Crime in the City of Lake Worth, about PBSO, and a short story about a man named Jeff Clemens.

This coming Sunday, March 26th, will mark the ten-year anniversary since PBSO took over control of law enforcement in this City of Lake Worth.


Some of you may be wondering:

“What happened that Lake Worth’s former police department was merged with PBSO?”

For the answer to that, here is the first image about crime in 2007. Two more follow below.

The numbers you’ll see below will surprise or maybe even disturb some of you. But possibly you’ll come to better understand, in context, how much has been accomplished since August 2008.

Below are statistics published in 2007 of crime rates in the City of Lake Worth during the previous year. Remember, this is before PBSO took over policing the City. It’s alarming to think about what many of us lived through ‘back in the day’. However, after the merge between PBSO and LWPD some thought a year or so later it might be a good idea to go back to our having our own police department. Read more about that below as well. Then you decide if that would have been a good idea.

But imagine for a moment we had gone back to having our own PD because, in some people’s minds, it was ‘charming’ and ‘quaint’ as well? We would then be free to make even more cuts in public safety regardless of the impact of crime on our resident and visitor population.

Crime numbers from 2007:

The high crime rate was one of the primary reasons our property values plunged so deeply during the Great Recession.

More crime numbers from 2007:

Note the homicide clearance rate.
Not very ‘charming’ is it?

Back in 2007 when crime was at its worst here in the City of Lake Worth reporter Patrick Parrish at The Lake Worth Herald wrote, “According to Mayor Jeff Clemens, the city is at least 10 officers short of the same time in 1997, a significant number when translated into street presence.”

Another former commissioner, JoAnn Golden, quoted in the same 2007 article said, “I can understand [Commissioner Cara] Jennings’ concern on civil rights, but we have allowed gangs to get ahead of us.”

Then in August 2008 then-Mayor Clemens had to make one of the hardest political decisions ever in his political career, to disband the Lake Worth PD and have PBSO take over law enforcement in this City.

“IN WITNESS WHEREOF. . .”

On August 26th, 2008, then-Mayor Clemens

signed the agreement with PBSO:

Even after the agreement was signed some still maintained we were better off having our own PD. That is until the public had their chance to speak.  

Some long-time residents of this City will remember this gem, the former city manager (Susan Stanton) and a former commissioner (Suzanne Mulvehill) in full retreat after trying to end the PBSO contract in May 2011:

At the 6:15 mark in this video, Yours Truly asks Stanton two questions, both of which she avoided answering:
 

As to the future, can the City of Lake Worth ever get it’s own police department back? It’s possible and maybe a future City Commission will consider that possibility. But before that happens a few more things will have to change in this City. And we’ll have to be certain that the same people who got us into such a terrible mess ten years ago can never, ever reclaim control of this City ever again.

For example:

So. Do you think PBSO deputies are “Worthless”?

The Sunshine Law and a popular public Italian dish, baked ziti. Delizioso!

Learn more about the infamous baked ziti incident at Lake Worth City Hall below. But first. . .

MYTH vs. FACT:

FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW.
Plus two very informative videos below.

One of the ways troublemakers and malcontents try to shake public confidence in City government and elected officials is to plant the seed of wrongdoing, e.g., just suggest a “Sunshine Law” violation, not even an actual allegation. Say things like, “commissioner so-and-so was spotted with commissioner so-and-so over lunch at such-and-such restaurant”.

There is nothing wrong with elected officials having lunch together. Or talking. Or acting like a regular human being in general. But there are rules for electeds (explained in the first video below).

If you ever hear an electeds name mentioned and the Sunshine Law cited, it’s very important to know what the law is and what it’s intended to do — and just as importantly — what the law does not cover and is not intended to do.

Lake Worth City Attorney Glen Torcivia gave an excellent summation of the Sunshine Law several years back. This was around the time of the infamous “Baked Ziti incident” at Lake Worth City Hall and shortly thereafter when a former Lake Worth commissioner went ‘prowling’ for a Sunshine Law violation at a BBQ in Sunset Ridge Park. . . and yes indeed! If you wanted, there was also a side dish of delicious baked ziti available that day.

The video below is highly-recommended viewing for anyone interested in learning more about this subject from the City of Lake Worth’s long-time and well-respected city attorney:

Glen J. Torcivia, “Serving Florida clients

for over 25 years”:

The political theater of “Sunshine Law Violation!”, or “Wag the Dog” tactics to manipulate the public aren’t new by any means.

At Sunset Ridge Park in 2016. . .

A former Lake Worth commissioner prowling

for a Sunshine Law violation:

Sadly however, there remain some in the public left ‘scratching their heads’ when allegations of Sunshine Law violations are alleged and misunderstand or are confused about all the political theatrics and about what is actually happening.

So please take the time and watch the video of “The Florida Sunshine Law” explained by City Attorney Glen Torcivia, if you haven’t done so already, and share it with your neighbors, friends, and family.

And if you happen to know anyone in the press or news media — share it with them too — just as a refresher.

As the Lake Worth Electric Utility moves forward into the future, let’s take a short stroll back to December 2005. . .

Two headlines in the Lake Worth Herald from twelve years ago (see newspaper clipping below):

“Reps Looking At LW Utility”

and. . .

“Utilities Under Gun In PS”

And one of those “Reps” from “PS” (the Village of Palm Springs) was a former planning, building and zoning official from the Village of Palm Springs who later became a State Representative named Susan Bucher. Another elected official “peering over the city commission’s shoulder” was former County Commissioner Shelley Vana and former State Rep. Mary Brandenburg was encouraging a “Blue Ribbon panel” as well.

Remember. In 2006 “The Best Commission Ever!”
(or just BCE! for short) took control of City Hall.
And then things continued downhill from there.

 Click on newspaper clippings from 2005 to enlarge.

News from December 2005 continues. . .

“While Vana plans to meet with Palm Springs residents and leaders . . .

