Lake Worth has another Scheme to spend $$$

Lake Worth Beach launches ‘city of neighborhoods’ plan - what is it and how will it work?

I would think by now that the City Administration would have it all figured out. After all, we have been working on our LDR's and Comprehensive Plan forever. Now they are hiring a series of consultants to work with our neighborhoods so that they can weigh in, offering their ideas. They are asking, "what kind of city do you want?"

Gimme a break and stop screwing around with our Comprehensive Plan. Give it up. You managed to get the vote on our city to change its name after 106 years.  Is this like Obama's transforming America mentality?

It's simple. Get rid of the slum, the blight and the crime for starters and start enforcing code. That's the planning we should be concentrating on.

Read about it...

Lake Worth to get matching Grant for Historical Resources consultant

Another consultant!

WHAT THE CITY SAYS:
On June 19, 2017, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Historical Resources (“Division”) notified the City of an award in the amount of $30,000 under the FY 2017-2018 Small Matching Historic Preservation Grants Program.

The purpose of this grant award is to provide the City with funding assistance to procure the services of a cultural resources management consultant to assist the City in developing design guidelines for implementing its historic preservation program in a consistent manner.

Since the start of its historic preservation efforts, the City has created six historic districts, each of which was formed to preserve different aspects of the City’s unique development history, and each is distinct from the next. However, at this time, only two of the City’s Historic Districts have specific guidelines to help preserve the character that defines the features their historic resources. The development of design guidelines specific to each district will serve as a guide for residents and businesses interested in making compatible alterations to their historic properties.

The City is required to provide a local cost share of $30,373, of which $15,000 will be in cash and $15,373 will be in in-kind staff and volunteer contributions.

Risk Management Renewal for Lake Worth

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City staff gets a lot of help from outside consultants...this is just one more example of contracting with experts:

They need additional risk management consultant services including, without limitation, acting as the City’s liaison with the City’s third party administrators for claims, developing claims and insurance budget for each fiscal year and providing claims analysis for City staff.

Up for renewal tonight is the contract with Ben Few & Company, Inc. (“Ben Few & Company”) for full-time Risk Management Consulting Services in the amount of $60,000 leaving a balance of $40,000 in our HR Risk Management Budget 2016.

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The REAL Priority of the Lake Worth City Commission - A Pipe Dream

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All on a wing, a prayer, a dream and YOUR MONEY--

Basically, the commission has been downplaying the Park of Commerce lately, particularly when people are screaming about slum, blight, crime and potholes. They don't really want you to know what they are doing with your money.

If you were ever wondering about what the city's priority is for that $63.5 million general obligation bond money, not to worry. It is very clear and on their web site. In fact, Scott Maxwell has told you that this is his top priority--he dreams about it--"build it and they will come."  Some people still believe in fairy tales as well as paying for infrastructure for developers--the guys who make all the money. Mr. Maxwell says he is a staunch conservative but he has abandoned his conservative values and believes city taxpayers should pay to allow free enterprise to capitalize on your hard earned dollars. How do you ever believe politicians?

The Park of Commerce--situated on 313 acres, is land that the City does NOT own. This is Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell's dream. Originally they wanted to pour around $17 million into the infrastructure to attract developers, money that we will NEVER recapture in ad-valorem. NEVER.

The project will entail a complete overhaul of the infrastructure and roadway including:

• storm water,
• potable water,
• sanitary sewer,
• electric,
• telecommunications,
• and a new boulevard style roadway with lighting, landscaping and pedestrian/bike way access.
  

The City Commission has already spent OVER $1 MILLION of taxpayer money (they tell us we're BROKE) on Phase 1 at the POC. The Design and engineering of the project that has been taking place since January 2014, will be completed this year.  Construction of the improvements will begin shortly thereafter.  The new completed roadway is scheduled to be finished in early 2016. They have paid Mathews Consulting ($349,930.00) for consulting services and Mock Roos ($644,120.00) for the Design, Engineering, Construction, and studies. That money will be reimbursed to the City from Bond proceeds.
 

Politicians and Consultants and Movers and Shakers

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Who is Blake MacDiarmid and what is his connection to Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell?

