Showing posts with label Billboards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billboards. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
"Don't Run Joe!
A truck-mounted billboard has appeared in Washington, D.C., carrying a three-word message directed at one man — the president of the United States:
“Don’t Run Joe.”
Actually, the full text of the message is six words, if you count the three smaller words in blue type (“MOST DEMOCRATS SAY”), which lead into the main message in large, red letters: “DON’T RUN JOE. “
Republicans say it too, Joe! In fact, I would imagine the world says it other than China, Russia and Iran.
Read the story and who is behind he billboard
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Joe and Kamala on billboard
The sign is located in Huntington, Maryland.
Calvert County officials have declared there is nothing they can do to have the controversial cartoon images of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris shown sitting in feces removed from the public’s view.
Calvert County officials have declared there is nothing they can do to have the controversial cartoon images of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris shown sitting in feces removed from the public’s view.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Florida Parental Rights Law taking a beating by New York Mayor
NYC Mayor Eric Adams woos Florida residents in opposition of the state's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law with digital billboards
promising that they can 'say whatever they want' in the Big Apple: 'This is a matter of life or death' says NY mayor
LOL...teaching kids from K to 3rd grade on gender issues is acceptable to liberals?- The billboards will appear in five major Florida cities starting today until May 29
- The design and ad space was donated by a subsidiaries of a major ad company
- One of them reads: 'Come to the city where you can say whatever you want'
- The recruiting effort is a reversal of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' plan to recruit unvaccinated cops, with at least a dozen relocating to the Sunshine State
-
After announcing the billboards, a parent hit out at Mayor Adams for walking back his promise to lift a mask mandate for kids as young as 2 years old...see below what happened to her.
- Adams said he had to 'pivot and shift as COVID is pivoting and shifting'
Read about the farce!
Saturday, February 12, 2022
"Hey Joe, stop the malarky! Inflation is real.”
The billboard’s headline says: “Hey Joe, stop the malarky! Inflation is real.” Referring elsewhere to “DemFlation,” it adds: “Small businesses and all Americans are feeling the pain.”
The animated ticker displays year-over-year cost increases from the Consumer Price Index for bacon, gasoline, meat, eggs, heating oil and used cars. While the price of bacon jumped by 18.6% from December 2020 to December 2021, the cost of gasoline at the pump went up by 49.6%." [WashingtonTimes]
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
President Trump arrives tonight in Palm Beach
It is expected that the president will arrive at Palm Beach International Airport at about 6:45 p.m. tonight and leave on Sunday by 5 p.m. Upon his departure from Mar-A-Lago, he will see the above sign.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
The Billboard Screw Jobs - Lake Worth
Comment Up
Not the same billboard under settlement but it has an
LED face on both sides and we have to look at it 24/7/365
Perhaps this should be entitled--Giant corporation worth billions takes advantage of poor city--or--Lake Worth would sell its soul to the devil. Take your pick. I don't care.
The city wants to cave in once again to 50 years more of billboard blight. We are offended by the idea of hot-dog carts at our beach cheapening the area and giving it the affect of Coney Island but now, once again, we have an LED billboard located at 1802 Fourth Avenue North just west of I-95 that we will have to put up with for 50 years if the city commission votes for another bad deal, this one having an LED face on both sides. It's on the Consent Agenda so I am assuming that EVERYONE UP ON THE DAIS WANTS IT.
When it comes to the billboards along I-95, we have had to endure this horrible decision since the commission from hell approved them.
The Billboard blight has been a fiasco since the day that Florida Outdoor Advertising LLC in 2001 and later Interstate Outdoor Advertising, Inc. in 2007 blitzed into town and told our city that they were going to install billboards on our property along I-95. They filed the necessary applications and were subsequently denied because of our sign ordinance. Interstate Outdoor Signs then filed suit. They knew how to play the game as they had been successful in many other cities doing the same thing and of course they knew that most cities didn't have the money to fight them in court. Screw your sign ordinance they said.
We tried to fight the bastards by defending ourselves and hired outside counsel with the firm of Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, etal. Interstate told our city attorney at the time, Larry Karns, that they would resolve their lawsuit and settle with us rather than going to court saying that they had won these cases and it would cost the City a a bundle in legal fees if they pursued. The City capitulated and rolled over petrified about another lawsuit that would cost us hundreds of thousands. After all, we were playing against the big deep-pocketed boys.
