NEWS ITEM: Fundraiser Date Set

The first of my campaign's meet and greet/fundraiser parties will be on Sunday, December 3, 2006 at 2 p.m. The event is being held at the home of Mark Geier and Bill Martin. They live at 1402 North O Street. Helping in the task is Jim Lewis. More information will be coming later on - but save the date now as that time of the year can be busy.

As far as contributions, we are making good progress but still have a way to go before the goal is met. If you would like to contribute, you can make a check payable to "Wes Blackman for Commissioner - District #3". Just drop them in the mail to the Wes Blackman Campaign, 241 Columbia Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33460.

Remember too that I am available to speak at your civic group or neighborhood association meetings. Let me know the date and time and I am sure we can work something out. I am always interested in the issues that are on your mind as they are the issues we need to be addressing. The best way to reach me is by email at: wesblackman@gmail.com You can copy and paste the address right into your e-mail program.

Thanks to those who have offered to volunteer their time and services as the campaign gears up. Pretty soon, it'll be March. A better Lake Worth is just around the corner!

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Mars and Venus say "Hi"

We haven't heard from Mars and Venus recently, so I grabbed my camera this morning as we went on our walk. They're such good kids. In the first picture, Venus is on the left - Mars is on the right. Mars is checking out a cat across the street.

Here we go. Corgis on the move...

Venus found a nice place to scratch her back. She's a big silly.

Hmmmmm...what's this under the ficus hedge??
Not sure, but it sure looked/smelled interesting to the kids

Back home. "Thank you Daddy, we like our walks!"

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Pics from City of Lake Worth Volunteer Board Appreciation Reception - Wow!

Notes from 10/23 City Commission Meeting

Here I am sitting in a City Commission meeting where the items on the agenda are the ground lease, developer’s agreement and construction contract. What I am hearing during public comment is a list of pros and cons of doing the beach. That is not what is on the agenda. What is on the agenda is not being discussed. The Mayor said that they are considering the zoning change at this meeting. It is not on the agenda, but he did nothing to state what was actually on the agenda – and didn’t do so to confuse the issue and rile up the crowd.

You know what is terrible – is that at each point of the process we will be confronted with the same issues – whether we are going to go ahead with the project or not. That is not what is at issue. It will cripple the ability of the City to go forward with improvements at the beach. To some extent, I feel that the Mayor led us down this path because his backers saw exactly what we would be experiencing – a split community that at every turn is going to question whether or not to move forward. It is going to be a City that is afraid of its own shadow, if it isn’t already.

That is not to discount the public process. There is a site plan that needs to be formatted and presented by the City Commission. The site plan will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Board. The zoning district change, which the Planning and Zoning Board had many comments on at its last meeting – it is not set in stone. Somewhere or another we will come to a decision on the aspects of the zoning change – with public comment at every turn and then again when it gets to the City Commission.

The opposition doesn’t want to explain the process. They want to paint the whole process as being corrupt. I have an idea – let’s establish a process that cannot be deemed “corrupt” – that is agreed upon in advance and move forward from there.

It is frustrating to know that cities, towns and villages that do not have this situation would find this project difficult. The level of difficulty is compounded due to its environmentally sensitive area, the existence of a partner and the maintenance of public access during the construction process. Fighting amongst ourselves is no way to get the project done.

A wise gentleman just got up and recognized that there is flexibility with the beach plan, he talked to Peter Willard and they worked out some changes that would make the project better. That will happen before the Planning and Zoning Board as well. But, it doesn’t serve those that are against the project to point that out. They want to make it seem like it’s a “done deal”. It is a done deal in that we are moving forward with redeveloping the beach. How we do it is still to be decided. Why don’t those that oppose the project work to change it to make it better?

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

City Commission Special Meeting 10/23

As e-mailed from the City of Lake Worth on 10/20:

The City Commission will hold a special meeting this Monday, October 23, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the Casino/Beach Redevelopment Plan. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at Lake Worth High School located at 1701 Lake Worth Road. On the agenda at the meeting is the approval of a ground lease, approval of a development agreement and approval of a construction contract with Greater Bay, LLC.

The agenda and accompanying back-up material may be found by visiting Lake Worth's official website at www.lakeworth.org. Click on Casino/Beach located in the drop down menu to the left of the home screen. Once there, click on the link located directly under the search box on the right-hand of the screen. When the agenda is uploaded, click on the appropriate item on the agenda to be linked to the applicable back-up material.