An excerpt from The Palm Beach Post editorial writer Joel Englehart--what follows is a key portion--a blast from the past--it goes back twelve years:

The feds probably want to know not only what Commissioner McCarty has done for her husband but what she has done for her brother, Tallahassee lobbyist Brian Ballard. That's where Blake MacDiarmid comes in. Mr. MacDiarmid managed Commissioner McCarty's 2002 campaign. He was an up-and-comer in Republican circles, where Commissioner McCarty reigns. But something went wrong. "Blake did not sufficiently kiss the ring," one observer said. Suddenly, Commissioner McCarty was undermining Mr. MacDiarmid at every turn. Candidates he had long represented told him no thank you. Clients couldn't hire him without risking Commissioner McCarty's wrath - and active opposition. Losing clients at that rate, Mr. MacDiarmid would pose no threat to Commissioner McCarty when she leaves the commission in 2010 to become a lobbyist. Assuming she's not in prison by then. From the Palm Beach Sun April 2011

Well, we all know what happened to her. The five-term commissioner pleaded guilty to honest service fraud in 2009 and was sentenced to 3 and 1/2 years in a federal prison camp. Her husband, Kevin had a brief term in prison for not reporting Mary's crimes.

MacDiarmid has been a paid political consultant for the campaigns of several Delray Beach commissioners. In 2004, he was hired to help the city when it asked voters to approve a $14 million bond issue used to finance parks and recreation projects. He is well known in political circles and Judge Marni Bryson of the 15th Judicial court is now his wife. You can't get a better connection than that working on your side.

Interesting diatribe? It gets better. In South Florida, he has served as an adviser to Congressman Tom Rooney, State Representatives George Moraitis and Pat Rooney, Palm Beach County Mayor Steven Abrams, Palm Beach County Commissioner Hal Valeche, Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel, Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein and Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo.

NOW GET THIS--**Mr. MacDiarmid served as lead consultant for the successful passage of a $24 million parks and community ballot referendum, was chief strategist with the City of Fort Lauderdale to pass a critical $40 million public safety ballot issue, and has also worked as a strategist with Lynn University, the Republican Party, Florida on the Move and business and neighborhood advocacy groups. Source: Old faithful Ins

In March 2014, Scott Maxwell paid MacDiarmid $3,000 for campaign services and consulting. Consulting for what? For an election that never happened? Or was it for advice on who to approach in order to bulldoze a county park for national baseball?  Was it for the infrastructure bond issue that he wants so badly to happen?

More often than not, favorable results develop behind the scenes and out of the Sunshine--in strategy meetings with consultants and other politicians. What's next for Scott Maxwell? Who knows? We do know that when he wants something, he will fight for it every step of the way, doing whatever it takes--a mover and shaker.  Watch for Scott Maxwell to move on and up in local politics.

Lake Worth's consultant was misdirected

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Palm Beach Post
April 18, 2014
By: Laurence McNamara

City's Consultant was Misdirected

The Mayor and Commissioners of Lake Worth seem to have neglected to inform the consultant group hired to solve the financial troubles of our City that five of the six proposed projects are in CRA districts.

All of the increased tax revenue from new construction in these districts goes to the CRA, not to the beleaguered general fund which gets only the same paltry revenue from CRA district lots as it did when the CRA was authorized many years ago

This means that we taxpayers would bear the financial burden of infrastructure and concurrency, and the inconvenience of construction for the five proposals, without any increase in revenue from the properties: in short a drain on our general fund rather than an addition to it.

In order to make economic sense it would be wise for our Commission to request the CRA’s creditors to allow removal of these targeted properties from the CRA district, or focus developers on lots out of the CRA district so that we taxpayers and our City’s general fund will actually benefit from proposed projects..

Laurence McNamara

Lake Worth - Catering to the developers and the poor?

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A three story building four stories tall
and close to the road

The city commission says that this is "cool."  They say it is not "affordable" housing but "workforce" housing. Please note that Workforce housing is generally understood to mean affordable housing for households with earned income that is insufficient to secure quality housing in reasonable proximity to the workplace. Source:  Wikipedia.

So what we will be getting folks is MORE affordable housing within the City of Lake Worth and more rentals in a city with over 60% rentals now.  The commission thinks this is great stuff because the way it stands at the moment, the city, instead of the CRA, will get the ad valorem from this project unlike the rest of the six suggestions that have been proposed by the consultant they hired to figure out how to build on every square inch of dirt in this city.

