Following the elections last Tuesday: The City Commission liaison and board appointments.

There was a little reshuffling but not much. Note the appointments below for newly-elected Commissioner Omari Jamal-Hatchett Hardy and Commissioner Herman Robinson:

• Mayor Pam Triolo: Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
• Vice Mayor and District 1 Commissioner Scott Maxwell: Florida Municipal Power Agency
• District 2 Comm. Omari Hardy: Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) and Sister City Board
• District 3 Comm. and Vice Mayor Pro Tem Andy Amoroso: Palm Beach County League of Cities, Community Redevelopment Agency, and the Downtown Cultural Alliance
• District 4 Comm. Herman Robinson: Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC)

Commissioner Robinson’s appointment to be the representative to the NAPC is a very good one with his history going way back working with neighborhood organizations. Going forward the City will also try to find a way for more than one elected to appear at neighborhood meetings on a regular basis.

Some in this City are quick to the yell, “Sunshine Violation!” if one commissioner just happens to be within 1,000′ of another elected official. The Sunshine Law was never intended to be a wall between the public and their elected officials. However, there are very specific rules for how electeds need to behave when together at a meeting or public event.

The appointment of Commissioner Hardy to the TCRPC is also a very good one. Although Hardy will not be an appointed member of that council, and cannot vote or participate officially, he will be able to observe and listen to discussion about topics that concern our City. That is very important.

There is no agenda as yet for the TCRPC meeting on April 21st, however, below are some examples of the topics and items from the meeting on March 17th:

• Resolution for support of proposed House Bill 1087 and Senate Bill 1488.
• Status of Florida’s KIDS COUNT data.
• Intergovernmental coordination and review.
• Comprehensive Plan amendments.

There is also public comment at these meetings. A chance for Comm. Hardy to discuss issues and concerns here in the City of Lake Worth and to get those comments into the record.