Summary Of City Of West Palm Beach Recent Policy Actions

From City of West Palm Beach:

February 10, 2021

Below is a summary of some of the approvals and decisions made by the City Commission at a meeting on Monday, February 8, 2021. To watch meetings live or to watch recorded meetings on-demand, please visit the City’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/user/WestPalmTV.

• Approved authorizing the execution of an Interlocal Agreement between the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County and the City regarding waste designated facilities and for a municipal revenue sharing recycling program. The parties desire to update the Interlocal Agreement to incorporate language that meets the requirements of the new state law on residential recycling collection and processing, and to reflect current industry definitions for the delivery of municipal solid waste to designated facilities and for a municipal revenue sharing recycling program.
• Approved authorizing and approving an agreement between the City and the State of Florida, Department of State for the award of a Division of Library and Information Services CARES Act grant in the amount of $46,463. The grant is meant to increase the library’s outreach efforts to the community, specifically focusing on local childcare centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
• Approved authorizing the Mayor to execute an Interlocal Agreement with Palm Beach County for participation in the Drowning Prevention Coalition's Learn to Swim Program that distributes vouchers to the public, which may be redeemed for swimming lessons at the Warren Hawkins Aquatic Center. The Palm Beach County Drowning Prevention Coalition's 2021-2024 Learn to Swim Program is a voucher-based reimbursement program for organizations that provide swimming lessons. The City's Department of Parks and Recreation has participated as a designated aquatic facility to provide lessons using the voucher reimbursement for several years. The partnership increases drowning prevention awareness as well as offers a mechanism to provide swimming lessons to those who are at risk for drowning.
• Approved amending the full-time equivalent (F.T.E.) budget for the purpose of moving the Code Enforcement positions to the Police Department by decreasing 20.30 F.T.E.s in the Development Services Department and increasing 20.30 F.T.E.s in the Police Department. The integration of the City's Code Enforcement Division with the Police Department is part of the Police Department's crime reduction strategy. There is a significant correlation between criminal activity and vacant or poorly attended properties. Coordination of efforts in tackling both criminal and code violations is intended to more efficiently and effectively reduce crime and improve quality of life for those who choose to live, work, and play in West Palm Beach. This coordinated approach has been successfully employed in many other jurisdictions and previously successful in West Palm Beach through 2001. The FY 2021 adopted budget appropriations for the Code Enforcement cost center will transfer entirely to the Police Department.
• Approved authorizing contracts for master property insurance, water system property insurance, excess liability insurance, excess workers' compensation insurance, crime insurance, and miscellaneous insurance policies for policy year 2021-2022. The City, through the broker of record, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc., is in the process of obtaining these insurance coverages for the 2021-2022 policy year.

For a complete list of the approvals and decisions made at the February 8, 2021 City Commission Meeting, please click here to view the pass/fail agenda.

This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.