What do they care? This is in the far western end of the community, an area they won't have to drive by, look at or even visit. We, across the lake, will be reminded every day as it is in full view. We have more poor in America today than we did 40 years ago. The government, by not enforcing its immigration laws and ignoring our borders, encourage illegal immigrants who, for the most part, are only qualified for minimum pay jobs. Raising the minimum wage will not help these people and the cycle grows.

According to Salon, We’re not sure how to handle the fact that a quarter of people who have jobs today make so little money that they also receive some form of public assistance, or welfare – a proportion that’s much higher in some of the fastest-growing sectors of the workforce. Or that 60 percent of able-bodied adult food-stamp recipients are employed. We are becoming a nation of poor by choice and Lake Worth is inadvertently contributing to the problem.

Lake Worth Commission on a Fast Train trying to steamroll through the city

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Yelling "all aboard and don't get left behind" to the developers, Mayor Pam Triolo of Lake Worth, and one who admits that Lake Worth is poorer than dirt, is pushing developers to think of Lake Worth when they’re looking to expand or develop. The commission is riding a fast train to fast track the Park of Commerce and wants $17 million of your money to do it, all to attract developers, as well as to get development of any kind in Lake Worth. They are looking at every square inch where that can happen and it can't come too soon for any of them.

Unbeknown to the residents, the city hired a consultant group to come up with different suggestions on development within the city. This was done to help out potential developers...we paid to give them a light-bulb moment. There was no mention of the name of the consultant or what this study cost. Consultants are something this commission has always panned excepting for when it comes to pushing their ideas. Last week the city entertained potential developers and entrepreneurs for a meeting at our Casino and presented six ideas for "transformation" projects.

One of those ideas featured today in the Palm Beach Post is a transient oriented development right at Lake Osborne that abuts the Tri-Rail tracks. We already see the deplorable affordable rentals, although they appear to be built well, that we suspect will ruin this neighborhood. From the photo on the TOD, it is humongous with 4-5 stories and it would mean buying out the mobile home park and other property near-by--or figuring out a way to grab it.

Another thing that was presented was — A "258-room, 103,200 square-foot, up to-6 story hotel, with 20,000 square feet of street-level retail, south of Lake Avenue and running down the east side of Federal Highway." Of course, there is no mention of the heights election where the people voted to keep our downtown area no more than 45 feet or 4 stories. The commission believes that it now can do whatever it wants in this regard.

Last night's meeting Lake Worth

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Mathews Consulting Presentation
If you recall, they were hired by the city to oversee Mock Roos Engineers on the Park of Commerce project (the salvation of Lake Worth according to the "visionaries") and a firm that has worked for our city for 50 years. We are paying them $349,930 to ensure that everything the engineering firm is doing is right and on time.

Inmate Labor
Florida Department of Corrections will provide inmate labor in work programs under the supervision of the Florida Department’s staff. An inmate work squad consists of up to seven inmates plus a Florida Department of Corrections Guard/Supervisor. The work squad is available five days per week throughout the year except when a Department of Correction Guard is on vacation or sick. This service will continue to be overseen by the City’s Ground Maintenance Division. And get this--they have to use E-verify to verify eligibility of all persons employed during the contract term. Cost:  $23,957.08.

CRA Shuffleboard Court property Lease
We turned over control of our shuffleboard Court property to the CRA to be used for arts. We just can't get enough art or enough CRA. They in turn sub-leased the property to the Armory Art Center for one year. Because of that action, the lease with the CRA had to be amended. For various tuition charges, you too can become an artist.  Go with the flow.

Sun Recycling and our Landfill
Not once did the city mention the contract terms...out of sight for city staff and commissioners and certainly out of the minds of the residents. They bent over backwards in sending out surveys with self-stamped return envelopes. Only 10% returned them which showed that there was little interest or no problems left in the Osborne area. It is a landfill that was compromised--big time--by a firm whose operators had no conscience. 6,000 truckloads of construction material, some highly questionable, dumped on our property as a pretense to building a staging area for hurricanes.  We believe that the membrane was penetrated by these heavy trucks allowing gas to escape causing odors and sickness. We did find out that one commissioner, Andy Amoroso, has walked on the property without experiencing any odors or any problems. Sun Recycling got off the hook because of our lack of resolve. It was cheaper to forget about what they did, forget about the contract terms and move on. Anyone can come to Lake Worth and get away with just about anything because our legal team will find a way to appeasement.

