Public Comment on Unagedaed Items: Lake Worth City Commission Meeting 1/5/16

Commissioner Comments and Reports from last night's (1/5/16) meeting

The historic Gulf Stream hotel in Lake Worth and another big step forward

Despite attempts to monkeywrench, stall, and otherwise delay the process, the vote was 3-2 last night (1/5) in favor of restoring the Gulf Stream hotel to its former glory. The commissioners opposed to the restoration, Ryan Maier and Chris McVoy, still are hanging onto the claim that an overwhelming 'heights vote' that was declared "null and void" by the state legislature is still relevant:

The "overwhelming" vote for height limits in 2013 is a debunked myth. You can read about that nonsense here.

Interestingly, one of the people who voted "Yes" attended last night's meeting and said she wouldn't have voted that way had she known what she does now. Stay tuned throughout the week for videos from that meeting and especially for the one where The Other Blogger (TOB) loses her temper at the podium and almost the entire crowd breaks out in laughter.

Another video you'll see is a woman claiming that the Gulf Stream hotel shouldn't go forward because there's a risk the building might be sold to ISIS. Not kidding. She really said that. I heard it with my own ears.

It was a very large turnout last night in support of the Gulf Stream hotel. So much so that an attorney involved with this matter claimed she had never seen anything like it before. Usually crowds turn out to oppose zoning changes—not the other way around. On my behalf, speaking for myself, want to thank everyone who came out last night to show their support. It sends a powerful message going forward.

Whereas the opposition showed up last night with the same faces we see all the time, over and over again, there were many new faces that attended the City Commission meeting who came out on a cold night to show their support for the Gulf Stream hotel. That also sends a powerful message. 

Thank you.

[UPDATE] The Common Ground (no 's') church and pastor Olive have been given a gift: But how will they respond?

UPDATE: pastor Olive had his chance at last night's (1/5) City Commission to send a message of reconciliation but he chose a different route. The divisiveness, drama, and attention-seeking will continue from the 'Common Ground' church. The blog post from Monday (1/4) on this issue follows:

[The church plant in downtown Lake Worth, the 'Common Ground' (no 's') church, has been given a gift by Mayor Pam Triolo. Their pastor Olive will give the first invocation of the year. He has a special opportunity to set things right vis-à-vis the "War on Religion", "War on Jesus", and the "Epic Battle" nonsense here in the City. We'll find out tomorrow at the City Commission meeting whether the church's silliness will continue or they'll take another path that's less much less divisive, PR-based, and personality-driven. Anyhow, the invocation is a tiny item leading up to the re-zoning vote for the Gulf Stream hotel project. Make plans to show up TOMORROW for Item 10B on the agenda. If you interested, continue reading how the 'Common Ground' church came to be in Lake Worth:]

On Friday, January 30th, 2015 (Vol. 1/Issue 3) in Margaret Menge's now-defunct (always-FREE, delivered-FREE, advertising-challenged) tabloid, she wrote the words below in her "House Editorial". In her pitch she gave clues to the nonsense that was to come about her "larger truth" vis-à-vis pastor Olive and the curiously named 'Common Ground' church:

     Media bias is often more to do with what newspapers decline to cover than what they do cover. There is almost no coverage whatsoever of churches or of faith in most American newspapers, except in articles about the African-American community. Churches don't get written about. Looking back at old newspapers one time, I saw newspapers reprinting whole Sunday sermons from a local church as a regular thing.
     I'm not planning to do that in these pages. But I do want to write about our churches, and the faith of the people who attend them. And I want to write about many other things, as well, to tell the larger truth of our community, and to make a more complete record of what is happening here.

There are so many churches in our 6 square mile City of Lake Worth that do so much for the community; way too many to name here. And most of us in Lake Worth, including myself, are very appreciative.

On Friday, February 20th (Vol. 1, Issue 6) Ms. Menge made good on her promise to tell her "larger truth". Unfortunately a local TV news station and some that were duped in the national press picked up on the nonsense before the real story could be told. It was a black eye the City didn't deserve:

CBS12/WPEC's Kathleen Walter with her news segment on February 26th about 'pastor' Olive and his Common Ground (no 's') nonsense. Interesting to note, and completely off topic, the segment aired 12 days prior to election day.

