Monday, August 26, 2019

The Costly Situation in Lake Worth (Beach)

The Lake Worth city manager has reminded us that Lake Worth has had decades of neglect that has placed us in the situation we find ourselves in today--falling farther and farther behind the 8 ball. Lake Worth has never maintained anything. When talking about our electric utility and a second tie-line to the statewide electrical grid, Michael Bornstein said  it was undoing 30 to 40 years of neglect. Shocking. Beside our beach property, this is our most important and valuable asset.

They have installed new little palm trees in front of city hall but haven't swept the steps in months which gives a blighted appearance to our government building. If you neglect the little things, you will definitely overlook the big ones. And now Omari Hardy has suggested more than once, that we have a referendum to give the owner of Benny's a 99 year lease on our Pier property.  This is what you do when you can't/won't maintain anything...you find a public/private partnership or another clever way to give up an asset.

Due to all the major and ungodly costly issues in the City of Lake Worth (Beach) such as roads (even a $40 million bond won't fix them all but around 1/3rd),  pool, parking, rebuilding the public works building and another Tie-Line for our Electric Utility (how many millions would this cost?), I have to think that former city commissioner Bo Allen had a viable idea years ago--raze the entire city to the ground and start over.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure on Bo's part, that was hyperbole, however, one can certainly sense his frustration.

Where does the idea that deferred maintenance saves money come from. It does save money for those that either die or move before the bill comes due, but it certainly costs more in the long run. The situation in Condominiums is exactly the same mindset.

I will have to take a look at the new trees and the unswept steps at City Hall. I guess the blower broke, and they no longer have a broom. I'm sorry to hear that. The new little trees must be nice.

Lynn Anderson said...

@12:54--it was sarcasm on Bo's part. We have always had problems...always!

Anonymous said...

This statement is right on. Look at the increased staff that has been added to the utility we have, why could we operate in good financial status 6 years ago with that staff buy once they left we had to add many more positions to do the same work that we do now with little or no knowledge of running an electrical system and even as much as city operations that are so lacking. Wake up Bornstein.