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HERE’S THE SCOOP…. WHICH CAME FIRST…THE LANDMARK RESTAURANT OR THE PLAZA?…..

September 25, 2022 by Barbara

LANDMARK ARUBA CAFE WAS THE WHARF RESTAURANT BUILT BY LBTS FOUNDING DEMKO FAMILY !….

Dear Readers….As previously posted there is a small minority of misinformed LBTS residents and visitors who are being told that Aruba Beach Cafe is infringing on our public property and must be stopped…..

This is a campaign of lacking the facts and the history of our town….especially as we approach our 75th year and the upcoming celebrations….

The facts as you can see are quite the opposite….The Wharf Restaurant was built by the Demko family who like the Anglin family who built the Anglin Pier and the Friedt family who brought us Friedt Park…. are landmarks that were here long before the 2008 Pavilion and the 2013 Ocean Plaza….

The Wharf Restaurant now known as Aruba Beach Cafe should be rightly recognized along with the pier and the park and the Welcome Center that was the original Women’s Club in our 75th year and as such should be coveted and revered ….not denigrated and displaced as this group is looking to do….

Don’t buy into these scare tactics of “tunnels” to the beach and there being no more public space for children to play….It is a ruse of the worst kind to work people up under false fears for the future….

Instead…. join those who know that Aruba Beach Cafe is as it has always been….well placed both in its historic placement with the pier and within the Ocean Plaza as we proceed to improve upon what our founding families provided us with a town like no other….

 

Below is the email I sent to the commission last week….and the link to-

Lauderdale- By The – Sea A Living History found on our Town website….

It is a must read for all who live and love LBTS…..

 

‘Mayor, Commissioners-

I stood before you on 9/14/2022 and spoke about Aruba Beach Cafe being a landmark in our town.
Further investigation produced more credence to designate it as such along with our other landmarks such as Anglin Pier, Friedt Park, Women’s Club Building (The Welcome Center )etc…
Included in the book Lauderdale- By- The- Sea A Living History by Martha E Munzer Chapter 1. “The Beginning” on page 3  is the history of the Wharf Restaurant now known as Aruba Beach Cafe.
It was built and run by one of our Town’s founding families,The Demko family and it is described for its location as is the pier built by another founding family the Anglin family.
What this tells us all is that Aruba Beach Cafe ( The Wharf) and Anglin Pier were the coveted properties in place decades before the redevelopment of the pavilion ( from  metal shell covers) in 2008 and the Ocean Plaza ( from parking places) in 2013.
To denigrate Aruba Beach Cafe in the manner a small minority is doing with threats of a referendum ( not possible for the Nov.8,2022 election per required process) and threaten them with falsehoods in alerts disgraces the history and significance of Aruba Beach Cafe( The Wharf) and its Demko history as well as a look at the reverence long paid to it past and present.
Experienced planners look to join public- private ventures such as we have with Aruba Beach Cafe in the Ocean Plaza and as such it should be recognized for the landmark it rightly is and a shining example of urban planning at its best!
I again ask the Mayor as he finishes his term to spearhead designating Aruba Beach Cafe with a proclamation as a landmark alongside Anglin Pier, Friedt Park, The Women’s Club Building and others.
Respectfully,
Barbara Cole’
Link- Lauderdale- By The – Sea A Living History found on our Town website-
https://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/286/A-Living-History-PDF?bidId=

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HERE’S THE SCOOP…. THIS WRITER LEAVES THE GREEN TEAM….

September 19, 2022 by Barbara

This Writer Leaves the LBTS Green Team!

Past Green Team El Mar Supporters who fought to retain El Mar Drive from being redeveloped should know that the current defunct Green Team has gone off course with the new call to protect and preserve our town.
It is a rotten ruse!
Past Green Team supporters should also know that it was this writer who came up with “Protect and Preserve “ slogan and wrote the previous Green Team newsletters, alerts and Captain of the Green Team public comments throughout the El Mar campaign.

This writer is parting ways with the defunct Green Team on its call to prevent Aruba continuing its use of a scaled back portion of the Ocean Plaza!

