Not ‘new’ news: A Lake Worth commissioner is not seeking re-election and. . . “Commissioner Maier to the dais please”.

First, Commissioner Ryan Maier has dropped out of the race and is not seeking re-election. This is not ‘new’ news by any means. Oddly, this election news is being ignored by The Palm Beach Post. This will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s Commission meeting and there was nothing about this in today’s Lake Worth Very Very Special Monday Collector Print Edition (LWVVSMCPE). “Stay tuned”, as they say.

The LWVVSMCPE is every Monday. Each and every Monday and no one knows why. It’s never been explained. What about news from Greenacres every once in a while? Palm Springs? Suburban Lake Worth?

Now back to “Commissioner Maier to the dais please”. Last December 13th the Commission took a break at about 2 hours and ten minutes into the meeting and that’s when I decided to leave with my camera and missed the best line of the night! I also missed the discussion on Agenda Item “13.D.5 - Dist. Voltage Upgrade Project”. There will be much more on that later.

Prior to the break Mayor Pam Triolo says “quick break” and the dais clears. Ten minutes later the mayor returns and signals to the clerk to begin the meeting. The clerk says,

“Please commissioners. To the dais please.”

Then the clerk turns the sound off. A minute later everyone is back except for Maier. The clerk turns the sound back on and says,

“Commissioner Maier to the dais please.”

After some awkward looks all around, still no Maier. You can see everyone wondering where Maier was. Did he leave City Hall thinking the meeting was over? Then Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell says,

“Let’s start without him.”

Maxwell pauses for a moment and then says the line of the night,

“We’re not running a cruise line here.”

Did Maxwell know the sound was turned on? Commissioner Andy Amoroso then says,

“I think he [Maier] left.”

Left City Hall? The meeting wasn’t over yet! The Commission goes ahead without Maier voting on agenda items 13.D.1, 13.D.2, 13.D.3, and then just prior to the vote on item 13.D.4, maybe after a frantic phone call from a supporter (one of the few left), Maier stumbles hurriedly back to the meeting and casts his vote before even sitting down, presumably unaware what he was even voting on. How would he know? He wasn't there.

So back to Maxwell’s point: “We’re not running a cruise line here.” Well said.