. . . to consider ways to resist Lake Worth’s financial burden and faulty facilities she, as a member of the Florida Public Services Committee (PSC), will also scrutinize FP&L’s performance.

Power Games

     This will be her second stint on the PSC. Political vagaries and committee shuffling re-routed her away from her oversight position during the most recent legislative sessions.      But Rep. Bucher’s elephantine memory, as a former Palm Springs Planning, Building and Zoning inspector and as an aide to the late Rep. Ed Healey – prior to filling his seat – knows where Lake Worth derailed.
     “It’s all about revenue.”

Double-Dip

     Bucher said Lake Worth’s power company was the source of income tapped to fund projects over the years, including surcharges to “outsiders.”
     That’s a common practice,” she said.
     The Village of Palm Springs also charges satellite communities from the Palm Beach County School Board headquarters to residences in unincorporated areas.
     But Bucher believes most Lake Worth residents were unaware of an inadequately funded maintenance and replacement program within the worn and obsolete infrastructure.

Life & Death

     “Now they (citizens) know the results of those problems and need to pursue an inquiry into the health of the system and how to cure it.”
     She spared a dash of empathy with beleaguered commissioners whom, she said, claimed they had “inherited” a faulty system.
     The blue ribbon task force should be charged with careful examination of finances, maintenance records and careful study of the agreement between the city and the Florida Municipal Power Agency, she said.
     It’s unfortunate for them (commission) they have been encumbered by this (agreement) monstrosity. I applaud their action in appointing a blue ribbon panel – as long as it is more than a sound bite.”
     The agreement on one hand allowed the city to get approval for a bond allowing sorely-needed upgrading two years ago. On the other hand it has severe penalties for breach of agreement.
     While state authority and oversight of the practices employed by Lake Worth to operate, maintain and charge customers fees is limited, there are other aspects which could trigger state intervention.
     “As we all found out, again, there are two prime factors to survival and recovery. Water is essential. Power is next. Without power to maintain water pressure a ‘boil-water’ regimen occurs. If that continues, it creates a public health and safety problem calling for (outside) intervention,” Bucher said.
     She and other volunteers hauled water and ice to the upper floors of Lake Worth Towers during the days following Wilma’s destruction.
     “There were no elevators. There were no refrigerators. People were trapped. No water. Running out of food. Some with no way to keep their insulin cool – and nowhere to go.”
     Bucher said she hoped the normally vocal watchdogs of commission activities focus attention on major life-threatening problems for a while longer, until all the facts and figures are displayed.
     “They should be allowed to do a bit of chastising – then get down to finding out how to fix the problem. But unless the task force has some expertise they will need someone who can educate them on what they are examining.”
     However, a “toothless” review with no recommendations would serve no practical purpose, she said.

Alternatives

     “They need to come up with recommendations. This calls for a long-term solution, and maybe the reinstitution of an authority with oversight separate from the commission.”
     And if the city commission files and forgets any Blue Ribbon Report?
     “There’s always the ballot-box in March!”

End of Herald article.

Now we move from December 2005 to the year 2006 and beyond to what happened in 2011. . .

Remember The Best Commission Ever! (BCE!)?

A very revealing graphic is below from April 2014 (see “General Fund Revenues vs. Expenditures”), included in the back-up material at a City Commission Budget Work Session. For some perspective, Cara Jennings was elected in 2006 and JoAnn Golden in 2007, the two original members of The BCE!

In concert with The BCE! the former city manager, Susan Stanton, was hired in 2009.

But very briefly about “Visioning” in this City of Lake Worth is this recent blog post about code enforcement. Whilst our elected leaders were looking forward this year was a previous administration from back in 2009 looking on:

At the all-day Visioning Work Session held on July 24th, 2018 . . . note the framed photograph on the wall.

Click on image to enlarge:

The ‘Best Commission Ever!’ (aka, The BCE!) was the former 3-member band that ran the show, the majority consisting of self-described Anarchist Cara Jennings (District 2; standing next to American flag), JoAnn Golden (District 3, sitting), and then-District 4 Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill.

By the way for everyone wondering, also in the image above, the framed picture hanging on the wall at City Hall is former Mayor Jeff Clemens who ran and won election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010. And the rest is history, as they say.

Former District 1 Commissioner Retha Lowe (standing, center) who often challenged the majority of The BCE! opted not to run for re-election in 2010 when a former commissioner (Scott Maxwell, 2001–2003) returned to the scene. The majority on The BCE! and Maxwell did not get along very well.

There remain some — fewer and fewer all the time — that still refer to the former majority of Jennings, Golden and Mulvehill as ‘The Best Commission Ever!’, a reckless reign, that three member band that stopped playing for good in 2011.

What actually occurred is spending went completely out of control. The City had tons of money to spend on ‘shiny objects’ but the Electric Utility continued to languish.

After what happened in 2009 it was left up to future elected officials to pick up all the shattered pieces of this City following the Great Recession.

Click on image to enlarge:

In 2009 there were twenty-eight municipalities in PBC. South Bay and Pahokee suffered the worst following the Great Recession. The third worst hit? The City of Lake Worth.

In 2011 Pam Triolo became the mayor and Andy Amoroso replaced Golden on the City Commission. They both joined Scott Maxwell who had been elected the year prior. One of the first things “The Three” did — the new majority of Triolo, Maxwell, and Amoroso — was fire Stanton. In April 2012 Michael Bornstein was hired to be the city manager.

So where are we now, 12+ years later?

Listen and watch for yourself. From August 7th, 2018: “Let me chime in, for the record, Ed Liberty, director of the utility. . .”

In conclusion. . .

So the next time you hear anyone talk about how great The BCE! was, well, now you know really what happened. And maybe take a few moments and wonder how much further ahead our City would be right now if a former administration hadn’t recklessly squandered so much money away back in 2009, acting like the year was 1999:

City Commission meeting last night: PBSO Update, proclamations and then Mr. Pinsky talks about Tallahassee.

The YouTube video is below of last night’s Lake Worth City Commission meeting.

Here are the three presentations at the beginning of the meeting (note minute marks):

• The video starts off with the Quarterly PBSO Update by Cpt. Todd Baer at the four minute and thirty-five second mark.
• From 20:50–23:15: Mayor Pam Triolo’s “Proclamation declaring August 31 as Overdose Awareness Day”.
• And then until the 26:15 mark is “Proclamation declaring August 26 as Lineworker Appreciation Day” for the dedicated linemen from the Lake Worth Electric Utility.

And then later in the video comes along important political information. . .

Mr. Richard Pinsky (use this link for website) is the City’s eyes and ears in Tallahassee. His 30-minute presentation last night was about this City and “Discussion of 2019 Legislative Policy Issues and Requests”.

For all of you interested in politics this is very, very important information. Below are two slides from the City’s video last night presented by Mr. Pinsky. The State of Florida will be getting a new governor this year and. . .

A lot of changes are on the horizon.

Click on both images to enlarge:

Lot’s of new faces coming to Tallahassee.

“MARK YOUR CALENDAR!”

Important dates:

To watch the entire legislative report to the City Commission it begins at the 1 hour and eighteen minute mark and ends at the 1:48 mark.

Medical marijuana dispensaries in our City of Lake Worth. The question is not: ‘To Ban or Not To Ban’.

Medical marijuana is already “out of the bag” as they say. Dispensaries already in operation (see below) are not affected in any way within the municipal limits of this City.


UPDATE: See below to learn about what happened at the City Commission meeting last night on First Reading of a newly proposed ordinance.


Local governments are still trying to figure all this out and so is the public. Many of the misconceptions about marijuana persist despite the evidence and all the supporters of medical marijuana can do is just shake their heads. What this issue needs is leadership on the state level and hopefully when our state senators and representatives go to Tallahassee the new governor of Florida will get the message. Or maybe not.

First, let’s make this very clear. This City has two medical marijuana dispensaries in operation (Knox Medical and Curaleaf ) and neither of them will be affected by “Ordinance No. 2018-12” (see below). These two dispensaries are completely legal and are here to stay. Further discussions and items at City boards and at the City Commission will only address future establishments and whether or not they will be permitted to open up any more marijuana dispensaries within the municipal limits.

In other words, that particular question is, “To Ban [future dispensaries] or Not To Ban [future dispensaries]”. 

Well.

At the City Commission meeting last night was this information from PBSO Cpt. Todd Baer, a “Marijuana Dispensary Update”:

• PBSO recently toured both facilities [Knox & Curaleaf].
• Zero criminal complaints at either facility.
• Minimal calls for service at either facility.

The item on the agenda last night:


Item 12B. Ordinance No. 2018-12 — First Reading, banning Medical Marijuana Treatment Center Dispensing Facilities within the City of Lake Worth and setting the second reading and public hearing for September 13, 2018.


The discussion at the City Commission lasted about 45 minutes and was about 15 minutes too long. Eventually Commissioner Herman C. Robinson called the question and the vote was unanimous to end discussion. The vote on First Reading was 4-1 with Commissioner Omari voting no.

So unless something tremendously big happens Ordinance 2018-12 will pass next month. Probably another 4-1 vote. To watch the discussion for yourself from last night click on this link.

For more background on this topic continue reading. Did you know. . .

Amendment 2 in 2016 approving medical marijuana passed County-wide by nearly 75%. In our City of Lake Worth the result was 79.02%, the 3rd highest result in all of Palm Beach County.

The critics of Amendment 2 still contend lamely the vote in 2016 was just a majority. Wrong. It passed by a super-majority statewide, a much higher standard.

And critics here in this City opposed to a medical marijuana dispensary opening up on N. Dixie Hwy. across from an elementary charter school went silent last February after the facts were explained by Commissioner Hardy. By the way, that particular elementary school just happens to be next to a convenience store that sells cigarettes and beer and also down the street approximately 0.4 miles away (about 2000′) is a crematorium as well. But anyhow. . . 


Second Reading of Ordinance No. 2018-12 will be held on September 13th.

And earlier this year Commissioner Hardy said,

“This November you will have an opportunity to affect this debate.”

If the topic of medical marijuana is of interest to you, specifically what local governments can do and cannot do when it comes to regulating medical marijuana dispensaries let’s take a stroll back to last February when Hardy took an elementary charter school principal back to school. And it should be noted Hardy is a school teacher himself.

Specifically, on the topic of medical marijuana, where they can and where they cannot be located and a little about the upcoming elections and about the role of elected officials from Palm Beach County who are higher up the political ladder and are sent every now and then to a place up north called “Tallahassee”:


“This November you will have an opportunity to affect this debate. So if you care about it, here is not the place to be!”

—Quote. District 2 Commissioner Hardy, Feb. 20th, 2018, from the dais at the City Commission.

One could say the blog post below is one
“Worth” another look now.

And it’s “Worth Noting” that Hardy is not one to avoid a debate  — with anyone, any time, on any topic — just as long as it doesn’t interfere with his duties as an elected official and as a teacher during the day.

Debate is one thing. But insulting and/or trying to lecture Hardy on a topic he is well-schooled in, especially when he’s sitting in public on the dais at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting, well, that is something else entirely.

Many wondered afterwards how the public would respond to Hardy’s quite strong and forceful response to an elementary charter school principal.

But if the silence since then is any clue. . .

In the video below please pay particular attention to what Hardy says at the 28:45–31:50 mark. To say it hits hard is an understatement. The discussion about this agenda item last February at the City Commission begins at the 22:30 mark in the video below. At one point, the principal of an elementary charter school gets up to speak and Commissioner Hardy responds beginning at the 28:45 mark.

Keep in mind this video is from February this year:

TONIGHT: Special meeting of Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). See agenda below.

The regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the CRA was last Tuesday, August 14th.* And tonight (August 21st) is another meeting. The CRA meets at The HATCH located at 1121 Lucerne Ave. Meetings begin at 6:00 and are open to the public.

For public comment there is a three (3) minute limit. Please be nice and charming to CRA executives, staff and volunteer board members. Follow the rules and even say nice things if you feel like it.

There is only one (1) item on the agenda tonight:

Memorandum.

To: Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the Board.
From: Joan C. Oliva, Executive Director.
Date: August 21, 2018.

Subject: Purchase of Privately Owned Property on South ‘M’ Street.


Explanation:


The acquisition of key pieces of property in and around the District allows the CRA to provide opportunities for private redevelopment efforts. As a CRA we are tasked with attracting both investment and people to our growing downtown region. An opportunity has arisen in an area that we have invested before, however, this particular assemblage allows for much needed growth and activity.

In November of last year, the CRA purchased 16 S. ‘L’ Street. This lot is adjacent to two other CRA owned parking lots. In July of this year, and in cooperation with the City, the CRA was able to also purchase 24, 26, 30 and 32 S. ‘L’ Street. In recent weeks, it came to Staff’s attention that 17 S. ‘M’ Street was for sale. We contacted our broker, Anderson and Carr, and discussed a strategy with them that would facilitate the purchase of not only 17 S. ‘M’ but 23 S. ‘M’ as well. By securing these two additional downtown parcels, the CRA would own 1.56 acres in the Downtown. This assembly would provide ample space for both a downtown parking garage and another development that could include downtown dwelling units. Maps of the aforementioned lots are included for your review as Exhibit “A”.† Opinion of values provided by Anderson and Carr are also included as Exhibit “B”.‡

 While the addition of surface parking spaces in the downtown would be beneficial to the downtown, the addition of spaces and people living in downtown is what is needed to spur future growth. These additional units would provide customers to downtown and Dixie Highway businesses, contribute to the attraction of tenants in the currently empty downtown storefronts and spur future redevelopment of the downtown area.

The contracts for the properties, already reviewed by our attorney, David Tolces, are included for your review and consideration as Exhibit “C”.‡ Although the exact cost breakdown, City versus CRA, for the purchase of these parcels is yet to be determined, funds for the purchase will come from both entities. The future use of these parcels will be determined by both the CRA and City, working in tandem, providing possibilities for the attraction of both private investment and public use.


Request:


Staff requests the Board approve the purchase of 17 and 23 South ‘M’ St. and authorize the Chair, Vice Chair and/or Director to sign all necessary documents relating to the sale.

End of Memorandum.

*To learn more about the CRA meeting held on August 14th and an interesting item about Wayfinding on the agenda and, “Due to unforeseen requirements from FDOT. . .”.

†To look over this exhibit on the agenda click on this link to download.

‡Ibid. Latin. “[I]n the same book, chapter, page, etc., literally, in the aforementioned place.”

Every Wednesday morning: “Coffee and Conversation” with Lake Worth Commissioner Herman C. Robinson.

The message from Commissioner Robinson:

I want to invite you to “Coffee and Conversation” at The Book Cellar bookstore in Downtown Lake Worth. This event will be held every Wednesday morning at 9:30. Come talk about the Casino property, roads, traffic, the weather. . .


Below are more details about Commissioner Robinson’s weekly event. But first, there is new news to report.

A bulletin was just issued by Florida correspondent Ron Hayes about The Book Cellar headlined, “Resurgence of the Local Bookstore”. To learn more about journalist Ron Hayes and his account about our impressive new bookstore in this vibrant City here are two excerpts from state correspondent Ron Hayes’ account:


On Oct. 6 [2017], Ms. Ayraud and two co-owners opened The Book Cellar, an actual independent neighborhood bookstore at the corner Lake Avenue and J Street in the heart of Lake Worth’s bustling downtown.

More from Hayes’ dispatch beginning with
a quote by Ms. Ayraud:

     “I was living in Miami and moved here [to City of Lake Worth] two years ago because of the small-town, funky atmosphere,” Ms. Ayraud explained on a recent Wednesday morning as one customer arrived to collect a title he’d ordered and others browsed the shelves.


In preparation for “Coffee and Conversation” at The Book Cellar what would you like to discuss? Maybe parking and traffic? Maybe talk about a new Palm Tran bus stop at the regional Lake Worth Beach?

Here is the view of the room at the Dixie Hwy. Multimodal Corridor Study at The Hatch:

Commissioner Herman C. Robinson (left) at the “Open Studio Charrette”, Section 3: Lake Worth, Lantana, Hypoluxo held last July with (L–R) Downtown resident Mr. Greg Rice, Lantana Mayor Dave Stewart, and Lake Worth Commissioner Scott Maxwell with charrette staff looking on.

Commissioner Robinson got dressed up for the Multimodal Corridor Study at The Hatch last July. Most of you will recognize Herman looking like this.

Click on image to enlarge:

Robinson is the appointed liaison to the City’s Recreation Advisory Board (RAB).

The staff liaison is Lauren Bennett. RAB meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month. For more details about RAB click on this link.

One of the displays at the Multimodal Corridor Charrette last July:

If you plan on attending the “Coffee and Conversation” with Commissioner Robinson at The Book Cellar prepare your question(s) ahead of time.

As always, Thank You for visiting today and hope you found this information helpful. Do you have a question for one or all members of the Lake Worth City Commission? Then click on this link for phone numbers and email addresses.

And when finishing off your conversation or end the email ask this question:

“What can I do to help?”

 Your City Commission:

Lake Okeechobee, the Herbert Hoover Dike, and Peter Schorsch warned of “Godwin’s Law” two years ago.

“When forced to choose between living with humans or going down with Mother Nature, I may be selfish, but I’ll side with humans.”

—Quote by journalist Peter Schorsch.

At the end of this blog post is the definition of Godwin’s Law.

It sounds inconceivable anyone would think a breach and resulting collapse of the Herbert Hoover Dike would “fix everything”, but that is exactly what one ‘environmentalist’ suggested. If you didn’t know, there is a mass grave in West Palm Beach with bodies recovered when the previous dike collapsed. You can learn more about that using this link.

Am reminded of a quote by Michael Busha, the former Executive Dir. of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, who summed up the ideal way to solve vexing problems:

“Get everyone in the same room and not leave until you have a solution.”

Why? Because if this debate doesn’t settle down, and very soon, this is what will happen. Again.

Peter Schorsch at the Florida Politics blog originally broke this story in February 2016; here are some excerpts:

For those of you paying attention, however, they [radical environmentalists] have no doubt been aware of the release of excess water [east and west] from Lake Okeechobee, a result of historically high El Niño rainfall in South Florida.
     Unsurprisingly, environmentalists have been vocal in opposition. But this time, the rhetoric may be getting out of hand.

and. . .

     In one email, an activist named ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ goes beyond the pale.
     ■■■■■■■■■, in an especially nasty rant, wishes death via a disastrous Herbert Hoover Dike failure, resulting in the death of thousands of South Floridians. Such a catastrophe would “fix everything,” [emphasis added] noting the human toll would be “inconceivable.”
     But the benefits to the environment would be “immeasurable,” he concludes, drawing a line in the sand. “Question is … Which side are you on? Human or nature?”

Lastly, Mr. Schorsch has this observation. . .

     It may seem passe to say so, but wishing death on opponents is not the most efficient way of winning hearts and minds.
     When forced to choose between living with humans or going down with Mother Nature, I may be selfish, but I’ll side with humans.


Understandably, there is a lot of frustration about Lake Okeechobee, “Send It South!”, water storage and water releases, but there needs to be some perspective as well.

In the article cited above by Peter Schorsch is a reference to Godwin’s Law: What happens when the debate gets completely out of control and the likelihood “of inappropriate hyperbolic comparisons” increases exponentially and all reason and reasonable debate on the issues is lost.

Good advice.

The Explainer: Lake Osborne Estates. “Suburban Lake Worth Fire Hydrants” vs. “Lake Worth Fire Hydrants”.

And if you happen to live in unincorporated Lake Osborne Estates the topic of annexation may be one scheme in particular you will want to learn more about.

For example. . .

Briefly, within the City of Lake Worth is a “pocket” (also called a ‘finger’) of unincorporated Palm Beach County. Some day this area between Sunset Dr. and Grove St. will be annexed into the City of Lake Worth.

Click on image to enlarge:

Palm Springs Village Manager Richard Reade explained this process very well. The “[I]nvoluntary annexation process is critical . . . because within these pockets there are code enforcement and policing issues that the municipality cannot handle until the areas are made part of the city.”

Now back to Lake Osborne Estates: “Suburban Lake Worth Fire Hydrants” vs. “Lake Worth Fire Hydrants”.

Did you see the headline in The Palm Beach Post today? The headline reads, “Lake Worth Fire Hydrants” referring to Lake Erie and Crest drives but that is very misleading; Suburban Lake Worth Fire Hydrants would have much more accurate. And also part of this blog post is a map which is more educational than the map provided by the editor(s) at the Post.

The most land area of Lake Osborne Estates
IS NOT in the City of Lake Worth.

However, there is a very small area of Lake Osborne Estates (LOE) within the City of Lake Worth between Lake Geneva Dr. and Nanette Ct. (see map below) and part of LOE is within the Town of Lantana as well. But mostly LOE is unincorporated (“suburban”) Lake Worth.

By the way, last week “Suburban Lake Worth” was officially recognized by the editor(s) at the Post so maybe a clarification or a correction will be published in tomorrow’s print edition. So stay tuned for that.

Educating the public about municipalities and unincorporated areas in Palm Beach County is an important function of the press and news media. Why? Because some day in the future more land area in LOE will be annexed by either the Town of Lantana or the City of Lake Worth and this process can be very confusing for the public.

Before we proceed, you may recall in 2016 there was shocking news about Lake Osborne Estates when they were getting their water from a different water utility, from reporter Alyssa Hyman at NBC5/WPTV:

E. coli found in Lake Osborne Estates Water

Later in 2016 was this news:

Boil-water order lifted for Lake Osborne [Estates] after E. coli bacteria scare

In the print edition of the Post today is this line:


Lake Worth has scheduled to replace the [fire] hydrants at the corner of Lake Erie [Drive] and Crest Drive [emphasis added] this week, Kerr [Public Information Officer Ben Kerr] said, but will install the rest as the work week permits.


Note that following that shocking news about E. coli in LOE they switched over to the Lake Worth Water Utility. A very good decision on their part.

Note the image of the LOE area below, take note of Lake Geneva Dr. and Nanette Ct. (top center). City of Lake Worth is shaded green.

Click on image to enlarge.

In lower left is ‘Lake Erie [Drive] and Crest Drive’ as quoted in the Post. This area is located in suburban Lake Worth. The Town of Lantana (shaded red) is to the east and the City of Lake Worth is to the north of unincorporated LOE.

However, it is very important to note a significant area of LOE is located IN THE LAKE WORTH WATER UTILITIES SERVICE AREA.

Whilst on the topic of
Lake Worth utilities. . .

Let’s briefly discuss the Lake Worth Electric Utility.

In the continuing effort to educate the public, press and news media about the Lake Worth Electric Utility and answering the question, “Where the hell is Lake Worth!” please continue reading and hopefully this information will help.

You may have read or heard something about
Jon Smith Subs in The Palm Beach Post,
a very puzzling story indeed:

It was a story about Mr. Jon Smith — the owner of Jon Smith Subs on Congress Ave. in the Village of Palm Springs — and an unfortunate and major electrical incident created by the high winds of Hurricane Irma in September 2017:


“There was a giant billboard on the property in one corner and it just fell on top of our building and wiped out the roof . . . I thought we missed the bullet but I guess we didn’t.”
     Smith said he paid about $160,000 in repairs and was closed for 17 days. “We lost about $150,000, maybe a little less,” he said.

Here’s where it gets confusing. . .

     He [Mr. Smith] owns eight sub shops in the county in Lake Worth [sic; emphasis added], West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Royal Palm Beach, Lake Park and Boca Raton.
     The suburban Lake Worth store has been in business for 29 years, Smith said.
     “The city of Lake Worth was extremely helpful to us,” he said. “They understood the damage and were very helpful so we could get back open. The site looks great.”

So you’re asking yourself,
“What the heck is going on here!”

The answer is below.

First of all, sadly, there is not a Jon Smith Subs

location in the City of Lake Worth.

But you can call Mr. Smith at 561-642-4300 and say, “I want Jon Smith Subs in my City of Lake Worth too!”

Jon Smith Subs is located at 3900 S. Congress Ave. in Palm Springs. But guess what? Jon Smith Subs IS in the Lake Worth Electric Utility service area. That area is not FPL territory.

In other words: Just because your electric bill comes from the City of Lake Worth doesn’t necessarily mean you are a resident or have a business in the City. So. Did “The Explainer” help?

Thank you for visiting today and hope you found this information helpful.

Did you see the news about the Lake Worth Rotary and LFL yesterday?

Support LOCAL small town journalism and
LOCAL small town newspapers.

This week’s Lake Worth Herald and Coastal & Greenacres Observer are out. And there is new news about the Lake Worth Rotary Club (see below).

Click on this link to see this week’s front page news.

The Herald is still ¢50! To contact the editor call 561-585-9387 or email: Editor@lwherald.com

The Coastal & Greenacres Observer is FREE and also published by the Lake Worth Herald Press, Inc.: 

To read the Observer click on this link, go to “Options” menu and click on “Download as PDF”.

Headline in today’s paper:

“LW Rotary Sponsors New LFL”.

Click on image to enlarge:

“Members of the Rotary Club of Lake Worth dedicated a new Little Free Library in front of
Dr. Dennis Hernandez’s dental office on
Federal Highway.”

Pictured above is Rotary Club Treasurer Lorraine Hernandez and Rotary President Harry Wolin,


“[O]fficially opening the Little Free Library to the public as Rotarians look on. LFL Director Mary Lindsey stocked the LFL with children’s books and a few books for adults to get things started. Lorriaine will be the steward of this LFL.”


If you are interested in learning more, the Lake Worth Rotary meets every Wednesday at noon in Downtown Lake Worth:


“We meet at Brogues DownUnder for lunch every Wednesday [621 Lake Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth]. It is always an honor to have a new guest to share a joyful experience including a beautiful lunch while our weekly guest speaker shares productive information regarding current events. We want our guests to feel comfortable and among friends.” 

Please share.

There are so many misconceptions, untruths, and mis- and disinformation about blue-green algae and infections that may or may not result from being near or in the area of toxic algae. Did you know that not all blue-green algae is toxic? Please take note of the image below, “DEP Algal Bloom and Response”.

But still many in the public remain in the dark after reading press and news media reports.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, which manages Lake Okeechobee, and the South Florida Water Management District whose main responsibility is flood control, and the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection are all doing their best to get the word out. At the end of this blog post is each organizations’ website addressing the issue of algal blooms.

For more very important information from a public meeting held last week in suburban West Palm Beach please click on this link to learn more,

How many of you reading this blog post have heard about this news in the press and news media?

Click on image to enlarge:

Note: “29 of 35 exceedances in Lee County [in southwest Florida] . . . 4 in Martin County”

Official information about algal blooms, click on links:

• “Myth vs. Fact” about blue-green algae from the South Florida Water Management District.
• “Frequently Asked Questions” about Lake Okeechobee Water Management by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District.
• From Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, “Algal Bloom Monitoring and Response”.

Common FAQs: Traffic calming and slowing down traffic in this vibrant, little City of Lake Worth.

But first, before we get to the FAQs. . .

About the ribbon cutting yesterday for the long-awaited 2nd Ave. South roadway project using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the County. Please take note of highlighted “ADA ramps” which is explained later:


This extensive project will involve a full roadway reconstruction including the sidewalks, ADA ramps, traffic calming measures, decorative pavement and more . . . This project was funded by a Community Development Block Grant from the Palm Beach County Department of Economic Sustainability. If you have any questions regarding the project please feel free to contact [Lake Worth] Public Services at 561-586-1720.

—Press release issued by the City of Lake Worth, January 2016.


It’s interesting to note the City press release issued 2½ years ago cited “ADA ramps” but the words “boaters” and “boat ramps” are not. ADA  =  Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Why should this be important for the public to know? Because there is a very misleading headline by the editor in The Palm Beach Post print edition today:

City paves, makes 2nd Avenue South
one-way street for boaters

And then to make matters even more confusing, the article starts off with this line:

To help boaters get into Bryant Park’s boat ramp, Lake Worth used a community development block grant. . .

The 2nd Ave. South project is a COMMUNITY project.

Note that the ‘C’ in CDBG stands for “COMMUNITY”.

If the 2nd Ave. South project was just for boaters think it would be highly unlikely the CDBG funds would have ever been issued for this project in the first place. One would hope this misconception doesn’t put at risk further CDBG funding for a project next year.

Everyone in this City of Lake Worth should contact the Palm Beach County Dept. of Economic Sustainability and thank them for all the hard work they did to make the 2nd Ave. South COMMUNITY project happen. Contact information:


PBC Dept. of Economic Sustainability, 100 Australian Ave., Suite 500, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. Phone number is 561-233-3600. The director of this County department is Carlos Serrano, email: cserrano@pbcgov.org

Now back to “Common FAQs: Traffic calming and slowing
down traffic. . .”

Below is a very helpful video produced by the City with a facilitator that really grabs the attention of the public in a sunny and cheerful way.

However, very briefly, there was and remains much confusion about CDBG funds from the County and the City of Lake Worth’s Neighborhood Road Bond, take for example the 2nd Ave. South road project, officially unveiled just yesterday.

But prior to this year’s Street Painting Festival last February a story in the Post muddled the issue even more, confusing the public and forcing a response from the City:


“Just a point of clarification and I hope people understand, 2nd Ave. South is not part of the Neighborhood Road Program. It’s not part of the bond issue.”

—Quote by Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein at a City Commission meeting on January 16th.


Now to the City’s Neighborhood Road Bond. Do you have any questions, e.g., like about traffic calming? Upcoming schemes? All that information and much more can be found by clicking on this link.

And without further ado, the video from the City. A facilitator grabs the attention of the public in attendance at City Hall and later two consultants begin informing the public about many issues, including how to slow down traffic with traffic calming.

At any point in the video, if you wish, go back and watch from the beginning. Just in case you may have missed anything.

Enjoy!

This Friday Night: Get Ready for Lake Worth High School Trojans Football, Marching Band and Guard!

Support head coach Don Hanna, the new Trojans football team, and the band: Trojan Sound.

UPDATE: The Lake Worth Trojans 2018 football season “Kickoff” game is this coming Friday (August 17th) at 7:00 against Everglades High. More details about this game is below. Start getting excited!

And have your heard about the big news in The Lake Worth Herald? It’s news about Lake Worth High School educators Ms. Tiffany Cox and Mr. John Weatherspoon: “Two LWHS Educators Nominated for GRAMMY Awards”. 

In support of coach Hanna and Trojans football:

Trojan Sound: The Marching Band & Guard.

First official game of the season is Away on August 31st. First game Home is September 14th.

The time to get involved and support
Trojans football IS NOW.

Who is coach Hanna? Where did he coach last? Below are excerpts from an article by sports reporter Wells Dusenbury in the Sun Sentinel datelined March 8th.

The time is now to show your support for the Trojans, Lake Worth High School football, and the new coach in preparation for 2018 Football Season.

Coach Hanna needs partners and support for the Lake Worth High School Trojans football program. Send an email to the coach:

LWTrojansFootball2018@gmail.com

You can also show your support for Trojans Football by following coach Hanna and the Lake Worth Trojans football team on Twitter:

@LakeWorthFBall 

The 2018 Trojans football schedule is below.


Following no wins and ten (10) losses in the 2017 football season, Lake Worth High School’s football coach, according to Dusenbury at the Sun Sentinel, Don Hanna is:

The longest-tenured coach in the [Village Academy Football] Tigers’ short history, Hanna spent eight seasons leading the Delray Beach school. After serving as the defensive coordinator during Village Academy’s inaugural season in 2008, Hanna was promoted to head coaching position the following year and led the program for nearly a decade.

and. . .

     Hanna will have his work cut out for him in his new gig. While there’s plenty of talent in the Lake Worth area, the school has never been able to put it all together on the field. [emphasis added] The program has won just two playoff games and last made the postseason in 2010.

2018 Lake Worth High School Trojans football season schedule, Weeks 1 to 11, is below.

On May 18th was a “Spring” game with Seminole Ridge Hawks (Class 8A); an Away jamboree game with West Boca. For the results read this article in The Town-Crier by sports reporter Gene Nardi.

The 2018 Season “Kickoff” game is on August 17th at 7:00 against Everglades High (Miramar; Class 8A). This is an Away game as well. Then the Official 2018 High School Football Season begins on Friday, August 24th when the Trojans start off with their bye week.

Please take note:

All games are played on Friday evening.
All start times are 7:00 p.m.

Home games are indicated in red.
District games are indicated in yellow.

Week 1, August 24th

Bye Week.

Week 2, August 31st

Palm Beach Lakes (Class 7A).

Week 3, September 7th

Palm Beach Gardens (8A).

Week 4, September 14th

Park Vista (8A; district game).

Week 5, September 21st

Spanish River (8A; district game).

Week 6, September 28th

Santaluces (8A; district game).

Week 7, October 5th

Glades Central (4A).

Week 8, October 12th

Boca Raton (8A; district game).

Week 9, October 19th

Atlantic High (8A; district game).

Week 10, October 26th

Homecoming Game against John I. Leonard (8A; district game).

Week 11, November 2nd

Senior Night/Beach Bowl Game against Boynton Beach (6A).

Here is a blast from the past!

At Lake Worth’s Evening on the Avenues in August 2009 the Trojan cheerleaders rally the crowd in support
of the football team. 

Video is up: August meeting of the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

[NOTE: This blog post was posted on August 13th. Reading this will give you a good idea what to expect next month following the September Governing Board meeting which will include the the updates, guidance and information from WRAC (see below) on Sept. 6th.]


The link to the video is below of the previous SFWMD Governing Board meeting held on August 9th at the headquarters in suburban West Palm Beach. First, this is very important:

Note that beneath the video of this SFWMD meeting is the actual agenda and within that agenda are links to specific agenda items. For example, when you scroll down to agenda Item 19 and click on “Technical Reports” you will go directly to that point in the video and watch the latest updates from the SFWMD Executive Management team consisting of Chief District Engineer John Mitnik, P.E., Water Resources Director Terri Bates, et al.

The meeting officially begins at the two-minute mark. Click on this link to begin watching from the start.

At several points during this meeting of the Governing Board the role of the press and news media was discussed and specifically how little news is reported about successful and ongoing projects to move clean water south and all the work to protect the environment.

One item in particular that stands out here in Palm Beach County is Item 23 in the video, the “Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project Update”.

