The other day I talked about thinking "big." This city has done it a few times of late-- the casino rebuild and our RO plant-- but more times than not, we have failed and have only looked at the short term, sometimes saving a penny here or there. But commissioners still are trying to convince us that their trip with the League of Cities to Colorado, or their trip to Washington DC or other exciting places is important to the City.
Community Sustainability--the questions we all should be asking are, can we continue to endure the lack of forward thinking from this present government? Will the City survive and be better off? We had a city manager striving for sustainability and the first act of this commission was to fire her.
On Tuesday, the "visionary" commission, prompted by Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, voted to receive and file the funding of the position of Sustainability Manager... kicking the can down the road again. It was recommended by all top staff to be funded in this present Budget. There was no vision shown in that vote.The suggestion by Commissioner Mulvehill was to pay for the cost of the position out of the commission's travel and training (going to fun trips) budget. It was her belief that it is vitally important to the City. She ended up being humiliated and jeered from the politicos in the Chamber. It was outrageous behavior and something Lake Worth is becoming well known for lately and something for which the Mayor is ignoring not to mention her losing her cool at almost every meeting. This was a commission that was supposed to end the divisiveness but instead the rhetoric has all escalated to an unacceptable and unheard of level of rudeness.
What we Know about the Community Sustainability position and why it is so important
- 1. The position would have cost the general fund $10,782 out of a total cost of $111,365.
- 2. The PB County Business Development Board has a federal block grant of $6 million to attract green industry. The Sustainability Manager could have leveraged this money and sought out grant monies as incentives to attract businesses to the city and Park of Commerce
- 3. Green industry is growing at a rate of more than 9% per year and is one of the nation's top growth industries
- 4. Private industry is placing an increased value on sustainability - hiring Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO) elevating the importance of sustainability as a corporate strategy for business growth and expansion. Companies like UPS, EMC, DuPont, AT&T, SAP, Kellogg, PG&E and Coca-Cola, have Chief Sustainability Officers. Read more: click here
- 5. This position of community sustainability manager was provided for in the Energize Lake Worth Plan that we adopted in August 2011, a $250,000 program, only 6 months ago. The Commission, including Scott Maxwell, thought it all fine and dandy then.
- 6. Commissioner Maxwell now says that his number one goal is the Park of Commerce at a cost of $11 million. If he really wanted to see business growth and expansion in the Park of Commerce, he would have approved this position that could target one of the fastest growing industries in the country - the green industry. The goal there is to construct facilities in an energy efficient, cost-effective and sustainable manner. This green initiative was already prioritized by the Commission including Maxwell. $11 million is ok but $10 thousand out of the general fund is not.
- 7. Lake Worth would strengthen its brand as a sustainable city by working towards the Energize Lake Worth Plan's goals.
- 8. It is well documented through organizations such as the National League of Cities that building community sustainability can stimulate the local economy.
- 9. The Energize Lake Worth Plan will also meet the goals for greenhouse gas reductions, reduce energy demand, and will oversee audits and the eventual feed and tariff program among other things.
- 10. 10% of this position is devoted to the general fund and the other 90% is the Utility thus the cost allocation.
What the "Visionary" NO vote was Really all About
- 1. A political strategy to diss anything Commissioner Mulvehill deems important, be as rude as possible towards her and render her insignificant.
- 2. A political strategy to do the same to Commissioner McVoy and accuse him of pontificating.
Why?
- 1. To marginalize them in every aspect of Lake Worth government and to
- 2. Kick them to their knees and out of the game this November.
Where does this leave Lake Worth?
- Going backwards.
Take a look at this report - it shows how : Click here.
25 comments:
Didn't you blog recently about Solyndra and what a waste pursuing green energy was?
You really should give credit to others when they write for you.
Mulvehill, Golden, Mcoy and Jennings spent the last 5 years marginalizing the minority on the dais. Why is there a problem now?