The First deal that they offered was as follows:
But it doesn't matter which deal we went with as the city settled again. This time we ended up receiving a check in the amount of $1,240,000 on February 24, 2010 and it was authorized to be deposited into the CIP account. That money is ALL gone. Twenty years of billboard blight and $1.2 million gone and spent in a flash. Money burns holes in the pockets of Lake Worth and not one dime was spent on potholes.
The city's explanation for this new BS: The City’s LDRs prohibit billboards in the City and required that existing billboards would have to be removed by 2019, unless, however, any billboards that were subject to a settlement agreement could remain in place for 20 years or as set forth in the settlement agreement.
That Settlement Agreement allowed Florida Outdoor Advertising to construct a static billboard at 1802 Fourth Avenue North just west of I-95. The Settlement Agreement did not contain any termination clause setting a time when the billboard would have to be taken down. Now these thugs, who are experts at screwing cities, approached the city and have negotiated a settlement of this matter, subject to Commission approval.
The proposed settlement would allow Clear Channel (entity names change throughout the years) to replace both faces of the billboard with LED signage which could remain in place for 50 years. The City would receive ten (10) hours/month of free public service advertising space. The City would be paid $25,000.00 per digital face ($50,000.00 total) per year increasing 10% every 5 years during said 50 years for a total of $3,984,385.
About 88 percent of Clear Channel Outdoor is owned by iHeartMedia which was taken private in 2008 by Bain and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $19 billion. Clear Channel Outdoor is the second-largest outdoor advertising company.
This is on tonight's agenda.
Perhaps this should be entitled--Giant corporation worth billions takes advantage of poor city--or--Lake Worth would sell its soul to the devil. Take your pick. I don't care.
The city wants to cave in once again to 50 years more of billboard blight. We are offended by the idea of hot-dog carts at our beach cheapening the area and giving it the affect of Coney Island but now, once again, we have an LED billboard located at 1802 Fourth Avenue North just west of I-95 that we will have to put up with for 50 years if the city commission votes for another bad deal, this one having an LED face on both sides. It's on the Consent Agenda so I am assuming that EVERYONE UP ON THE DAIS WANTS IT.
When it comes to the billboards along I-95, we have had to endure this horrible decision since the commission from hell approved them.
The Billboard blight has been a fiasco since the day that Florida Outdoor Advertising LLC in 2001 and later Interstate Outdoor Advertising, Inc. in 2007 blitzed into town and told our city that they were going to install billboards on our property along I-95. They filed the necessary applications and were subsequently denied because of our sign ordinance. Interstate Outdoor Signs then filed suit. They knew how to play the game as they had been successful in many other cities doing the same thing and of course they knew that most cities didn't have the money to fight them in court. Screw your sign ordinance they said.
We tried to fight the bastards by defending ourselves and hired outside counsel with the firm of Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, etal. Interstate told our city attorney at the time, Larry Karns, that they would resolve their lawsuit and settle with us rather than going to court saying that they had won these cases and it would cost the City a a bundle in legal fees if they pursued. The City capitulated and rolled over petrified about another lawsuit that would cost us hundreds of thousands. After all, we were playing against the big deep-pocketed boys.
The First deal that they offered was as follows:
- A 20 year lease minus 1 day
- Interstate was allowed to install 3 billboards on the west side of I-95 on private properties.
- Interstate was allowed to install 3 billboards on the east side of I-95 on city owned property.
- They offered a one time payment of $2,650.000 after approval was given.
But it doesn't matter which deal we went with as the city settled again. This time we ended up receiving a check in the amount of $1,240,000 on February 24, 2010 and it was authorized to be deposited into the CIP account. That money is ALL gone. Twenty years of billboard blight and $1.2 million gone and spent in a flash. Money burns holes in the pockets of Lake Worth and not one dime was spent on potholes.
The city's explanation for this new BS: The City’s LDRs prohibit billboards in the City and required that existing billboards would have to be removed by 2019, unless, however, any billboards that were subject to a settlement agreement could remain in place for 20 years or as set forth in the settlement agreement.
That Settlement Agreement allowed Florida Outdoor Advertising to construct a static billboard at 1802 Fourth Avenue North just west of I-95. The Settlement Agreement did not contain any termination clause setting a time when the billboard would have to be taken down. Now these thugs, who are experts at screwing cities, approached the city and have negotiated a settlement of this matter, subject to Commission approval.
