what these families and this community experienced.   I pray that this bill does just that.

A number of you have asked about the delay in constructing the missing link of Lyons Road from just north of Atlantic Ave. to the existing road south of Boynton Beach Blvd.  I requested a report from the County Engineer.  He has advised that delays to the project include:  coordination with the farmers to address their unique concerns, delays in responses from permitting agencies, the necessity of adding the intersection of future Flavor Pict & Lyons Roads to the scope of the project and the coordination of this project with FDOT’s Atlantic Ave. project.  Both projects are having extreme difficulties with right-of-way acquisition and environmental issues which the County Engineer reported could impact the schedule.  The previous schedule showed construction to begin this month.  The current schedule shows construction to begin next February.

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.