Conversations with Susan...II

Ms. Plotkin:

There is no staff recommendation at all.  None what so ever.  The Board has already provided their recommendation to the Commission so it was not felt additional information was needed.  You will see, I HAVE NOT MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR USING THIS MONEY FOR HOUSING. 

Please don’t take my lack of e-mails has anything more than having 651 current messages I have not opened yet this morning. 

Susan A. Stanton, ICMA--CM

City Manager

7 N Dixie Highway

Lake Worth, FL 33460

561.586.1689

sstanton@lakeworth.org

Ms. Stanton,

I'm sorry you have a large number of emails and I appreciate you taking the time to answer mine. However, I never said that you or staff made a recommendation. What I asked was why the Finance Boards recommendation's were not included in the back-up. There has been much discussion amongst the FAB members as to how and when the Board's recommendations are transmitted to the City Commission. The Board has never received any confirmation that the Commission was properly noticed or in what matter. Given the FAB's recommendations relevance to the CDBG situation, I would think it prudent to remind the members of the City Commission what their advisory board has passed. TWICE. In addition, since the City Commission is not the only group that is interested in the back-up material, I would think the public would really like to know what their Finance Advisory Board has recommended. 

Although you have "NOT MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR USING THIS MONEY FOR HOUSING" I can only point you to your own Budget Message listing the "Affordable Housing Program utilizing CDBG funds" as one of your very own "Policy Initiatives" to demonstrate your continued support for the program or to your own performance evaluation where you state that "funding such a program is in the best interest of the community."

So please, stop patronizing me and the residents of this City. Especially when they continue to tell you how they want the CDBG money spent and you insist on telling them what they are going to get instead.

Jessica Plotkin