​Commissioner Hal Valeche

As we move past Election Day and you can breathe a sigh of relief that you no longer have to endure campaign television commercials for the time being, we can continue to tackle the work at hand.  As always, there are some incumbent officials returning to office and others who are new to the process.  I am pleased to have the opportunity in serving on the County Commission, to learn different perspectives on issues of importance to our residents as new members join the Board. 

One matter of great importance that the Board recently approved is an ordinance addressing equal opportunity in the award of county contracts.  In 2014, the County hired consultant Mason Tillman Associates to conduct a disparity study to review the utilization of minority and women owned businesses in a five-year period.  The review looked at contracts awarded in years 2009 – 2013 for industries including construction, professional services, and goods and services. 

The results of that study were accepted by the Board last December and generated a great deal of sometimes heated dialogue where various members of the business community, construction industry and small business owners provided disparate views on their experience with bidding on county projects and the availability of qualified firms to perform specified work.   Months of meetings and discussions ensued surrounding one of the most contentious issues we have dealt with in recent years. 

In the end, the Board agreed that disparities exist in opportunities for small, minority and women owned businesses to have a chance at competing for work on County contracts and voted unanimously to implement race and gender neutral and specific remedies.  The intent of the Equal Business Opportunity Ordinance is to ensure that the County not actively nor passively participate in private marketplace discrimination, and to promote equal opportunity for businesses to bid on County contracts.

In a positive traffic safety development, County Engineering's grant application has gotten the "green light" for the installation of CR A1A/Ocean Drive Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements.  The project, submitted through the Transportation Planning Agency's 2018 Transportation Alternatives Program, will receive $628,895 in federal funds through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to install flashers on pedestrian crossing signs that exist along the beach road in the towns of Juno Beach and Jupiter.  Formal adoption of the project into the FDOT Work Program will occur in June 2019.

Residents using the crossings had requested the improvements to create safer crossings for people accessing the beach crossovers as well as for those who walk, run or cycle along that corridor.  With all the distractions that confront drivers along A1A, frequently, drivers will zoom past the pedestrian crossings, creating an unsafe environment.  We all need to remember that if you see pedestrians enter the crosswalk at the sidewalk or edge of the road, the law requires drivers to stop and let them cross.  Even if it appears that the pedestrian is motioning for you to pass, it is good practice to stop in all instances.         

As always, please let me know if I can be of assistance to you by calling (561) 355-2201, or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org.