Quick Facts:
* This is a public/private partnership with NO public debt
* Public access to the beach and pool will be maintained throughout the project
* As plans develop every step of the process will be brought back to the City Commission

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Results from Special Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - 10/19

The Planning and Zoning Board acted last night (on a vote of 6-1, with Anne Hoctor dissenting) to recommend that the following language be transmitted by the City Commission to the State of Florida, Department of Community Affairs. This language would be added to our Comprehensive Plan, create a new future land use designation of "Beach and Casino" and amend the future land use map accordingly. (see inset)

The Commission Chambers might have been half full last night. I was expecting a larger crowd and some there thought that there was not adequate notice of the meeting and wondered if the meeting were advertised appropriately, which it was. We decided to move the meeting to a night that was one night later than our usual meeting, in the same place and at the same time as we usually meet. We wanted this to be the only item on our agenda for a couple of reasons. One is that our typical agendas for our regular meetings run to about 10 p.m., on average. An item such as a text amendment to the Comprehensive Plan would have been discussed during the last part of our meeting. We felt the need to make sure we discussed this at a "reasonable" hour of the day, when people were alert, etc. All of this was in the name of providing the most accessible way for the public to comment and discuss the land use and zoning changes to the beach property. Starting early would also allow us to process a lot of input from the public without a real time constraint.

I guess no good deed goes unpunished sometimes. However, the future land use plan change will be considered in a public hearing at a future regular City Commission meeting and that will be to consider our recommendation to transmit the proposed language to the State of Florida for their review. There will be future opportunity to comment on this item.

We also discussed the draft zoning code language related to the creation of the Beach and Casino zoning district. More on this soon...

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Vistalamar Townhouses - 800 block of South Federal - west side

One of the items on the Planning and Zoning Board agenda last night was a project along South Federal Highway, just south of 8th Avenue South on the west side of the road. The property is not in a historic district - the historic districts along Federal Highway begin as you go north of 6th Avenue South.

It consists of a three story, four unit townhouse building with separate garages off the alley. A courtyard area is designed for the area between the main structure containing the residential units. I am trying to up load some photos of the project, but Blogger seems to have indigestion this afternoon. I will attempt those later.

There are a couple things that are particularly important regarding this project. It contains a significant about of architectural detail and is nicely modulated in relation to the street. It is also situated between two existing buildings that are about of equal height, but clearly from a different time and place. Access to the garage is off an alley - to be paved and improved by the developer - including utilities.

But, the most important aspect is that it is not a "double-loaded" (two back to back residential structures) townhouse project. The City Commission discussed this issue when considering the extension of the Zoning in Progress (ZIP). The Commission ended up approving the item on first reading, but following the initiative of Commissioner Jennings, will look at compatibility issues between three story townhouses along Federal and their impact to adjacent single family neighborhoods (that are predominantly one and two story). This is being addressed by the Master Plan and extending the ZIP merely continues the regulations that revised the required setbacks along this corridor. Since the adoption of the ZIP, we have only seen one application for a double stacked townhouse and that one was turned down related to Certificate of Appropriateness request for demolition - and also in consideration of what was planned to go in its place.

So, what do we learn from this? We know that the current ZIP is working and that attractive residential projects are still possible, even in this un-even residential marketplace. When we receive the proposed language for our revised zoning code (land development regulations), we can do additional tweaking of the language. It is also important to note that the existing double-stacked townhouses were all approved under the previous regulations.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Special Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - 10/19/06, 6 p.m., City Hall

There is a special Planning and Zoning Board meeting (6 p.m., City Hall) to discuss a land use plan change for the beach property. This is necessary in order to recognize the existing commericial uses at the beach/casino property as well as establish a framework for the appropriate zoning designation for the beach in light of the redevelopment plan. The Planning and Zoning Board will also discuss aspects of the proposed zoning changes, but these require more work and will be considered later.

If the Planning and Zoning Board choses to act tonight on the land use plan change, it would be in the form of a recommendation to the City Commission to transmit the suggested changes to the State of Florida for their review. That would result in a transmittal hearing to be held by the City Commission in the near future.

