Excellent advice from the Post’s reporter in Wellington for residents and business owners here in Lake Worth.

Remember the ban on packaged alcohol sales after 10:00 p.m. in Lake Worth and how twisted all those convenience store owners got? They marched down to City Hall and got the attention of Lake Worth’s beat reporter for the Post to plead their case BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.

The ordinance had already been before the City Commission for two (2) public meetings and the ordinance PASSED UNANIMOUSLY both times in early 2016.

Later on the convenience store owners learned all about this. They thought getting a Post reporter involved would help. It didn’t. It was too late.

Am happy to report this ordinance is working out wonderfully. PBSO Cpt. Baer says crime is down as a result and many neighborhoods are experiencing much less disruption and disturbances. Several times at City Commission meetings Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell remarked on how well this ordinance is controlling problems in neighborhoods near where these establishments once sold alcohol late at night and into the morning hours.

Now for the great advice from Wellington reporter Matt Morgan

Morgan penned this item last year about an issue in Wellington that was no longer an issue when people first got upset about it. That problematic “sidewalk” in Wellington was no longer a problem. The problem is some people weren’t paying attention. Below are excerpts from Morgan’s commentary: 

“. . . a couple weeks later, people started showing up to meetings saying they didn’t want it [the sidewalk]. I got calls from locals asking my help to stop the project.
     It was too late.
     The time for telling the council they didn’t want the sidewalk was long over. It’s a lesson on why it’s important to pay attention to what is happening in your town.” [emphasis added]

[and. . .]

     “Make your own decision whether you want it, and tell your elected officials. They represent you and want to hear what you have to say.
     Think this will be a great way to build on a vacant property, raising the home values of the surrounding neighborhoods? Tell them that.”

[and. . .]

     “If you show up a month after the project is approved and tell the council that you don’t want it, you waited too long.”