Our Olympic pool has shifted and it is damaged
by the adjacent construction of our Casino
by the adjacent construction of our Casino
Last night we learned that property values will be lower again this year by 6.1%. We will have essentially $340 thousand less to work with. The Unions are draining us dry and pension costs are rapidly rising, the direct reason for our city's dilemma. Not one person asked about negotiating with the Unions. Can they really just get away with murder? They are killing this city.
Although not mentioned last night, we are losing thousands of dollars per day at the utility customer service because this "visionary" commission refused to outsource this department and save $500,000 a year all to protect the union members. We had a perfect opportunity to outsource and get rid of the high cost of union labor. They keep screaming that we should run this city like a business and at the first opportunity, they don't.
PBSO costs are escalating as well. These costs must go down but are taking 42% of our operating budget. As reported the other day, we are paying more than any other city for policing. The City should use a merger and acquisitions attorney or an expert in contract law to negotiate any contract. We don't do a good job.
Why does the City continue to support low cost housing? We need to attract development that will add to our tax base. We are spending a $23 million dollar grant in the CRA district where the city does not benefit from any tax dollars and development that will not do one darn thing for blight. Take away the downtown and Publix out of the CRA District.
The Casino parking cost could possibly go up again. Right now we will have businesses that will be hindered by the cost of parking. Restaurants will be opened late into the night and customers will be expected to pay $2 an hour before they even enter the door. Instead of helping our tenants succeed, we have given them a stumbling block. We will need a parking attendant--another salary, big benefits and union costs.
The biggest revelation of the night, and mentioned oh so quietly and casually, Staff wants to close our pool even telling us that it will cost the city $193,585 just to keep it closed. You know, evaporating water and such. The beach park is in a category of its own and "must" be sustainable. The city manager called it a White Elephant. NO vision here, not one little bit. What happened to his idea of cutting top employee pay by 10%. I never heard that one mentioned.
We spent small fortunes on our pool just a few years ago with a $250,000 matching grant not to mention the several hundreds of thousands we spent on our Project Manager who was in charge of the pool. Greater Bay did not perform well there either...no pool cover that we had to buy for over $27,000, and other things that were incomplete.
We were going to see about national swim meets and renting it out for events to attract tourism and dollars into our city. The City is spending $2 million more than anticipated to redevelop our beach (redevelopment that I was against to begin with) and now a solution to cut costs is to close our pool? Can you even imagine spending over $13 million on our beach redevelopment but want to close our pool? Is everyone too damn lazy to think out of the box? Pools and libraries are always the first to go when cities are in financial crisis mode. Get rid of the damn Unions.
Oh, and let us not forget the damage to our pool, the very one and only Olympic Pool on the east coast of Florida on the ocean...damaged by the construction of the Casino building. Someone is looking at it today, credentials unknown. If you recall, the pool area was being used as a staging area for the construction of the building. Who was in charge over there to ensure that our property was not damaged?
And speaking of the unknown, it is impossible to write about last night's meeting because there was NO back-up and therefore nothing to reference. Maxwell never uttered a word about it. Do I sound ticked off? We all should be.
19 comments:
If the costs on the beach are $13,700,000 plus soft costs, why are we sticking to a $6,000,000 Loan. Don't we need $9,000,000 plus soft costs to make us whole?
Everybody is laughing at McVoy's obvious lack of understanding of what the pool means to us and why we would want to use it during the summer.
Nobody seems to be concerned about yet another major Stanton mistake. With no oversight and records of the Morganti construction, their damage to the pool while building the Casino is just now coming to light. The repair costs may be so high that the pool can't be reopened.
It just seems these beach costs get higher every month.
If the pool was damaged by the actions of our contractor that should be covered by the insurance on the job. If it was caused by some other source we are screwed. I agree that cheap housing is not the answer and we need business development in the city.
CRAs are created to be placed in Cities' most blighted areas to alleviate that City's blight.Government Grants(most employees too lazy to fill in paperwork)are available for that purpose.
Lake Worth's CRA was placed erroneously 30 years ago, in our most lucrative,never the blightest area:Downtown Lake Worth.Our downtown reveneu was meant for our General fund to pay for our services.This fund lost millions each year in the good years,trickle down effect:
Chronic budget Deficits, and not one Commission has been willing to correct this.Simply pass an Ordinance to redistrict it to 6th Avenue South,West of Dixie Highway.I have for 10 years pointed this out to arrogant(based on ignorance) indifferent Commissions,"Citizens' services can always be cut".
Citizens were never informed of this simple solution covered up with false promises during their Campaigns!Promising great improvements.
Closing the only Citizens owned, Olympic size swimming pool on the Ocean, because the Administration does not want to make the simple effort to market it, and make it generate revenue? Unspeakable irresponsibility, immoral,the Citizens valuable only venue for healthy exercises,teaching children to swim,elderly from dying for lack of movement.Aquatics save handicapped lives. Lake Worth ingorant,irresponsible,Commission,is unwilling to consult other Cities, on how to make a swimming pool lucrative, its'intrinsic quality.Even the simplest City administration (Wellington's new one ) have done it.
