“BAG THE BAGS”……….

From the 2008-2009 LBTS Budget…MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS….brought to you by our Town Manager…

Parking meter hoods were purchased for use when meters fees are waived which indicate the Town is offering complimentary parking….

BCbythesea…… MAJOR EYESORE….take a look at these fading blue meter covers…and this Major Acomplishment goes THUD…not only on the lost revenue front….on the waste of the taxpayer’s money front….from the looks of this purchase….it’s right up there with the “pulling the wool over our eyes”previous year’s… LBTS Major Accomplishment of fixing up the Minto Park…with benches and more….for a park that remained a park for scant amount of months before becoming Minto’s sales office…….another “pet project” of the Vice Mayor…with a helpful “assist” from the Town Manager…thank you very much…OUCH!…

Let’s see we are supposed to follow the Town Manager…she is the “professional” and “it’s her call”….so we hear from Commissioner Silverstone and Vice Mayor McIntee….brought up again at this very Commission meeting…

Then why would McIntee not want to follow along on this big ticket item…bag the bags…admit defeat….and get the revenue back….the budget shows …it’s required!….

PARKING REVENUE IMPROVEMENT FUND…2008-2009 Budget…

Total Resources allocated….$552,543.00

For the following….Business District Meters/Commercial Blvd. Meters/El Mar Surface Parking Lot/Bougainvilla Surface Parking Lot/Parking Permits/Parking Fines…

which includes….

Total Debt Service……$177,139,139….( debt principal/interest)

Total Personnel Services…..$106,799.00….(salaries/overtime salaries/fica/retirement/group ins…..)

Total Operating Expense….$92,960.00….(prof. Consultants/worker comp-prof.testing/contractual services/communications/elec service/equip. rental/parking meter maint./parking lot maint/gen liability ins./workmans comp ins./equip. maintenance/vehicle maint./fuel/service maint.contract/contingency/printing & binding/office supplies/uniforms/parking meter parts-supplies/training/operating supplies/depreciation)

Total Capital Outlay….$10,000.00….(machinery & equipment)

PARKING ENFORCEMENT….2008-2009 Budget…

Positions….

1 Supervisor

1 Enforcement Officer

1 Office specialist part time….

Total Parking Enforcement Department……$186.042.00

which includes

Personnel Services…..$134.200.00…(salaries/overtime salaries/fica/retirement/group ins)

Other Services………..$46,842.00….(prof. consultants/w/c prof tests/contractual services/communication services/equip. rental & lease/equip. maint./vehicle maint./fuel/sev. maint. contract/printing & binding/postage/office supplies/computer expense/building maint./uniforms/ training/operating supplies)

Capital outlay….$5,000.00

The Vice Mayor has tabled the bags coming off repeatedly…it was his “baby” after all….with stories of loss of business with business owners crying on his shoulder…. although they never seem to show up at the podium to make their presence known to back up his assertions….his story…..HMMM…..

If the topic is not the VFD..McIntee just doesn’t get it…….he could not understand the Town Hall parking idea proposed by Commissioner Dodd…who was merely asking that the common practice used for some years by the Senior Center…where participants go into the center…sign in and receive a pass to put in their car to park for free while attending their class….be used by Town Hall and the Development office for parking to do Town business free of charge …for residents and local business…with all others paying the meters…painlessly and fairly raising the revenue annually….for the parking in this particular lot…a great compromise….a great idea….

The Vice Mayor wasn’t finished grandstanding for the evening…as he tried to push the parking workshop finally agreed upon by the Commission…. off until January…

Commissioner Dodd dug in his heels…asking for it to be ASAP ….informing the Vice Mayor that the January delay would end up costing the town upwards of another $25 thousand…in revenue….for the Town….

The Vice Mayor on a roll ….repeated his call for unhappy business owners not to call him…but to call Commissioner Dodd…..to which Commissioner Dodd replied….it would be far more productive for the business owners to attend the workshop…scheduled for Monday Nov. 10,2008…at 5 pm…that response produced loud applause from the Jarvis Hall attendees…TOUCHE’

Final Note…….No calls have been received..by Commissioner Dodd…..just a thumbs up…from residents tired of the ugly blue bags…and the ugly dais antics….from the man to his right on the dais….YIKES!…

more to come…

Tags: parking revenue
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LBTS AGENDA 10/14/08

full text online...http://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/

The Invocation will be done for the 2nd time by LBTS resident Pauline McGuiness, Member of the Bahai Spiritual Assembly of Ft. Lauderdale and LBTS…http://www.browardbahai.net/

Presentation by BSO police… done quarterly

Reports…no reports until the 2nd meeting in October…

Town Manager Report…Televised Committee Meetings…

The demise of the televising of the Master Plan Steering Committee…was done under questionable circumstances…it was voted on 4-0 to allow this committee to be televised just as the Board of Adjustment and the Planning and Zoning Board meetings have been…the Town Manager informed the commission that she thought it was too costly and it was stopped without a formal vote after it had been effectively done over time…as far as the cost…the procedure used in the past and still being used by the P & Z Board is for either a secretary or a resident to start and stop the recording,…..with no taped back-up…it should be resumed…

Ordinances 2nd Reading…2008-19-24…is to change the fee structure and/or who has the final decision on appeals…what is the criteria for variances…to re-designate personnel charged with providing recommendations on variances….