A "soviet-style crackdown"? So much for searching for the "common ground" (no 's').

Now you know the real story.

As far as churches and religion not mentioned in newspapers? Each week's Lake Worth Herald dispels that ridiculous notion. There is almost no news coverage about faith by the media? Did Ms. Menge ever hear of Pope Francis? And as far as sermons not printed in entirety in newspapers any longer. . .a thing called the internet made the effort unnecessary. And so did email. And Facebook. And YouTube. And Twitter. . .

[Stay tuned for Part 2 of the War on Religion Show. Just in time for the March 2016 elections in the City. Remember, Menge's first tabloid appeared out of nowhere on January 16th and went downhill from there.]

Scene at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting: BFF's So Happy!

Have you ever seen Lynn Anderson so happy and gay? And Katie McGiveron, when did you ever see her so happy? Lynn Anderson (aka The Obtuse Blogger [TOB]) and Katie McGiveron are pictured here with their old friend and comrade, Cara Jennings checking out Cara's new I-Pad. It was just like the old days all over again. Remember the 'good-ole' days?

Can you find the error in the news about the Gulf Stream hotel rezoning vote tonight (1/5)?

[Answer at the end of this post.]

Read this news that appeared in The Palm Beach Post today (1/5) on page B3. If you've been following this news  closely about the rezoning of the Gulf Stream hotel you'll note an error in the text below:

Check back later today and will have the answer.

Anyhow, tonight is a very important meeting on the future of the Gulf Stream hotel. It's item 10B on the agenda. If you're not too keen on listening to a lecture on sea level rise I would suggest you show up at the City Commission around 8:00 to be on the safe side.

Remember, don't let a few malcontents stand at the podium and claim to be "the voice of the people". YOU are the people and we can't let another important City goal get hijacked. We need you to show up!

[The Answer: First reading of the rezoning request at the City Commission was on Dec. 8th, not Dec. 9th.]

Attention Lake Worth: Don't get distracted by commissioners Ryan Maier and Chris McVoy—Tell them to "Keep It Local!"

Just a reminder. . .A lot of distraction and misdirection will be on the City of Lake Worth's agenda tonight at the City Commission meeting. For instance, there's this from Commissioner McVoy:

Is this an efficient use of staff and taxpayer dollars for the little City of Lake Worth? Or stay focused on local issues and our local citizens/organizations?

Note that Commissioner McVoy has little control over what the Palm Beach County Commission is going to do or the State of Florida, for that matter. So the chances of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives changing course on a trade matter because McVoy objects is silliness to the extreme.

However, taking staff time and City resources for this "resolution" does take away from efforts to fix problems right here in Lake Worth. And it takes up valuable time at a City Commission meeting.

We're also likely to be treated to a mind-numbing, long, and exhausting lecture on sea level rise from commissioners Maier and McVoy. They both attended the sea level rise conference in Key West along with Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, who had these observations:

Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell says, "we need to focus on practical solutions" and "live within our means".

The public, or "the people" in Lake Worth need to demand more attention be paid to OUR CITY and less attention on matters we have little or no control over. Just to be curious am thinking of using a stopwatch to see how much time is used up by Maier and McVoy at the City Commission on matters other than those that are affecting the City at present. Matters such as the lack of adequate street lighting, missing fire hydrants, too-low water pressure, road infrastructure, and public safety issues.

Just don't get distracted! Understand these are just tactics used to try and change the debate and confuse people about the true problems we face as a City. I've jokingly pointed out that McVoy's tactics are eerily similar to those used by the CIA to monkeywrench government meetings, but maybe that isn't too far from the truth.

Talk "at great length" and raise "irrelevant issues as frequently as possible." Remind you of anyone?

Remember, Item 10B is on the agenda, the vote on whether the City's historic Gulf Stream hotel project will move forward or not. This is a crucial vote on the future of our City.

