We win another - Florida Hometown Democracy

Lesley Blackner gave a statement after the Florida Supreme Court cleared the way today and made its unanimous decision on the financial Impact Statement that must accompany Amendment 4.

"We've been three times on this merry-go-round, I'm glad it's over," said Lesley Blackner, co-founder of Florida Hometown Democracy. "Now we get to go to the people."

The opposing side, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the shill for the development establishment and big business, is still working on getting enough signatures for its ridiculous ballot that requires petitioners to get 10% of the electorate within 60 days in order to vote on Comp Plan changes. How much money have they spent trying to defeat Florida Hometown Democracy?

Vote Yes on 4 in 2010!

Boil Water

Thank God this is not happening in College Park. We would have to listen to how bad the water tastes.

BOIL WATER NOTICE
Thursday JULY 9, 2009
Approximately 4 homes
4"WATER MAIN BREAK Water will be turned off from 12:30 PM. until 2:00 PM
802 Latona St.
1611 1616 1617 Johnson St.


Door hanger(s) have been passed out.
Residents will be notified if additional water samples need to be taken and if the City needs to extend this notice. Door hangers will be passed out.
Should you have any questions please contact the Water Systems Department at (561) 586-1719.
Cc: Palm Beach County Health Department

Dense Urban Land Areas

Click HERE to view the list of all the cities that will be affected by SB-360, one of Charlie Crist's worst decisions.

Yesterday we mentioned that Lee County and the City of Weston were filing suit to kill SB-360. Today the cities of Deerfield Beach, Miami Gardens, Fruitland Park and Parkland joined the village of Key Biscayne Bay as plaintiffs along with Lee County.

Vote YES on 4 in 2010!

Illegals arrested

Just like any other criminal group—The Mafia, Top 6, your drug store cowboy, illegals come to our country, invade our neighborhoods, undermine our system and immediately get head over heels involved in our free enterprise system.

Read about it HERE

The Power Change

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Comment up

There have been many changes at City Hall over the last two months and one idea, that of the decentralization of purchasing, has been brought forth by the new city manager. I don’t know whether this is a good idea or not but it is happening as I write and it did get my attention. As there is a supposed gag order at City Hall, I doubt if I can get anyone to give me an opinion.

In order to ensure integrity in everything that we do relative to buying and contracting for services as well as the overall purchasing quality and accountability on what we spend and on what, it seems to me that a Purchasing Professional is our best bet—the structure we had in place. Without someone in charge, how are we guaranteed that there will be no superfluous buying and spending. How are we ensured that we have received the best deal?

A Purchasing Professional keeps costs down and he is the one we trust to make that happen. He is the one who is ultimately responsible that the vendor has met the qualifications under the RFP, that the job has been bid correctly and that we do not experience cost-overruns and department heads spending like drunk sailors. Having a purchasing professional in place helps to control corrupt practices.

The only reason to decentralize is to eliminate any red-tape that might be generated by the purchasing department. Is there any? Is there that much of a slow down in getting items approved for purchase if that department is within its budget? Are requests backed up so that our Purchasing Manager can not handle them efficiently?

The Mission Statement for our Purchasing Department says:

To provide a modern, centralized municipal government procurement operation which serves City Staff, suppliers and the citizens of Lake Worth, through the implementation of best-value procurement methodologies, fair and equitable supplier management techniques and the cost-effective acquisition of products and services consistent with the City’s Procurement Code and those of the State of Florida.

That sounds good to me! A Purchasing Manager has a skill set that is incomparable and he is someone who ultimately makes the decision and decides who/what is the best for our City. Normally it is someone with a college degree and who has worked for a city government for at least 5 years. Do you really think that various departments will be able to do it better and more efficiently than one expert at one centralized location?

Purchasing is a finance activity and as such I want to see who the person is who recommends the item for expenditure and if the Finance Director has approved it, He is, afterall, the one in charge of our money—the CFO of this city, if you will. Why would we want a department head to be the supreme authority say on a $565,000 purchase without the feedback and approval from the CFO?

And I want to know that the City Manager has signed off on it. I don’t get a comfortable feeling when the City Manager does not sign the request indicating approval and then throws in a caveat of “well, I would have preferred it being done some other way but because of time, etc. I will approve.” This is not acceptable. We as citizens want to know that this was a wise decision and do not want to hear any “buts.” So, to wrap that up, I want to see on that approval request who prepared it, who reviewed it and who recommended it. I want to see the city manager's signature on it.