BCbythesea…a look at the back-up materials …it appears the same as was brought forth on the dais last month…again…the vote on the fees for variances was 5-0 for $350 for all types of properties for base variances…per the minutes and the Manager herself in discussion with Commissioner Silverstone…previous post…

The Commission should enact all types of properties maintain the same $350 base fee…for all applications …not just variance fees…to be fair and equitable…

Consent Agenda…

a. the Chamber will get its decreased funds of $27 thousand for 1 year..to stay put in their present location…the Vice Mayor finally figured out this was political suicide to push for….and $7 thousand from the Town for Xmas by the Sea….

BCbythesea…don’t forget the $5 thousand McIntee promised from the VFD without running it by the VFD Chiefs or the VFD members…previous posts…

b. issuing 85 parking permits to the Women’s Club…YIKES!…85 …in the back-up they write to say they have many new members…

BCbythesea… 85 … seems over the top…..it is located by Blue Moon….

c. Walk Around Committee …needs more members…and has an applicant…a new applicant …Stacey Roberts Tyrell a resident who lives on E. Tradewinds…

d. Master Plan Steering Committee is in need of another member …due to Shirley Russotti resigning…another new applicant…resident Holly B. (could not read the last name.). who resides on Bougainvilla…

e./f./g/ sidewalk cafes…to approve license fees…for Village Grill…Aruba …… 101 Ocean…

The Commission needs to approve a standardized application…with the same language for all…which is not done at the present time…also to approve a 10% increase per the CPI… a required 90 days before the date of expiration to renew…and for the Manager to renew or remove the sidewalk license rather than the Commission…a 30 day notice would be given …in the event of problems arising from code violations etc…

Village Grill …their license expired in Jan. 2006…and they were given an extension on Nov. 13,2007…for 286 sq. ft. ..62 seats…at a cost of $4825.00 with an annual permit fee of $225…

Aruba…their license expires today…Oct.10,2008…. 48 seats…they have 689 sq. ft….at a cost of $12,402.00….with an annual permit fee of $150.00

101 Ocean …they are set to expire on May 10,2008….240 sq.ft….51 seats…for a cost of $4,320.00…with an annual permit fee of $225.00

Priced before the 10% increase… …

h. Halloween Event 2008…a revision to the permit…

BCbythesea…What is wrong with this picture…last year according to the Town the Senior Center was closed down for 6 days…

This year the Furths are requesting it be closed from Oct.17-Nov. 2nd..YIKES!…

This writer worked with the Furths last year…and while it is a fact they do a fantastic job…much time is spent and wasted on “artistic” endeavors……. to close the center…for even 1 week is ridiculous…. and calls for someone from the Town to step forward…also does closing the center for 2 weeks cause the Town any problems with our Senior Center Grant?…

The soccer field will be closed from Oct. 24-31st…again …why so long?…

The expected participants according to the permit 300….did not seem that many last year…most are out of towners…and with returning senior residents…questions should be asked…before the 17th…

Quasi Judicial Hearing…on site plan for Ocean Terrace Beachside Condominium…which was approved with conditions by the P & Z Board last month…see Board category…

Old Business…

a. Electronic voting system…Comm. Dodd…originally brought this up upon the new commission taking office…to make a faster easier voting process available…he found a reasonably priced system…$2,745.00 the “Capital Outlay Budget” listed at $1000.00 …is a puzzlement..

b. discussion/action….. on Town Hall parking and the actual numbers pertaining to loss of revenue…Comm. Dodd

c. discussion/ action ……on designating LBTS as a Green certified town by the Florida Green Building Coalition…Mayor Minnet…tabled by Comm. Silverstone…cost according to Town Manager $10,950.00 …Town not able to support financially at this time...http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org/db/

d. parking issues town wide…Comm. Dodd…

in the back-up…. Parking Revenue

…………………………2006-2007…rounded……………………….2007-2008 ….unaudited

Beach………………….$48,487.00…………………………………….$46,989.00

El Prado………………$88,943.00…………………………………………..$818.00

Town Hall…………………$130.00……………………………………$15,350.00

Bus. Dist……………$356,249.00…………………………………..$310.887.00

Comm. Blvd………………..$69.00………………………………………$5,504.00

El Mar Parking……….$100,898.00……………………………………..$63,671.00

Bougainvilla……………$8,326.00……………………………………..$29,955.00

TOTAL…………………$603,102.00…………………………………..$473,174.00

BCbythesea…choices need to be made…parking for free…..with no parking personnel or part-timers…or parking fully enforced with full- timers..no half-way…

e. Resolution to Broward County for lifeguards on th beach to guard at a public beach used by everyone …not just LBTS residents…Mayor Minnet…

