BCC Briefs

At the May 17, 2011, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board took the following action:

Ethics – adopted new ordinances for the Office of Inspector General, the Commission on Ethics, and the Code of Ethics, effective June 1. The measures, per voters’ approval, extend jurisdictional oversight to elected officials and employees of all 38 municipalities in the county.

Inspector General – approved the addition of 16 positions for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to accommodate voter-approved expansion of the OIG’s jurisdiction and approved a budget transfer of $741,000 for operations.

Legal fees – agreed to reimburse an exonerated Water Utilities Department employee $1,000 for legal fees he incurred in defending himself against allegations stemming from an investigation by the inspector general.

Bond counsel – approved 10 firms for the pre-qualified bond underwriters pool to serve as managers for the county’s negotiated sale of municipal bonds and other financing transactions on an as-needed basis. The board also appointed bond counsel and disclosure counsel firms for the following projects: County Convention Center, Ocean Avenue Bridge/Max Planck, and the Convention Center hotel.

Health Department – adopted a resolution increasing the fees by the Health Department’s Office of Vital Statistics for the issuance of birth and death certificates. Birth certificates will go from $14 to $15 and death certificates from $10 to $15.

Tow trucks – approved the following amendments to the county’s tow truck ordinance: 1) clarification of when companies that are located outside Palm Beach County must obtain operating permits; 2)  new I.D. badge requirements; 3) prohibiting a tow truck company and/or driver from acting as a property owner’s agent; 4) banning the use of pre-signed manifests, invoices or authorization forms. The board also placed a six-month moratorium on the acceptance of applications for and the issuance of vehicle-for-hire permits.

Clerk & Comptroller – heard a presentation on the Palm Beach County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) from the Clerk & Comptroller’s Office.

Palmetto Park Road – agreed to go forward with the bid process for the planned widening of Palmetto Park Road, but to not award the project until mediation with the city of Boca Raton is resolved.

Historic properties – adopted resolutions granting a county tax exemption to four historic properties in the city of Delray Beach.