Below, you will find images of the back-up included in the Planning and Zoning Board packet.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

PBC - Board of County Commissioners Approve Interlocal Agreement

On Tuesday, October 17, the Board of County Commissioners approved the Interlocal Agreement between the City and the County - allowing the City to access $5 million of fund from the 2002 Cultural and Parks Facilities bond. This money will be used in concert with City, State and private funds to improve the public infrastructure needed to renovate the City's beach park.

About 20 or so Lake Worth people attended the meeting - all speaking in favor of the funding contribution from the County, with some mentioning the need to safeguard public access and parking. The following are my remarks made at the meeting:

Good morning, Commissioners, my name is Wes Blackman - a Lake Worth resident and candidate for the Lake Worth District #3 Commission seat.

I would like to give a couple of "thank yous" this morning. First of all, thanks to the citizens of Palm Beach County for approving the Parks and Cultural Facilities Bond referendum in 2002. I happen to be involved in the Courthouse Restoration project going on next door that also received funds from the bond issue. Secondly, thank you for reserving $5 million of the bond issue for redevelopment of the City of Lake Worth beach park. The Lake Worth beach can be an even greater contributor to the quality of life for residents and visitors alike with these funds.

Do we, as a City, have more work to do? - Yes.

Do we, as a City, have issues to address? - Yes.

What you have before you today represents one important step in the overall process.

But I am confident that we can do what we have set out to do as a community, put this project behind us and get on with other things.

I urge you to approve the Interlocal agreement today. Thank you.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

City Buildings

(Note: This was originally posted on June 25, 2006 and outlined my view of the future use of various City buildings. At the October 17, 2006 City Commission meeting, the City Commission will review, and hopefully approve, the phase II portion of the Song and Associates study and authorize Ardaman and Associates to perform a hazardous materials analysis on the Library, City Hall Annex, existing City Hall and the Suffleboard Court building.)

I know that the City enlisted Song and Associates to do a space utilization study of City buildings, but does anyone know the status of it? I think the first phase has been done for a while. I'll check this week to see what the status is.

City Hall Annex - (on the National Register) When are we getting rid of the utilities drive thru payment window? It is unsightly and creates traffic problems in the downtown during peak times.


















Library - If only for symbolic purposes, the City needs to designate this as an individual landmark on the National Register. It is eligible for a myriad of reasons. It is already considered a contributing structure within the local Old Town Historic District - (This is confusing, and part of why we need to re-examine the make-up of our historic districts, but there is a National and local district version of the Old Town Historic District.). The threshold for the number of contributing structures is higher with the National designation, but really doesn't offer additional protection to structures within it. They are still subject to the regulations contained within our Historic District Ordinance. It is more of a symbolic and honorary title that notes the District is of a higher quality than just a local designation. We really need to re-look at the downtown and see if it can now be, because of age, one National district.


City Hall - Let's gut it. (The symbolism is not lost on me and it would not be lost on others).
Return it to a Municipal Auditorium (see area above eastern/western door). Find a new location for City Hall farther to west that can adequately house our City staff, perhaps combining it with other functions such as the future transit stop on the FEC rail road, light retail or other complimentary uses. Returning our present City Hall to its original and intended function would give the City a central place to assemble (especially City Commission meetings) that would be under the City's control (not a school auditorium) and also be available for live musical performances, films, etc. If most of the building's activity took place at night, then parking would open up for other uses around the City Hall "block" during the day. It could be a major destination and really affirm the City's commitment to historic preservation. By providing a larger venue for City meetings, we would be true to a policy of open government and encouraging citizen participation. We would also be encouraging our performing arts community through establishment of a performing arts center.

The building/property is also not individually designated - should be, again likely National Register eligible (might help with securing grant monies for remodeling). It is in both the local and the National Old Town Historic Districts.

Thoughts?

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Economic Conditions and What Can Be Done

As I go around the City, I am getting a lot of input regarding economic activity in the Downtown area and long Dixie Highway. What I am hearing is not good. Almost universally, retail and restaurant business is off significantly compared to last year. Some long standing businesses go so far as to say it is the worst that they have seen since they have been in Lake Worth. It seems that year-to-year comparison of revenues showed that July, August and September were much lower than previous years.

