Just talked to a citizen yesterday who asked me if I had ever been to Johnny Longboats. I said, "no," I hadn't, but wanted to check them out. His report was not very good. He wondered about the rush to approve this tenant and why we had no choices, something we all have wondered about. Both the broker and the City believe they have performed for us.
We also got the impression on August 4 when this decision was made to accept the LOI from Johnny Longboats, that no one from Staff or the Commission had been there to get an understanding of what they were bringing into our city for 10 to 20 years minus one day. You have to wonder how anyone can make a decision committing the City of Lake Worth without even having dined there. You don't buy a house without inspecting the property. How is this different?
When you think of John G's and why it was so successful, it was all about the quality of food, great service and a restaurant that treated everyone like family. We watched those kids grow up with their Dad, John, to carry on the tradition of all the things that make a business withstand time. We feel that way about all of our merchants that have been at our Casino.
Understanding management's need to have an anchor committed to the space, Anderson & Carr must be told to keep looking and allow the broker, Mr. Snitkin, to seek a national chain(s) at this point. We need a back-up should this fall through. Afterall, it is only a Letter of Intent. A letter of intent or LOI, according to Wikipedia, is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. LOI's resemble written contracts, but are usually not binding on the parties in their entirety. When checking on the LOI, it was not a part of the back-up on-line so I don't know what aspects of it are binding, if any.
The economy is tanking. This could not be a worse time for anyone to think about opening a business. But the positive here is by the time the casino is finished, we should be out of this new recession that looms on the horizon.
10 comments:
The difference is that they were sold a bill of goods and it's not their money.
JL’s is just another example of the chickens coming home to roost.
1.Only 1 Developer offered to partner with the city on a south Florida oceanfront retail/restaurant building with ample parking.
2.No real estate brokers wanted to work with the city on the casino as evidenced by the 2 RFQ that didn’t get any real responses.
3.Everybody knows that the city can’t be trusted to fulfill their responsibilities on any signed contract
4.With the highest utility rates in the county and no reliable service---combined with a 3rd world appearance west of Dixie, most people don’t get out of their cars when visiting the city for a residential or commercial investment----especially after seeing how useless are the city’s Code Enforcement efforts on blight.
5.City Hall not only is anti business in service and you can’t even get an updated Municipal Zoning Code after spending $1,500,000 over a 7 year period
6.The elections indicate that nothing will change, but will probably get worse!
If you're running for election please reveal yourself. All this negativity just brings down the city.
Lynn, you really seem to want what is best for Lake Worth and I understand that requires you to be a glass half full person.
My problem with that orientation is the the current CM, Staff and Commission does not seem capable of managing or even overseeing anything. Good examples were the Cm's reduction of the Code Enforcement Dept because "they couldn't get the job done" and the more recent outsourcing of Utilities Customer Service because it is "dysfunctional, broken and can't be managed". Usually is such situations, the Managers or Leaders are "fired".
The Casino seems to be having its wheels falling off with the IG investigating the voting that gave the architect's contract to REG, the Budget and Leasing problems and the construction schedule falling behind starting with demolition. Staff doesn't seem to have the experience and ability to oversee the construction, much less anybody on the Commission. Of course everything falls upon the CM's development team and coordination ability.
With all the problems we have in Lake Worth it is critical that we are a success at everything we do, which is an almost impossible task.
Maybe your half full approach is best after all.
Well, one thing that we have always been able to count on are past commissions signing BAD contracts that were not in the interest of Lake Worth. They ruined our city. What comes first to mind is the Greater Bay contract. Next was the PB County water deal. BOTH WERE HORRENDOUSLY bad contracts for our city. The last one is the MSTU fire. These are the types of contracts that should be re-negotiated or ended. So let's not hear the song and dance that we don't honor contracts.
Half full? Well we never get 100% satisfaction all of the time in this life. I would rather look at things half-full, if that is indeed what I am doing, then looking at the entire City AS ONE IMPOSSIBLE mess as you seem to do.
Greater Bay was a disaster in giving up total control to a developer for 40 years. It resulted now in a $40 million dollar law suit by a scam artist. We continue to get into these bad contracts. I sure hope that we don't sign one with Johnny and they have lousy food and service or don't pay their rent.
Lynn, why do you post nonsense that people make up? It's difficult to find ANY aspect of our city government that has not been incredibly improved under Susan Stanton.
1) We have MORE code enforcement officers now than we had when she arrived. How's that working out for you??
2) She is taking the necessary action to bring our utility customer service operation up to the level that it should be. Should have been done EONS ago but former city managers (crediting them with any management at all is entirely too generous, they sucked) did not have the will or the ability, apparently, to do what Susan does DAILY.
3) There are no wheels falling off the casino project. It is full steam ahead, in case you haven't noticed, and ahead of schedule as well. We are paying an internationally acclaimed CONSTRUCTION COMPANY to oversee the construction because this is what smart people do. If your posters think that staff is so incompetent, then why on earth would they complain about this arrangement?? Oh yeah, because they love to complain about the SUCCESSES OF THE BEST COMMISSION EVER!
4) Staff does not oversee the commission, the commission oversees staff. Please see the City Charter document for details. Wes can read the big words for you.
5) The CM's ability to coordinate large public construction projects is well-documented. Please do your research. This is not the first job she's ever had.
6) Success 100% of the time is not possible, but our odds are improving with every change the CM and commission make. Please catch up on all the failures of other cities around us and maybe you'll turn that frowny face into a smiley face.
For instance:
West Palm Beach was close to running out of water last month. We just opened our new RO plant and took control of our destiny. Thank you Jo-Ann, CARA JENNINGS, and Suzanne. See also Belle Glade.
I could go on and on, but why bother. Your posters could not care less about reality. The Casino project will be completed, tenants will move in, the public at large will love it, Lake Worth will benefit immeasurably, and Wes's crowd will have to find something else to cry about. Maybe we should ask the IG to look into how the Lucerne condo was built at 80 units per acre on one acre zoned at MF-40. Hmmmm
Thank you very much for posting the above. I would say that those on their personal attacks have no understanding, in most cases, of what this government has been doing and the skill set of this management.
The only reason I even post their negativity is 1) to show everyone else how dumb they sound and 2) it is free speech.
When I blog, it is to raise awareness or take a stand on an issue. My stands aren't always popular with some, the risk that I choose to take.
Also, you will find here as well as any other type of media that allows commentary, it will ALWAYS be the uninformed and the nasty who take relish in bringing everything down. I get my fair share from one or two who like to take aim on almost a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong. I do not approve of every decision and question a lot, one of the reasons why I appreciate Scott Maxwell. He has the guts to challenge with the only reason in his mind to better be informed in order to make the right decisions for LW, not necessarily going after management.
We went to JLB at the Singer Island beach and my husband and I commented (1) how great the Singer Island beach redo was and we hoped for something similar in LW and (2) we both loved JLB and thought it would be a great addition to our LW Casino.
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