Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Other things we learned at the Lake Worth 2020 presentation at the College Park N.A. meeting...

If you didn't or don't have time to watch the videos, here are some interesting factoids and revelations that I heard from the city:
  • The city's taxable property value is 1/3 of what it was before 2007.
  • $2 million more comes from the utility as a transfer to support the General Fund than comes from property tax revenue.
  • There are 11,636 residential units in the city. About 2,000 are vacant.
  • 82% of residential properties in the city have less than a $100,000 taxable value.
  • 97% of residential properties in the city have less than a $200,000 taxable value.
  • The presentation was finished late yesterday, is not currently on line and focuses on the impacts to District #3 given the location of the meeting.
  • Commissioner Szerdi and Vice Mayor Maxwell attended the meeting.
  • They are now working on a project period of 7 years instead of 5 years to complete the projects.
  • In the Full Plan, the Park of Commerce time horizon for completion of infrastructure is 13 to 14 years.
  • Steve Carr said, regarding the Full Plan, that they prepared it to determine what all the needs were and then are attempting to determine whether it is affordable. "When looking for a car, not everyone can afford the convertible with everything."
  • Sidewalks may or may not be included. Sometimes to replace bad sidewalks along a good street would mean tearing up the street. They are still looking at options.
  • The plan does not move utilities out of the alley, except in limited cases. It is not moving all utilities to the street. The alley system will remain and may be improved with shellrock.
  • Streets and Storm Sewer Department has four people...period. They are the ones fixing potholes. It takes two of those people to run the street cleaner, which is why we haven't seen it out recently. Potholes are a priority. The new budget has two additional part time positions.
  • City has very limited resources. Whatever happens will require a vote of the electorate - too much to fund out of general revenues.
  • Bornstein: "I spend all day choosing which child to feed."