Lake Worth (Beach) Artist city whether we wanted it or not

On tonight's agenda is Ordinance No. 2020-02 whose propose is to add a Cultural Arts district overlay zone to Chapter 23 of the City’s Code of Ordinances.

Justification
The purpose of this ordinance is to create an optional Cultural Arts overlay district (The area bounded on the east by Dixie Highway, on the south by 6th Avenue South,95 on the west by the alley west of “F” street, and on the north by 3rd Avenue North) that will allow for certain arts-related businesses to be located within single family or two-family units, allowing for a live/work environment for the owner within a defined area of the city more fully described in the ordinance.

1. Principal uses permitted by Administrative Use.
A. Artisan Studio
B. Arts and Crafts Studio
C. Art Gallery
D. Bakery
E. Ceramics Studio with Kiln
F. Ceramics Studio without Kiln
G. Commissary Kitchen
H. Craft Gallery
I. Custom Jewelry Fabrication/Studio
J. Photography Studio
K. Photography gallery (including picture framing)
L. Pottery Shop/Studio
M. Recording Studio
N. Sculpture Studio with Kiln
O. Sculpture Studio w/o Kiln
P. Stained Glass Studio

And with all the artists in this city, don't you think they could have come up with something more attractive than this for the new seal?

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.

Last Night's "crazy" Commission Meeting

The commission discussed Resolution 78-2018, which was supporting a community ID for our residents whether citizens or not. This was a contentious discussion but I knew going into the meeting it would be very one-sided as Lake Worth is predominantly ultra-left wingers.

When I say "crazy," I'm talking about the stacked chamber of organized Alt-Left Liberals--possibly open border people who like to tell us that no one is "illegal." They even brought three men of the clergy to support their argument, an elderly woman who had some ID problem, and Guatemalens were sitting in the hallway, some with little kids, who were probably encouraged to attend by the director of the Mayan Center. The director of FLIMEN spoke and he was laughed down at one point in his commentary. There was a guy with PEACE sitting next to me cheering the left position and clapping in my ear with cupped hands. I asked him if he were a Communist. :)

The Mayor wanted to follow the rules and send the discussion to a workshop as it was way over the 30 minute rule. As usual, ultra liberal Omari Hardy dominated the discussion, making motions that he thought were better, and made a motion to over-ride the mayor and continue discussion to a vote saying a workshop would just be a waste of time. Mayor Pam Triolo then shocked the crowd by adjourning the meeting. She then left the meeting and commissioner Amoroso took over as chair.

A five minute break was ordered to find a legal precedent for adjournment. The meeting was then resumed and the City attorney said that the mayor was mistaken for adjournment as she did not get a motion or a 2nd. A motion was made to continue the discussion with a vote of 3/1. Hardy made a motion to accept the resolution supporting a community identification program (passed on a 3/1 vote) making us the ONLY city in Palm Beach County to do so. No other city or even Palm Beach County approved this ID program and our city is being used as a start point for left wingers. It went immediately to discussion for approval of $10,000 to assist with the community ID program. Eventually, that was tabled to bring back the item to a workshop within three months.

I would like to know who placed this on the agenda. We should not be aiding and abetting illegal aliens.

Ordinance 2018-18, changing the name of our city to Lake Worth Beach, passed on a 4/0 vote to have it placed on the March ballot. Ordinance 2018-19, selling 501 Lake Avenue (chamber building) passed on a 4/0 vote as well.

Lake Worth's Historic District

Lake Worth neighbors hit roadblocks in upgrading historic homes against hurricanes

Historic preservation ordinance has restrictions

Read what Commissioner Hardy says... He is right! Can you even imagine not being allowed to install accordion hurricane shutters on your home?
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Think twice about buying into our historic district unless these problems can be solved.

Last night's Commission Meeting

I only stayed at the city commission meeting for an hour and 20 minutes--there was a gorgeous sunset to capture.

Cpt. Baer gave a long presentation on crime. With 8,000 activities a year, he says that crime is down in Lake Worth. Vandalism is up by 41.7%, vehicle thefts up by 20% and heroin overdoes are out of control. And whatever you do, never pick up a used needle without proper protection. Cpt. Baer presentation

While I was there, everything passed on a 5/0 vote under Public Hearings and no one from the public spoke.  Millage was set. The budget was set (we're spending more money than we're making), and two ordinances were passed involving land development regulations and assigning fund balances from year 2016.

