Lake Worth Board Appointments

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Just some thoughts--

The CRA is one of the most powerful and prestigious Boards to which a resident can be nominated, if not the most powerful because of its independence from the City Commission. It is a controversial Board and it is highly political. It has its own Director who is voted a raise every year in spite of the economy, something that does not set well with many residents. It has paid staff. The CRA has its own Budget.

Right now it has a government grant in the amount of $23 million bucks from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Redevelopment (HUD). This funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and is better known as the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Funding is primarily being used to purchase, rehabilitate and demolish foreclosed homes within the City of Lake Worth. Even this process has been scandalized saying that the CRA is buying up properties over value.

There has been a lot of questions as well as a lot of criticism on how the CRA has spent grant money and taxpayer money in the CRA District. Corruption has been mentioned many times in the past as well as proven and it has been mentioned in the present. The subject of the City Commission taking back the CRA has been discussed twice and failed for lack of a majority. Only Herman Robinson said during his interview that the CRA should be more in touch with our City Commissioners as well as having a balance of residential and business concerns. I liked that. In spite of his remark, however, the City Commission appointed 3 business owners last night. The majority of the TIF money comes from the residential neighborhoods.

There were 3 vacancies to this Board and 16 qualified people applied. Pauline Jean Simon, a small business owner on Dixie since 1988 and from Haiti, got the top vote with 3. She lives west of Lake Worth. Her term will expire on 8/21/15. Bernard Guthrie, another Lake Worth business owner was appointed for a 4 year term. Saying that "The CRA has an opportunity to change negativity," Madyln McKendry, one of my personal choices, will fill a 2 year term ending on 8/21/13. Madlyn was up and positive, is a landlord who owns 3 rental properties.

Glenn Scheiner was an interesting candidate. He applied for 3 city boards and was not chosen. He has had a vast career: 5 years at the state government level involved in construction projects, was in the airline industry and he was with the Department of Justice Immigration Service and lives in Parrot Cove. I rather liked him and he should have been chosen for something. Perhaps it was that word "immigration" that threw the curve ball here, another big problem we have had in this City.

Dee McNamara again applied to 3 boards and was turned down again--the tenth time in a row. Wes Blackman and Herman Robinson were appointed to the Historic Resources Preservation Board and Patricia Highland was re-appointed to the Board of Trustees Firefighters Retirement System. I liked her a lot. She also stays out of politics and just advises the Board on its investments, having her own investment firm.

I did not get any sense that our city commissioners were political in their appointments but rather were looking for the best mix for the particular boards that had openings. The Commissioners did appoint two minorities, one to the Community Relations Board and one to the CRA.

The following Boards will be re-advertised:

• P&Z (3/1 vote) Maxwell dissenting

• Finance Advisory Board (Laura Starr applied for it but was unsure of her financial strength. Dee also applied. I think that both should have been given the chance to serve.) (3/1 vote) Maxwell dissenting)

• City Recreation Board (4/0)

• City Tree Board (4/0)

• Library Board (4/0)

• Sister City Board (4/0)