Comments made by yours truly on the CRA takeover issue (3/1)

11. Wes Blackman, 241 Columbia Drive, - I happened to have had the pleasure to serve on the CRA for about a year and was the person who made the motion to apply for the $23 million NSP2 grant. This agenda item tonight represents the third time that this issue has come before the City Commission Each time the conclusion was that there needed to be better communication between the City Commission and the CRA. These attempts were each time led by the same Commissioner – Jo Ann Golden. In her memo re-introducing the item again, she cites some actions that she deems “improper” - like the award of $500,000 to Publix to establish a quality grocery store in the downtown area – a coveted prize amongst any city with a downtown commercial area with residential that surrounds it. There is nothing “improper” about that action – one that is about to be realized in a few months. She also cites committing $700,000 to the Palm Beach County Cultural Alliance as “improper” - it is a cultural agency that broadcasts all of Palm Beach County's cultural offerings to the entire world and will have a special interest in Lake Worth due to it being the location of their headquarters. With them in town, we will have a creative engine to produce other cultural events- not unlike the Street Painting Festival that took place last weekend. The Cultural Council is also going to occupy a vacant, historic building within our Old Town National Historic District – which represents an adaptive re-use of the former Lake Theater – none of this is “improper” - it is the proper role of a CRA to do things to help redevelop our city so that it can prosper. It is all “proper” unless you don't want our city to prosper. What is “improper” is that this proposal is made by a Commissioner and Mr. Grimm, President of the CDC (who had just made his comments which had just questioned the actions of the board he sits on) with long standing ties to an agency that receives CRA funds through the $23 million grant. This is the grant that the same Commissioner didn't want the city to apply for. How are the transfer of city-owned properties which may benefit from this neighborhood stabilization program coming? I suggest both the Commission and CRA work together to make this happen.  Do it, get it done.