Don’t be fooled that this unnecessary call to arms is the same fight!
In fact the sad result of this defunct Green Team going off on this tangent is the scandalous loss of the 2023 “earmarked” $1.6 million dollars for refreshing El Mar Drive!
The Town Manager moved that money received from the old Holiday Inn and the Oriana to other Capital Improvement Projects and slated El Mar Drive for yet another design phase in 2025 and project in 2026!
A look at the 2023 budget shows there are no funds allocated for median lighting on El Mar Drive and that a paltry sum of approximately $77,000 was used to fill the cracked swales as well as minimal expensed funds were used to redo cracked sections of sidewalks.
Hardly the expected refreshed “ Protect and Preserve” package that could have been if this defunct Green Team had kept their eye on the El Mar Drive prize!
Please remember after volunteers went out to all areas of the town (both north and south) that surveys were brought into Jarvis Hall in baskets and presented to the commission in overflowing numbers when sidewalk dining including the plaza use were looking for extensions and permanent use from residents, hotel guests and visiting patrons showing the overwhelming support and desire to retain what resulted from Covid compliance initiatives.
The Green Team has fallen mightily from Preserve and Protect El Mar Drive to a campaign full of poorly written falsehoods!
But, what is truly mind boggling to this writer is that the Captain of the defunct Green Team has actively joined forces with the resident/ town contracted engineer who engineered ( pun intended) the redevelopment of one- lane El Mar and the removing the medians for parking in this crazy plaza endeavor!
Until 2012 the plaza was comprised of parking spaces and not the historic public space being touted by the defunct Green Team.
In fact, it was Aruba and the Pier that anchored it when there was no plaza or pavilion!
 The plaza in 2020-2022 uninhabited by Aruba Beach Cafe is a space that fills up not with children playing games while holding their balloons as they have in the last decade when they are waiting with their parents to get a table at Aruba ( before the plaza portioned outdoor seating)!but with loitering souls as any regular downtowner can attest to.
Please take note-
As of 3 weeks ago the plaza games the defunct Green Team laments are no longer in use along with new additions have been put back in the plaza and it is Aruba that is taking care of putting them out and back for the Town to extend their time beyond the hours of the Town maintenance employees!
Aruba is a town landmark as this writer previously posted, emailed and spoke at Public Comments about.
As such, an all- out campaign to malign this anchor to our town built on falsehoods should be discounted and called out by all!
Aruba is not using the sidewalks and the plaza. A look throughout the past few years and present time shows this to be false.
Aruba and all downtown restaurants have long leased from the town and will continue to with rates commensurate with their usage of space involving requirements of maintenance that will decrease the town’s need to do so. This has been stressed each time the discussion is on the agenda throughout this process.
No “ tunnel” will result from partnered plaza usage as the defunct Green Team extolls will be the case. It is true fear-mongering in pushing this narrative.
 There is no doubt that the Town administration, commission and plaza restaurant occupants whether it is one or two will continue to partner as well to provide all the advantageous and beautifying space we have long enjoyed.
As events in the Ocean Plaza have slowly returned Aruba has continually assisted in providing whatever space is needed and wanted and in offering up complimentary services and goods that have elevated the event experience as the Town administration, staff, commission and event participants can and do appreciate and regularly attest to!
Please do not fall for “ Alerts” that come in emails bearing inaccuracies that stir the pot and negate all the success the former Green Team had with El Mar Drive.
As we celebrate our Town’s 75 th year –
Support outdoor downtown dining in the Ocean Plaza showcasing our adjoining
3 LBTS Destination Landmarks –
Aruba Beach Cafe
Our Beach Pavilion and Plaza
The Pier
More to come….

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HERE’S THE SCOOP….MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS….SHARPEN THOSE SHARPIES…

September 16, 2022 by Barbara

KEEPING THE MILLAGE AND BUDGET DOWN IN LBTS….

Mayor, Commissioners,…….Gentlemen …. Sharpen those sharpies….

First Round…..
At the 9/14/2022 1st Budget Meeting for 2023 …..Mayor Vincent, Vice Mayor Malkoon and Commissioner Strauss put their constituents first and kept the millage the same as in 2022……

These three dais members knew the shell game that is government budgeting at its finest and began the process of turning over this doozy predicated on “Building a Stronger Foundation” and “Staying the Course” with a snazzy bullet point presentation and Town Manager “invites” to push through her Hope Chest of the 2023 LBTS Budget…..

