Making sense of the new casino building construction will depend on the ability and desire of the City Manager to make all relevant information available. She seems to have adopted a very compliant attitude after her midnight conversion on the night of the election. We will see if that is still in effect next Monday. There was a lot of discussion surrounding the installation of new windows in City Hall and the impact, eh hem, that would have on meetings taking place in the Commission Chambers. But that is indeed where the meeting will be held, starting at 6 p.m.
There are two other meetings that should be pointed out as well that are about two weeks out. Both deserve more attention than they are currently getting or are likely to get. Remember when the question of what to do with the Shuffleboard Courts and building came up to the Commission? Direction was given, most strongly supported by Commissioner Mulvehill, to have a charette on the future use of the building. At our last Historic Preservation Board meeting last week, I asked about the schedule for the charette. William Waters, Director of the Sustainability Department, answered that it is scheduled for November 29th at 6 p.m. in the Shuffleboard Court building.
Click here for link to the city's meeting calendar. It is listed as "Lake Worth Community Center Charete." When I asked who was facilitating the charette, I was told that it would be Juan Ruiz, Director of Recreation and Kathleen Margoles, Assistant to the City Manager. Mr. Waters commented that he is probably expected to be there but he would rather spend the time preparing for the tri-joint meeting between the City Commission, Planning and Zoning Board and the Historic Resource Preservation Board that is scheduled for the following night, November 30th. That meeting will be held at the Golf Course Clubhouse.
The subject of that meeting will be the long-delayed creation of our new land development regulations - which will also address the height issue. That meeting is a work session too, so no action will be taken. Mr. Waters challenge is that about a third of the people that are going to be part of that meeting have had little exposure to the issues remaining to be resolved related to the land development regulations - what with all the recent advisory board appointments and the recent election.
In order for these meetings to be effective, especially the one regarding the Shuffleboard Court, the public is going to have to know about them and attend if possible. Since Ms. Stanton would have had the demolition equipment going a year ago - once the labor center moved out - do not look for much public information coming from the city regarding this meeting. Think about how the PBSO matter was handled and you have my prediction. Given the name of the meeting "Lake Worth City Center Charete", you would think other issues might be covered like the probable location of a future passenger train station along the FEC railway, location of a future city hall, other possible uses for the existing city hall, etc.
As far as a future use of the existing City Hall, I have always thought it would be best to return it to its original use as an auditorium. Then the city could hold Commission meetings there and have ample space to hold those people that want to attend and see what goes on - that is proving to be impossible given the current situation as evidenced by the fiasco on Monday morning during the swearing-in meeting. When not used for a city function, the city could market it to entertainers, have film nights and a myriad of other uses.
I am skeptical of the probable success and meaningfulness of both meetings - but the city could do something now in the way of promotion, at least for the one on the 29th.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhHyCn84ZIQ/WezjlEL-0tI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/CzkhriK6zpEJJ3d9Je1495d49gIhnMlxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
