Page 12 - Boca Exposure - August '21

Page 12, Boca Exposure
From The Desk Of Palm Beach County

Vice Mayor Robert S. Weinroth: Building Safety,

Bike Safety, Anti-Semitism And Freedom From Hunger

Robert Weinroth, a former I would like to thank county fire rescue personnel and informing motorists about the required safety precautions.
member of the Boca Raton City social workers who are currently providing assistance These new laws are intended to reduce accidents and
Council, was elected as a Palm and aid in the Surfside community. As we continue to fatalities which, unfortunately, have continued to increase.
Beach County Commissioner watch this tragic event unfold, we are grateful to these In 2020, 11 bicyclists died in the county, more than double
to replace Steven Abrams, professionals who play such a critical role in disasters the number of bicycle fatalities in 2019. For more details,
who retired due to term limits such as Surfside. visit www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/950.
requirements. Emergency volunteers needed. When disasters hit Resolution against anti-Semitism. I recently initiated
Within days following volunteers play an essential role, especially in conjunction a resolution in support of the International Holocaust
the disaster in Surfside, with the county’s Community Emergency Response Team Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Anti-
Palm Beach County (CERT). Participants receive training in fire safety, light Semitism that was unanimously approved by the Board.
officials formed a working search and rescue and disaster medical operations. With The resolution, requested by the American Jewish
group consisting of the this training, CERT members give critical support to first Committee Palm Beach, provides a working definition
League of Cities, county and municipal building officials, responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and of anti-Semitism and will be used as an educational tool
fire marshals and engineers to evaluate reinspection organize volunteers at disaster sites. to help understand how anti-Semitism manifests in our
options for tall buildings including timelines, building As we have seen in Surfside, disaster can strike community.
height and location. anywhere and at any time. Basic safety and disaster skills There is no place for any form of hatred in our public
At the July board meeting, the Board of County can mean the difference between life and death. For more institutions, and anti-Semitism should be treated no
Commissioners (Board) directed staff to continue to information on how to volunteer to become part of a CERT differently.
evaluate the safety of certain building types in the team, please call (561) 712-6400. Nonprofit highlight: Palm Beach County Food
unincorporated area of Palm Beach County. They also New bike safety laws. Important new state laws Bank. Since established in 2012, the Palm Beach County
requested staff draft a letter to condominium boards governing bicycle safety became effective July 1. Some Food Bank has grown into an important organization that
encouraging them to assess the structural integrity of highlights include the following: donates food to nearly 200 partnering agencies, including
their buildings. • Motorists are allowed to safely pass cyclists in “no food pantries, soup kitchens, residential facilities, and
The county has no current reinspection requirement; passing” zones. other social service organizations right here in our county.
however, its code enforcement officials respond to • Bicyclists must ride single file in narrow bike lanes, and With the opening of their new facility in Lake Worth
complaints and alerts of potential unsafe building no more than two abreast in wider lanes. Beach, the organization will now be able to distribute
conditions when brought to their attention. • Cyclists are required to stop at stop signs. more than 11 million pounds of food annually, reaching
As the working group continues to meet, we anticipate • Motor vehicles must allow groups of 10 cyclists to travel nearly 300,000 county residents.
an update of these deliberations next month. through an intersection together. To learn more about PBC Food Bank and their programs,
Additionally, state legislators are planning on • New test questions related to bicycle and pedestrian please call (561) 670-2518 or visit pbcfoodbank.org.
introducing legislation that will address various safety are on Florida driver’s license exam. Please contact our office if you require assistance at
regulations, including re-inspections, condo associations The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (561) 355-2204 and/or email me at rweinroth@pbcgov.org.
and more. is being mandated to provide a public awareness campaign
New Redaction Requirements, Passport Delays,

Criminal Records ... And More

By Joseph Abruzzo, Clerk Learn How to Seal or Expunge a Criminal Record. Journal’s annual list of the area’s healthiest employers. We
of the Circuit Court & Do you have questions about how to seal or expunge a earned the second-place spot on this year’s list in the category
Comptroller, Palm Beach criminal record? Check out our latest “How To” workshop honoring organizations with 500 to 1,499 employees. The
County. Clerk Abruzzo on YouTube. We explain the difference between sealing and Healthiest Employer award recognizes organizations from
serves as the county’s expunging a record, outline the forms that must be completed Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties who are
protector of public records and go over all of the court fees that are required. committed to improving the overall health and well-being
and public funds. He was Clerk’s Office Named One of South Florida’s of their employees.
elected in November 2020 Healthiest Employers. For the third consecutive year,
and sworn into office on our office has been named to the South Florida Business New Redaction Requirements on page 13
January 5th, 2021. Prior to
his election, Clerk Abruzzo
served in the Florida
Legislature for a decade,
serving in both the Florida House of Representatives and
the Florida Senate. He proudly served in the United States
Coast Guard Reserves as a Port Security Specialist from
2005 to 2013 and is the recipient of numerous awards,
medals and outstanding performance citations.
All filers of circuit civil, county civil and small claims Stylish Modern Atmosphere Make Reservations happy hour
court documents are now solely responsible for ensuring every Day 3 - 6 pm
that confidential information is redacted or is identified
for redaction. In Opinion 20-1765, the Florida Supreme and Mon. - Thurs.
Court amended Rule 2.420 requiring the filer to be solely all Day at Bar Only
responsible for identifying confidential information in small
claims, county civil and most circuit civil court documents. Lunch SpeciaLS
These changes, which took effect on July 1, do not apply to
juvenile, family, guardianship, probate or criminal cases. every Day
Mail Delays Impacting Passport Turnaround Times. $
Need a passport? Plan ahead and schedule your passport starting at 9
appointment with our office today. Mail delays are
significantly impacting how long it takes to get a passport.
Current processing times for routine service can take up to
18 weeks. Expedited service can take up to 12 weeks.

Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing
Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
To reserve your vehicle:
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com