It is jam packed with goodies for our overblown number of town employees and the expansive contracted service providers that will definitely keep them busy with resume building projects culminating in the end of the budget year ( 3 months) that provides them the wish list items conveniently attainable due to the inflated budget approved and passed the past September…..It happens every year!….
When the millage PR campaign pushed by the Town Manager lost its first round the staff was asked to find ways to cut that $300,000 deficit….and on the fly….
What did the manager put forth?….. To not proceed with repaving of the streets! …..Which included the 3 rd vote to keep the millage down Vice Mayor’s BelAir streets….Pow!….
A look at the 2023 budget and accompanying justification sheets – found on Town Website- link to agenda /video below) has so much pork that can and should be removed that much, much more can be cut than the $300,000 without taking away from taxpayer infrastructure etc…
Why in the world did the commission end with agreeing staff would come back to recommend the items to be cut?….
The constituents expect the commissioners to come up with their cuts for keeping the constituents first and doing the job the commission was elected to do!…… No pencils please!……..Indelible markers are required!…..
Here’s some suggestions for Round 2 on September 28,2022 at 5:30pm Jarvis Hall…… Based on the agenda backup for the budget, the justification sheets and years of sitting at budget meetings and experiencing the same playbook….
Do not continue to curb and/ or negate code violation fines…..
Airbnb held to same tourist taxing for guests as hotels…… offering the same services….should require the same impacts of doing business in our town….
Do not re- design award winning Abatte portals- see historical documents on them…..replace the one that was torn down and repair the other Mimo structures….
Do itemize contractural contracts and cut “ studies” etc…….. Where else can an unitemized laundry list of expenditures be listed with a lump sum column and be accepted and approved?….
Do not hire more employees – pare down town employees. …..The Town has not grown but the number of employees in all departments has….with new titles and expanded assistance that defies the need with the outside experts we use as well….
Look at employee costs for conferences/ training and dues….. Are they all necessary and required each and every year?….
Look at actual breakdown of public works and contracted providers for the approximately $1.3 million along with salaries that puts this 2nd highest cost behind public safety….. The Mayor brought this forth and the response was non-responsive….but calls for itemization this year and going forward….Mayor, get the answers at the 9/28/2022 2nd Budget meeting…..
Do not allow ordinance changes at the increasing rate we have seen in the past few years ….This too has grown in numbers that beg for more scrutiny …….
Severely cut even more Town marketing – our hotels and restaurants do their own marketing….. Doubling up for what ?….
Archiving social media  which was approved on the 14th for $6000 this year…..is totally unnecessary when everything is attainable and on the cloud……
Do not continue to give free usage of parks etc.. to profiting businesses…..Charge a hefty rate or negate practice altogether….. And please do not let vendors compete with our downtown restaurants and stores for months at a time…..The vendors do not have to cover the same costs as our downtown businesses …..
Charge the vendors who use our beach for their chairs etc… if we do not do so presently….Something questioned and brought up to this writer often….
Do not add any more events in town….. We specifically cut events due to the negative impact to residents, costs and staff time……
Put marketing costs to event users to market beyond our normal web outreach……
Raise the parking rates….. Go as high as possible to coincide with the our prime location and usage….. Residents can get permits, businesses can get parking for their employees……
Stop buying more land…… Again, the town has not grown and start counting private parking lots……. when stating we need more….
Have a 2nd and even a 3rd opinion look at the fire safety report that is pushing for new Public Safety Facility for $10-$20 million….. It will not align with our small- town in looks or need!…..
Do not allow the Town Manager to remove the “ earmarked” $1.6 million for El Mar without a vote of the commission…..There was no vote to do so….The Mayor stated last year at the 2022 Town Budget meeting of it being for 2023 for El Mar Drive ….and suddenly after one comment over the summer from the Town Manager to move it to other Capital Improvement Projects…POOF!…. Those funds disappeared and El Mar was moved to “design in 2025 and redevelopment in 2026!….
Require itemized contractural list in Justification sheets instead of lump sums shown in current budget. It’s deceptive…… It bears repeating this ……
What actually needs to go to Flynn Engineering and Cap for review- same for our attorney, architectural review et al……
Require apples to apples comparisons in past budget numbers to new budget presentations in order to make cuts …. Not bullet-point presentations that skew the comparisons with the same lump sums as the justification sheets!….Comparing 2008 to 2022 is a ploy that fails on the details….As seen on 9/14….
Look at yearly charity $63,000 by town using taxpayer monies and have a cap if any. Why should towns give to charities when individuals, businesses should decide which if any privately……It’s an expected practice at the taxpayers expense….
Look at the real numbers for the Pelican Hopper $125,000 and the Visitors Center $85,000+ for this and future budget to retain or dismantle…… A discussion that comes and falls by the wayside…..
Remove proposed “Circuit” for $200,00 and its accompanying costs…..
Stop mailing out and distributing Town Topics approx. $45,000 use web only…..Most end up in the trash…. It’s an antiquated practice…..
Institute and insist on bids for services at annually and on a 2-5 year term for contracted companies -Town Engineers, Town Attorneys etc… No free passes ….Existing contracted servers can participate in the process…..
Do not allow for departments to get “ wish list” items using excess surplus from the budget….This  bears repeating as well…….Just watch any meetings from the past in the last months of the yearly budget under consent agenda!….
Readers…..
Let’s see if those we elected are ready to show their ability to be fiscally responsible and responsive to those they swore an oath to who are facing inflation and income uncertainty in 2023!…..
Round 2…..9/28/2022 ….The 2023 Budget Meeting in Jarvis Hall at 5:30 pm…..
Links….
https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/lbts/262dfa0089ddce8b4a576bbfae1dad960.pdf
https://lbts.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1416
More to come…
Sent from my iPhone

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HERE’S THE SCOOP…..ARUBA BEACH CAFE A LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA LANDMARK….

September 11, 2022 by Barbara

HERE’S THE SCOOP….

Dear Readers…. Below is an email I sent to Town Mayor Chris Vincent, Vice Mayor Edmund Malkoon, Commissioner Buz Oldaker, Commissioner  Theo Poulopolous, Commissioner Randy Strauss as well as Town Manager Linda Conners, Deputy Town Manager Ken Rubach et al…. today…..

‘ARUBA AND OUR TOWN…..

Mayor, Commissioners-

It has come to my attention that once again there are a minority of people who are pushing their views of the plaza use to you in order to remove Aruba Beach Cafe from retaining their outdoor dining on a portion of the plaza.

I have no doubt that they would find out from their hotel patrons, neighbors and the majority of residents, neighboring residents and tourists both in our town and beyond that the pairing of our ocean front plaza and Aruba Beach Cafe are actually combining the two major landmarks we are known for along with the pier.

On the agenda for 9/14/2022 is to approve the archiving of our social media.

If you look at these archives you will see Aruba Beach Cafe in first or second place with the ocean plaza of photos taken by those using social media along with public relations photos and articles capturing our town.

Go to any specialty shop, photographer and art vendor or store and you will find Aruba Beach Cafe postcards, sketches, paintings and household items that change from place to place assuring its place as our town destination landmark.

Aruba Beach Cafe anchors our town and our downtown restaurants and has done so from our lean days to the present day that affords us all with much coveted parking revenue that you all marvel at year after year.

Add to that the income this town enjoys from the income we derive from Aruba Beach Cafe both from taxes and from their patrons who surely expand their patronage to other businesses in our town.

Aruba Beach Cafe under the management of Peggy Mohler has proven throughout their time in the plaza with their outdoor dining that they go over and beyond with the town in maintaining the plaza far beyond their designated area. 

They have happily and helpfully made sure to not impede or impact the town’s events in the plaza. In fact, they have supported and supplied assistance to elevate each event as you can all attest to.

It is time to laud Aruba Beach Cafe for being the first rate example of true public- private urban planning that urban planners on every level strive for.

I look forward to seeing all of you join the majority in making sure that Aruba Beach Cafe knows it is a LBTS treasure with a long overdue proclamation that solidifies it and the assurance of full support for retaining their plaza dining!

Barbara Cole ‘

It is time for this town commission, administration, staff and residents to proclaim Aruba Beach Cafe as the landmark we all know it is and to support it as such….

More to come……

 

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