Right of Way at 1501 N. L Street
The City gave that away too on a Revocable Permit on the First Reading. It was said by the city manager that we don't understand rights-of-way. 

Beach Decal parking
As predicted, the city commission gave away the availability of use of our 50 decal spots to non-residents. Even after having made the motion to do so, the speaker for the out-of-country Snowbirds said that charging them more money than residents was "unfair." You can't win with people who want it all. And you definitely can't win with a commission that is confused about what is "fair" or the circumstances of today compared to the circumstances of yesterday.

Also it was said last night that residents who rent couldn't get a decal which is not the case. Then Juan Ruiz clarified by saying that they had to have a year's lease which is a requirement.  Also mentioned was that the decal could be pro-rated. When did that happen?  I talked to Juan this morning and he wants to change that stipulation and I agree. The city will bend over backwards for these non-resident property owners for 50 decal spaces. Unbelievable. There even was a person who complained that there was no handicapped parking in the resident decal parking area. WTF?

Parking spaces are always filled on weekends, according to Juan Ruiz Recreational Director.  Holidays, forget about it.  Spring Break--don't even go there.

Some interesting quotes from the beach decal discussion:

Remembering that we have 50 decal parking spots--

Scott Maxwell:  We need to take a hard look at costs...wants to significantly increase the benefit to the residents and ridicules the amount we have been paying. (We now know where he disappeared to for 45 minutes or so--he traveled to the ROLOH neighborhood association meeting, a rare appearance)
Pam Triolo:  Let's charge $50 for residents and $75 for Snowbirds.
Andy Amoroso:  I don't want any cap on the number sold because it would discriminate against your residents. (It was said that 1745 permits had been sold for 50 spots)
Mike Bornstein, city manager:  Sell as many as you can...it will be like a lottery ticket to find a parking spot. It will be car "bling."

In looking over my beach decal receipts, the following charges applied not including tax:
2006:  $10 for a resident---$30 for a snowbird
This continued until...
2009:  $20 for a resident---$60 Seasonal
This continued until...
2013:  $30 for a resident

Some of the required Documentation to purchase a beach decal:
For Residents: Fl Drivers License, FL Vehicle regisgtration, homestead Exemption card, Ad Valorem tax receipt, Utility bill and if a renter, a one year lease minimum.
For snowbirds in the past when we had an unlimited number of spaces:  FL Driver's License, Vehicle registration, Ad Valorem Tax Receipt or Mobile Home Registration.

Roadway and utilities master Plan Capital projects
There was some question as to whether this was the 2020 Plan. Answer-- NO.

Professional services agreement with URS Corporation Southern for engineering, design and construction services for the Roadway and Utilities Master Plan Capital Projects for a twenty-four month term with provisions for three two-year renewals. The initial work authorization is for engineering and permitting services for Year 1 Projects # 2, 4 and 7 in a lump sum amount of $681,807.

Agreement with Craven Thompson & Associates, Inc. for engineering, design and construction services for  the Roadway and Utilities Master Plan Capital Projects for a twenty-four month term with provisions for three two year renewals. The initial work authorization is for engineering and permitting services for Year 1 Projects # 1,3,5,6 and 8, in a lump sum amount of $467,185.

Last Night's Commission Meeting

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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.

Field of Dreams and Wish Lists - Lake Worth

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The development of the Park of Commerce "wish" has been trekking along. This has been Scott Maxwell's wish for years now and the rest of the commission has followed suit--get it all shovel ready and developers will come.

On August 26, 2009, the City was awarded a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop an infrastructure needs analysis for the POC. The City used matching funds and the Study was done with a total of one-half million invested.

Over the last four years, discussion has been virtually non-existent until lately. Now it's all a part of the Commission's WISH LIST to develop the POC with your $13 million dollars doing it.  Maxwell and friends have suggested a possible general obligation bond for roads infrastructure to be approved by the voters with phases 1, II, and III of the Park to be included if the bond goes forward. The city is not being forthcoming as to the exact amount they want to charge the taxpayers or if they can even get the financing.