The proposed settlement would allow Clear Channel (entity names change throughout the years) to replace both faces of the billboard with LED signage which could remain in place for 50 years. The City would receive ten (10) hours/month of free public service advertising space. The City would be paid $25,000.00 per digital face ($50,000.00 total) per year increasing 10% every 5 years during said 50 years for a total of $3,984,385.
About 88 percent of Clear Channel Outdoor is owned by iHeartMedia which was taken private in 2008 by Bain and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $19 billion. Clear Channel Outdoor is the second-largest outdoor advertising company.
This is on tonight's agenda.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Street Outdoor LLC
Comment Up
Lawsuits are always interesting. It always seems like the bad guys win. We're going to settle with Street Outdoor LLC that used to be called City Solutions. On Tuesday night the commission will vote to give them $20,000 to get out of our hair ( better than $1.6 million that went to the flim flam man).
After they got this 10 year contract back in May 2004 (Romano regime) the billboard company decided that they were going to add 4 more locations not included in the contract. The locations in question were racks at Lucerne Avenue and G Street; at Lake Avenue and G Street; at Dixie Highway at North Eighth Street; and at Dixie Highway and North Seventh Street. These locations were not part of the original contract that provided for only 20 locations throughout our city and the city eventually picked the additional ones up. We now have 3 racks in our possession.
So essentially, they installed some racks on City rights of way without City permission and not in the contract. The company accepted and made money off of political advertisements that were against city ordinance. The city never got a dime from the deal. The city took the illegal racks down. They sued. We settled. Their contract was over in May 2014. And now they're out of here for good.
Now if we only could get rid of those billboards on I-95 (Clemens regime)...another bad decision.
One of the reasons why we don't like the Chamber of Commerce
Lawsuits are always interesting. It always seems like the bad guys win. We're going to settle with Street Outdoor LLC that used to be called City Solutions. On Tuesday night the commission will vote to give them $20,000 to get out of our hair ( better than $1.6 million that went to the flim flam man).
After they got this 10 year contract back in May 2004 (Romano regime) the billboard company decided that they were going to add 4 more locations not included in the contract. The locations in question were racks at Lucerne Avenue and G Street; at Lake Avenue and G Street; at Dixie Highway at North Eighth Street; and at Dixie Highway and North Seventh Street. These locations were not part of the original contract that provided for only 20 locations throughout our city and the city eventually picked the additional ones up. We now have 3 racks in our possession.
So essentially, they installed some racks on City rights of way without City permission and not in the contract. The company accepted and made money off of political advertisements that were against city ordinance. The city never got a dime from the deal. The city took the illegal racks down. They sued. We settled. Their contract was over in May 2014. And now they're out of here for good.
Now if we only could get rid of those billboards on I-95 (Clemens regime)...another bad decision.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Dave Kerner - Re-Elect for District 87
If I have to look at LED billboard blight, it might as well be Dave Kerner's re-election sign.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Last Night's Commission Meeting
Comment Up
The commission had a lot to cover last night in its 5 hour meeting--
1. The contract with Street Outdoors regarding the modular news-racks was not renewed. We will no longer have to see billboard blight in our city. This is not the same as the billboards we see along I-95 that we will have to see for another 17 years or so, perhaps forever. Why the city ever allowed modular newsracks ten years ago is a mystery as no revenue came to Lake Worth.
2. Mural removal. The property owner must agree to remove a mural at their sole expense in the event that it becomes deteriorated and no longer satisfies the terms of its approval. The P&Z and Historic Preservation boards have sole authority to approve murals, not the commission--just another thing off their table.
3. The Trojan House (first Chamber of Commerce building from 1912) will be bought by the city for a total of $40,000 that includes demolition, an historic building that was allowed to rot. Not one comment was made by any commissioner about an historic building being allowed to decay to the point of demolition. We just celebrated our 100th birthday with fanfare but another historical building bites the dust. Although we received some vacant parcels from the High School in exchange for this building back in 2004, the parcels were a donation to the school...the school had no actual cash in the game according to an historian. No money ever changed hands. Former Commissioner Bo Allen was the broker involved and he stated that he was receiving no money for the transaction..."he could have sold it but it was all for the children."
