As we now have learned, city manager Michael Bornstein is going to outsource our code enforcement department. This drastic step was taken after the internal auditor's highly negative report. Even though we have had approximately 35 new ordinances recently to strengthen our code enforcement department, none have been tried and all employees have either been terminated or left on their own accord. The city is enabling an independent company to make things better but did not enable our employees.
The City of Lake Worth is seeking proposals from qualified, experienced firms to provide a full-time comprehensive turnkey code compliance service program through outsourcing of the City’s traditional in-house municipal code compliance and enforcement program, including but not limited to the administration of the City’s Nuisance Abatement Program, Chronic Nuisance Program, Remediation and Abatement program, Use & Occupancy Program and Business Tax Receipt Program, to promote the efficient administration and enforcement of the city codes to maintain a clean, healthy and safe environment for the citizens and neighborhoods of the City of Lake Worth under the direction of the City’s Community Sustainability Director.
Apparently 4 firms have submitted applications to bid which had to be into the city by October 8. All final proposals must be received before 3:00pm on Wednesday, October 23rd 2013.
The City continues to give city property to the CRA and plans on giving our Shuffleboard Court Building property to them tomorrow night. It has also turned over the large property on the railroad tracks that was a gift to the city. We can't get too much artist space I guess. How many jobs do artists create? Whatever company is chosen to handle our code issues, there will be no space for them to occupy offices within the city. Many of our useable city owned buildings are all given to non-profits at $1 a year.
As long as there is a culture difference in our city, property values will stay low--slum and blight will continue. Until the city cleans up the slum and the blight and reduces crime, our property values will stay low. Until the city stops attracting and voting in affordable rental housing, we will always have a problem.
Read Lona's article
12 comments:
New firm will have to abide by all applicable laws just like in-house staff. The CM purposely tied the hands of staff, then publicly blamed them for not doing more. Then 35 new ordinances come along with pink slips?
"Out of 13,000 land parcels in the city, there are more than 2,100 vacant, abandoned or foreclosed properties."
Thank god you and Katie saved us from over development.
You really ARE obtuse, anonymous. What does over-development have to do with the slum, the blight and the crime in this city? What does it have to do with this city letting our values go down the tubes? How would heights in our downtown correct this?
So...why are we still recruiting Code Enforcement positions on the city's website? Seriously, Bornstein still hasn't rendezvoused with HR???
I am starting to believe the city should be taken over by the county and become part of the county. With most of our properties paying little to no taxes we cannot sustain ourselves much longer. Why do we really need a city government that has no money.
For a city as poor as Lake Worth, how is it that every department director makes in excess of $100,000? HR, Clerk, Public Works, Rec, Community Sust, Finance. Add in the attorneys and our $135,000 CM and you've got the LW millionaire circle. Seems excessively high for a 4-6 square mile city.
Salaries over $100K
• Steven Carr $130,000
• Jamie Brown $120,000
• Larry A. Johnson $105,000
• Clayton Lindstrom $125,000
• Michael Bornstein 134,992
Waters & Farrington are contract, both over $100k
When a government turns it's back on it's citizens, chaos will ensue. This Commission has not respected the will of the people.
Katie Mcgiveron
Why do we need a city government that does not respond to the public in this city?
Have any of you tried to call or email city leaders lately? They just do NOT RESPOND! City leaders here are worthless, this is why we have the bad reputation. The biggest one not to respond is the city manager, they should fire his ass.
"anonymous said...
I am starting to believe the city should be taken over by the county and become part of the county. With most of our properties paying little to no taxes we cannot sustain ourselves much longer. Why do we really need a city government that has no money."
I'm not normally a fan of out sourcing, but I don't see how a private company could do a worse job. I've been reporting the same problem property for three years, a murder took place there, and still no code case opened. It is not bank owned, it is owned by a WPB investment firm. Meanwhile, code bothers us every 2-3 months requesting to inspect our rental properties, which are properly licensed and have already been inspected (once a year per the ordinance).
Code doesn't make any effort to address real problem properties rather it wastes time and resources bothering landlords, property owners and citizens that already comply with their rules. Mean while the slum lord who pays utilities on his or her property never pays for a business or rental license and never has the property inspected.
GOOD EXAMPLE WHY CODE DOESNT WORK---202 SOUTH 5TH---OVER 200,000 IN FINES AND THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COLLECT---SO SOMEONE TELL ME IF WE OUTSOURCE HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT--I WAS TOLD BY MRS RODGERS IN CODE THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO SUE HOMEOWNER--BUT OUR CITY IS POOR LIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LAKE WORTH
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