At the January 18, 2011 City Commission meeting...

Item 8 B on the Consent Agenda concerned an amended contract with the County and the LWCDC relating to the changed Hammon Park project (Publix being built on part of the site where residential units had been approved previously.)

Here is the back-up for the item.  The LWCDC would get 75% less of the funds previously tagged for their participation in the program.  Note that "The CDC and city staff hoped to obtain County approval to set aside these funds in the City of Lake Worth for future residential projects but this request was not approved."

State Statutes require that an elected official must declare a conflict and abstain from voting on an item that would inure a gain or a loss to an agency that employs them.  Here is a section of the approved minutes from the January 18, 2011 meeting:

No discussion of the item needing to be pulled and no discussion of a conflict with Commissioner Golden, Project Manager of the LWCDC.   Commissioner Golden voted for the items, including 8 B, in the remaining consent agenda.

Back at the September 21, 2010 meeting, the City Commission considered the amended site plan for Hammon Park related to the addition of Publix.  Here Commissioner Golden declared a conflict due to her employer, the LWCDC.  These are the sections of the approved minutes from the meeting and the form filled out by Commissioner Golden declaring her conflict.  It's important to note that this was second reading on the change to the plan and Commissioner Golden declared a conflict prior to first reading two weeks earlier (September 7) and submitted a form as well.

And, just before this, the City Commission reviewed all leases of city-owned facilities by for-profit and not-for-profit agencies.  As pointed out previously, the LWCDC has not had a current lease with the city for use of the building they are in since Commissioner Golden has been on the City Commission.  No analysis was performed relating to the LWCDC and the city space they occupy in the report (Susan Stanton memo from September 14, 2010.)  Commissioner Golden made the motion to terminate a variety of non-profit leases with the city (page 5 of October 5, 2010 minutes), including the Museum, the Art League, the Credit Union and the Labor Center.  No conflict was declared during these deliberations.