AND NOW FOR A LOT OF HISTORY- NOTHING IS NEW -IT’S BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE!
June 8, 2021 by Barbara
Dear Readers-
This writer has retained this site due to the number of daily visits Google shows of visitors looking for different items of interest that unfortunately are no longer provided to the current commission and their constituents as backup as was once the norm!
I have looked back as well on a number of agenda items put forth to the commission to refresh my memory and to provide to those making the decisions what is required in order to make them correctly- at least that’s always my hope although more often then not of late- it has not been the case!
There has been a big change in LBTS since my last post in 2016 with the commission, administration and staff.
We have lost much of what made our town special with commissioners no longer leading our discussions and decisions as they are designated to do resulting in the administration, staff and consultant led agendas based on their urban planning views for over-development that runs counter to the specialness we all saw in our town when we chose to put down stakes here!
After an outstanding Town Manager hired in 2010 by a newly elected slate-majority commission and her assistant Town Manager (who was a candidate for the position) who took over as Town Manager when she retired we started a decline!
After that Town Manager retired a Town Manager that had red-flags from the get-go was hired and quickly fired – but not before the damage was done!
The current commission with the exception of the Mayor, seem to be lulled in to believing their roles are below those they hired thus leading to continued poor decisions and votes under the present Interim Town Manager ( moved up from Director of Development) thus continuing the damaging results with shrugs of indifference and a lack of response to their constituents when contacted!
There have been 11th hour uprisings to protect and preserve El Mar Drive which proved successful with the removal of both the grandiose -town property land grab of the Old Holiday Inn development and the demise of the Administration, Town Engineer led re-design of El Mar Drive with Plans 1,2 & 3 when the outcry was for Plan 4- fix what needs fixing !
Now, we are facing more impactful changes with stores coming in to town that are not in keeping with our long-term desire to connect west Commercial Blvd. businesses with the successful east Commercial Blvd. businesses!
A major blunder was made, in this writer’s opinion, by the current administration leading to an even larger divide of both sides of our downtown with consequences that have and will negate all that has been done to improve our downtown since 2010!
Again, in this writer’s opinion, the commission needs to lead and fix it asap!
In the past, when a Town Manager (moved up from Finance Director) made similar blunders such as the erected Pavilion that was not the design the commission voted on- she was fired when the new majority was elected in March 2010 ( see previous posts.)
Our commission chose to listen to a gentlemen brought in for what he might offer as a search consultant for Town Manager candidates who stated his opinion of not looking for a permanent Town Manager during budget season, which the commission accepted with exception of the Mayor. Once again, without backup, research, or follow-up questions this commission accepted it as fact!
Nothing could be further from the truth for our LBTS history of having March elections leading to the change of administrations!
That needs to happen again, a search for Town Manager needs to be brought back on the agenda now and the Interim Town Manager as well as the other candidates still waiting in the wings need to be vetted and interviewed to once again have the administration in place so vital to the success of our town!
As titled, ‘ Nothing Is New’!
We have been here before and the only way we changed the trajectory is in the numbers of concerned residents and business owners showing up to meetings, contacting their elected representatives and being proactive to assure our town is protected and preserved!
The time has come!
Read the agendas, watch and participate in person and with comments at the commission meetings and workshops as well as the board meetings!
All are on the Town website and on your government channels on whichever provided used for TV.
lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov
Tonight there are 2 meetings – Jarvis Hall
Workshop at 5 PM on Downtown.
6:30 PM Regular Commission Meeting
Start now- get involved- It’s your Town!
More to come……
