Wow. That was quick. About the City Commission Work Session this evening.

The Work Session tonight begins at 6:00; use this link to download the agenda and give it a look.

Just a few days ago penned the blog post below titled,

“Better sooner than later: A complete re-organization of the way volunteer boards are created, managed, and staffed”.

This was a lively matter of debate at the last City Commission meeting on April 4th.

Along with the topic of how to better organize and manage our volunteer City boards here in Lake Worth the other two items will be a Code Enforcement update and business licenses going forward. To watch this meeting Live Streaming use this link for the opening page of the City’s website.

Without further ado, the blog past from April 8th on the topic of our volunteer boards:

If you’re “Interested in serving?” or just want to look over all the volunteer advisory boards in the little City of Lake Worth use this link.

For a number of reasons, the topic of our volunteer boards is a hot-button one now and there’s a call from some of our Electeds and the public to have a workshop to see how to better manage this very important function. Remember, each of our boards require City staff time, resources, and taxpayer money.

However, it’s also important to remember without our volunteers serving on boards, giving of their time and energy, the City would not be able to function.

Basically the issues are:

• How many boards does the City need with such a small population of residents?
• What issues should a board handle?
• Should some boards be eliminated and others consolidated?
• Should the qualifications, e.g., a résumé, be required to serve on a specific board for which technical experience would bring a big benefit to the City?
• And how best to eliminate the possibility the public would see this process as politically motivated?

Am not sure how current this information is, but take the “Recreation Advisory Board” for example:

“The Board assists in promoting awareness and involvement in City’s recreation programs. The Board also serves as advisors in policy, programming, finances, future land acquisition, and facility capital projects relating to recreational needs of the citizens. Members: Three year terms.”

OK. The City of Lake Worth already has a Planning and Zoning Board, it’s the job of the City Commission to set policy and they get plenty of advice already, the City has a “Finance Advisory Board”, and the big question is. . .

Why doesn’t this board just focus on the present recreational needs of the public in Lake Worth?

Also, there are only 3 members on this 7-member Recreation Board. They can’t have a quorum anyhow. Then why not just eliminate the board and give these volunteers the opportunity to serve on another board of their choosing?

One last thing. Every City board needs to be and stay focused on what they can do and just as importantly, what they can’t do. Not making the process and responsibilities very clear will just create more confusion for the public, something the New City of Lake Worth deserves from our New City Commmission.

And, by the way, almost a month into it, there still is no official photograph of the “New City Commission” or of commissioners Omari Jamal-Hatchett Hardy or Herman C. Robinson. Hopefully soon all of our electeds will have updated photos of the “Mayor & Commissioners”.