Also, raising the threshold on smaller items from $15,000 to $25,000 for approval is not a good idea. We need a red light on spending and we need more control now than ever before, not less.

The Commission may be in charge of policy but they are our elected representatives. They do not need to be protected by a city manager. They are big kids. They do not need their control diminished further. When you have a Chief Executive Officer in a corporation, you have a Board of Directors giving oversight. You do not have a Board that allows decisions to be made without their official approval. We need to know that our elected officials are in charge and that they are not just elected puppets. They must not accept changes without asking all the right questions, in the sunshine, because if they don't, they will soon be ineffectual as a body and you will have one person in charge of the store.

Two letters to the Editor applauding Florida Hometown Democracy

Unchecked Growth Kills Paradise

Local Governments file Suit to kill SB-360

LOCALS FILE SUIT AGAINST GROWTH MANAGEMENT BILL

By MICHAEL PELTIER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, July 8, 2009…A coalition of local governments on Wednesday asked the courts to throw out a new growth management law they say will leave them holding the bag.

Six weeks after Gov. Charlie Crist signed SB 360 into law, plaintiffs including Lee County and the City of Weston filed suit in the Second Circuit Court in Tallahassee asking the court to do what opponents couldn't in the 2009 legislative Session: Kill a measure that among other things loosens local control over development in the state’s most densely populated areas.

Passed during the final days of the 2009 session, the bill was amended to include a number of other provisions local governments say will cost them at a time they are already scrambling to make ends meet.

The suit attacks the new law on a couple of fronts by saying it improperly encompasses multiple issues and amounts to an unfunded mandate prohibited under the Florida Constitution.

“The significant costs of SB 360 on local governments in Florida were well-known to (but ignored by) the Legislature,” the lawsuit contends.

Other local governments are expected to sign on as the lawsuit works its way through the courts.

The challenge is the latest development since the issue emerged as one of the most controversial of the 2009 session. The law went into effect June 1.

The plan removes transportation concurrency requirements in the state's dense urban land areas -- tracts with an average of at least 1,000 people per square mile or in counties with populations of at least 1 million. The provision would directly affect eight of the state's largest counties and nearly 250 municipalities across the state. The measure exempts from the development of regional impact process those dense urban areas or parcels classified as urban infill, community redevelopment or those that are part of an urban service area. It also creates a two-year extension of projects that are otherwise compliant with local and state permits.

The bill prompted controversy in both chambers. It passed the Senate on a 30-7 vote. The House passed it by a 78-37 tally.

Backers said the state’s 25-year-old growth management law encouraged the type of sprawl it attempted to avoid. Crist said it would encourage growth in urban areas, promote environmentally friendly practices and free up construction projects that are waiting in the wings.

But some worry about the way the bill is worded and that some of its provisions will encourage new development in some areas that aren't in the urban core. Cities and counties led a push for Crist to veto the measure, calling it ironic that the state, which forced local governments to adopt tougher growth management laws 25 years ago is now restricting their oversight.

“This re-write substantially alters the role local governments can and will play in the process,” said Lee Arnold, a lobbyist for Lee County. “In the end, it will dismantle growth management as we know it.”

--END--

The First BIG Step

Announcement from Roy Beck
Just passed in the Senate:

• Sen. Sessions (R-Ala.) after multiple failures finally got approval of an amendment to require E-Verify for all employees on federal contracts. We got 53 votes. Nelson-Yea, Martinez-Nay

• Sen. DeMint (R-S.C.) won on an amendment to require the completion of 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border. We got 54 votes. Nelson-Yea, Martinez-Nay

Last Night's Commission Meeting

Last night’s commission meeting was very important with a lot on the agenda and a lot to digest.

There was one new item added to the Agenda at the last minute--the approval of a reimbursement agreement for the failed Hammon Park Project. Hammon Park, the CDC and its partners have applied for a CWHIP Grant that must be secured by the end of December. These funds will be used for construction of the condos and townhouses. PB County set aside this money for this project which covers roadways, curbs, gutters, landscaping, etc. The City agreed to be responsible for subsequent maintenance of all infrastructure improvements on Hammon Park. If Hammon Park does not get the Grant, the City is requesting that the funds be available for infrastructure for that project. So, I learned something here. I thought it was only our CRA that had given a total of $100,000 towards Hammon Park. I had no idea that the City of LW was committed to maintenance on the infrastructure.