We talked about possible reasons for the apparent down turn. One of the most common reasons cited was the lingering affect of the hurricanes of '04 (Francis and Jeanne) and '05 Wilma. Because of that many people who usually stayed through the summer (retirees, etc.) didn't this year and chose other locations less prone to storms.

Another reason, again related to the storms, is the supposed permanent evacuation of those people that were fed up with living with the chance of hurricanes here and left for locations such as North Carolina and interior states. The impetus was fairly strong for such a relocation as we experienced a significant run-up in property values and it might have been an opportunity for some to use their equity to "buy more house" in their new location. (Much of the increase in value was evidently caused by speculation and that is currently being wrung out of the system and will continue to seek an equilibrium. Remember, additional supply with no increase on the demand side puts downward pressure on property values.) My own anecdotal experience: I bet that at least 20 people that I know personally took advantage of this to start a new life somewhere else. I do not hesitate to think that factor contributed heavily to the correction we are currently experiencing in the residential real estate market. I believe that this is slowing the net migration of people into Florida. We will have to wait for the statistics to be tallied to be sure.

Other local factors seem to be based on what is perceived as a non-reliable and expensive electric utility in the City of Lake Worth - no news here. Acquaintances that I have in the residential real estate sector say that they see the local markets recovering in neighboring communities, but not so in Lake Worth. Attractive properties in the City of Lake Worth that would have been part of a bidding war just two years ago now sit on the market for sale for far too long - to the exasperation of owners attempting to sell.

I also do not think that we can discount the importance of the political polarization and in-fighting that is reported, generally accurate, in the local press and media. Having the dramas played out over and over again sends a message that the City really doesn't know what it wants to do and would rather fight with itself (wasting resources along the way), than undertake the continual improvement and reinvestment in City facilities. We need to understand that we are in a competitive real estate and commercial/retail marketplace. There are many communities that are all striving for the same investment and retail dollars for which Lake Worth is striving. We need to be more cognizant of that and realize that the instability of the political landscape is a consideration (how much of one can be debated) in those key decisions - from where am I going to live, where am I going to by property, where do I want to raise my family, where I am going out to eat tonight, etc.

So, what can we do to combat the factors working against prosperity in Lake Worth? Here is my list and I encourage you to add your own ideas:

• If you have a choice where to shop and the goods and services are available within the City of Lake Worth, choose to spend your dollars here over other communities. Supporting local businesses can go a long way to keep dollars within the City.
• We realize that we only weaken ourselves if we fight from within. There are many forces outside of our City, beyond the economic ones, that impact our quality of life within the City of Lake Worth. We should be actively anticipating these and addressing them to the extent possible. This needs to be done collectively and together as a community.
• We need to support the re-investment in City facilities - particularly the beach - as a way to prove to the world that we do care about our infrastructure and the quality/affordability of City services. By re-investing in the beach, we improve our flagship property and create the quality destination that it can be - importing wealth from outside the City and having it be chanelled throughout the City's economy. I think we were all surprised by the initial sucess of the Green Market at the beach - look for me there next Saturday, I'll have my camera with me!
  

Add your own - together we can turn it around.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Importance of the Internet

Look at growth, look at how much time people spend on the Net and look at the variety of things that they are doing. It's all really good, so I am actually encouraged by the fundamentals that underlie usage growth on the Net.
Meg Whitman (founder of eBay)

What's sort of interesting about the whole public relations disaster that is the Net, in some ways, is that the fundamentals are really good.
Meg Whitman

A friend called me up the other day and talked about investing in a dot-com that sells lobsters. Internet lobsters. Where will this end? The next day he sent me a huge package of lobsters on ice. How low can you stoop?
Donald Trump

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

City Commission Meeting - 10/3

I thought it would be good to get a quick post in about the City Commission meeting last night. This is where the Commission voted 3-2, with Commissioner Jennings and Mayor Drautz dissenting, to approve draft interlocal agreement with Palm Beach County that will allow the City access to the $5 million from the 1992 cultural bond issue. The money had been reserved for this purpose for sometime. The discussion centered on whether or not to include the private money offered by Greater Bay for the recreation and infrastructure improvements.

Commissioner Jennings and Mayor Drautz wanted to delete reference to Greater Bay in the agreement. Both also had issue with the agreement including a reference that the City enter into a development agreement regarding the private money in the project and were uncomfortable approving the interlocal agreement without that document in place.

