Palm-Beach-Boca-soccer
October 5th, 2008
By John Johnston
Managing Editor
In a $15,250 agreement with Palm Beach County commissioners, the Boca Youth Soccer Association, Inc will receive funding for its concession stand operation and field equipment expenses.
Commissioners said the program serves approximately 1,500 youth in the south county area; funding will come from the Commission District 5 Recreation Assistance Program (RAP) fund.
Jog To Right
Separately, commissioners have approved an agreement with BellSouth-AT&T Florida, in which the county obtains land for a right turn lane on the Jog Road from Yamato Road to Clint Moore Road project in Commission District 4.
The land in which the utility has agreed to release its interest is located on the west side of Jog Road at the Omni Middle School, commissioners said. In turn, commissioners said that the county has agreed to pay for any future utility company facilities relocation costs at that location when and if requested by the county.
New Drug Deal
Commissioners have also agreed to a new and nearly $1 million contract with Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital to establish restructured services and a new fee schedule for toxicology and histology testing.
Commissioners said that a 2001 contract with Wuesthoff did not envision the current workload and was based on an individual test fee. The county medical examiner’s office continues to experience increases in autopsy cases and deaths involving multiple drugs, resulting in increased toxicology testing and anticipates a 20 percent increase in usage annually.
Seeing the increased costs, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Bell, re-negotiated contract terms with Wuesthoff for a flat rate of $165 per case, instead of a separate fee for each test, commissioners said. A comprehensive drug panel is defined as the detection and quantitation of alcohols, carbon monoxide, and the drugs listed in Exhibit “C” in blood, urine and vitreous fluid from a submitted medical examiner case.
Additional tests not included in the panel are done at the discretion of the medical examiner’s office and fees are separate, with a fee schedule. Wuesthoff’s costs include the cost of the pickup, delivery, storage and return and/or destruction of specimens, commissioners said.
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