Mulvehill has always been insignificant. She been nothing more than a tool for the cabal, lockstep all the way. She's been wrong all the way and now it's catching up with her.
She was going to lose in November no matter how the visionaries treat her.
You are as insulting as the people I do write about. The only "cabal" right now are Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso.
Furthermore, the Solyndra situaiton is so far out of what I am talking about here. $535 million in “stimulus” loan guarantees from the Obama administration was to create green jobs with taxpayer money. That company went belly-up. It was a poor Obama decision. This has ntohing to do with what I just wrote about which is funding for this position in the tune of $111 thousand dollars.
I understand Commissioner Mulvehill's attempt to circumvent the rules by bringing up a topic within 6 months after a vote in which she was on the minority side---I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she felt it was for the greater good.
However, i object strongly to the Stanton initiative of increasing the operating Expenses of our Utility Enterprises with new positions that are inappropriate until we get rid of the waste and mismanagement.
Recently we were treated to the spectacle of the Utility Director telling us that she didn't have the ability to collect billings, much less put together a SOP or to come up with Ordinances that would more effectively set up the collection process.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
First things first--I agree that we need to take care of business. Outsourcing of the pathetic utility customer service was the proper vote. Instead, it became political once again with this trio that was too afraid to confront the wrath of the union.
Our customer service has been broken, just like this city, for years. Now they're going to give these employees some training. What about just plain old cordiality--not taking a personal cell phone call while a customer is standing in front of you--stuff like that? What is pathetic is that the city can't fire these people. And now we can't for sure, thanks to the visionaries.
FTF stated why I believed the Budget cuts were more appropriate than the Special assessments. Before we just tax more, we need to get out own house in order.
If in the future Special Assessments are appropriate, so be it. But SA's should never be considered before we get rid of inappropriate budget initiatives and mismanagement.
I love Suzanne Mulvehill. She is my representative and has done a lot of great things for our city.
No one jeered Mulvehill. She got emotional. I did not hear everyone "close and seal off" the addition of a Sustainability Manager rather the comments were other things should come first. It does seem that someone is providing you with a lot of commentary for your blog.Stu
The above post is from "Stu." I had to repost it as it somehow got corrupted.
To answer you Stu, anonymous, I attend every city commission meeting as well as other meetings in this city. I research the issues and do a lot of work. No one has to "feed" me anything.
So, Stu, go eat your cheerios.
This commission gets the award for the meanest commission ever. What can that acronym be? MCE? Perhaps we should just stick to worst city commission ever but that is still Clemens, Lowe and Vespo. Maxwell can be known as the BBCE, biggest bully commissioner ever.
I have to agree with the first comment above. I can't remember you criticizing the majority for being rude to Maxwell and in effect marginalizing him. Back when he was the only one asking questions about budget items that didn't square with the bottom line and when he was uncovering, let's say, questionable accounting.
He was made to look insignificant and small by the very ones who's torch you carry now.
Strange when the shoe's on the other foot. I believe the majority on this commission do have a vision. One that caters more to business and tax payers.
I heard someone last night say that in our representative democracy, we are getting dangerously close to those who don't pay taxes out numbering those who do. Any politician voting to slow the gravy train gets ousted, and more tax payer dollars go to the non-tax payers.
His suggestion was that no one NOT paying into the system, should be allowed to vote.
Forget that his suggestion is unrealistic, people should be pondering our dependent society, and how it is corrupted from both sides.
c
I was at the commision meeting and I heard no one jeering Muvehill-. Or being disrespectful towards her. There were many comments from the public as to why the position should not be filled at this time. As a matter of fact the Mayor did reassured Mulehill after her mini meltdown that they would consider it in the next budget.
I think they are doing a good job for the most part. With Stanton gone there seems to be a much better attitude at City Hall. Lets give the commission time before we judge them so hard.