Blue Front Bar & Grill: One of ten best BBQ restaurants in Palm Beach and Broward counties

Nicole Danna at the Palm Beach/Broward New Times has this review of our Blue Front BBQ here in Lake Worth. Here is an excerpt:

Owner David Paladino and his family purchased the iconic, Florida-born Blue Front Bar-B-Que sauce company in 2011 from Annie Nelson, widow of the company's founder, Norris Nelson. As the story goes, Nelson began his barbecue operation in 1964 at the corner of 15th Street and Tamarind Avenue in West Palm Beach. Growing up in Eastman, Georgia, he learned to cook from his father — ribs and chicken slathered in a spicy BBQ sauce that quickly became a hit, beloved by all the locals who frequented his shop. It became so popular, Norris began selling his sauce in empty soda bottles. Later, in 1979, he patented the name Blue Front Bar-B-Que Inc. and began marketing his sauce to the public in many stores throughout the country. Now, more than 40 years later, you can even get a potent cocktail during happy hour, a side or two of live music to go along with your meal, and a to-go bottle of that famous barbecue sauce for savoring the flavor at home.

WHEN YOU GO TO THE BLUE FRONT BBQ:
1132 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth
561-833-6651
Visit their website
Closed on Mondays

The publisher of The Palm Beach Post wrote what? Maybe just a slight exaggeration?

The publisher of The Palm Beach Post is heralding the 100th year of the papers existence today (1/5) which included an attachment to the printed edition's front page. Tim Burke's headline is, "Thank you for letting us serve you for a century". Buried in the middle of his message is this paragraph:

     Today, the weekly audience for The Post is almost 593,000. Nearly half of Palm Beach County’s adults read The Post. [emphasis added] And we have 941,210 Facebook followers.

Huh?

First off, Grumpy Cat has over 8 million followers. It's hard to see how Facebook translates into the bottom line but maybe they've got a plan for that.

The weekly audience is "almost 593,000"? Note that's not 593,000 individuals that read the paper. That number is the daily readership (Monday–Friday) then adding Sunday and totaled for the week. For instance, I am 6 of the print edition audience since I get the daily paper and Sunday too. It would be nice to see the Post's breakdown of the numbers: daily print edition, Sunday paper, and their online audience but that information is difficult to find but I'm sure their advertisers have those numbers.

"Nearly half of Palm Beach County's adults read The Post." I  think the folks at the Sun Sentinel will have a chuckle over that one. I would venture to say over half of the residents in Palm Beach County don't even know or care there is a Palm Beach Post newspaper. For those of you that don't know, the dividing line between the Sun Sentinel and the Post is understood to be Delray Beach. Everything south of Delray is Sun Sentinel territory.

What does Wikipedia have to say about the Post's circulation numbers?

Circulation
88,231 Daily
142,679 Sunday

And another thing from Wikipedia:

Like many newspapers throughout the country, the Post downsized its newsroom by more than 30 percent in 2008 and 2009. At the same time it closed its printing press. The Post's print edition is now printed in Broward County by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and shipped north to Palm Beach County for daily distribution. [emphasis added]

Anyhow, Happy Birthday Palm Beach Post!

Carmel, Indiana: City Attorney files claim for $1.15 for "travel" from City Hall to a walkable, nearby location

Click here for link to article.

West Palm approves sale and redevelopment of old city hall

Click title for link about how West Palm Beach plans to redevelop the former City Hall site. It was last used in 2009 until the new City Hall complex was ready to occupy. Here's a bit from the article:

The city commission, in its first meeting of the year, on Monday gave preliminary approval to developer Navarro Lowrey’s purchase of the old city hall site at 200 Second St. for $11.5 million, for redevelopment with a hotel, apartments, retail and garage. The board voted 4-0. Commissioner Paula Ryan did not vote, because her husband is an attorney for the developer.

From a Lake Worth perspective, the article is interesting due to a lack of mention about height. There is a rendering that shows what looks to be a seven story building. The project will be a mix of hotel rooms, which will face the water and condominium units which face to the west. Retail will likely occupy the first floor space along the street. There is also a side deal that includes the land that was once home to the Helen Wilkes Hotel. It sounds like that is an attempt to keep green space and preserve views of the water from the new hotel.

I have sentimental ties to the old City Hall building. I worked there in the Planning Department on the second floor for about four years. It was my first job after moving to Florida from Michigan. The building was built in 1980. I remember many times people complaining about it being a "sick" building and there were tests for air exchange rates during the time that I was there. They were always working on the ventilation system. The building is also a late example of Brutalist architecture. That style is enjoying a surge in appreciation now as many structures like this are facing uncertain fates. Unfortunately, it sits on high value land and its appearance is not looked at fondly. Sort of like how the former Lake Worth Casino building design was never really appreciated even though it had enough going for it to be listed on the National Register as an International style structure.