4. There were six Second readings under Public Hearings that all passed--a few are: A) Allow the Planning and Zoning and Historic Preservation Boards to approve proximity waivers for consumption on premises and for the City Commission to have final approval for package alcohol sales. It was stated that all restaurants that have a bar are allowed to have a waiver. So why doesn't the city simply change that section and not have these types of properties subjected to waivers to begin with? C) The old FEC warehouse that was never used by the FEC, later sold to a private individual and eventually donated to the city, was declared a local historic landmark. There will be an historic overlay for the property. It's all about government grant money but the reason for the designation has never been given. D) Construction hours passed--8 to 7 and no work on Sundays. The vote was 4/1 with the mayor dissenting as she said she had 2nd thoughts on this. Her husband was or had been in construction and they start early because of weather. E) Public rights-of-way restrictions--would limit the transaction of business in the vehicular rights of way and on other public property.
5. Spent one million dollars in a wink of an eye. This Commission's big dream is to develop the Park of Commerce as a shovel ready light industrial, research and development park to serve not only Palm Beach County but also the Gold Coast Region. Please note that the commission had previously voted on an affordable rental project to be built at the corner of Boutwell and Lake Worth Road in the Park of Commerce. Build it and they will come. Last night they approved to spend $644,120 on the engineering and design phase. Directly following that vote was the one to spend $349,930 on Mathews Consulting to assure that everything the engineering firm was doing was right and on time. Of course, the engineers have probably worked for the City for 50 years or more. City Manager Bornstein referred to it as a "tremendously significant vote"...they were brave or words to that effect and that the commission should be commended. I guess it is brave to spend money that you don't have and no guarantee that the Plan will be voted in by the electorate. We will be spending over $11 million there. How long will it take to make-up that investment from ad-valorem from businesses that locate there?
6. The most shocking item on the agenda was the budget Amendment for $12.5 MILLION dollars. They are moving all that money into operations for 2014. Supposedly it is for capital carry forward projects and accelerating other capital projects (probably the Park of Commerce is included here...no commissioner asked about that but then, it's their desire to develop it). And we have wondered through the years where all the"missing" money went.
7. Certain fees were omitted in the Beach Complex Special Events Fees section and this vote was for all charges for city events..
8. The submerged land and the 99 year lease with the County was approved to make this property a nature preserve. After objections from some residents who contacted their commissioners, the naming rights was removed from the Contract. The County will occupy and develop the land (the city was ready and willing to give over control of its property--they like to do things like that), and after 20 years the city will go out on a referendum for the electorate to approve a 99 year lease. This is one way to get around illegal 99 year leases....keep renewing them every 19 years and 364 days.
The commission had a lot to cover last night in its 5 hour meeting--
1. The contract with Street Outdoors regarding the modular news-racks was not renewed. We will no longer have to see billboard blight in our city. This is not the same as the billboards we see along I-95 that we will have to see for another 17 years or so, perhaps forever. Why the city ever allowed modular newsracks ten years ago is a mystery as no revenue came to Lake Worth.
2. Mural removal. The property owner must agree to remove a mural at their sole expense in the event that it becomes deteriorated and no longer satisfies the terms of its approval. The P&Z and Historic Preservation boards have sole authority to approve murals, not the commission--just another thing off their table.
3. The Trojan House (first Chamber of Commerce building from 1912) will be bought by the city for a total of $40,000 that includes demolition, an historic building that was allowed to rot. Not one comment was made by any commissioner about an historic building being allowed to decay to the point of demolition. We just celebrated our 100th birthday with fanfare but another historical building bites the dust. Although we received some vacant parcels from the High School in exchange for this building back in 2004, the parcels were a donation to the school...the school had no actual cash in the game according to an historian. No money ever changed hands. Former Commissioner Bo Allen was the broker involved and he stated that he was receiving no money for the transaction..."he could have sold it but it was all for the children."
Former Lake Worth Commissioner, Bo Allen
4. There were six Second readings under Public Hearings that all passed--a few are: A) Allow the Planning and Zoning and Historic Preservation Boards to approve proximity waivers for consumption on premises and for the City Commission to have final approval for package alcohol sales. It was stated that all restaurants that have a bar are allowed to have a waiver. So why doesn't the city simply change that section and not have these types of properties subjected to waivers to begin with? C) The old FEC warehouse that was never used by the FEC, later sold to a private individual and eventually donated to the city, was declared a local historic landmark. There will be an historic overlay for the property. It's all about government grant money but the reason for the designation has never been given. D) Construction hours passed--8 to 7 and no work on Sundays. The vote was 4/1 with the mayor dissenting as she said she had 2nd thoughts on this. Her husband was or had been in construction and they start early because of weather. E) Public rights-of-way restrictions--would limit the transaction of business in the vehicular rights of way and on other public property.
