scroll down for today’s big decision….  to negotiate….

Posted in Miscellaneous

3/31/08 www.thelemieuxreport.com

Cutting back on info…..take this opportunity to use the link to sign up for your weekly email…as stated before…it’s free…and worth the time …less than 30 seconds to start it….

Topic 1 ….Budget Cuts Target Health Care Spending…

cutting process 2008- 09 budget began…big cuts …

bottom line….health care for poor will have to be reduced to balance expenditures with decreased revenues…

Topic 2…. Hitting Bottom?

Nat. Assoc. of Realtors …report sales up 1st time in a year….existing Fl. homes dropped 25% from 2/07….sale prices falling… 16% median price $237 thous. to $197 thou. Sarasota/ Ft. Meyers saw increased sales…

Agency for Workforce Innovation… reported seasonally adj. employment rate held steadyin 2/08 4.6% rate represens 422 thou. unemployed out of 9,211,000

bottom line….jury still out on where economy heading…

Topic 3…. Recommendations to Revamp Investment Pool…. in previous post…(news.)… new guidelines…suggestions to audit, train and expand board…

bottom line….state should end involvement with LGIP once all prudent steps are taken by local governments… state should get out providing banking services for local government….

Topic 4….Education on the Ballot Nov….

previous post… going against voters…. Board of Governors…Senate passed legislation ….would give power to a elected Comm. of education…

Taxation and Budget Comm…favored constitutional amendment to remover Blaine Amendment fro Fl. State constitution…a provision Supreme Court interpreted using taxpayer funding to support religious based institutions…. yep…vouchers…

bottom line…numerous proposals before voters will impact Florida going forward…Florida residents need to choose wisely for changes in Florida constitution

Topic 5…Insurance Rate Hold, But Will Citizen’s Reserves Be Redirected?….

in previous post… Senate Banking and Insurance Comm. agreed to continue the rate freeze on Citizens ..through 2009…

bottom line….changes made last year to expand the cat fund and allow Citizens to compete …have led to decrease of more than 15% statewide and more competition have entered Fl. insurance market…

Things to watch…

Florida Taxation and Budget passed proposal for constitutional amendment to give working waterfronts a tax break…

4/4…TBRC final recommendation due to Gov. Crist…legislature winding down…

several important proposals left on the table….look for “Taxpayers Bill of Rights”…. still undergoing modifiations…

will also consider proposal to recalculate Fl. classroom size amendment…giving districts more time to meet voter mandated cap…

to decide if Fl. should join 22 other states in agreement to tax some internet sales….

The 2008- 09 budget proposed by Fl House would cut $200 million funding to rstore Fl. Everglades/ Lake Okeechobee …last month Bush recommended $215 million investment by Fed. government…Fl. has invested $2 billion in the project….

Fl. Senate passed a plan to change FCAT …..

finally…a proposal to end daylight savings time passed the Senate Governmental Commission this week….

Tags: State Politics
Posted in Uncategorized

www.sunsentinel.com

3/31/08…Pompano Beach…

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency has completed its fiscal year 2007 annual report and 2007 independent auditor’s report . PBCRA has filed copies of the reports with the city clerk in accordance with Florida statutes the report and audit are available for public inpection during normal business hours 8am- 5 pm weekdays…at the office of the city clerk…anybody interested in CRAs might want to see …

3/28/08 LBTS…

OOPS…. notice for 5/25/08 7 pm Ordinance for using Jarvis Hall…appearing in paper 3/28/08….

that was 1st reading on the 25th…2nd should be next commission meeting …2nd week of April….Ordinance 2008- 10 amending chap 17 article vII section 17- 101 code of ordinances to limit use of Jarvis Hall to a local civic organizations, a town business that hold s a occupational license…public may speak..due to it being 2nd reading….

Notice of Variance…public hearing…

Mr Donald Mickey Coblentz property ownerof property located within RS- 4 residentila zoning district located at 1907 SE 19th Street…LBTS…to allow a Tiki Hut..to be constructed 7 ft. from the principal bldg.rather than the 10 ft. required by code…

Board of Adjustment will meet to hear this on April 16, 2008 11 am/ Comm. will hear it May 13,2008 7 pm…public can speak at both… you may also submit written comments to the town clerk at town hall…

Tags: Public Notices
Posted in Uncategorized

www.sunsentinel.com

Local section….

more comparisons…

Pompano Beach….full cost accounting Solid Waste Management… 2008

Residential Customer

single family….$18.61

Multi family …$13.43….duplex/ triplex/ apartments

commercial customers

per cubic yard….$ 16.59

Ft. Lauderdale….$11.7 million authorized for parts of water – sewer work….continuance of WaterWorks 2011 infrastructure project taking place…any news of the LBTS purchase of our water pipes?

front section…

In New Jersey, some towns might be too small to exist…let’s see…Collingswood, N. J….pop. 14,0000/ East Rutherford, N. J….pop. 8,900/ Carlstadt, N. J. …pop 5,900/ Moonachie, N. J. …pop. 2,700…too many layers of government?….. Governor is threatening to cut off state aid…HMMMM…how big is LBTS?…  our population 7000…..will others follow this…Broward County …the state….the Fort Lauderdale rumor has been around a long time….

www.miamiherald.com

business section…

The Ultimate Maps…Miami Company has taken 360 degree photos of every street in South florida…now aims for 50 more Metro areas by year’s eend….Blue Dasher Technologies…not for individual consumers…but will see it on other devices or websites…amazing….

Tags: News
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Workshop today….

Weiss, Serota, Helfman are in as Town Attorney’s on a “day to day” basis…

that will be how the Town Manager will negotiate with them…

they were the only firm to show…the independent Atty. had a conflict… he’s out of contention….

Town Manager goes back a long way with Weiss…

Integrity is how she describes them…

the original choice for becoming Town Attorney was met with concern seeing that he..Alan Gabriel …represented Shore Court developer in front of the last commission…

Mr Gabriell is currently the Special Magistrate to LBTS… he has been with the firm for 1+1/2 years…

I still am not sold on the statement that there are only 4-5 firms that do this…

just as I do not think Hollywood is a cushy job at $300 thousand plus…and we are $150 thousand…we are paying $300+ and that will not be halved…

I also have a concern…when Atty Weiss says after answering Bert J Harris…. he is for local government having more power……

A few months back…different Mayor…same circumstances….if that Mayor was all for this applicant alone….the current Vice Mayor would have been very suspicious…. but maybe this is the “unity” starting to jell?

if the firm agrees to the “day to day” ….. and a match for who will be the primary Town Attorney is acceptable to all 5 Commissioners….we might just get lucky….let’s hope so….

to see it yourself….www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov

Tags: Scoops
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A look at the workshop agenda for today’s Town Attorney RFPs brings a huge shock…

How is this possible?…..Hollywood in the sentinel…in previous post…announced it had 140 applicants to choose from…

we are only going to see 2!

One large firm…Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Pastoriza, Cole (no relation) & Boniske, P.A.

and Mitch Kraft a former Town Attorney for City of Tamarac

A Google of both finds more disturbing info….

Weiss… under the news section of their web page….

On June 9, 2007 filed a writ of mandamus with the Supreme Court of Florida challenging the constitutionality of the Property Reform Legislation passed on June 7, 2007.

Very concerning to those with civic organization ties….

Weiss… obtained a significant ruling in favor of its client a prominent developer in the City of Pompano Beach …

The matter involved a challenge by a neighboring property owner to a variance of the city’s air park that had been granted by the City of Pompano Beach in favor of the developer!

The case Stanton vs. Pompano Beach….

Ed Stanton…a original member of the South Pompano Beach Civic Organization….a civic organization that was a precursor for the CIC…

a civic organization that has CIC ties with their attorney representing them in the successful term limits vote, height limits etc…. and the unsuccessful recall!

The other choice….well…a stacked deck to say the least…in my opinion…just from looking into both….

Mitch Kraft was the Town Attorney in Tamarac until he was let go….for costing the town millions for a fire assessment loss in court….

who was the Town Attorney hired to replace him?…..Attorney Sam Goren…a partner in the law firm of the soon to be ex-LBTS Town Attorney…Cherof!

If this was a different time…oh say a few months back….

I would say….this looks suspect….just wrong…..

I am not accusing anyone of anything …

As I watch today’s workshop… I will hope that the brakes are applied….. by a majority vote….

table this all important decision…..send out RFPs once again….ask Hollywood how they did it, if need be….

give all who apply to the commissioners and then let them pare them down and decide …..

it is the commissioners who pick the Town Attorney…let’s get this one right!

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings
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Nice front page…with a nod to the outstanding …largely attended….. Easter- By- The- Sea event at Municipal Park…..

Then SPLAT…..

inside….page 2…. a totally biased headline on the Vik story about the LBTS awarding the EMS contract to AMR last Tuesday at the commission meeting….

Lauderdale- By- The- Sea ousts Broward Sheriff’s Office EMS in favor of AMR Ambulance services

The story written by Vik explains right in the first paragraph …American Medical Response or AMR will be the new provider of emergency medical services in Lauderdale- By- The- Sea starting in October….

So what happened with this mis-leading headline….the editorial control of the publisher?

Maybe Ms. Vik should write her own headlines? Her story is accurate and based solely on facts…no bias…so what happened?

Pelican does not need to do this again…a disservice  to the readers and those already fragile residents who bought into the BSO/ election fear mongering….

I do not agree with much the Vice Mayor has to say these days….but…

this time …on AMR….if they screw up….if they are not the equal EMS as they have portrayed themselves….

he may be the 1st one on their case….but the fallout will be deafening!

The future of the CIC majority on the dais will rise and fall on this issue …and the VFD…..

More on the VFD to come …..

Next ….seems Ms Vik took on my previous posts about the Chamber in town…their building…numbers dropping of visitors to the chamber….and a Sentry article I posted a link to about chambers being obsolete….

Nice fluff pieces… there are 2 in the paper about the chamber….but numbers will tell it all…

what will the March numbers show compared to last year?….what will an audit show?…needs to be 5 years of records ….any less will not do….

before the budget is decided …..

Tags: Local News
Posted in Uncategorized

www.chicagotribune.com

Marlin’s big catch: Called the Manatees to entertain…

forget the slinky temptresses from bygone Marlins Games…

the big boys are in town…

Big Guys ….doing cheer- leading…. to bring the fans back to the stadium this year?….

no wonder the bcbytheseahubby and I will be among the few season ticket regulars…..

shades of the Refrigerator doing the Super Bowl Shuffle…. (previous post)

UPDATE: do not despair the girls are still in business….fat guys are weekend attraction….

Tags: News
Posted in Uncategorized

Back from Chicago….delayed flight…4 hours shut- eye…

Today…some eye- openers…can they be printed….we shall see…

Lemieux report…papers…catching up…opinions…scoops? as soon as all is squared away…

5 pm Town Attorney RFPs Jarvis Hall…cable and online…

or….Marlins game….Tivo anyone?

Posted in Miscellaneous

No Futures ….not online…not in the stores….

on hiatus?……out of cash?…..not enough to write about?….playing possum?….changing to a monthly thing?….

going to compete with their nemesis….head to head coming out on the same day ….same week?…

will that bring on a game of “chicken”?…. who would bow out first to return back to the status quo of opposite bi-monthly publications?….

let the games begin…..

Tags: Scoops
Posted in Uncategorized