Tonight, the commission will be voting on a professional services agreement that has been negotiated with Mathews Consulting (yes, I said "consulting") to serve as the city's representative for Phase I of the Boutwell Road Infrastructure Project (Project) in an amount not to exceed of $349,930 for a term of thirty (30) months.  I don't know why they don't round the figure up to $350,000. Considering this commission has always ridiculed Studies and Consultants, just proves the importance of them when politics dictates.

So, that will mean $850,000 into the project that we don't know will ever get off the ground. We can't even get rid of slum, blight and crime. Soon we will be looking at affordable rentals there that overlook Lake Osborne.  The political WISH is to make it easier for developers by obligating taxpayers to spend millions of  money over decades. It is a righteous, virtuous, good, honorable, upright, decent, worthy, moral, ethical and reputable pursuit, so they tell us.

Tonight's consent

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This commission has a mission and a vision; it wants development and it wants revenue from it. It doesn't matter if citizens want a low-rise downtown--they want development and they want it any way they can get it. They keep telling everyone who will listen that Lake Worth hasn't developed anything in years but they fail to tell you that we are built up--there are only a few parcels left for development without tearing something else down.

Remember Scott Maxwell ran on a couple of platforms--one was eradicating slum and blight and the other was developing the Park of Commerce.  Slum and blight is now worse throughout our city and the Park of Commerce is an exorbitantly expensive fantasy that will be using someone's else's money--yours. This commission is all for making the "industrial' park a reality. It will be their legacy. Their children will be able to look back and claim that it was Mommy and Daddy who got Lake Worth in a forward motion.

The Park of Commerce is far enough west that developers actually might be attracted to our city...any area closer to town would be another story... would any developer want to build in a city consumed by slum, blight and crime?

But we haven't solved the code enforcement issues that plague our city. We keep talking about them but nothing changes. No one on the dais has done anything about it. They keep saying to themselves, "Thank God I don't live around that neighborhood....poor schumcks."  Let's put in an obnoxious speed bump to keep "them" happy and allow them to have a semi-private road and allow a gigantic garage to be built in a residential neighborhood.

What the Commissioners ARE doing, however, is planning on obligating us to tremendous debt in order to finance roads and the Park of Commerce to attract development with the 216 affordable rentals being the first step. It's all okay, they say--it's in that other part of town and besides the fantasy Park of Commerce is now on its way. They choose to forget that this area was for commercial development. This is all just another decision that goes on their resume for re-election. "We are the ones who finally got something done," they will tell us.

As this commission has always ridiculed the hiring of consultants or paying for studies, etc., tonight on the Consent Agenda, the city will be contracting with Public Financial Management of Orlando to advise us on our financial needs pertaining to debt structuring for the roads and utility master plan of an estimated $63 million, the Park of Commerce program that was already stated at a commission meeting of being approximately $11  million for infrastructure and also to refinance existing debt which is humongous. They will advise whether to go out on a General Obligation Bond or a bank loan to finance all of these multi-millions.  I am all for a financial adviser when you're talking about big bucks; that is smart business.We better be well advised before we obligate our taxpayers.  Folks, we only get around $28 million in revenue to operate our city every year and public safety takes $20 million of that. How safe do you feel for $20 million?

Apparently the City doesn't even have to go out for bid...the city manager can just pick a company and they cite Section 2-112(c)(6) of the City's code (can't find it) that gives them the authority. Also, they don't want the public to speak to this as they put it on the Consent Agenda--a contract of huge importance that taxpayers will fund but have absolutely no say.  This is a five year contract involving some of the following costs:

Hourly rates:
Managing Director=$195 an hour
Sr. Managing consultant=$185
Sr analyst/analyst=$175

Fee Proposal per value range of bonds:
Up to $50,000=$0.85 per thousand
Next $25,000=$0.65 per 1,000
Next $25,000=$0.55 "
Additional amts over $100,000=$0.45 per 1,000

All expenses are reimbursed:  travel, meals, lodging, telephone, mail, printing, graphics, you name it. There is a flat fee retainer of $15,000 per year and any additional services will require a separate agreement. The city, as well a Public Financial Management, will have a project manager unlike some of our past mistakes when NO ONE was in charge. Well, we did have Corey O'Gorman at the pool and Laurah Hanna as assistant city manager.