Commissioner Christopher McVoy's closing remarks

Closing Remarks, Commissioner Christopher McVoy, 2010-2017
March 21, 2017

It is not often that a scientist is granted the opportunity to participate directly in the American experiment of democracy (and not every city that gets the benefit of a scientist!)

I am honored to have been able to represent all the residents of this quirky city in South Florida that continues to attract folks from far and wide.

I am honored to have been able to serve as “voice of reason,” as a “voice of the people,” unburdened by allegiances to vested interests.

I am proud of our many accomplishments:
-    The Burton modeling and analysis applied to our budgeting
-    Our signing onto the Four County Climate Change Compact
-    Our commitments to local sourcing and apprentices on publicly funded projects
-    Our use of internationally recognized designers at our beach and at our living shoreline
-    A beautiful building at the beach
-    A state of the art RO plant
-    Beautiful greenways
-    2 Megawatts of solar panels on our landfill
-    Our installation of real time electric and water meters to help residents save money
-    And many more

But our work is not done. Here are some specifics that I hope this new Commission will address:
-    Code enforcement – spell out our priorities for all to see
-    A program to reward good landlords, shame bad ones
-    A gun violence prevention program. Consider the ShotSpotter technology
-    Balancing the care for our different parks – I still cringe at the lack of bathrooms, the lighting, the tables   and benches at Howard Park
-    Our continued reputation for expensive electricity – use the new meters and a household-by-household program to address
-    Customer service!
-    Public Safety – address long standing problem areas such as the Holiday House Hotel on Dixie Hwy, others on Federal Hwy

And here are some areas where I am confident that together you can develop visions that will lift up and inspire our city:
-    Quality of life in our neighborhoods, especially speeding, trucks and cut through traffic – develop a city wide set of goals, approaches and a plan. Work hard to involve residents – make it a community effort
-    Environmental, especially energy. Help Lake Worth become nationally known for true leadership in this area – you can do it!
-    Sober homes. This community has compassion but it also needs to feel safe. Learn to distinguish between good sober homes who provide a needed service and the duds who just profit and hurt us.


I would like to close by handing over the torch:
-    I am entrusting all five of you, new and old, with the protection of our city’s greatest asset – it’s heart and soul.
-    I recognize that this is not an easy task, and that it generates more questions than answers:
o    What gives a city Heart and Soul, why does our city have more of it than Lantana or WPB or most other cities in South FL?
o    What strengthens heart and soul, and what weakens it?
o    Can it be measured in dollars or square feet developed? Probably not, and yet we need both dollars and square ft.
o    Are there slippery slopes that could threaten our heart and soul, and that will be hard to reverse before it’s too late?
o    How does diversity, all kinds of diversity, fit into the picture? How do we smooth the edges?
o    These and more are all important questions to get right.

-    So I challenge each and every one of you to do your best, not for yourselves, but for ALL in this city
-    I challenge you all to do your utmost to hear from all viewpoints in the city, to cultivate, to welcome real public input – it will help you to find answers
-    I challenge you to find ways strengthen our city as a whole – the finances, the sense of safety, the quality of life, the compassion and the tolerance.
-    I challenge you to protect and strengthen the Heart and Soul that makes our city a beacon within South Florida
-    Be that light and Godspeed!