Friday, March 2, 2012
TRNA | Meeting Reminder
Happy Friday friends & neighbors!
Just a friendly reminder that on Monday, March 5th @ 7pm, the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association will be holding it's monthly meeting. Please join us at Compass Community Center - 201 North Dixie Highway.
We look forward to seeing you there!
SUSAN STANTON HIRED IN FORT LAUDERDALE
As an accountant? At $60,000/year? I think many of us would question her accounting abilities, unless those abilities are used to obfuscate. Click title for link to article.
Not what you would expect for the "Best City Manager." Ever.
Not what you would expect for the "Best City Manager." Ever.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Lake Worth signs off on $6.7 million in work for city beach project
If you haven't already seen this, here is the PBP take on Tuesday night's meeting. Click title for link.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
My take on the special City Commission meeting last night (2/28)....
Public Comment eventually resumed, but after a 10 minute recess the Mayor called so that people could "cool off." This sprang from the following back-and-forth. Maxwell got on the subject of leases and that Fox Sports Shop has dropped out from being a tenant. When asked when she found out about this, she said maybe the day before. Then Maxwell said that he found out at least a week ago - casting aspersions at staff for again being left out of the information stream, which had been a thread throughout the meeting anyway. To that Margoles said, in a bit of a smart aleck tone, "Good for you." You can over analyze this, but she had been on the defensive all through the meeting and staff basically was saying that this had been a long process, assumptions changed along the way, that mistakes might have been made, but that doesn't mean that the City should not go forward now and approved the GMP. The consequences of not doing so would be dire.
Things that are clear for me. Stanton did more than her fair share of withholding information, Morganti probably manipulated the timeline so that no other answer could be given other than going ahead at their established GMP and that the project - touted by McVoy as being an environmentally sensitive project done by a "forward thinking" city - was really not bid out in any way but a conventional way and therefore will fall short of the lofty environmental talk coming from the dais AND be more expensive than anticipated.
All in all a disappointing effort, but one that the city was backed into a corner, yet again, with little chance to do anything else but approve what was before them. Can we ever end this syndrome? Perhaps for our next 100 years?
Authorities: Missing Lake Worth girl feared she was in trouble, hid from searchers
She's been found! Click title for link to article.
Missing Child Alert
PBSO and State authorities have issued a missing child alert for a 12 year old girl from Lake Worth. The child has diminished mental capacities and has been missing since early last evening.
The girl is black, five feet tall, 135 lbs. with black hair worn in a bun. She was last seen wearing a pink and black zebra striped shirt, black leggings and green sandals. Her name is Tatiana.
Last night PBSO began searching in the neighborhood around her home on South M Street with door to door canvassing and reverse 911 calls asking residents to keep watch. Bloodhounds and the PBSO helicopter were also dispatched as the search expanded.
As of 6AM this morning, the search continues with a team from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children joining the search.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tatiana is asked to please call PBSO at 688-3400 or the District 14 command center here in Lake Worth at 586-1611
Please share this important alert with your friends and neighbors.
The girl is black, five feet tall, 135 lbs. with black hair worn in a bun. She was last seen wearing a pink and black zebra striped shirt, black leggings and green sandals. Her name is Tatiana.
Last night PBSO began searching in the neighborhood around her home on South M Street with door to door canvassing and reverse 911 calls asking residents to keep watch. Bloodhounds and the PBSO helicopter were also dispatched as the search expanded.
As of 6AM this morning, the search continues with a team from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children joining the search.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tatiana is asked to please call PBSO at 688-3400 or the District 14 command center here in Lake Worth at 586-1611
Please share this important alert with your friends and neighbors.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Federal grant buys Lake Worth 90 properties
The PBP also had an article on this, I couldn't link it to the blog. If you ever question the professionalism of those who work for the benefit of Lake Worth, do not point the finger at the CRA. Click title for link. Go team!!
Live from City Commission Meeting - 2/28 - Beach GMP contract
Click here for link to back-up material. Click here for live audio.
Carrr is giving a history of the project and what has preceded up until tonight. The Commission was given the current cost information at the 12/20/11 meeting. Commissioner McVoy is absent so far. The seawall repairs only include the cap. He says that the seawall was found to be sound. He is reviewing the Interlocal Agreement with Palm Beach County.
Carr still. Morganti has brought a GMP bid based upon responses from various subcontractors. The bid includes the utility portions of the project - some of these have been budgeted for previous years and are being moved forward. These have to be done at the same time that the other improvements are being done since these are underground. He says that the GMP addresses all the Interlocal Agreement items. Staff is requesting approval of Amendment No. 1 with Morganti tonight which includes the GMP - staff recommends moving forward. There are a number of risks if we do not more forward with the project and could jeopardize the money made available through the Interlocal Agreement with the County. He is saying that the infrastructure needs to be re-done regardless and would be money spent anyway. The casino building is on time and on budget. The tenants that the city has signed leases with will soon start with their improvements of their own spaces. He is saying that the bank is still fine on their commitment for take out financing on the building.
The Mayor confirms that there is a $1.3 million over what had been anticipated. She asks what will not be done due to the overage. Carr says no specific project was attached to those dollars in the 2012 budget. She was told by the former City Manager that she knew that this was more than a $5 million, in May of 2011. Was the Commission aware at that time? Carr says yes. Mazwell said that his motion was to go ahead with the project only if it were not over $5 million. Carr says that the estimate of cost was higher than $5 million. They are saying that the "beach" portion is $5 million - it is the utilities, lighting and seawall repair that make it over. Mulvehill is sorting out the changes since 2009. Margoles says that Singer and Kimley Horn did a beach site plan study in April of 2009 - it was what people initially wanted at the beach.
