The Palm Beach Post seems to be overly concerned about our bond referendum that was recently defeated and has suggested another referendum in March. One of its editors lives on South K Street. They still fail to mention the Park of Commerce.
"City Manager Michael Bornstein says that offering a pared-down alternative could be politically tricky. The $63 million plan was balanced so that all sectors of the city received some improvements. A smaller plan might be more difficult to balance geographically, he said. That could make people in less-impacted neighborhoods less likely to support it, and 'that’s where that keeps falling apart'.” Click the link to read the entire story.
What a pared down bond would mean is that the Park of Commerce would essentially be off the table. This is the tricky part as many believe that this bond was being pushed by certain commissioners specifically for the Park of Commerce spending $9.6 up to $14 million (originally they wanted $17 million in the POC), money that we would never recapture in ad-valorem taxes, not in 100 years. In year 2015, the city has projected an expenditure there of $3,350,000 for a total of $4,550,250 through next year that did NOT include the bond of $9.6 million.
From the city's web site:
Read about all the generous incentives for businesses to locate at the POC.
On January 10, 2014, the Lake Worth City Commission approved two contracts to begin the infrastructure improvements on Boutwell Road between Tenth Avenue North and Second Avenue South. The contracts include Mathews Consulting as the City’s Owner’s Representative and Mock Roos as the Design, Engineering, Construction, and Administration Consultant.
The project will entail a complete overhaul of the infrastructure and roadway including:
- storm water,
- potable water,
- sanitary sewer,
- electric,
- telecommunications,
- and a new boulevard style roadway with lighting, landscaping and pedestrian/bike way access.
I believe there is a damper on these plans.
9 comments:
No one knew about the park of commerce. it was not mentioned in their campaign that any portion of the bond was going to be used there. They wanted to convince the voters that it was all about roads and potholes.
Although the city's web site says that the commission approved of two contracts on January 10 regarding the Park of Commerce, there was no meeting held on January 10, 2014. All 5 commissioners did vote to pay Mock Roos for engineering and Mathews Consulting at the January 7th meeting.
What will city's obligation be now the bond was defeated?
This commission, always crying poverty, has made decisions against the interest of those who pay the bills. Look at the money they have poured in to the POC right now. No pot to pee in but they just keep on "a spendin."
Check corrections in PBP tomorrow the 35 percent will be retracted once again
Glad to see you guys are on top of it. How much will taxes rise over 34 years?
I also would like to know what the City is going to do about these contracts they have already committaed to! Don't want to give them any ideas as I sure don't want our tax money spent for this commercial development, especially since they are alrealy giving away our tax money in incentives to come there. I do have my summations what they will do and I sure hope it won't come to fruition.
I hope the officials concentrate on the residents first. Once we are taken care of then possibly we might consider this POC.
Our budget is 30 Million (general fund) and we spend this little on JOB #1 - How's the CRA Armory low rent deal doing? It's not if we have $$$ it's how what we have is spent! Stop the field of dreams and maintain our investments!!!
"Lake Worth’s tiny road-repair budget today amounts to a few hundred thousand dollars. This is barely enough to fill potholes when they emerge. It is certainly not enough to undertake serious infrastructure repairs. Done piecemeal, it will take the city decades to repair itself."
The city had 63 million reasons not to give people the facts. What's the Palm Beach Post's excuse ?
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