Commissioners Lowe, Vespo and Burns voted for the interlocal for a number of reasons - referencing the need for the money for the improvements, the need to move on with the project and the benefits that would accrue to the City by investment of money from other organizations.

From one account, there were 13 people that spoke against and 34 that spoke in favor. I was one that spoke in favor of approving the interlocal agreement. This is what I said:

"We need to move on as a community in a positive and unified way. Your action is another step down a long path, working through other details, site plan review, permitting and the construction process.

There is plenty of opportunity for public input as we move on.

$5 million represents a significant investment in the City of Lake Worth – one that will have a substantial return on investment in the form of increased economic activity in our downtown.

This project, more than anything else, will boost the morale of the City – let’s put this in the win column.

We really could use a unanimous vote and send a positive message to the County Commission."

I also want to share an e-mail exchange that I had with City Attorney Larry Karns after the meeting. It relates to the Planning and Zoning Board and our review/recommendation regarding the future land use and zoning changes necessary to proceed. It appears below:

Question?

Is there a problem with me expressing support for the beach project in light of the zoning changes that we will be considering. I see it as a legislative function and not quasi-judicial. Is that an appropriate distinction? Wes

Response from Larry:

Wes, I don’t see a problem with your expressing support for the beach project. Your consideration of the zoning changes in the future does not prevent you from commenting on the project.

Larry Karns

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Free Hugs - Juan Mann Interview- You Tube sensation

Check out this link to You Tube (you should have a high speed internet connection for best results)

Free Hugs

How about this as a new Lake Worth petition drive?

Here is another link to the Personal Democracy Forum - Technology is Changing Politics. The link is to an article regarding the "Free Hug" movement.

Let's remember that when all is said and done, we are all still neighbors with feelings, wishes and aspirations worthy of expression.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"

Found while "Googling"...

Just for kicks and giggles, I "Googled" Wes Blackman. I encourage you to do the same. Apparently there is another Wes Blackman who is a very accomplished musician - don't confuse me with him - my singing is part of my own self expression, but in no way should be considered professional. But, in the "hits" that I got on my name, there was an award that I received in 2001 while employed by the Trump Organization. I haven't included it in my resume, but thought that you might be interested as it relates to the process we used to construct the clubhouse at Trump International Golf Club and the renovation and restoration of the Mar-a-Lago property.

Anyway, here is the text of the press release:

Prestigious Awards to be Presented to Donald Trump for Mar-a-Lago and Trump International Golf Course

PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 13, 2001

The Florida Society of the American Institute of Building Design will present awards to Donald Trump for the Mar-a-Lago Club restoration and the innovative special construction techniques applied to the Clubhouse at Trump International Golf Course at an awards ceremony and presentation February 24, 2001.

The Florida Society of the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) will present the Honor Award of Excellence, the highest commendation presented by the Florida Society, to Donald Trump for the restoration of Mar-a-Lago, formerly the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, and now an exclusive private club in Palm Beach. "Mar-a-Lago is unique in all the world," commented Mr. Trump. "As a collector of great buildings, I thank the American Institute for Building Design for recognizing my efforts in restoring this architectural masterpiece and in making Mar-a-Lago the successful private club that it is today." In reference to the future, an Award of Merit will also be presented to congratulate Mr. Trump on the implementation of a special construction technique called "phased" or "Fast Track" construction for the Clubhouse at Trump International Golf Course located a few miles west of the Mar-a-Lago Club. "The phased construction method is an idea whose time has come. The AIBD feels this new technique will have an important impact on the future of the building design industry," stated Steven Mickley, Vice President of the Florida AIBD.

Members of the media are invited to attend the ceremony that will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2001 at 12:15 p.m. in the Special Events tent located at the Trump International Golf Course, 3505 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. The awards will be accepted by Mr. C. Wesley Blackman, Director of Projects for the Trump Organization, and Mr. Pat Capalbo, Construction Supervisor for the Trump Organization who will also speak on the restoration process and the development of the "phased construction" technique. Ms. Barbara Knick, President of the Florida Society AIBD, and Mr. Steven A. Mickley, Vice-President Florida AIBD, will present the awards. Following the awards presentation, there will be a tour of the clubhouse construction site and an overview presentation of the golf course.

"Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wes Blackman for Commissioner – District #3"