PINNED POST TODAY: Time to pivot and re-focus on the City of Lake Worth’s priorities and looming challenges.

And just one of those priorities is coming up TOMORROW, a charrette about the future of the Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex. Learn more about this public meeting below.


A “Pinned Post” is one kept near the top of the blog for a specific period of time, in this case for the entire day today.

As was pointed out by Vice Mayor Pro Tem Scott Maxwell at the City Commission meeting last Tuesday (March 17th) there are a lot of distractions (aka “shiny objects”) of late that are taking the focus off the stated priorities in this City and it’s time to refocus. So if we’re going to have a public discussion about banning anything it should be about a ban on ‘shiny objects’.

Remember. . .

Back in November 2016 the editor at The Palm Beach Post, Rick Christie, warned about the importance of staying focused on the City’s stated goals and listening to the will of the public vis-à-vis the Neighborhood Road Bond and fixing our City’s infrastructure.

And the public spoke once again on March 13th
this year expressing their confidence in the
direction the City is moving in.

And keep in mind what Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein said at the City Commission
on March 20th. . .

“Just going back six years ago when I first got here it’s been a tremendous, tremendous turnaround. Still have a lot to do but your political footing is solid.”

So in the spirit of getting everything back on track. . .

The City of Lake Worth is having a charrette this Saturday. You may be wondering, what exactly
is a “charrette”?

A charrette, or “charette” is a public meeting to resolve problems and find solutions.

The address/location for this upcoming charrette on Saturday is: 1121 Lucerne Ave., the structure now referred to as “The HATCH”. Doors open for this charrette at 9:00 a.m. and doors close at 5:00 p.m.

What is next Saturday’s charrette about?

It’s about settling a matter that’s been going on

for far too long in this City.

Question: Does the City of Lake Worth
need a pool at the Beach?

And how many pools does the Town of Palm Beach need nearby for their residents, visitors, and tourists?

An observation from eight years ago by the inimitable Mr. Tom McGow: “[N]ow is the time to cast aside the sentimental clamor to patch up our city’s biggest white elephant and plan for a water park that will provide families with what they want and attract enough users to make it self-sustaining.”

Below, following the bullet list, is a short Q&A, about the public purpose of charrettes and why it’s so important to show up next Saturday even if it’s just for a brief period of time. Once you’ve finished reading the blog post below, if you wish, scroll back up and click on the links in the bullet list below for more information:

• To learn more about why constructing a new lap swimming pool (a “white elephant”) at the Beach is just a terrible idea, the historical context (including a timeline), information about the architect (CPZ Architects), and a City press release as well click on this link.
• Does the Town of Palm Beach need another large pool nearby? Do kids need a pool at the Beach to learn how to swim? And use this link to learn more about, “When did shuffleboard — that bastion of geriatric time-killing  become cool?”
• Also very important, at the charrette next Saturday, keep in mind the City’s “Green” and environmentally-conscious water cistern at the Beach as well, an idea to help save the planet courtesy of a prior City administration.

Without further ado, the Q&A and
more about charrettes:

Q: “What time do I have to be at this charrette next Saturday?”

A: You can show up any time between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Q: “How much time will this take?”

A: That’s entirely up to you. You can stay five minutes, two hours, or stay all day if you want. You can even show up for a bit, leave, and come back later on if you want.

Q: “What do I need to bring with me?”

A: Just your input, your ideas, and an open mind about the future of this City of Lake Worth.


It’s very important to note that a charrette is much different than a Commission meeting or a workshop at City Hall — for example, here in this City of Lake Worth — in that charrettes are typically held in a community hall or another public venue in the City. Two venues used here are The HATCH at 1121 Lucerne Ave. and the Casino Ballroom at the Beach.

Just like at City Hall when typically the loudest voices and best-organized will pack a meeting promoting their position, e.g., like what happened in February 2017, the vast majority of the public will stay home and not show up to make their voices heard. Here’s what happened last year:


LAKE WORTH — One by one, they filed into Lake Worth’s City Hall on Tuesday night, ardent supporters of the [now condemned] municipal pool, most carrying colorful flotation noodles, [emphasis added] all with a purpose and the same steely message for city commissioners: don’t let the city’s prized amenity die.


The message today is thus:

 
IF YOU THINK CONSTRUCTING ANOTHER POOL, ANOTHER “WHITE ELEPHANT” AT THE LAKE WORTH BEACH IS A BAD IDEA. . .

YOU NEED TO SHOW UP
NEXT SATURDAY!

Why do you need to show up?

From Wikipedia, “Charrettes tend to involve small groups, however the residents participating may not represent all the residents nor have the moral authority to represent them.”

If you think constructing another large pool at the Lake Worth Beach is a bad idea, you need to show up and express yourself and stand up for families with children that need a pool for children to learn how to swim and for water safety classes. For many families in this City, a pool at the Lake Worth Beach might as well be twenty miles away and the $4 to park each time is a financial burden as well.

“Back in the day”, prior to I-95, a pool at the Beach lured visitors and tourists off US-1 and A1A. But that part of our City’s history is long gone.

High diving boards at the Lake Worth Beach.
This was likely prior to the concept of municipal
liability insurance.

Thank You for visiting once again today and strongly encourage everyone to attend this charrette at The HATCH.