What is sitting in OUR Commission seats?Cutting services is the weapon against Citizen tax payers' questioning a vicious cover of their management incapacity! The new City manager Bornstein,(lockstep?) does not want to use his intelligence to prevent this and has the nerve to go along with robbing the City and its' taxpayers', from the Citizens owned and paid for Olympic size,beachfront swimmingpool.
This report will go to facebook, Twitter and Youtube, to alert other Cities against irresponsible, disrespectful of taxpayers City Adminstration will do, to prevent them from doing their job:improve the Citizens'quality of life!With mention of all Commission seats occupants' names
Fellow taxpayers,throw the bums out,save our tax money, our lucrative when in the hands of capable people neceassary for our health,Olympic size swimming pool,prevent budget Deficits!
Dale--
A few years ago we closed the pool during the Winter months and had it opened during the Summer so that the city could save money. that was the beginning of the end and a bad move. I thought this was a bad idea to close it during high season when the tourists and snowbirds are here. I think he was just considering that factor when he made the statement...keeping it opened for the kids but not the tourists who spend the big bucks. That's my guess.
John, wasn't not requiring Morganti to insure one of the Stanton-Margolis cost savings? I think we are self insured as owners on this one, if memory serves.
Remember the "don't worry, morganti is our partner"?
Dale-
We are only going to finance the Casino part of this beach redevelopment. The infrastructure cost is already in the CIP. The beach redevelopment is coming from a $5 million bond that we as taxpayers have been paying for.
Why don't the citizens of Lake Worth just agree to let the City of West Palm Beach take over Lake Worth, then we would not have to worry anymore about all the BS that goes on... no more commission to blame.., get rid of Lake Worth Utilities... maybe, just maybe then we could create a forward movemnt to improve the area. We as citizens, and governing body are really a horrible example of success as a city.
Lynn, don't we pay for the CIP through the utility bills. Also, that is only part of the difference between the $11,000,000 beach budgets and the total cost. See what I mean.
Thanks for your understanding of the pool history and the commissioner McVoy remark.
Citizens like Dale,understand the fiscal significance of our swimmingpool, during the time when tourists with disposible income will spend money to enjoy our only Olympic size swimming pool on the Beach, and on Palm Beach Island.Idiots undertsand that any venue on Palm Beach island can bring revenue, because of its' location!!!
What is sitting in our commission seats?????
Anonymous at 9:25--
I believe you mean Palm Beach County, not WPB. WPB can't take over any other city.
Why would you want to get rid of our Utility?
We are going through hard financial times but this too will do a 180^ eventually. You weren't crying when the city was making tons of money in 2005 or so and we spent it like there was no tomorrow. Why didn't you complain then?
We can be successful. The momentum is there. We just have to struggle a little bit longer with the economy and deal with the Unions forever. That's our problem.
Whoever mentions getting rid of our City sustaining Utility and protection against piracy,extortion of the open Electric Energy market, has no idea,how valuable it is to the existence of us humans! It is Lake Worth's most valuable asset after the sofar mismanaged Beach. Electric energy we can produce, can support our energy needs independantly at half the present cost,if handled conscientiously, with possibly during peak usage time, a purchase of approx 10 mega watts.
Our Climate Task force has taught Citizens how to save Energy, and prevent peak usage when possible!The new Utility Circus, is a cover for unwillingness of the Commission to make our Utility function as it was built for with the most unique,precious license
to produce electricity.Thieves have tried to sell it(remeber this is Florida,kickback heaven) and throw us at the mercy of the electricity market pirates and extorionists.Therwith taking the bread out of people's mouths.Scams are Florida's strongest business.Florida and California are the most criminal and immoral States in the Nation!Ask the elderly scammed !Illegals are taking advantage of it!
Einstein said, "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." Maybe we can use this idea to handle the pool problem, we need to solve the problem and reopen the pool, it is a waste, stop the insanity with all of this. We need effective leadership that can solve problems and stop all the waste, I agree, think outside the box. Let's hold them to the fire Lynn, thanks for this website and for keeping them honest and to try to be more effective.
The CRA is a waste and needs to be eliminated. It is not doing what it is supposed to do, now for many years. They do not want to fix the problems, because, then they would have to get rid of it, it is all political, it should be abolished, and then maybe the real blight can be addressed, as it is now the city does not want to address the problems, a very vicious cycle. The ultimate goal of any CRA should be to eventual have it become obsolete, if it is really doing its job, this is all political and a complete waste of tax payer money and a big crock, blight is worse now that it was 30 years ago. keep perpetuating this myth that the CRA will address blight, it won't and doesn't, and hasn't.
