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ORDINANCE NO. 2010- 013 <br />AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />ESTABLISHING A NINETY (90) DAY MORATORIUM ON THE <br />ISSUANCE, TRANSFER AND RENEWAL OF LOCAL BUSINESS TAX <br />RECEIPTS FOR CERTAIN PAIN CLINICS AND PAIN MANAGEMENT <br />CLINICS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILTY; AND SETTING FORTH <br />EFFECTIVE DATE. <br />WHEREAS, section 125.66(3), Florida Statutes, authorizes the Board of County <br />Commissioners at any regular meeting to enact an emergency ordinance, upon <br />declaring that an emergency exists and that the immediate enactment of said ordinance <br />is necessary; and <br />WHEREAS, on November 19, 2009, the Broward County, Florida Grand Jury <br />released an Interim Report on the Proliferation of Pain Clinics in South Florida, which <br />report detailed the rapid proliferation of pain clinics in South Florida; the excessive <br />prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances through such clinics; the increased <br />deaths resulting from lethal dosages of such controlled substances; the increased <br />crime, including burglaries and robberies in areas where such pain clinics operate; the <br />identity theft and organized criminal activities linked to the excessive prescribing and <br />dispensing of such controlled substances; the increased drug trafficking in controlled <br />substances originating from such pain clinics; and other impacts harmful to the public <br />health, safety and welfare; and <br />WHEREAS, the Indian River County Sheriff has reported to the Board that based <br />on the proximity of Indian River County to 1-95, and considering the expansion of pain <br />clinics northward towards Indian River County from counties located to the south, there <br />will be a definite proliferation of such clinics in Indian River County, and that such clinics <br />will have a direct and immediate impact which is harmful to the public health, safety and <br />welfare of the citizens of Indian River County. The Sheriff has also reported to the <br />Board the increase in deaths in Indian River County caused by lethal dosages of <br />controlled substances relating to pain management; and <br />WHEREAS, newspaper and other reports have detailed the "pipeline" that is <br />used by drug traffickers illegally purchasing controlled substances from Pain Clinics in <br />Florida and selling the controlled substances to users in other states; and <br />WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has recognized and addressed the harmful <br />impacts of the proliferation of pain clinics by adopting Chapters 2009-198 and Senate <br />Bill 2272, requiring, inter alia, the licensure of pain clinics, the establishment of a <br />prescription drug monitoring program, and the promulgation of rules and regulations by <br />the Department of Health, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Board of Medicine <br />1 <br />