The Manager asked for and received a proposal from Pompano Beach Ocean Rescue Services…http://www.mypompanobeach.org/parksrec/rescue/index.html

They responded with this proposal…

7 days a week …365 days a year service…

11 lifeguard towers stretching across LBTS and Sea Ranch Lakes…tying into Pompano Beach…

14 lifeguards…$25.55 per hour

2 Lt. Lifeguard Supervisors…$29.85 per hour…

initial equipment required…with cost….

2 ATVs….$62,000.00

16 communication radios…$3,000 each…$48,000.00

11 lifeguard towers….$214.500.00

16 lifeguards …..$1,218.694.00 for year…

total ……………….$1,543.194.00

BCbythesea…why not lifeguards only at the public areas near Commercial with signage that areas beyond a certain point…near condos north…are not lifeguard monitored and you swim at your own risk…

Chances of a grant from Broward in this economic cliimate…none…

f. Oversite Committee for VFD/EMS/BSO Police…Mayor Minnet…YES!…

New Business…

a. discussion/action ….. interim agenda…Comm. Dodd… seems the time of getting the agenda is becoming less reliable..giving all who are interested in doing their homework…little time to do so…

b. discussion/action… to reject automatic pay raises for Commissioners…Comm. Dodd…thought they voted this through at the budget meeting..

c. extension for Bel air residents to hook-up sewers..90-180 days….and ask Pompano Beach to allow installment payments…Town Atty. was requested to review…Comm. Clottey

d. discussion/action…lack of police on the beach….Vice Mayor McIntee…wants last 3 mos. of violations..only BSO Police left for him to lean on…now that fire/ems has left ….

e. discussion/action… pertaining to ordinance against topless bars..Vice mayor McIntee…in back-up Broward County Ordinance 77-4B chapter 39…requested Town Atty. to review…did this come from the notion of an entertainment overlay district…or what?……

f. discussion/action… town wide height limits…grade…Comm Dodd…3 over 1 needs some decision making…etc….

g. discussion/action… parking in front of the McIntee Public Safety Complex for ambulance only…Comm Clottey…

BCbythesea…what no space for the Vice Mayor’s Caddy?…

h. discussion/action…Equity in Commissioner salary…Comm. Clottey

i. discussion/action…4 parking spaces A1A parking lot …for residents…Comm. Clottey

j. discussion/action…iguanas…allocate funds…Comm. Clottey…

BCbythesea….nothing has happened…why?…

k. discussion/action….Broward League of Cities http://www.browardleague.org/urging Legislature of the State of Fl. to fully fund the Broward county court system…provide sufficient funds for traffic magistrate citation program…Mayor Minnet

l. discussion/action …….regarding Earth Day …….http://www.earthday.net/…April 22,2009…Mayor Minnet

m. discussion/action…discuss lifeguard service…see Old Business…item e…Mayor Minnet…

BCbythesea..perhaps earlier agendas …with interim sent to the commission could alleviate this type of double entry…along with multiple items on the same topic put on by commissioners…

n. discussion/action …town events…Vice Mayor McIntee…no back-up…

BCbythesea…HMMM…all town events will now officially be CIC-town events…aren’t they already?…

o. discussion/action 6 parking spaces for Town residents…Vice Mayor McIntee…

BCbythesea…case in point…at the CIC Town Hall Meeting…resident permit parking was a big topic…resident permit spaces available VS residents who purchased permits…per Bill Hubley…a real eye opener..previously posted…now on this agenda multiple times…

p. discussion/action entryway/Fountainhead …Vice Mayor McIntee…

BCbythesea…a letter was sent to the Fountainhead Condo from Assist. John Olinzock on Oct.3rd,2008…asking for an easement for placement of an entryway sign…no back-up response from the Pres. of the Fountainhead…

We currently have no vote for signage or flag poles at this or the north entry on A1A into town…it should be addressed..(never voted on but put in on Commercial…previous post)….

Regular commission Meeting Tues. Oct.14,2008…7 pm Jarvis Hall…public can speak at public comments…sign up before 7 pm…sharp!…and at Ordinances…Quasi Judicial Hearing…will be televised on channel 78…Comcast/online…at above link…

more to come…after the meeting highlights…overview…Wed….

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, lifeguards, parking revenue
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