5. Spent one million dollars in a wink of an eye. This Commission's big dream is to develop the Park of Commerce as a shovel ready light industrial, research and development park to serve not only Palm Beach County but also the Gold Coast Region. Please note that the commission had previously voted on an affordable rental project to be built at the corner of Boutwell and Lake Worth Road in the Park of Commerce. Build it and they will come. Last night they approved to spend $644,120 on the engineering and design phase. Directly following that vote was the one to spend $349,930 on Mathews Consulting to assure that everything the engineering firm was doing was right and on time. Of course, the engineers have probably worked for the City for 50 years or more. City Manager Bornstein referred to it as a "tremendously significant vote"...they were brave or words to that effect and that the commission should be commended. I guess it is brave to spend money that you don't have and no guarantee that the Plan will be voted in by the electorate. We will be spending over $11 million there. How long will it take to make-up that investment from ad-valorem from businesses that locate there?
6. The most shocking item on the agenda was the budget Amendment for $12.5 MILLION dollars. They are moving all that money into operations for 2014. Supposedly it is for capital carry forward projects and accelerating other capital projects (probably the Park of Commerce is included here...no commissioner asked about that but then, it's their desire to develop it). And we have wondered through the years where all the"missing" money went.
7. Certain fees were omitted in the Beach Complex Special Events Fees section and this vote was for all charges for city events..
8. The submerged land and the 99 year lease with the County was approved to make this property a nature preserve. After objections from some residents who contacted their commissioners, the naming rights was removed from the Contract. The County will occupy and develop the land (the city was ready and willing to give over control of its property--they like to do things like that), and after 20 years the city will go out on a referendum for the electorate to approve a 99 year lease. This is one way to get around illegal 99 year leases....keep renewing them every 19 years and 364 days.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Rubio billboard against Amnesty
Comment Up
“What people are saying is, we don’t trust the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a good border plan, we don’t trust the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a good fencing plan, and so maybe the alternative is to have the Congress do that. The point is, that needs to happen. That is the lynchpin of whether this will work or not”
~ Marco Rubio
Billboard near Ocala, Florida along I-75
“What people are saying is, we don’t trust the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a good border plan, we don’t trust the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a good fencing plan, and so maybe the alternative is to have the Congress do that. The point is, that needs to happen. That is the lynchpin of whether this will work or not”
~ Marco Rubio
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Boynton Beach Pulls a Coup
Comment Up
I don't know what Boynton Beach's billboard sign will look like but what we do know is, they are renting billboards in Lake Worth to promote their city.
Now wouldn't you think that Lake Worth would have been on the ball especially when we have opened our new Casino, the beach redevelopment is almost complete and our 100th birthday is coming up.
As dysfunctional as Boynton Beach is, they beat us to our very own billboard blight, or in this case, the best marketing tool that is right in our own back yard. We citizens are paying dearly for this blight for 19 years and 364 days.
Does our staff just have too much to do like cutting down trees instead of promoting our City and just thinking inside the box? Thinking outside the box is just too much to ask.
I don't know what Boynton Beach's billboard sign will look like but what we do know is, they are renting billboards in Lake Worth to promote their city.
Now wouldn't you think that Lake Worth would have been on the ball especially when we have opened our new Casino, the beach redevelopment is almost complete and our 100th birthday is coming up.
As dysfunctional as Boynton Beach is, they beat us to our very own billboard blight, or in this case, the best marketing tool that is right in our own back yard. We citizens are paying dearly for this blight for 19 years and 364 days.
Does our staff just have too much to do like cutting down trees instead of promoting our City and just thinking inside the box? Thinking outside the box is just too much to ask.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Billboard Blight and the "shuffling" of funds
Comment Up
Read here on Billboard fiasco
At the last Budget meeting, Finance Director, Steve Carr, stated that $700,000 from the billboard "settlement" would be used to balance the Budget. I don't recall the exact use. Through the years, we have had a lot of money that was transferred out, transferred from one account to another and no one has been able to connect the dots. In fact, we burned through $12 million dollars several years ago when we had different finance directors and approximately $3.5 million went "missing" from our beach fund.