One item under New Business was pulled and will be on the October 4 agenda:  Ordinance 2016-28 which was to be the first reading adopting Palm Beach County's solicitation and distribution on public roads. City attorney, Glen Torcivia said something was wrong with it.

The ordinance prohibits a person from going upon a public road for the purpose of displaying information of any kind, distributing materials or goods or soliciting business or charitable contributions of any kind. PBSO may issue a notice to appear to persons who violate this ordinance. The notice to appear shall require the person to appear in court to respond to the municipal ordinance violation charge.

Sec. 19-87. - Peddlers, solicitors or canvassers prohibited in downtown area and major thoroughfares; exceptions.

(a) No peddler shall conduct or engage in any business activities in the downtown area or along the major thoroughfares.

(b) No solicitors or canvassers shall conduct or engage in any soliciting or canvassing activities in the downtown area or along the major thoroughfares.

(c) This section shall not apply to:
(1) Authorized peddlers at the city green market or arts market;
(2) Authorized peddlers acting as concessionaries at a special event with the express written approval of the city or special event organizers/sponsors;
(3) Authorized peddlers conducting business pursuant to a franchise, permit or other written agreement with the city; or
(4) Solicitors or canvassers who solicit or canvass exclusively for a non-profit or charitable cause in the downtown area or along major thoroughfares or are otherwise authorized by law in such
areas

Lake Worth attempts to Criminalize the Homeless

Comment Up

Last night under Public Hearings was the second hearing for Ordinance 2016-06 to provide new regulations for public property. Public property is all property owned by the City of Lake Worth. The Ordinance was to amend regulations regarding City parks to extend those regulations to “public property.”

“Public property” includes, but is not limited, to the Downtown Cultural Plaza, City Hall complex, shuffleboard court complex and water/electric utilities and public service complex. This Resolution prohibits persons from being in or on “public property” after the posted closing hours.

After much discussion which went over one-half hour and should automatically have gone to a workshop per the chamber rules set by this majority a few years back, the vote ended up 3/2 with McVoy and Maier dissenting. Commissioner Maier and McVoy wanted the entire ordinance to go to a workshop.

Months ago commissioner Amoroso had reminded us that the homeless are people too and have rights. He failed to agree with that last night stating that they were urinating and defecating and generally a big problem in our downtown. Commissioner Amoroso is a downtown merchant. The idea of bringing in port-o-lets fell on deaf ears as some believed it would attract more homeless from all over the country to land in Lake Worth.  The trio didn't want to pursue or learn of other options to deal with this serious problem.  They wanted to pass an Ordinance and make life even more miserable and hard for these people.

Scott Maxwell drilled the City Attorney to get it on the record that this Ordinance had nothing to do with getting rid of the Homeless. An ACLU lawyer was sitting in the backrow. Everyone with half a brain knew that it had everything to do with ridding the city of the homeless population that will now just move into the residential neighborhoods and sleep behind Maxwell's bushes. But even Glen Torcivia, city attorney, skirted the question regarding the intent of this Ordinance when he said, "Intent to discriminate against the Homeless is not clear because people on the dais as well as the public commented to both sides." I got the distinct impression that the incumbents all had been coached to not even utter the word "homeless" knowing about a civil rights law suit could occur as they voted to make life more difficult for the Homeless population and certainly discriminating against them.

Later, under New business, there was Resolution 06-2016 to establish opening and closing hours for public property. This Resolution went hand in hand with the above Ordinance because without established hours, the Ordinance "had no teeth" per the city attorney. The Mayor Pam Triolo, not looking to get into this argument, left the room for the discussion. It had been said that she had met with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County and even Common Ground Church a month or so before on the homeless problem in order to work on a solution. The Coalition was having an event in Lake Worth in just three days. She voted for the Ordinance saying it was for safety reasons but would not vote on the opening/closing public property hours. In this way, she was appeasing both sides of this political debate.

The resolution ended up as 2/2 vote and therefore died. Not sure how it ended up as a Motion because I never heard a "second." So, essentially the Ordinance passed but with no opening or closing hours for public property, we are right back where we started.  The Homeless, for now, can still sleep and hang out on our public property.

As one person who was listening at home said before the resolution failed, "So now it's illegal to walk across the Cultural Plaza after having dinner at TooJays!  These guys are idiots. What a stupid, stupid law. Oh, and you're all breaking the law walking around City Hall after the meeting tonight. Because the sun has set and it is illegal to set foot on that property after the sun has set!"

You can bet that this entire discussion will come back before the commission.