He's Baaack...can't believe it...Brian Shields is working for the City of Lake Worth making $125,000 a year. He took over Larry Johnson's position as Water Director when Johnson retired. Mr. Shields has been here for about three weeks. How come we never get any announcements when top positions change out? Mr. Johnson was the go to guy when Bornstein was out of town. It's hard to keep up with all the changes going on in our city. Top management at our Electric and Water Departments has changed.
About eight years ago, Shields was literally the enemy when he worked as Director of Engineering Palm Beach County Water Utilities. The County's water department wanted to regionalize Lake Worth Water into its system. They had their eye on our water for years. They did not give a hoot that we had already invested $14 million into our RO system and they convinced a previous Commission, that had no clue, to enter into a bad contract that was going to cost us more than we had left in our bond. Lake Worth is famous for getting into bad deals and Jeff Clemens was responsible for that one. Retha Lowe even admitted several years later that we had made a mistake going with the county.
At the time I equated it to the idea of a parent stealing from his own child. Reprehensible. The County and Mr. Shields strong armed the City of Lake Worth, a poor city, for millions and wanted to steal our valuable water wells.
PB County attempted to lock us into a 40 year contract with a built in rate increase, thus forcing us into paying $2.5 million in piping only laid to bring other cities into their regionalization.
The County's settlement agreement was received by the City of Lake Worth on January 20, 2010 with the implication, take it or leave it because "we are confident that we could recover the full amount of our original costs should the matter be adjudicated..." The threat of law suits are always part of the game.
We ended up getting out of this very bad deal thanks to former city manager Susan Stanton who negotiated Shields and the county way down, and we continued on with our own Reverse Osmosis system, the best water around.
I also said at the time that we were well out of the county deal and thank God we wouldn't have to see Brian Shields again. Spoke too soon. Let's hope that he will be as enthusiastic for Lake Worth as he was for Palm Beach County years ago when he played hardball and cost us a bundle.
No one understands our history.
8 comments:
Thanks for this. History has a way of repeating itself. I would bet that no one on the dais knows about this including the CM.
I think we were told last night that no one really cares.
Why do other cities half flushed pieces of crap keep turning up employed by Lake Worth???
Shields is well qualified. I only hope he now believes in our RO. :)
To the total jackass who just attempted to post here and I know who you are--
All of your comments in your post were wrong. So what else is new with you?
Do you know the direction to 45th Street?
Your right about the Electric Department, get good qualified people and then get rid of them if they don't agree with the ideas. Now We will see what happens here.
Anon at 1:54 .
Are you serious?
jeez. ummm. because we are a broke city, and on top of that, we have (sadly) a very divided city.
So not only do we have a city that needs TONS of help, but if you run here, you will be tarred and feathered by the opposing side. No matter which side you're on.
which is why I applaud anyone who is willing to devote their time to this city - it is,particularly in election years, a thankless job.
Anon at 11:00 Yes I'm serious! I want good qualified employees, not rejects from the island of misfit employees ! Our new finance director and "Mr. Bowtie" city manager come right to mind. Lantana's employees are all still pointing at us and laughing over that one !
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