The billboard deal was a deal from hell. In one way I blame the paranoia of the city that has been scared and petrified of anyone threatening a law suit and in this case, made a terrible decision to allow billboards into our city for a term of 20 years minus one day that was against our code. Instead of fighting it, the city capitulated. That city attorney is now gone.
The Clemens Commission dedicated the billboard "settlement" money to a specific use. Present commissions need to know this so that any use of funds can be discussed by the commission as well as the public and that transfers of large sums of money must be with the full history and knowledge of the commission. This should never be a staff decision.
On September 14, 2011 the Finance Advisory Board had a discussion on the proceeds from the Billboards and said that it wanted Staff to bring back the history of the Commission decisions on how to use the funds and then they would have more discussion on any use of funds.
We continue to have transparency issues. When it comes to hundreds of thousands and/or millions of dollars, staff needs to present ALL of the facts because commissions change every year as well as staff. It was promised under Stanton that each commissioner would get monthly financials in order to keep up with it all so that they would be able to compare line item discrepancies.
Instead of the reported $424,000 being taken from Reserves along with $100,000 from the Simpkin Trust, we are taking another $700,000 from a dedicated fund. That totals $1,224,000 of our cash to balance a budget in order to give back residents pennies on their electric bill. What else is going on to balance this budget of which we are unaware?
Read here on Billboard fiasco
At the last Budget meeting, Finance Director, Steve Carr, stated that $700,000 from the billboard "settlement" would be used to balance the Budget. I don't recall the exact use. Through the years, we have had a lot of money that was transferred out, transferred from one account to another and no one has been able to connect the dots. In fact, we burned through $12 million dollars several years ago when we had different finance directors and approximately $3.5 million went "missing" from our beach fund.
The billboard deal was a deal from hell. In one way I blame the paranoia of the city that has been scared and petrified of anyone threatening a law suit and in this case, made a terrible decision to allow billboards into our city for a term of 20 years minus one day that was against our code. Instead of fighting it, the city capitulated. That city attorney is now gone.
The Clemens Commission dedicated the billboard "settlement" money to a specific use. Present commissions need to know this so that any use of funds can be discussed by the commission as well as the public and that transfers of large sums of money must be with the full history and knowledge of the commission. This should never be a staff decision.
On September 14, 2011 the Finance Advisory Board had a discussion on the proceeds from the Billboards and said that it wanted Staff to bring back the history of the Commission decisions on how to use the funds and then they would have more discussion on any use of funds.
We continue to have transparency issues. When it comes to hundreds of thousands and/or millions of dollars, staff needs to present ALL of the facts because commissions change every year as well as staff. It was promised under Stanton that each commissioner would get monthly financials in order to keep up with it all so that they would be able to compare line item discrepancies.
Instead of the reported $424,000 being taken from Reserves along with $100,000 from the Simpkin Trust, we are taking another $700,000 from a dedicated fund. That totals $1,224,000 of our cash to balance a budget in order to give back residents pennies on their electric bill. What else is going on to balance this budget of which we are unaware?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Where's the Darn Billboard Money?
Comment Up
We keep harping about this dreadful company that came into our City and threatened to sue us unless we allowed them to put up these billboards along I-95. They pulled this tactic with many cities, some in the same boat as we, poor and struggling with no money to defend ourselves. These people make Zack Attacks look like pussy cats. Instead of telling them to shove it, we said, "Thanks."
The famous Clemens, Vespo and Lowe team are the ones we should thank for this mess. Golden voted it down. The billboard company "settled" this threat of a law suit by giving us a heck of a lot less money than what was originally agreed. After the settlement, it was designated to a CIP project. Now, you can't find the money on a line item anywhere. It was moved out of the CIP when staff got itchy fingers.
No one can tell us where it is or what money has been extracted from it. Find out Commissioners. Didn't Stanton tell you where the money went on one of those 2 hour weekly out of the Sunshine meetings? Commissioner Golden still believes it is sitting in a Capital Improvement Fund. How could this happen and why do you allow it to happen? And why don't you say something?
We keep harping about this dreadful company that came into our City and threatened to sue us unless we allowed them to put up these billboards along I-95. They pulled this tactic with many cities, some in the same boat as we, poor and struggling with no money to defend ourselves. These people make Zack Attacks look like pussy cats. Instead of telling them to shove it, we said, "Thanks."
