Wednesday, August 26, 2009

CRA last night

Comment Up
Looking for my Chair

There are always surprises and last night was no exception at the CRA meeting. After being at the City Commission meeting from 1pm until 5:40pm, there was no way I was going to stay for another meeting. I called Emily at the CRA for the results.

1. In what could be considered as a political maneuver, Brendan Lynch was nominated by Donna Ross, seconded by Shanon Materio and voted in as Chair, some saying that he has the respect and knowledge to lead. Commissioner Ed Grimm wanted to wait until next week when a new Board will be appointed.

2. Donna Ross was voted as Vice Chair.

3. The Palm Beach Cultural Development wants to come to Lake Worth as its headquarters. They asked and the CRA agreed to give them $700,000 in a 10 year forgivable loan at 0% interest. This will be paid in 6 separate draws and will be used on construction costs for a building not yet decided upon. Although totally conjecture and no way of proving its potential value to Lake Worth, some said having them headquartered here will be a great asset for our City.

4. The Budget and CIP were approved.

5. 812 N. Dixie Project. All Site Construction was chosen...$146,221.48

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is shocking! Lynch, the one who was a party to all the corruption of the CRA now Chairman? Wow.

Anonymous said...

I was there and I can honestly say everyone was in agreement to give them $700,000. Loretta Sharpe has said that she would have given them a million. No guarantees in this investment. Will this be another Pugh deal?

Anonymous said...

Ed Grim wanting to wait was sensible. the Board might all change out in less than a week.

Anonymous said...

What corruption was Lynch party to? Please provide examples if you can. If there was corruption why was no one arrested or removed from the board?

Anonymous said...

The past Board was corrupt. There is no doubt about it. There are still some of the old Board remaining. Making bad decisions is a form of corruption, as it is an abuse of power. Electing Lynch is corruption as it is in the adverse interests of LW. Now the Commission has a chance to change it out in spite of last night's ill conceived vote. We will soon find out if all the developer lobby has won over the city commission.

Anonymous said...

Making what you call bad decisions is poor judgement not corruption. Please provide examples of what you consider bad decisions. And since you are stating "there is no doubt about it" please provide examples, even just 1 of corruption. What exactly is the developer lobby? And it's quite apparent the present commission is against any development so it's safe to say this so called developer lobby has zero influence. You really like making mountains out of molehills.
Please explain how a commission that wants to promote raising chickens and ducks in an urban area can make rational decisions regarding appointments to a board that's supposed to help the city prosper?

Anonymous said...

Mr Locust elitest giveaway money bags and look who nominates him--- Dona Ross?? Did she lose her mind--- the one I thought she had? Who appointed her!?

Mr Locust giveaway money, hundreds of thousands on the Pugh property, $20,000 to the former director for writing an RFP when more qualified individuals offered to do it for FREE. He recommends a 10% raise for director Oliva during a recession, he was all for a million dollars a block gateways and with that I'm sayin its time to take the CRA back commissioners. Don't even hesitate this time, take it back these idiots are just going to waste all our money. $700,000 for what? no guarantees, a building that hasn't been picked out yet--- are they nuts.

Anonymous said...

Katie Mcgiveron here. I am one of almost 31 people who are applying for the CRA board. I have been highly critical of past CRA decisions, so I decided it was time to stop bit##9ng and step forward to volunteer.I consider what the CRA board did Tuesday night to be a HUGE insult to myself and everyone else applying.The ARROGANCE it took for Brendan Lynch to accept the nomination as chair,( what the hell were you thinking, Donna ) ? when he might not even be ON THE BOARD after this coming MONDAY NIGHT !!!!!! is beyond belief. No,wait,after thinking about some of the supremely dumb things that he has allowed in the past few years of his CRA term,it's not really that shocking.Oh ,and the idea that a budget was shoved through that a new board had no chance to make decisions on, and will have to live with, is disgusting.Don't try to hide behind the lame excuse that this had to be done because of some bylaws. This should have all waited for the new board.A final note to Brendan and Shannon (otherwise known to everyone as the crybaby twins), you both owe our Commissioners an apology for your insults against them.You owe the taxpayers of Lake Worth an apology for your appalling waste of MILLIONS in taxpayer dollars.And Brendan, all knowledge will NOT,I repeat, NOT be lost when the two of you are, hopefully, handed your asses next Monday night.In case you forgot who wrote this (and I mean every word ) Katie Mcgiveron

Anonymous said...

TAKE BACK THE CRA!

Mark A. Parrilla said...

Katie,

I couldn't agree with you more if I tried! Thank you for being a voice of clarity and reason among the insipid banter! I was amazed at the obvious underhanded powerplay that gifted the chair of the CRA to the underserving Lynch, hopefully that will be corrected on Monday. I doubt that that Brandon or Shannon have the integrity and ethical stock to do the right thing and publicly apologize for their cowardly behavior of spewing insults to our commissioners. As for their cavalier attitude with our tax dollars we can only hope that Kharma is real! Katie my hat is off to you for having the courage to identify yourself with your comment. I still don't understand those who don't.

Sincerely,
Mark A. Parrilla

Sincerely