HomeMy Public PortalAboutPublic Hrg Schedule and WorkshopsPALM BEACH COUNTY
LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION
301 NORTH OLIVE AVENUE, SUITE 1101.11
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401
561/355-2406
FAX 242-7171
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE AND WORKSHOPS
FAIL 2015
ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND PUBLIC HEARING
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Palm Beach State College - Lake Worth Campus
Public Safety Training Center, Room PSD 108
4200 S Congress Ave, Lake Worth
LOCAL BILL AND PUBLIC HEARING
Thursday, October 15, 2015 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Florida Atlantic University -Jupiter Campus
Student Resources Building, Room SR 149
5353 Parkside Dr, Jupiter
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 9:30 am -11:30 am
Lakeside Medical Center
39200 Hooker Hwy, Belle Glade
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PALmBEAcnCouNTYLEGistATfvEDELEGAPON
301 NORTH OLIVE AVENUE
SurrE 1101.11 PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA
WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401
561/355-2406 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 FLORIDA ATLANDC UNNERSFrY
FAX 561/242-7171 JOHN D. MACARTHUR CAMPUS
5353 PARKSIDE DRIVE
REP. MARYLYNN MAGAR JUPITER FLORIDA
CHAIR 2:00 Phi - 5:00 PT4
REP. BOBBY POWELL JR rl
I. CALL TO ORDER
VICE -CHAIR
II. NATIONAL ANTHEM SUNG BY:
SENATORS
1. Loren Terry, Junior at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
JOSEPH ABRU2ZO
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III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
DNMCr 25
JEFF CLEMENS
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IV. ROLL CALL
DISMCr 27
JOE NEGRON
V. WELCOME REMARKS BY:
DIYMCr 32
MARIA SACHS1.
Rep. MaryLynn Magar, Delegation Chair
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2. Dr. John Kelly, President; Florida Atlantic University
REPRESENTATIVES
VI. DELEGATION BUSINESS
KEVIN RADER
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1. Introduction of Delegation Members and their Staff
DISTRICT 81
2. Announcements
MARYLYNN MAGAR
DKMCr 82
VII. LOCAL BILLS
PAT ROONEY JR
a
DmwCrRS
1. City of Delray Beach Civil Service Code
MARK PAFFORD
V
a. Noel M. Pfeffer, City Attorney; City of Delray Beach
D13MCr86
DAVE KERNER
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2. Lake Worth Drainage District
DL CT 87C/
a. Robert M. Brown, Executive Director; Lake Worth Drainage District
BOBBY POWELL JR
DISTIRCr R
3. Port of Palm Beach
BILL I4AGER
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a. Richard Pinsky; Akerman LLP
DKMCr 89
LORI BERMAN
4. Solid Waste Authority
DISTI ICr90
a. Mark Hammond, Executive Director; Solid Waste Authority
IRVING'IRTLOSBERG (/'
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VIII. CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS
1. Sharon Bock, Clerk & Comptroller; Palm Beach County
RACHAEL ONDRUS
LXECLIMT DIRWVOR
IX. PRESENTERS - L, ,7
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JOSEPH SOPHIE
DELEGAnoN AIDE
1. State Representative Jose Javier Rodr4•guez, District 112; Miami -Dade Coun�y
Legislative Delegation
2. Mary M. Barnes, President & CEO; Alzheimer's Community Care
3. Charles L. Bender, 111, Execut ic@ctor; Place of Hope, Inc.
4. Mary Brown, Place of Hope esi ent; lace of Hope, Inc.
(Continued on Back Page)
(Presenters Continued)
5. Davika Thompson, Board Member; Children's Home Society
515- 6. Sam Ambrose; Florida State University
3 -IX 7. Lary Rein, Executive Director; ChildNet
8. Jaime Estremera-Fitzgerald, CEO; Area Agency on Aging, Your Aging &
Disability Resource Center
9. Michelle Canaday, Esq., Circuit Director; Guardian ad Litem Program
�3s 10. Celeste De Palma, Everglades Policy Associate; Audubon Florida
11. Michele Donahue, Volunteer; Susan G. Komen South Florida
12. Paula McKane; Dyslexia, Learning and Support Group
e h l13. Arlene Ustin, Secretary; League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County
Lell"14. Robert J. Van Der Velde, Vice President-elect; Association of Florida Colleges
i, 15. Carlos Muhletaler, Sr. Field Director; Americans for Prosperity
16. Jill Hanson, Legislative Committee / Board President; Labor Council for Latin
American Advancement / Florida Immigrant Coalition
17. Michelle Gale, PhD; Floridians Against Fracking
X. PUBLIC COMMENTS
XL ADJOURNMENT
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Bob Sweetapple is the Managing Member of the Boca Raton office of Sweetapple, Breaker & Varkas, P.L, and is an accomplished dual
Florida Bar Board Certified trial lawyer in civil trial and business litigation. He has over 33 years of broad and extensive trial experience. Bob
has tried well over 100 cases, including jury trials In the Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee circuits. His jury
trial experience includes three decades of trials involving the successful prosecution and defense of wrongful death, breach of contract,
fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair and deceptive trade practices, libel and slander, piercing the corporate veil and other complex claims.
Bob has argued appeals in numerous Florida Appellate Courts, including the Third District Court of Appeal, Fourth District Court of Appeal,
and Florida Supreme Court. He often litigates in state and federal courts outside of Florida, including Kansas, North Carolina, New Jersey,
Connecticut and Louisiana. In addition, he has appeared as legal counsel before the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission and
handled dozens of administrative hearings and arbitrations. Bob is a strong proponent of alternate dispute resolution and has appeared in
well over 100 mediations. He serves as a mediator on complex commercial matters.
Practices Areas:
• Commercial and Business Litigation
• Eminent Domain
• Lender Liability
• Commercial Torts, including Fraud, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices, Libel and Slander, Unfair
Competition
Bar and Court Admissions:
• 1980, Florida
• All Florida State Trial and Appellate Courts
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court
Education:
University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law, 1979
Colgate University, B.A., 1978
http://sweetapplebroeker.com/ou professionals/robertasweetappleesq.html 3/28/2014
My name is Bob Ganger. I am Vice Mayor of the Town of Gulf Stream, and an active member of the
Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committee.
On behalf of the League, I am here to update you on meaningful legislation that will be introduced
during the 2016 Session to address unintended consequences of the Florida Public Records Act. It has
allowed a new breed of scam artists to bilk taxpayers out of countless millions of dollars from
municipalities, public agencies, and contractors who do business with public agencies... throughout the
entire state of Florida.
The scheme is simple. An outlier floods a victim with an impossible number of public records requests in
a short period of time. Or, request for public records are made to an employee who has no idea how to
comply. Within a day or so, a lawsuit is filed for failure to respond in a timely manner. The outlier offers
a confidential settlement for a sum that is magnitudes less than the probable cost of going to court. Or,
if the agency chooses to defend what they believe to be a lawful response, the outlier as Plaintiff only
risks modest court costs. If he wins, the court can—and usually does --order the defendant to reimburse
reasonable fees and expenses. If he loses, the law does not directly allow the court to shift costs to the
defendant. It is a lose/lose for the public agencies, which is why an extortion settlement is often the
1 preferred route.
11 The Town of Gulf Stream has been inundated with over 2000 Public Records requests from essentially
L one source in a little over one year. 40 Public Records lawsuits have been filed against us. Our direct
costs for managing this deluge amounted to just under $1 million in our Fiscal Year ending September
30, 2015. This burden accounted for roughly 20% of town operating expenses, much to the chagrin of
our taxpayers. " 14��-
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We are not alone. The League estimates that abuse of the Public Records Act is found in virtually every
county within the state. This includes municipalities, sheriffs, school boards, libraries --any operation
fully or partially funded by public sources.
In the 2015 Session, Representative Beshears and Senator Simpson introduced legislation aimed at
curtailing public records abuses affecting contractors who do business with public agencies. Their bills
never made it to the Governor's desk, but will be reintroduced shortly.
This year, Representative Greg Stube is drafting HB -97-t eal with abuses as related specifically to
public agencies.
What we hope to achieve is entirely reasonable.
(1) Give the courts discretion to shift fees when the requestor clearly is abusing the intent of the act; (2)
Require a reasonable period of time between notification of intent to sue, and the actual filing of an
action.
We intend to update you on progress at your next hearing on December 8, and when we meet in
workshop with the PBC League on December 16. In the meantime, please contact me directly with ideas