Video: Excellent example of constructive criticism for the Lake Worth City Commission

Please note: The next City Commission meeting is Tuesday, January 24th. The agenda is not yet available but should be some time tomorrow. Public comment at Commission meetings has improved drastically over the last several years but there’s still room for improvement. For example,

“Be polite when the bell rings. If you haven’t finished your comment, hand your card to City Manager Bornstein and ask him to have it entered into the record. Your card will be given to the City Clerk.” 

Without further ado, an excellent example how to give public comment:

Meet Cathy Turk. The next time you approach or engage an elected official or City staff, try using her approach (see video below) when you have a criticism or a suggestion to improve our community.

This City resident is one of those living in a nearby neighborhood very concerned about a Wawa possibly being constructed at 10th Ave. North and ‘A’ Street. For the latest on that use this link.

But that’s not what I want you to focus on. Cathy Turk is also not pleased with how the City responds to emails and phone calls. But. . . note how she approached this problem, which in all fairness is something Yours Truly hears about all the time. Turk doesn’t get angry. She doesn’t point fingers. And she doesn’t put anyone “on the hot seat”.

She comes up with a possible solution. How novel an idea! Read the bullet list and then watch the video for yourself:

• At the 10:50 mark (click play and go to the minute marks) she begins her comment at the January 10th City Commission meeting.
• At the 11:50 mark she begins speaking about the issue of unanswered emails and phone calls.
• At the 12:50 mark about the recent pay increase for elected officials, she says, “. . . the pay is well worth the hours you put in.” She should know having 25 years of experience in Human Resources.

Hope you find this video helpful: