Highlights from the commission meeting…1st night…
Nice invocation by Rev Goldsmith…if only his words of prayer were heeded ….as the evening progressed…as he spoke of good solid government…and asking for the Commissioners….Mayor…. ” wisdom beyond their own.”…
The Suez…Calypso …LNG …presentation…in previous post…was a half hour …with all the concerns being addressed head on…with scientific facts….historical data….worst case scenarios…probabilities….with Project Manager Dan McGinnis and his group being open and honest as anyone this writer has seen… step up to that podium…
BCbythesea…being on record …as supporting this project…was well aware of the questions that would come from the majority both in the hall and on the dais…in this politically charged pre- presidential environment…so it came as no surprise…
what did come as a surprise ….were some facts that were presented and did clear up some questions for this writer …
1. The project cannot be further south…previously posted…on this site…….as an alternate location due to the ocean’s bottom…the sediment…and not being able to anchor…and the navel warfare testing…
2. AES…and the Bahama LNG…was a competitor….
3. The ships are double skinned..with nitrogen in between…regulated…with gas analyzers…detecting any gas leaks…incredible safety measures are taken… per Captain Galt….
4. If the project began late this year…it would not start up until late 2011….
5. The chances of a vaporized dispersion…1 time in 7000 years….
6. The higher the winds…the faster any gas cloud would disperse…
7. The company will remove tires left in the ocean in the area surrounding the project…per Peanuts Wick …
8. Solar and nuclear power will not be viable for production for 15-30 years…
9. Some of their ships were left out in the area over January…with no complaints from those on the coast….
10.Dedicated to the environment they have spent in excess of $100 million dollars for tunneling under the coral reef…
11. They are located 7 miles from the shore in Massachusetts…as well as near the Boston airport….
12. The ports have automatic shut offs to stop any travel of fuel from the pipes to the shore…
13. $225 million dollars annual impact to Broward overa 25 year period….
14. $23 million per year to Broward businesses…
15. $1 million went to a citizens fund in Boston….where they have a gas port ….. (which could also be done right here….)
BCbythesea… message to Calypso/Suez… it is this writer’s opinion…that all will die down after November…as previously posted….and the those politicians who are “suddenly aware” of this project will do an about face…due to the finality of the election…..giving you the green light to proceed….so that in 2011…I can see you …with my binoculars….from my 4th floor beach front balcony…. here in LBTS!
Bel-Air Beautification…previous post….
Town Manager Report…previous post….
Now the moved up Town Attorney Report….
This had to do with the “investigation” directed to the Town Attorney over an e-mail news alert….NOT the By The Sea Futures newspaper….just a “news alert” sent to those who signed up for it….
As previously posted…this writer walked out when the Vice Mayor insisted on the Town Attorney reading the statements verbatim… all 4 pages….
nothing new was divulged…
Asking “What do I do now folks?”…the Vice Mayor …as is his style…told them…instruct the Town Attorney to file a lawsuit against the Futures with him as the plaintiff…and all recovered monetary funds will be given to the town…
“Once and for all this Commissioner sitting up here will not have to take this abuse”…. the Vice Mayor said….
He made the motion…Comm. Silverstone seconded it….
Comm. Clottey asked the Town Attorney if this was the best way to handle it…or should the attorney sue on just the Vice Mayor’s behalf without the full commission…
The Mayor said the Vice Mayor assumed he would win… that it should be privately funded not funded by the town…the Vice Mayor essentially responded it was a slam-dunk…he has faith in Mr Abbott…he would stand behind the Mayor if she were libeled…
Comm Clottey…asked the Town Attorney to respond on the odds…Mr Abbott…stepped back and said he would need to analyze further…stating that the criteria calls for the speaker (the Futures) to have the opportunity to retract the false statements…and actual malice would need to be proved…
BCbythesea…hears …another qualification is proving “injury “to the libeled person….
Comm. Dodd asked for it to be tabled until the commission had a “shade session”…
the Town Attorney…informed them a “shade session” was nt allowable BEFORE a litigation had been initiated… he could meet with them in private individually…
The Vice Mayor agreed to tabling it until the next commission meeting…instructing the Town Attorney to send the By The Sea Future …a letter asking for a front page retraction…
The Town Attorney informed them …that a request for a retraction would have to be done anyway BEFORE any suit could be filed…
The vote for the letter….4-1 …Minnet dissenting…
BCbythesea….So it could have all been done within minutes….this whole time waster….
The Attorney could have given his summary…gone on to report the required request for a retraction….and the meeting could have continued…
The only problem…it was not the Future’s paper that printed the alleged libel against the Vice Mayor….it was…once again an e-mail to signed up subscribers…so they could reasonably argue tat a retraction via that same outlet might suffice…..more to come….
NOTE: For those that might say it is hypocritical for this writer to question the Vice Mayor defending himself after the Town defended me in a SLAPP suit……I back him 100% in the endeavor and his use of Town legal counsel…or League of Cities… just not the use of the dais to the extent it was addressed yet again last night….
The meeting will resume today…5 pm….
Tags: calypso, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, suez gas port