The famous Clemens, Vespo and Lowe team are the ones we should thank for this mess. Golden voted it down. The billboard company "settled" this threat of a law suit by giving us a heck of a lot less money than what was originally agreed. After the settlement, it was designated to a CIP project. Now, you can't find the money on a line item anywhere. It was moved out of the CIP when staff got itchy fingers.
No one can tell us where it is or what money has been extracted from it. Find out Commissioners. Didn't Stanton tell you where the money went on one of those 2 hour weekly out of the Sunshine meetings? Commissioner Golden still believes it is sitting in a Capital Improvement Fund. How could this happen and why do you allow it to happen? And why don't you say something?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Billboard Money - Parade of Thievery
Comment Up
The Billboard blight has been a fiasco since the day that Interstate Outdoor Advertising, Inc. contacted our city and told us that they were going to install billboards on our property along I-95. It was sometime in 2007. They filed the necessary applications and were subsequently denied because of our sign ordinance. Interstate then filed suit.
Lake Worth defended its action and hired outside counsel with the firm of Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, etal. Interstate told our city attorney at the time, Larry Karns, that they would resolve their lawsuit and settle with us rather than going to court saying that they had won these cases and it would cost the City a lot in legal fees. The City capitulated and rolled over petrified about another lawsuit. The deal offered was as follows:
City Manager Baldwin approved Alternative No. 2. City Attorney Larry Karns encouraged Alternative No. 1. (grab the cash and run, a much more sensible idea in the scheme of things). A motion was made by Commissioner Vespo, seconded by Commissioner Lowe, to approve the settlement agreement Alternative No. 2 for $2.31 million up front plus payments resuming with the caveat that the money be allocated to a new City Government Fund; and approve a lease agreement to place 3 signs on City property.
We never did receive all of the money. There was some sort of another "settlement agreement" because Interstate had assigned some billboards to CBS Outdoor Advertising and they wanted an LED billboard. We don't allow LED billboards either. But you know how that goes in Lake Worth...the bullies always win and the company won this round as well. We ended up receiving a check in the amount of $1,240,000 on February 24, 2010 and it was authorized to be deposited into the CIP account. When reading the paperwork which is difficult to follow, on September 8, 2008, we received an additional $305,000 of which $5,000 was for tree beautification somewhere. So, we were short changed around $765,000 for the upfront costs and the city thought this wonderful. After all, there would now be no law suit. I have no idea if the company is paying us monthly money per the original Lease as it can't be found on any line in the Budget and it is NEVER discussed.
All in all, the residents of this City got royally screwed when the City elected not to defend its rights when Interstate first contacted us and decided to sue.
In the CIP--Public Services:
The decrease between the FY2011-2015 and the FY 2012-2016 CIP for Public Services is the completion of $1.85 million in stormwater and $2.7 million in facilities management projects. In addition, $1.8M in billboard revenues reflected in FY 2011 budget were more appropriately reclassified and removed from the CIP.
I want to know why the billboard money was moved. I want to know when it was moved. I want to know where in the operating budget it was used. I want to know under what authorization was this money moved and/or spent. And I want to know exactly the amount of monies that were spent and on what as well as the balance of that fund.
Steve Carr, Finance Director, said at the FAB meeting on 9-14-11 that $250,000+ of the billboard money was used to replace an air conditioning system and other renovations for Compass. The City Manager has said on more than one occasion that she believes it is the City's responsible to maintain our leased property, not the Lessee. I guess there is no such thing as lease negotiation either. Because it is our building, will we next be paying the a/c bill too? That is probably why we took out a highly questionable loan for Compass because, for heavens sake, they spent too much money renovating our property.
No wonder our shuffleboard court building got trashed beyond recognition and we ended up spending hundreds of thousands on it only to want to demolish the courts because it was only Seniors who used them.
The Billboard blight has been a fiasco since the day that Interstate Outdoor Advertising, Inc. contacted our city and told us that they were going to install billboards on our property along I-95. It was sometime in 2007. They filed the necessary applications and were subsequently denied because of our sign ordinance. Interstate then filed suit.
Lake Worth defended its action and hired outside counsel with the firm of Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, etal. Interstate told our city attorney at the time, Larry Karns, that they would resolve their lawsuit and settle with us rather than going to court saying that they had won these cases and it would cost the City a lot in legal fees. The City capitulated and rolled over petrified about another lawsuit. The deal offered was as follows:
- A 20 year lease minus 1 day
- Interstate was allowed to install 3 billboards on the west side of I-95 on private properties.
- Interstate was allowed to install 3 billboards on the east side of I-95 on city owned property.
