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Today's meeting may seal Scripps' Florida fate
By KRIS HUNDLEY
Published April 24, 2006
Officials from Scripps Research Institute and Palm Beach County will make one last effort to break a stalemate in their contract negotiations today.
And in a novel twist, Scripps has requested that the talks, held in secret to date, be open to the public and broadcast on local TV and the Internet.
For folks who thought California-based Scripps was well on its way to settling on a Palm Beach County campus, 21/2 years after Gov. Jeb Bush offered the renowned research organization $369-million in state money as an incentive, here's why you're wrong:
- When Scripps' original site in Palm Beach County was delayed by legal challenges, a new site in Jupiter was chosen.
- The move triggered the need for a new contract between Scripps and the county, which is paying to construct the facility.
- If Scripps fails to maintain at least 545 jobs in the county for 30 years, commissioners want the right to sue to recoup the taxpayers' investment, now estimated at about $235-million.
- Scripps refuses to agree to this condition, saying it would imperil its California operations.
This morning, Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson, acting on behalf of the commissioners, and Scripps officials will try to resolve the crisis. If neither side budges, Scripps has said it will consider site offers from elsewhere in the state.
Spectators of the high-stakes showdown are welcome in person or via Palm Beach County's Web site, www.pbcgov.com
[Last modified April 24, 2006, 01:40:15]
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