To c above-
Yes, Maxwell was on the minority vote. In fact, Maxwell voted with them 99.9% of the time. NO one, however, bullied him. NOT ONE PERSON. No one was rude to him. He went after Stanton and was constantly rude to her. He had no shame. Not one little inch.
How does this new commission cater to business anymore than the last? In what way? Because two of them own a business? Does this make them more qualified? Because they say so? I think not. Is it because of the political dream of spending over $11 million dollars of taxpayer money on the Park of Commerce? What does that prove?
If someone said that about disallowing people to vote because they don't pay taxes, than it must have been a Republican. Actually, I think what they meant, are the people scamming the system, on welfare, illegals, deadbeats and those not willing to find a job that just want a handout for living. I would bet that they are not talking about retirees who live on social security who did work all of their lives.
Our society is corrupt. Lake Worth is an immediate problem that we can fix, that we were fixing until politics intervened.
The Mayor as well as Maxwell I believe mentioned that this position could be funded in the next Budget...didn't say that it would be. Do you realize how long that is? All Mulvehill was talking about here was a small investment now to bring us closer to a big result. You didn't want to even hear her out. You were not the least bit interested, Scott.
As far as a much better attitude at City Hall, from whom? Those she tried to make do their jobs better?
People WERE disrespectful towards Mulvehill as well as McVoy. The Mayor does not use her gavel at the right times...part of the problem.
While listening to Tuesday’s commission meeting, I heard no catcalls or jeers from the public that were directed toward Commissioner Mulvehill. Maybe with all her financial problems and IG investigations, she has become more emotional.
With respect to Commissioner McVoy, on several occasions I heard shouts of “Stop lecturing” and “Filibuster and filibustering” toward the very end of the meeting. Since he is reported to have left City Hall before the end of the meeting, I assume it was after those shouts from the public.
Don't assume. If you were not at the meeting, you could not hear the people in the back row of the chamber from listening to the audio.
The Mayor needs to get this under control.
An how dare you say something like that about Suzanne Mulvehill. Mulvehill literally gave up her business and earning a living for this city and had a big price to pay. Stop being such a phony.
Lynn, were you there both times when Mulvehill started crying? How and when were people disrespectful toward Mulvehill?
Aren't you assuming a great deal about Mulvehill's earnings? Did you see any tax filings?
People were disrespectful.
Now, this is not about Mulvehill and her taxes. Have you seen her tax return? What in the hell are you trying to prove here? Just another one of the cabal trying to bring down a nice person? Take a hike. Go to church. Do a good deed. Let the truth set you free.
Here is an Idea, when we can afford it, and not have to lay off another employee, or cut the budget even more than has already been done. That is when this issue should be addressed, and not one second sooner.
We were employee heavy in many respects. What about getting rid of the unions and their ungodly pensions?
Good idea, I guess, anonymous at 5:27. If we had thinking like that we never would have started our beach redevelopment. We never would have agreed to fight the County and rescind the bad water deal and go forward with our own reverse osmosis system. The list goes on. If Bill Gates never took a loan and worked out of his father's garage, we never might have had Microsoft or was that Steve Jobs? Whatever.
That's a good one at 5:27 and Maxwell wanted the rest of the commission to commit to spending $11 mil at the Park of Commerce. My head is swimming. I am so confused. Maybe my hearing needs checking. He says one thing and then says another.
AT least 80% of the public is upset with the utility rates, and you are for a city position that would be paid for by pulling $100,000.00 from Utilities?
We "pull" over $10 MILLION DOLLARS just to operate our city from the Utility department. This money for that position was in their budget. Isn't that the excuse we always hear--the money is budgeted. Ok then--What would happen, right now, if we stopped taking any money from them to run our city. Would we survive? How would we do it?
"What would happen, right now, if we stopped taking any money from them to run our city. Would we survive? How would we do it?"
Lynn, I believe you have asked a very important and profound question whose alternative answers/positions are so complex that the question warrents a separate Thread.
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