- They offered a one time payment of $2,650.000 after approval was given, alternative #1.
- The second alternative was paying the City $2,310,000 upon approval and pay the City $4,250 a month for each of the 3 signs located on City property with an increase beginning in year 16 to $5,000 a month. Under this deal, the payments to the City would total $3,975,000 over the life of the lease. The City agreed to this deal in spite of our city attorney advising otherwise. It passed on a 3/2 vote with the gruesome threesome, Clemens, Vespo and Lowe, taking the deal. Jennings and Golden said "nay." They did not want this blight in our City at all.
City Manager Baldwin approved Alternative No. 2. City Attorney Larry Karns encouraged Alternative No. 1. (grab the cash and run, a much more sensible idea in the scheme of things). A motion was made by Commissioner Vespo, seconded by Commissioner Lowe, to approve the settlement agreement Alternative No. 2 for $2.31 million up front plus payments resuming with the caveat that the money be allocated to a new City Government Fund; and approve a lease agreement to place 3 signs on City property.
We never did receive all of the money. There was some sort of another "settlement agreement" because Interstate had assigned some billboards to CBS Outdoor Advertising and they wanted an LED billboard. We don't allow LED billboards either. But you know how that goes in Lake Worth...the bullies always win and the company won this round as well. We ended up receiving a check in the amount of $1,240,000 on February 24, 2010 and it was authorized to be deposited into the CIP account. When reading the paperwork which is difficult to follow, on September 8, 2008, we received an additional $305,000 of which $5,000 was for tree beautification somewhere. So, we were short changed around $765,000 for the upfront costs and the city thought this wonderful. After all, there would now be no law suit. I have no idea if the company is paying us monthly money per the original Lease as it can't be found on any line in the Budget and it is NEVER discussed.
All in all, the residents of this City got royally screwed when the City elected not to defend its rights when Interstate first contacted us and decided to sue.
In the CIP--Public Services:
The decrease between the FY2011-2015 and the FY 2012-2016 CIP for Public Services is the completion of $1.85 million in stormwater and $2.7 million in facilities management projects. In addition, $1.8M in billboard revenues reflected in FY 2011 budget were more appropriately reclassified and removed from the CIP.
I want to know why the billboard money was moved. I want to know when it was moved. I want to know where in the operating budget it was used. I want to know under what authorization was this money moved and/or spent. And I want to know exactly the amount of monies that were spent and on what as well as the balance of that fund.
Steve Carr, Finance Director, said at the FAB meeting on 9-14-11 that $250,000+ of the billboard money was used to replace an air conditioning system and other renovations for Compass. The City Manager has said on more than one occasion that she believes it is the City's responsible to maintain our leased property, not the Lessee. I guess there is no such thing as lease negotiation either. Because it is our building, will we next be paying the a/c bill too? That is probably why we took out a highly questionable loan for Compass because, for heavens sake, they spent too much money renovating our property.
No wonder our shuffleboard court building got trashed beyond recognition and we ended up spending hundreds of thousands on it only to want to demolish the courts because it was only Seniors who used them.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Cleaning up the Sins of the Past
Although in an approved location and part of the contract,this advertisement was against city ordinance.
The company agreed to maintain the racks and a schedule of locations was part of the agreement. This agreement was signed during Paul Boyer’s employment as City Manager of Lake Worth. Larry Karns was the city attorney at that time.
The locations in question are racks at Lucerne Avenue and G Street; at Lake Avenue and G Street; at Dixie Highway at North Eighth Street; and at Dixie Highway and North Seventh Street. These locations were not part of the original contract that provided for 20 locations throughout our city. It appears that City Solutions, now called Street Outdoor, LLC, has installed racks on City property without City permission.
On top of the insult, this company has never had to pay the City one dime for this blight thanks to a former commission. The contract was signed under terms dictated by the sign company, not the City of Lake Worth’s Ordinance that forbids political advertisement on public property, some of which has been highly controversial over the past few elections. It was just another, among many, badly written contracts involving the City of Lake Worth and where a city attorney did not look out for our interests.
Our present city commission as well as our city manger, Susan Stanton, continues to right the wrongs of the past, cleaning up bad contracts that have been one-sided, costly and unfavorable to our city. This company has now sued our city because the city removed 4 racks that were unauthorized and installed on our right of ways.
Once the Contract expires in 2014, it should not be renewed.
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