We had an item in the amount of $565,000 on last night’s Consent Agenda. Consent! The City Manager did say that items this big perhaps should be off of Consent and moved somewhere else for discussion. But she has total confidence in the Utilities Director. The entire Commission passed this expenditure for the re-manufacture and re-wind of our idle power transformer without even considering flushing it out to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, the recommendation of the insurance carrier on this transformer. Mattey, Utilities Director, said that the warranty with G.E. might be jeopardized if they went that route. So, it might very well be a simple flushing out versus rebuilding it. The Commission did not challenge this at all. The warranty is only for one year. Not much to be worried about here.

The mayor made two curious statements last night. Now I don’t want him to think that I am picking on him. I find him a very personable guy. But really, Mayor. He said, when speaking about our water source, that “we don’t have any control over our water, that we and the County get our water from the same place.” When we speak about “control” we are only talking about being a supplier or a buyer of the commodity, not what aquifer we get it from. Next he said that he was not voting on the authorization of an RFQ on the RO deep well injection because, “We don’t know how we’re going to pay for it.” Mayor, whether we go to PB County for our sole source of water or build our own system, we have to pay for it. The dollars are similar. “But I don’t like West Palm Beach water.” He didn't say that last night but the tune was still there.

Our Interim City Attorney and our City Manager met with PB County on our water contract and the County wants around $8 million to end the deal amicably. Stanton said that Elaine did a superb job at the meeting and she is still promoting her to be the City Attorney. Elaine can apply like anyone else for this job. She cannot be under the thumb of the city manager. She must be separate and distinct and have total authority for the legal department and report to the Commission, her only boss, not the city manager.

Sunset was discussed and Stanton mentioned that all of the players (DCA,City Manager, Interim City Attorney, investors, Save Our Neighborhood, Inc) will be on a conference call this Friday at 1pm to see if there is any way to resolve the issue. Obviously Ms. Stanton had not yet received the letter to the City, (I have included only the cover letter in this link) consisting of 42 pages, from our attorney that was dated July 6. Several weeks ago the city manager told us one thing and two weeks later the direction that the city was going to take (according to her) was totally opposite. Either the City or the DCA is confused. The DCA could care less what sort of residential land-use we have there so I know which one I choose. Take your pick but perhaps we will find out on Friday.

Ms. Stanton said that the Commission would have to make a “policy” decision on the Comp Plan but was clearly leading them to keep it MF-20 and even brought up the Bert J. Harris Act again. To me this is unbelievable when their own outside counsel said there was NO CASE using Bert J. Harris. The City of Lake Worth has been told that zoning is a police power. So just change the zoning to Single Family 7 and stop listening to the Chair and former Chair of the P&Z. No one from Save Our Neighborhood is lobbying with the city manager and we are the ones who have the most to lose as we represent 450 families in Lake Osborne Heights. What is the P&Z’s interest anyway?

I left before the casino was discussed by the City Manager but heard that it was also unfavorable as far as the previous direction given by the City Commission. The Commission has already said to refurbish/renovate the building but the forces that be out there are fighting very hard to see that building razed.

The Baldwin Shuffle

Well, it was unfortunate I could not speak on Bob Baldwin tonight and the fast one he pulled on his last day in office. The Commission seemed to believe that somehow his betrayal was their fault for not making it a formal policy--not writing and extending employment contracts--that they only mentioned it but because no vote was ever taken on the numerous occasions it was brought up, that they believed he could get away with what he did. I can assure the Commission right now that Mr. Baldwin knew exactly the wishes of the commission and he did not give a flying crap.

Ok? Got it?

On the last day in his job, Bob Baldwin picked up his Bic and finally did some work—he signed what I thought were 3 employment extensions (Rachael Bach, Laura Hanna and Paul Blockson) knowing that what he did was in direct violation of the city commission’s wishes. Tonight I find out it was 4 contracts. Elaine Humphreys admitted that Baldwin gave her an extension on his last day on the job. Commendable of Bob to protect city employees. How many more are there of which we are not aware?

