Commission Meeting 11-5-19

What an explosive Meeting--4 hours and 37 minutes! A Meeting from Hell

It started out calmly with Barton Elementary's Denise Sanon giving a presentation.  They just did one in June but they now have 300 more students (1,110 overall) and not enough teachers!

After that, Paws on the Avenue was given a proclamation by the Mayor for 20 years in Lake Worth. Time flies! Caroline Clure and Michelle Sylvester were there. A huge cake was presented and the public was invited. Michelle has filed to run for Supervisor of Elections PB County.

Ramsay Macleod, President of Royal Poinciana NA gave a presentation and mentioned all the problems they are experiencing with the road and ally work in her neighborhood.

There was a gentleman during Public speaking who was quite distressed. He was managing a Re-Hab facility on J Street that was in foreclosure. PBSO came knocking on October 13 and ordered him to vacate the premises on the spot. All his personal items were left behind, even his teeth! He was told he could pick them up the next day. That was not to be. Yolanda Robinson told him to hire a lawyer if he wanted his personal effects returned. He said PBSO treated him like a homeless bum. He still has no teeth!

Fitz John McCann

Adopting the Five Year Capital Plan. It's a matter of trust--that phrase was used several times when talking about the city moving the pool forward. Discussion went on forever with Commissioners Hardy and Robinson insisting that the Beach Park, particularly the pool, be in the capital plan. Maxwell and Amoroso were totally against it. Although not mentioned last night, Andy Amoroso has suggested in the past that the pool be moved west of the Intracoastal. Maxwell doesn't want to spend a dime at the beach and Robinson kept referring to our oceanfront park as "derelict." Mayor Triolo broke the tie on a Sub-Motion made by Hardy to have a line item of $6 million for the pool in the budget. All in all, a 5 year plan was approved for $181 million with no ideas of where the money will come from. Hint:  It always comes from the property owners and they plan on floating bonds.

FIRST READINGS: All passed on a 5/0 vote.

Ordinance 2019-10. Ballot Initiative to change the charter to a 30 year Lease on Municipal Beach complex. The city wants it favorable to anyone coming in to a public/private partnership to rebuild our pool facility in order to get a mortgage. I am totally against public/private partnerships. Their reason to change our charter--so some investor/developer can get a mortgage. They can get a mortgage per our present charter--just write the Lease giving option renewals protecting the Lessee's ability to renew. So, what's really going on?
Ordinance 2019-11. Ballot initiative to extend Jewell-Steinhardt property on a 99 year lease to PB County.
Ordinance 2019-12. Ballot initiative for 30 year leases on Parks, City owned Waterfront Property and city-owned downtown property. Again, there is nothing wrong with our present charter of 20 year leases minus a day. Nothing precludes the city from writing renewal options into the leases going forward. It's a bogus reason to attract a public/private partnership at our beach.
Ordinance 2019-13. Design guidelines to replace existing design guidelines of 2001.
Ordinance 2019-14. Land development regulations beach code of Ordinances.

A workshop was agreed to be held in January on our Ocean Park.

H. Establish a budget process. Commissioner Hardy wants a process that does not include a bifurcated final budget and wants the budget complete by October 1 according to State Statute and the start of our fiscal year. City Manager Bornstein then called him "delusional." Can you even imagine an employee calling their boss "delusional?" Commissioner Maxwell and Mayor Triolo then personally attacked Hardy saying he constantly abuses staff and basically always interrupting. The mayor suggested that he speak with staff and not air his concerns in a public setting. Of course, it has been mentioned before that the Commissioners are not allowed to approach staff with any question.