Review of Goals from City Commission Workshop from 1/8

I'm catching up on a few things here and thought you would find the list of goals generated by the City Commission of interest. It reflects the "new" Commission's priorities for the coming year. I've added my commentary in italics in various places. These are in no order of priority.

• Reform and create Comprehensive Code Compliance Program. - this always comes up high on the priority scale but there seems to be no sense that we are actually getting somewhere. Is it because it's a moving target or are there other factors to blame. Selective enforcement is also a problem here.
  
• Prepare and implement Comprehensive Program on Renewable Energy and Green Initiatives in line with the Climate Control Task Force. - with as much gusto as this Task Force had, it's disappointing how few recommendations have actually made it past the "writing them down" phase. I think one of the first things that should happen is that all city Commission, as well as other board packets, should be distributed electronically as a policy.
  
• Complete FMPA review and implement recommendations. Move along electrical upgrade conversion. - O.K., we have the consultants report and I guess that we have agreed to exit FMPA in five years. How much money is left to upgrade our distribution system. Wasn't that funded by the same bond issue that funded the Reverse Osmosis plant?
  
• Approve and implement a multi-year Water Program, including supply and water conservation program. - An amendment to the Comprehensive Plan went through recently that addressed this item, less the conservation component. We have to do a better job educating people about the importance of water conservation - including city staff that have trouble fixing a faucet at the beach.
  
• Develop a police accountability program with the Sheriff's department. - This is something spearheaded by Commissioners Jennings and Golden - not sure if Mulvehill shares their views or not.
  
• Evaluate the city's parks, facilities and recreational programs including strategies for attracting grant and CDBG funding. - Good idea.
  
• Get out of water agreement with Palm Beach County and build our own reverse osmosis facility. - Just what incentive will Palm Beach County have to let us out of our agreement with them. Is this another hat-in-hand, poor Lake Worth, we didn't know what we were doing presentation before the County Commission? How sad if it is? Does our word mean anything?
  
• Improve customer service in various departments - particularly Code Compliance, Building and Utility Billing. Amen and halelujah! Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.
  
• Implement a "Civility Ordinance" to bring proper decorum to City Commission meetings and improve City Commission meeting policies. - This really can be done through a more assertive approach by the Mayor to allow or not allow certain attacks to take place at the Commission meetings. More needs to be in making it easier to comment in a worthwhile manner on items before the City Commission.
  
• Continue to evaluate and replace non-productive employees and hire competent, qualified individuals. - This wins the award for the most obvious. When was this not a policy or a goal? However, does this mean that the City Commission is going to be using its hand in the hiring and firing of staff? The only positions that report to the City Commission are the City Manager, City Attorney and Internal Auditor.
  
• Develop and implement a city-wide benchmarking program to monitor progress and hold employees responsible and accountable for meeting objectives. - Management by objectives has been a management tool since the 1950s and used effectively in governmental organizations. You do have to agree - employer and employee, what the objectives are and be clear about them.
  
• Develop a comprehensive program to fully utilize city-owned properties and facilities, including effective placement of city operations and employees, foreclosure/affordable housing and ensuring "fair value" return on leases to private organization. - Lots of potential vagaries here. Fully utilize? How, are we talking about a 24 hour clock? Opening our Commission Chambers to those who may not have a place to sleep at night? Another mysterious term: "Fair value" return on leases. Much is lurking behind that phrase.
  
• Continue partnership for improving "Mentoring Center." - Improvement? I thought it was exceeding all expectations. Why do we still have crowds on the streets in and around the area?
  
• Develop a better system and "help line" for citizens to contact during utilities emergencies and power outages. - Good idea, but one has to ask why has it taken this long? Why no mention of improving the website in all these priorities?
  
• Restrict over crowding and slumlords through more effective Certificate of Use program and code compliance including night time enforcement. - I'm surprised that "night time code enforcement" made it on the list, but perhaps the realization is that is when people are home? This is another perennial goal.
  
• Develop a program to increase home ownership. - Many of the CRA programs are addressing this.
  
• Implement an employee performance evaluation program. - This can really be paired with a Management by Objectives program. Again, it boggles the mind that this is still a novel concept in 2009 Lake Worth, Florida.
  
• Improve employee morale. - I can't help but think of the line: "The beatings will continue until morale improves."
  
• Develop a bicycle program and network, improvements and re-striping.- This is being undertaken by the CRA right now.
  
• Develop a new plan for the beach and beach casino property that includes complete public control. - More on this continuing topic later, but "complete public control" does not mean enlarging John Gs service area by twice the current amount or further subsidizing commercial beach tenants - especially in a newly refurbished building.
  
• Improve communications with the public and explain what we are doing and how we are doing it. - Amen and hallelujah!
  
• Develop a program for addressing homeless issues including consideration of a Homelessness Task Force. - O.K.
  
• Revisit Beach/Casino Plan. - There are some that think that the Greater Bay plan was a private company's vision of what the beach could be - the roots of that site plan and layout go back to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council plan that was done in 2001. The current "new" plan doesn't attempt anything different than what is there now. That is a weakness. Where are the public meetings on the new plan?
  
• Develop customer service program and training. - O.K.
  
• Make further improvements to the Building Department and develop a system for easy/expedited permits. - Good luck.
  
• Re-evaluate Palm Beach County Sheriff's contract.- Here we go again. Is the ink ever dry in Lake Worth? Does our word mean anything? Can we have an accurate accounting of all the pluses and minuses of this financially blended with real crime statistics that validate the merger or not? I am confident of the results.
  
• Evaluate proposal to merge fire department with Palm Beach County. - This has been held out as a possibility for a while, worth a review.
  
• Review re-naming the City of Lake Worth. - This is nothing more than a vehicle for Commissioner Jennnings to assert her will and impress her base. Given everything else on this list, why push this idea at all?
  
• Improve the building department. - Understatement.
  
• Partner with Sheriff in improving Certificate of Use and Code Compliance. - Is this an additional service?
  
• Develop a shared vision and policy for participatory Democracy. - PET system?
  
• Resolve problems with City Pension System and evaluate Florida Retirement System option.
• Resolve issue with payments re new pump station with contracting cities. - This has been an issue now for two years. Where is the forensic audit?
  
• Come back with amendments to sign code to assist Golf Course marketing.
• Bring back parking meter program for Commission review. - Bad idea especially in this economic downturn. If done at all, it should be part of an overall policy related to transportation in and out of the downtown - should not be done as a stand alone program.
  
• Continue administrative system reforms and implementation. - This is a bundle. Has the new accounting system's kinks been worked out yet?
  
• Improve marketing and communication. - Amen and hallelujah!
  
• Improve media relations. - Amen and hallelujah!
• Evaluate and continue to improve solid waste collections services and methodologies. - Does this mean we can throw out our indispensable calendar as now instructed by City workers?

After going through this list, there really are not a lot of differences in topic, but the approach can be and is different many times.