"CRAs are created to be placed in Cities' most blighted areas to alleviate that City's blight.Government Grants(most employees too lazy to fill in paperwork)are available for that purpose.
Lake Worth's CRA was placed erroneously 30 years ago, in our most lucrative,never the blightest area:Downtown Lake Worth.Our downtown reveneu was meant for our General fund to pay for our services.This fund lost millions each year in the good years,trickle down effect:
Chronic budget Deficits, and not one Commission has been willing to correct this.Simply pass an Ordinance to redistrict it to 6th Avenue South,West of Dixie Highway.I have for 10 years pointed this out to arrogant(based on ignorance) indifferent Commissions,"Citizens' services can always be cut".
Citizens were never informed of this simple solution covered up with false promises during their Campaigns!Promising great improvements.
Closing the only Citizens owned, Olympic size swimming pool on the Ocean, because the Administration does not want to make the simple effort to market it, and make it generate revenue? Unspeakable irresponsibility, immoral,the Citizens valuable only venue for healthy exercises,teaching children to swim,elderly from dying for lack of movement.Aquatics save handicapped lives. Lake Worth ingorant,irresponsible,Commission,is unwilling to consult other Cities, on how to make a swimming pool lucrative, its'intrinsic quality.Even the simplest City administration (Wellington's new one ) have done it.
What is sitting in OUR Commission seats?Cutting services is the weapon against Citizen tax payers' questioning a vicious cover of their management incapacity! The new City manager Bornstein,(lockstep?) does not want to use his intelligence to prevent this and has the nerve to go along with robbing the City and its' taxpayers', from the Citizens owned and paid for Olympic size,beachfront swimmingpool.
This report will go to facebook, Twitter and Youtube, to alert other Cities against irresponsible, disrespectful of taxpayers City Adminstration will do, to prevent them from doing their job:improve the Citizens'quality of life!With mention of all Commission seats occupants' names
Fellow taxpayers,throw the bums out,save our tax money, our lucrative when in the hands of capable people neceassary for our health,Olympic size swimming pool,prevent budget Deficits!"
Lynn, you have the best topics on your blog in this city, so deep and what the people want to talk about, you bring out fair and balanced issues that we want to debate and talk about here, I think governments and elected officials should be obligated to have a blog like yours to obtain info. to make the big decisions on the issues that affect the citizens. Thanks Lynn for caring and all you do. Bravo to YOUR blog!
I love the idea of thinking outside the box. I always tell folks we need a giant ferris wheel at the beach like they have in London. Folks will come fromm all over to ride the wheel and see the great views from the to. I also like the idea of a ski gondla cable car ride that would take you to the beach from Bryant Park. Just think, you ride up over the Intracostal to the beach where your dropped off at the new complex. Parking problems at the beach would be history and Lake Worth would go viral. Just thinking...
The ferris wheel idea, wasn't that Willard's originally? It beats windmills, that's for sure. A cable car ride from Bryant Park to the beach? That is interesting to think about. Now if we can only get someone to buy and open The Gulfstream Hotel...
It is great to be creative and yes, these ideas are great. We could generate lots of them if we all put our heads together. Personally, I do not want our city to be a magnet like London and have that many people coming here, I like it small and a little sleepy. A little ferris wheel might be nice though. I wish the city and police would just enforce laws and codes and collect on all of them, they could generate tons of money this way if they did, fine folks who bring our city down by codes not adhered to, a perfect example is the No right turn on Red at Lucerne and Dixie. That sign has been there for many years, at least 16 that I know of, and I see people every day turn right on red without any regard for the sign, the police could make millions a year if they just enforced that one road sign alone. The city could collect and make lots of money if they enforced all the laws and were stricter on code enforcement here, they could generate literally millions of dollars, but they don't. It is nice to have some tourism, but I do not want our city to be another NYC or London. I would like a little ferris wheel though and all laws and codes enforced!
THANK ALL OF YOU ABOVE AND THIS BLOG FOR THE GREAT DISCUSSION!
"Whosoever is afraid of submitting any question,civil or religious, to the test of free discussion, is more in love with his own opnion than with truth." Thomas Watson
The new occupant of our mayoral seat directly from the Private Sector, is aware that her Commission was put in place to create revenue to keep the City functioning. She also knows that when a Commission cannot manage(lack of competence) a City Asset with unlimted potential for revenue,when run properly ,professionally with a diligent staff,that Commission has no right to destroy city assets, which can become a tourism attraction.Tourists do not come to look at the destructive ,incompetent Commissions.No Commission has the right to demolish that asset to ELIMINATE their responsibility. How dare they!They were not elected to DESTROY or lose CITY ASSETS,FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE.THEY DO NOT OWN THOSE ASSETS!tHOSE WHO CANNOT MANAGE CITY ASSETS, RESIGN. DO NOT TOUCH revenue resources you cannot manage we can get professionals who can.The new Mayor,a business woman, would know where and how to replace the incompetents..!
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