Last Night's Commission Meeting -

Everything passed but one Ordinance, 2019-2 which changes the lease terms on parks, city-owned waterfront property and city-owned downtown property. Every time the people speak and win at the polls, years later the city administration decides the hell with the people--we will do what in hell we want..new people in town...no one will remember.

It seems that the city took a survey by some unknown firm (I wonder what that cost!) (one pollster was from California) on some of the Ordinances that will be on the ballot.  I don't know what households in the city they called but I know of one gentleman who gave the caller hell...said he was voting NO on everything.

Fast forward the video at around 1:00 and see City Manager Bornstein informing the Commission that the question did not poll well and by passing it, it would affect Ordinance 2019-10, the one that changes the lease terms at the beach. They really want to screw around with that property. This Ordinance comes back before the Commission and public on December 12 after they have had a chance to talk with the pollsters.

People who have been active in the past have dropped out of the Lake Worth scene. It has been a lot of hard work to keep our city out of the hands of developers. We have a developer happy commission in place right now. I asked the question last night about the citizens referendum of 2013 keeping our downtown low rise that was won by 56% of the vote. The city would not move the results on to Tallahassee. At the time we were fed some BS. But it was a Charter change. Their Gulfstream ordinance is exactly what we did--changing the Charter. I still want to know why our vote was not accepted, but the city wants to do the exact same thing. HB-537 hasn't changed...still the law. We didn't fall under it and the city used it against us. They wanted their way.

I ended my comments by stating that the only ballot question I would support would be that of term limits. And the only way that will ever pass would be by a citizens referendum.

City of Lake Worth Keeps Screwing Around

Once again, it's a developer/investor heaven in Lake Worth and once again, Lake Worth is rolling over for developers.

Tonight, Ordinance 2019-16 is on the agenda to change our heights. The ordinance provides for a referendum question on the March 17, 2020, General Primary election to amend the Charter downtown building height limitation of 65 feet to allow a maximum height limitation of 87 feet for the Gulfstream Hotel and adjacent properties within the same block.

We in Lake Worth have been against raising heights in our downtown, speaking out about it for decades. This commission does not give a fig about what the people have told them. Respectful Planning PAC won at the ballot just a few years ago keeping the heights to 45 feet and the city attorney pulled a fast one on the people--so did the commission. Small town charm to them is antiquated and of no importance, neither is the vote of the people. The staff believes that raising the stories by two will improve the chances of a developer/ investor to build. Once again, the city manager and staff are getting their way and this commission approves anything City Manager Bornstein wants.

As nothing else is on the agenda for March 2020, there will be a very low turn-out. The City counts on that and they will make sure that voters agree with them. And the rest of us don't have the money to fight City Hall.

I checked with the Clerk's office and was told that the Commission (no particular human being) put this on the Agenda. Of course they will approve the Ordinance that will come back for a 2nd public Hearing on December 12. And the naive voters will also approve. It's all about changing our city and handing it over to developers. Everyone had better guard our golf course and beach property like a hawk.  With this group, you just never know what's next. As a reminder, my blog of October

One thing we do know, people would like to see the Gulfstream Hotel open once again as a hotel. There is zero guaranty that it would be a hotel built on that property. ..ZERO. A video from 3 years ago--

Gulfstream, Florida election

Voters went to the polls yesterday in Gulfstream, Florida, population around 806, to elect five commissioners. What stands out is that this small town had six people running whereas Lake Worth, a city of 35,000 people couldn't get one person to oppose incumbents and step up to the plate. In spite of his millions and suing neighboring city Delray Beach to allow him to erect his campaign signs in their city, Martin O'Boyle only received 7% of the vote. Sometimes money is not a factor to winning.  The town manager in Gulfstream is a former member of Lake Worth's Finance Advisory board, Bill Thrasher.
 

Gulf Stream Commission

Robert Ganger		18.87%--	325
Scott W. Morgan		18.87%--	325
Martin E. O'Boyle		7.08%--	122
Joan K. Orthwein		18.18%--	313
Thomas M. Stanley		18.41%--	317
Donna S. White		18.58%--	320
			1,722

Illegal Banner on the Gulfstream Hotel

Comment Up

Just a code violation says city manager Michael Bornstein when speaking about the illegal banner on the Gulfstream Hotel. Loretta Sharpe, member of the Historic Resource Preservation Board said she didn't know that!!

“I am offended,” Bornstein wrote in an email reply Saturday to resident Robert Waples. “This is a college-level stunt to gain attention. Feel free to play inside the political arena with this issue, but please keep the city entity out of it.”

You can't make this stuff up!

Time to Resign

Comment Up

Friends of the Gulfstream PAC spent $437.00 for the banner they had erected across the Gulfstream Hotel. Loretta Sharpe and Greg Rice, (the PAC) know this is illegal.

These are people who sit on the Planning & Zoning and Historic Resource Preservation boards. They know better but they went ahead and broke our city rules with offensively bold impudence and insolence. Those who sit on city boards are held to a higher standard. Isn't it about time these people be accountable to the people they serve and not their own special interests? Time to step down.