It is good to see West Palm Beach moving forward with this project. I sometimes use the parking lot immediately east of the building if I have business in the county building on the west side of Olive Avenue. The property and building have not been well maintained during its vacancy.

Video: Testimony on Gulf Stream hotel re-zoning at quasi-judicial hearing (and a unanimous HRPB vote was "astonishing"? "Surprising"? "Disturbing"?)

[The blog post below from 12/13 is one of the most viewed last year vis-à-vis our historic Gulf Stream hotel and its future. This concerns the re-zoning of the Gulf Stream hotel project at the quasi-judicial hearing on 12/8 at the Lake Worth City Commission. The second reading of this re-zoning request will be on January 5th [TONIGHT, Item 10B on the agenda] and you can read about that using this link. I think what is "astonishing", "surprising", and "disturbing" is pulling into question the character and motivations of Lake Worth Historic Resource Preservation Board (HRPB) members just because the boards' (unanimous) position on an issue is in opposition to someone else's personal wants or desires. The members of the HRPB care very much about the future of Lake Worth. They demonstrate that by sacrificing time and effort as volunteers. Hopefully, going forward, the focus will be on the Gulf Stream hotel and making that structure a contributing asset to our community. The original post from 12/13 follows:] 

Before proceeding you can see how small the property being considered for re-zoning actually is:

The white arrow points to a tiny white dot. That is the subject property for the re-zoning request.

One City resident in the video (below, at the end of this post) from the quasi-judicial hearing at the City Commission in support of the re-zoning says this request for the Gulf Stream hotel project will have some residents in opposition "come out of the woodwork" with all sorts of silly claims and wild accusations. Two of those deserve special attention in the video:

At the 4:05 mark in the video to the 4:45 mark: A City resident in opposition to the re-zoning in public testimony says the unanimous vote by the Historic Resource Preservation Board (HRPB) in support of the re-zoning was "astonishing", "surprising", and "disturbing". At the HRPB meeting were presentations by City staff, a well-respected land use attorney, and others. This resident suggests the board and its members' unanimous vote was suspicious. Note that the HRPB members heard all the evidence in a public meeting and the resident DID NOT. By her own admission she "did not attend" the HRPB meeting. Going forward in Lake Worth will all unanimous votes be suspicious?

At the 8:05 mark to 8:50: Another City resident in opposition who also chairs a City board testifies that the re-zoning will be "bad for the environment", affect "water percolation", and "adversely affect water quality in the Intracoastal". An argument for no future development on this downtown parcel and/or anywhere else in the City for that matter. 

At the 11:20 mark to 12:25: More testimony in support and the resident says the City's "not in 1923 any more" and mentions the parking element of the re-zoning that's essential for the success of the Gulf Stream hotel.

At 12:50 mark to 14:50: Another resident in support who was a former "bus boy" at the Gulf Stream hotel many of you will recognize as a well-known business owner in Lake Worth.

And, lastly, from 15:30 to 16:50: A new resident in Lake Worth in support with her interesting comments.

I would encourage you to watch the entire video below and pay special attention to the sections of video mentioned above, especially the first one (4:05–4:45):

Alexandra Clough on business in Palm Beach County in 2016 and Kelly Smallridge of the Business Development Board interviewed

The Post's Alexandra Clough has this article that appeared in the Sunday (1/3) print edition. It is a very good summary of what to expect this year in business growth, the housing market, and how the looming November elections fit into the environment. The housing inventory and office space is continuing to lag. Here are two excerpts from the article:

     Here’s the good expected during 2016: More companies are forecast to expand or relocate here, and unemployment should to continue to fall. If gas prices remain low, tourism will stay strong and continue to fuel new hotel growth, plus strong consumer spending at restaurants and shops. [emphasis added]
     The real estate market will continue its bull run, too, as housing and commercial projects in the pipeline start or complete construction.
     Now, the bad: Rising housing costs will make it difficult for people moving here to find an affordable place to live. Construction might be slowed by higher land costs and spikes in labor costs, thanks to a limited supplies of skilled subcontractors. And, as has been the case for several years now, there’s no new office space to be had.