And Item 19B is the “Ecological Conditions Report” by Dir. Terri Bates (see image below).


FYI: The next meeting of the Water Resources Analysis Coalition (WRAC) is on September 6th. The next regularly scheduled SFWMD Governing Board meeting is on September 13th. Both meetings begin at 9:00 a.m. and are held at SFWMD headquarters located at 3301 Gun Club Rd. in suburban West Palm Beach.     

By the way, have you seen this news

in the press and news media?

Click on image to enlarge:

For all the latest press releases issued by SFWMD click on this link. If you have any questions or would like more information use this link to contact SFWMD directly.

A reminder: The Lake Worth CRA monthly meeting is tomorrow.

The Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meets at The HATCH located at 1121 Lucerne Ave. The meeting begins at 6:00. Meetings are open to the public and everyone is encouraged to follow the rules and be charming. More details about this meeting follow.

Oooops.
“Due to unforeseen
requirements from FDOT. . .”

Please! Before we proceed. The Lake Worth CRA does a spectacular job. Kudos to Executive Director Joan Oliva, the dedicated staff, appointed liaison Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso, and all the volunteers that serve on the board.

For just one example of their efforts is what will soon become major real estate news in Central Palm Beach County, a housing project called “The Mid” on N. Dixie Hwy.

But sometimes as they say, ■■■■ happens. Read more about that below, an item on next Tuesday’s CRA board meeting agenda. This is an excellent example of how complicated work can be to change and upgrade arterial roads like Dixie Hwy. and delves in nicely to Lake Worth Commissioner Omary Hardy’s observations at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council about “our City’s ‘good grid system’ and ‘arterial’ challenges”.

But unfortunately, it’s going to take a bit longer
to find our way to “Wayfinding”:

 Click on image below of Wayfinding
in this little City of Lake Worth:

Wayfinding is “branding”. It defines for the public, visitors, investors, and consumers WHAT and WHERE the unique City of Lake Worth IS.

And very briefly — before we get to the “Ooooops” and about when “■■■■ happens” and finding our way to Wayfinding too — Guess what! There has been a major development at The Palm Beach Post. The editor(s) have officially recognized “suburban Lake Worth”, that vast area in Central Palm Beach County, a region with many communities and neighborhoods that lie west of this City of Lake Worth:

Click on map of eastern coastal
Central Palm Beach County to enlarge:

To learn more about this latest development by the editor(s) at the Post click on this link.

Back to the Lake Worth CRA, finding our way to Wayfinding and about their monthly public meetings:

Regular meetings of the Lake Worth CRA are the second Tuesday of every month and are held at The Hatch.* The CRA is,


[R]esponsible for formulating and implementing projects to assist in revitalizing and redeveloping portions of the City of Lake Worth. As an independent board, the CRA maintains its own website which may be viewed by clicking here. Volunteer members of the CRA board serve four year terms.

Without further ado. . .

Item V. Consent Agenda: Wayfinding — Extend Contract with Don Bell Signs, LLC.

Memorandum.

To: Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the CRA Board.
From: Chris Dabros, Deputy Director.
Date: August 14, 2018.
Subject: Wayfinding — Extend Contract with Don Bell Signs, LLC.


Explanation: In 2017, City and CRA Commissioners reached consensus to allow the fabrication and installation of new Wayfinding signage throughout the City with a design that incorporates water, sun, vibrant colors and an art deco style typeface. The purpose of a good Wayfinding signage program is not only to provide attractive welcome signs, but also to guide individuals from Point A to Point B in the quickest, safest and most efficient way possible.

In November 2017, the CRA and City advertised IFB #18-108 [Wayfinding Signage Project†] to provide professional signage companies the opportunity to fabricate and install new signage throughout Lake Worth. The scope of this bid included up to 150 new signs of varying shapes and sizes that will be placed along major thoroughfares and in neighborhoods within the City. The IFB resulted in seven bids being received from local and national sign manufacturing companies.

After thorough review and consideration, CRA and City Staff selected low-bidder, Don Bell Signs, LLC, to enter into a construction agreement for signage services, not to exceed $561,069. Funding of this project has been budgeted by both the CRA and City of Lake Worth Public Works Department prior to the start of this fiscal year.

The consultants and Staff have been carefully reviewing each sign and value engineering the project. This should result in a significant reduction of signs and overall savings to both the City and CRA. Unfortunately, the original agreement with Don Bell Signs will expire at end of this month [August 2018]. Due to unforeseen requirements from FDOT we have not been able to obtain all necessary permits to begin fabrication. [emphasis added] For example, FDOT has requested an increase in the size of the sign text lettering, elimination of ‘butterfly’-type signs along FDOT streets and the need to enter into Community Aesthetic Feature (CAF) agreements for all welcome signs.

Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) District 4 oversees Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties.

SHS  =  State Highway System. For more information about FDOT and CAF click on this link. Dixie Hwy. is part of FDOT’s SHS.

[Memorandum continues. . .]

These conditions did not come to the attention of the CRA, City or our consultants until immediately after we executed the contract with Don Bell Signs in February. Regrettably, we cannot with assurance know how long FDOT will approve the complete Wayfinding signage package.

This first extension [Exhibit A‡] to the agreement will give Don Bell Signs until the Summer of 2019 to have the project substantially completed.

Request: Staff recommends the Board allow Staff to extend the agreement with Don Bell Signs, LLC to provide fabrication and installation of City-wide Wayfinding signage. The price of the contract will continue to not exceed the original agreed price of $561,069.

End of memorandum.

*Note: Public comment at the CRA is limited to three (3) minutes. Please remember, always be nice, charming and respectful to the officials and CRA volunteer board members.
†For more information about the CRA board meeting on February 13th, 2017 and IFB #18-108, “Wayfinding Signage Project” click on this link.
‡Attend the upcoming CRA board meeting (Tues., August 14th) to examine Exhibit A.