Mr. Baldwin probably had the easiest city manager’s job in the country. He wrote his own contract and didn’t even have to come into work. He was out more than he was in. And by getting away with the good will of Lake Worth for over 1.5 years, he extended it to at least 4 employees on his last day here. He did more on his last day than he did in one year and 9 months or whatever it was.

If there is any way to get retribution I say go for it. If there is any insurance policy that covers employee insubordination to this degree-- going completely around the will of the commission-- costing the city thousands of dollars, proceed with it. But let us not allow Bob Baldwin to get away with it and sweep it under the rug.

Screwy--A Tragedy and a Travesty

Trial begins on illegal Guatemalan.

Now, why should this be the problem of Martin Memorial when two Guatemalan hospitals kicked him out too! Why should this be the problem of OUR government to pay the hospital for these bills? Does it get any screwier than this?

"Hey, America, I was born therefore I am entitled; I crossed your border illegally; I got in a terrible car accident with NO driver's license; I was treated for two years raking up a bill of $1.5 million; I can't pay; I won't pay; you sent me back to Guatemala on an airplane, not the same way in which I entered your country; hospitals in my own country tell me to forget it--
SO
I am coming back to the U.S. to sue Martin Memorial."



Now I sure do hope there are no Socialists
or bleeding heart liberals on this Jury.

Our own water source is the key to Lake Worth's success

Comment up

The PB Post must have been talking to the Mayor again.

Whether we go with County water or our own Reverse Osmosis system has nothing to do with what costs less. Cost is not the key…either way is expensive and years into the future we will wonder why the small difference in capital expense was such an issue. What motivated the decision to go with our own Reverse Osmosis system was to be an independent supplier, to have the best quality water imaginable and to have control. We have already said that we will pay more for our own water supply that will be the best investment ever made for our city, for our residents a few decades down the pike. But the main thing here is, we have not had a new cost estimate on a reverse osmosis system. We continue to play with yesterday’s numbers and in this case, the estimated costs have gone down, not up per testimony of Mock Roos.

For me, I don’t understand why Mayor Clemens does not want to go in the direction of reverse osmosis. He must have been the one who told the Post that Retha Lowe was also against it when in fact she admitted at a public meeting that they made a mistake when they voted for the County deal. Ms. Lowe should have stopped right there but continued on, in the reasoning that we all expect from her by saying, “well, we signed a contract so we need to go forward.”

They never should have gotten us into this mess and a 40 year contract with PB County and set a match to the multi-millions of dollars already spent on a reverse osmosis system. That is about the most irresponsible decision ever made by sitting commissioners. It is far worse than saying “I don’t like the taste of West Palm Beach water” for the reason to spend a few million on an interconnect with PB County instead of turning on the valve from WPB and getting our emergency water for free while we build our own reverse osmosis.

Now it will be up to Susan Stanton to try and negotiate our way out of this mess without spending millions more of taxpayer money on a contract that was ill advised, not negotiated, coerced by Brian Shields and the County with misinformation that was fed to us and the commission at that time by the County. Our elected “leaders” fell for it so that PB County could take over our wells and make up for a County budget short-fall thus putting our poor little city out of the water business forever.

There are a few people who are always kidding me about “conspiracy” theories. In this case, I do not understand how two people could make the decisions they do without something else going on here. Also, to even consider going forward on anything less than 4.5 mgd is dumber than dumb. We must rest a well field. We need to look at the long term need and nothing will be as cheap to build as it is right now.

I ask you, do you want to be in control of your own water supply that is the most essential resource for every form of life or be dependent upon someone else who has already said that the water rate they will charge us will go up every year for 40 years?

Having our own water source will be the key that will open the lock for a healthy and thriving city in the future, our own reverse osmosis system.

PB Post Editorial on our Water

COST IS KEY TO LAKE WORTH WATER

I thought that we had already decided on an RO?????????????

Illegal files suit

This is what the world is coming to--probably the ACLU is somewhere around the scene. Illegal Guatemalen is suing Martin Memorial Medical Center--he didn't pay his medical bills for two years and they finally bought his air fare and sent him home. He says he was falsely imprisoned. Read about it HERE

Most of us who have ever been sick or in the hospital and haven't had insurance end up making some sort of an arrangement with the hospital--a payment plan. Not this guy--Instead of saying "thank you" for two years of medical care, on the house, he decides to sue.