[and. . .]

     Smallridge [Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County] expects to continue to see not only hedge funds moving to Palm Beach County but also financial services firms, corporate headquarters, medical device makers, bioscience and distribution companies.
     She’s currently talking with four companies in the life science and medical device industries about making a move. Three of them want to be in southern Palm Beach County, she said.

Palm Beach continues to be a very attractive place to relocate too and, so far, nothing appears on the horizon to slow that down much except the November elections.

•••LAKE WORTH••• TRAIN ACCIDENT 6th Ave S/I-95 @ RRX Tracks

Monday 7:30 a.m. 

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue units are at the scene of a Tri-Rail commuter train that crashed into a vehicle, heavy damage, scene Commander is advising a total of 12 patients, Level-2 MCI, injuries don't appear to be serious at present time, traffic is going to be very bad for a while so avoid the area, keep ad eye out and ‪#‎MoveOver‬ for emergency workers it's the law!

Here is the news from NBC5/WPTV:

LAKE WORTH, Fla. - A Tri-Rail train hit a garbage truck Monday morning at 6th Avenue South in Lake Worth, suspending service in both directions in Palm Beach County.
Tri-Rail says the train was heading north when it hit the truck, causing the train's cab to derail.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the truck had broken down on the tracks. 

And the video:

[Crime Update] Susan Stanton (former Lake Worth city manager) has her own PD: Why having your own PD isn't a crime deterrent

Before we get to the tiny city of Greenfield, did you know that the crime rate in the City of Lake Worth dropped in 2014? It did and you can read about that here. Now to the City of Greenfield:

The former Lake Worth city manager, Susan Stanton (who was fired almost four years ago), is now the city manager in Greenfield, California. One of the reasons for her firing was the failed attempt to end the PBSO contract with the City (and gutting of the code department didn't help either).

Susan Stanton (right) leaves Lake Worth City Hall chambers for the last time on 12/6/2011. She was fired for many reasons; many of which you can read here. The Obtuse Blogger (TOB [left, with stunned look of disbelief]) has her own issues with crime in Lake Worth.

Greenfield is about one-half the population size of Lake Worth. They had two homicides in the City of Greenfield earlier in the year. Stanton always wanted to get rid of the Lake Worth PBSO to have her own police department. Stanton now has her own police department in Greenfield, CA. Surprisingly, despite having her own PD, Stanton has a crime problem in her city of Greenfield. I bet the scanner in her office is busy. Below is a partial list of crimes that occurred in Greenfield, CA from 12/21/15 to 1/3/16 (and note the absence of "Beverage Violations"):

Theft of Vehicle
12/21/2015
800 Block MAPLE AV

Breaking & Entering
12/22/2015
1000 Block EMILY CR & HEIDI DR

Breaking & Entering
12/22/2015
1000 Block GAVILAN DR & PALOMA DR

Breaking & Entering
12/22/2015
500 Block DE LEON CR

Theft
12/23/2015
41800 Block 13TH ST

Theft
12/24/2015
300 Block MEADOW CR & HICKS DR

Breaking & Entering
12/25/2015
900 Block MAPLE AV

Homicide
12/26/2015
39500 Block ELM AV & 15TH ST

Theft of Vehicle
12/28/2015
600 Block WALNUT AV & 7TH ST

Vehicle Recovery
12/29/2015
200 Block 4TH ST & PALM AV

Assault
12/29/2015
100 Block EL CAMINO REAL

Theft of Vehicle
12/29/2015
200 Block 12TH ST

Assault with Deadly Weapon
12/30/2015
1000 Block CHALONE DR & 12TH ST

Theft of Vehicle
12/30/2015
200 Block 3RD ST & PALM AV

Theft of Vehicle
12/30/2015
100 Block HUERTA ST

Theft of Vehicle
01/01/2016
1000 Block PINNACLES AV

Breaking & Entering
01/01/2016
1000 Block WALNUT AV & PALOMA WAY

Theft of Vehicle
01/01/2016
100 Block 5TH ST & OAK AV

Assault
01/01/2016
1 Block 10TH ST & ELM AV

Breaking & Entering
01/02/2016
1000 Block WALNUT AV & PALOMA WAY

Breaking & Entering
01/03/2016
100 Block 10TH ST & MAPLE AV