Maxwell regarding the turtle lights and the seawall issue. He says that a contractor would know that both would have to be addressed at a beach location. It should have been there on day 1, and it probably was, but no one discussed it at the time - since it put the project over the $5 million. Margoles says that it was discussed before many Commission meetings. She says that the item should have been priced from the beginning - it was only in May. Maxwell says that we may never know the truth of how we got there tonight. He said that we need to be transparent and that the city has not been up until this point - like saying the building is not being torn down, etc.
Maxwell says that anything over $5 million includes everything but turtle lighting, seawall, utilities, etc. Mulvehill says that these options are now requirements. He is saying that this never really was a $5 million project. She says that hindsight shows where the mistakes were. Margoles says that this was a process. It was not possible to assign a project cost without all the design elements in place. Maxwell points out that the Morganti contract was passed by the City Commission at 1 a.m. - part of the May 3rd, 2011 meeting.
6:40 p.m. - McVoy still not here.
The Mayor is asking what is in and what is out of the plan. Margoles is reviewing the "green" items and she says some are out now, but they might be able to phase them in later on. Margoles says there is more in than out. Amoroso is not comfortable how we got here. Why did we find out about the lighting so late in the process? Margoles says that they weren't aware of the cost - they knew about the requirement - but it was only in May that they found out the price. $800,000 includes lighting the western half of the parking area. Maxwell says that there aren't a whole lot of poles out there now. He wonders how you can spend so much on lighting. More on lighting... Maxwell says that if we don't go ahead with this, then the building cannot open. Margoles says that is right. They share frustrations.
Carr says how we got here, he supposes is important, but if we want to move the City forward, this has to be done now. A decision needs to be made. The Mayor says that it has been her goal that things are on time and on budget. She is walking the walk. She is upset that this has been known for a long time and there has been a lack of transparency up until this point. Everyone knew but the public that this was not a $5 million project. She agrees with Mr. Carr.
McVoy appears at 6:55 p.m.
The Mayor is entertaining a motion. McVoy wants a 30 second re-cap before a motion. He is getting a report on the green elements of the project. I will get the public comment after the motion on video for posting tomorrow. McVoy appreciates everyone's patience with his situation. The project has had a long course, he is unhappy that some things are not in and maybe there can be cost savings along the way that may help put those things back in.
 |
| More people here now at 6:11 |
The Mayor confirms that there is a $1.3 million over what had been anticipated. She asks what will not be done due to the overage. Carr says no specific project was attached to those dollars in the 2012 budget. She was told by the former City Manager that she knew that this was more than a $5 million, in May of 2011. Was the Commission aware at that time? Carr says yes. Mazwell said that his motion was to go ahead with the project only if it were not over $5 million. Carr says that the estimate of cost was higher than $5 million. They are saying that the "beach" portion is $5 million - it is the utilities, lighting and seawall repair that make it over. Mulvehill is sorting out the changes since 2009. Margoles says that Singer and Kimley Horn did a beach site plan study in April of 2009 - it was what people initially wanted at the beach.
Maxwell regarding the turtle lights and the seawall issue. He says that a contractor would know that both would have to be addressed at a beach location. It should have been there on day 1, and it probably was, but no one discussed it at the time - since it put the project over the $5 million. Margoles says that it was discussed before many Commission meetings. She says that the item should have been priced from the beginning - it was only in May. Maxwell says that we may never know the truth of how we got there tonight. He said that we need to be transparent and that the city has not been up until this point - like saying the building is not being torn down, etc.
Maxwell says that anything over $5 million includes everything but turtle lighting, seawall, utilities, etc. Mulvehill says that these options are now requirements. He is saying that this never really was a $5 million project. She says that hindsight shows where the mistakes were. Margoles says that this was a process. It was not possible to assign a project cost without all the design elements in place. Maxwell points out that the Morganti contract was passed by the City Commission at 1 a.m. - part of the May 3rd, 2011 meeting.
6:40 p.m. - McVoy still not here.
The Mayor is asking what is in and what is out of the plan. Margoles is reviewing the "green" items and she says some are out now, but they might be able to phase them in later on. Margoles says there is more in than out. Amoroso is not comfortable how we got here. Why did we find out about the lighting so late in the process? Margoles says that they weren't aware of the cost - they knew about the requirement - but it was only in May that they found out the price. $800,000 includes lighting the western half of the parking area. Maxwell says that there aren't a whole lot of poles out there now. He wonders how you can spend so much on lighting. More on lighting... Maxwell says that if we don't go ahead with this, then the building cannot open. Margoles says that is right. They share frustrations.
Carr says how we got here, he supposes is important, but if we want to move the City forward, this has to be done now. A decision needs to be made. The Mayor says that it has been her goal that things are on time and on budget. She is walking the walk. She is upset that this has been known for a long time and there has been a lack of transparency up until this point. Everyone knew but the public that this was not a $5 million project. She agrees with Mr. Carr.
McVoy appears at 6:55 p.m.
The Mayor is entertaining a motion. McVoy wants a 30 second re-cap before a motion. He is getting a report on the green elements of the project. I will get the public comment after the motion on video for posting tomorrow. McVoy appreciates everyone's patience with his situation. The project has had a long course, he is unhappy that some things are not in and maybe there can be cost savings along the way that may help put those things back in.
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![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
