Tuesday, January 4, 2011

"Hello, Mr. Inspector General..."

Things to consider regarding the CDC lease:
  • The building has value as a city building - it belongs to the public.
  • The building could easily be used by another non-profit.
  • A sitting City Commissioner, who just sat through the whole review of city buildings with leases to profit and not-for-profit agencies said nothing about the status of her agency's lease - even though having the knowledge that there was not a current lease on the building.
  • The CDC has not, at least since 2006 - maybe longer, paid for utilities for the building.
  • Any metering issue with the building should have been identified by the sitting city commissioner who staffed the agency.
  • The small amount of rent and whether the sitting city commissioner earned a salary, or if anyone earned a salary is not material.
  • The main issue here is the CDC's effectiveness and whether it really serves a need in the city to a point where it deserves this sort of space over other groups.  No analysis has ever been performed.
  • There are other worthy non-profit agencies in Lake Worth that would like to utilize this sort of space in one of the neediest areas of the city.
  • Other non-profits with leases need to be looked at too.
  • How about other property transfers between the city and the CDC?
  • Commissioner Golden said that the Gateway zoning districts were all messed up - since they don't allow the CDC to develop their substandard property along 6th Avenue South.
  • Commissioner Golden made the motion that ousted other non-profits from city buildings (October 5th meeting) while being a staff person - documented by her own recusal on September 21 - at another non-profit that did not have a current lease with the city.