House Bill 1419

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1419

        By Representative Eggelletion






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to road designations;

  3         designating the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward

  4         County as the "Jerry Thompson Expressway";

  5         directing the Department of Transportation to

  6         erect markers; providing an effective date.

  7

  8         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson, chair and founding member

  9  of the Broward County Expressway Authority, vigorously fought

10  to develop the Sawgrass Expressway in West Broward on time and

11  under budget, and

12         WHEREAS, the regional shopping center and tourist

13  attraction Sawgrass Mills and the hockey arena and other area

14  development would not have been possible without the

15  expressway, and

16         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson served 22 years as a county

17  commissioner, the longest of any person in Broward history,

18  and

19         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson helped merge the county's

20  libraries into a countywide system, was the swing vote for the

21  Broward County Convention Center, fought to get an

22  entertainment tax passed to support arts and culture, and

23  helped develop an outstanding county park system, and

24         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson championed the Performing

25  Art Center, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport

26  Expansion, and women's rights, and

27         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson's public service dates to

28  1964, when he was elected councilman and then Mayor of Wilton

29  Manors, serving for 10 years, and

30         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson served as President of the

31  Broward League of Cities, Chair of the South Florida Regional

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1419

    503-172-00






  1  Planning Council, Director of the Florida League of Cities,

  2  and Director of the National Association of County Officials,

  3  and as a member of the Florida Association of Counties, and

  4         WHEREAS, Gerald F. Thompson died March 29, 1999, after

  5  dedicating nearly half his life to public service, NOW,

  6  THEREFORE,

  7

  8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  9

10         Section 1.  (1)  The Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869)

11  located in Broward County is designated the "Jerry Thompson

12  Expressway" in honor of the late Broward County Commissioner

13  who served from November 1974 through November 1996.

14         (2)  The Department of Transportation shall erect

15  suitable markers bearing the designation made by this act.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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18            *****************************************

19                          SENATE SUMMARY

20    Designates the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County as
      the "Jerry Thompson Expressway." Directs the Department
21    of Transportation to erect markers.

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