Michael BornsteinCandidate for Lake Worth City Manager
Public Safety takes 58% of our budget and will be the main cause of our projected shortfall next year. The cause? Union costs will get higher every year. Cities across the country are drowning in red ink singing the same old song because of union benefits. Union leaders are out to grab the cash in any way possible. Even in Rhode Island, union leaders suggested that the State raise taxes on the wealthy. Here in Lake Worth they sue the city and coddle incompetency. It takes an act of God to get rid of complacent employees and politics does not help. Even with runaway crime, the people say no money is too much for PBSO and the Unions know this thus cutting our leverage. This is where negotiating skills will be handy when we hire a city manager.
The Mission statement of the City is:
Facilitate a robust, vibrant, sustainable community that embraces the preservation of its unique heritage and charm as well as encourages and facilities broad based economic investment.
Three goals that will tie to this mission statement are:
1) Open for business
2) Quality of life
3) Excellence in customer service delivery
The purpose of this meeting was to make the commission, as well as department heads, aware of our financial situation as the city soon begins to plan for its 2013 budget cycle. All department heads spoke. Steve Carr, acting city manager and Finance Director said that our Utility Department is in a very good financial position. Good thing as it funds our general fund at almost $10 million a year. This keeps our city functioning and helps pay those big Union costs.
I left the meeting early to listen at home. Not sure if anyone from IT was present but the Lake Worth server went down about 8:05. It probably took them a half day just setting up the equipment. I did not get to listen to how they want to spend money that we don't have for future projects: a parking garage, a TOD, or a new city hall.
6 comments:
Everything is great, but Staff can't even stream meetings so that the Staff can exhibit their lack of transparency and accountability.
You represent that our projected shortfall has to do with union costs and not the anti business attitude of staff and a total abandonment of Code Enforcement---lots of luck with that one.
So after charging the highest rates in the county, our Electric, Water & Sewer Enterprises are in good financial condition---it is just the home owners who are not. Of course the kumbaya attitude prohibits you from telling us about the complete lack of cost effectiveness and efficiency of the RO plant because of the limited permit given by SFWMD--and the need to BUY WATER FROM THE COUNTY-can't wait till mulvehill tries to spin that.
Now about Greater Bay demanding a trial date and calling our Jennings fired X City Attorney as their witness---what do you think will happen there---of course you won't print this because the question of the cost of a loss on the Smith Property lawsuit might come up.
Want to talk about the chances of a 3 story building in the TOD?
It's amazing that anyone can be so WRONG on EVERYTHING in a comment post.
1. There was a glitch in the live stream last night.
2. This is not, nor has it been, an anti-business commission.
3. Union costs are the problem. Were you at the meeting?
4. You have no clue about our RO plant. The ONLY reason why we have to buy water from the County is because of the cancellation agreement that was made allowing us to get out of the PB County Water deal. Buying water from them is a few years temporary situation.
We have high electric rates because we have to a)operate this city b) pay for the electric utility upgrade and pay for operational costs on our RO plant. The 5.25% cost increase may possibly come off in the next budget.
Don't know about any limited permit with SFWMD however, we pump from the surficial aquifer. The aquifer lies close to the surface and is extremely vulnerable to pollutants that leach through the shallow limestone bedrock. In some areas, it has been contaminated by fuel spills, industrial discharge, landfills, and saltwater. We pump from the deep acquifer and our RO plant makes all of the water clean. We have the capacity to draw even more (nearly double)
than we are.
The RO system treats brackish water from the Floridan Aquifer. In reverse osmosis, high pressure is applied to the water being treated, forcing pure water through a semipermeable membrane and leaving behind the dissolved salts. Because the salinity of water in the Upper Floridan aquifer is considerably less than that of seawater, the expense of reverse osmosis treatment is also less. We drilled Floridan aquifer wells and installed associated wellhead pumps, piping, backup power sources and Floridan aquifer raw water transmission mains.
Our plant was completed in the early part of July 2011 and presently it is producing about 1.5 million gallons daily but can produce 4.5 million gallons. Looking to the future, the Commission agreed that our system needs to expand to accommodate growth. Our system can do just that, producing up to 9 million gallons a day. You are now drinking our new water.
Next, the Greater Bay law suit--what is your problem? Cara Jennings did not initiate the firing of Larry Karns. Nadine Burns did that. What does this have to do with the Smith property? Right now there is no law suit by the investors and even if there might be down the road, they will fail in a law suit involving a Bert Harris taking.
I don't care what goes up at a TOD. I am not for TOD's at all but if they get developed, so be it.
So, please, when you come over here to post something and making it sound like gospel, please be accurate. That's all I ask.
P.S. Legal bills regarding the Smith property--all done in house.
P.P.S.
We have 2 well fields for the surficial acquifer which has a capacity of 12.9 mgd. We are restricted to 5.28 and the city is in the process of renegotiating.
The RO plant is permitted for 9 mgd. At the moment we have a capacity of 4.5 mgd. The is a 20 year permit.
Our Water department is in GREAT SHAPE and we have all the water we need and then some DALE.
I borrowed this picture for our blog--best on Google. Let me know if you object.
http://southpalmpark.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Thanks for asking me...no problem.
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