YOU KNOW WHAT ASSUME MEANS….YOU MAKE AN ASS OUT OF U AND ME….(GANG)

FROM A PREVIOUS POST….(Marc Furth at the 6/16/09 MPSC)

‘Marc-” I don’t think that’ gonna happen either, but what could happen though and I’ve been bringing this up since I was a commissioner you can take more of that area and cordon off. You can take the front of that pavilion. Take the um, light pole out and you can take it all the way up to where um, the very western boundary lines of both the pier and Aruba and have them enter in that area, okay and I actually talked to Marchelos brothers a long time ago about that and they were interested in it and also um, um I talked to Peggy about it and they were interested in it because that whole area in front there could be all pedestrian. You could have bollards in front of it to keep people from going any further and the turn around would just be more west. You know and, and it would be a little more area in front of it. But I know that Peggy’s never gonna want it shut down that whole area for parking, I mean for valet.”

Paul told him you have to put the cars somewhere….

Marc-” But maybe we could make it a little bit bigger, you know It could be a place where you could stop and park and let somebody out to go to the beach and pick them up.”

BC- Last year…at this same time Marc would go to the pre-pavilion area and talk of his idea too many times to count with the July 4th committee/ volunteers……It was a topic that was discussed by him the previous summer as well, heard by this writer……So when the pavilion was finally built and the street in front was addressed as an afterthought with the median cut back ( much less than expected) with the Town Manager/ Vice Mayor  feigning ignorance on this Furth concept to Comm. Dodd on the dais asking the questions because it was he who was standing alongside Marc last year hearing this very plan …  this evening it was verified as fact! …..HMMM…’

Dear Readers….the “Gang of 3” and their co-horts can only give cover to the Town Manager for so long for her inferior handling of the Beach Pavilion (previous posts)…It was the Manager….who unilaterally decided to make decisions on the pavilion…with no updates presented to or input asked from the commissioners….And here we are today….Will there be a review question on her actions brought up at the commission round table meeting on June 30th at 7 pm….only if Comm. Dodd asks it!…

More sights….of the pavilion area pitfalls….in our predictable Florida inclement weather…

more to come….

Tags: local government, Local Politics, pavilion, Scoops
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“THERE’S A LOT GOING ON IN THIS LITTLE TOWN” ..The man said….

“You bet”…. this writer replied…..

A few hours spent at this town event  brought forth intrigue from beginning to end…

It was too much…too much fun that is!……A text from a potential candidate…keeping his intentions well under wraps and knowing full well not to tip his hand too soon…..  all the while careful not to be seen in conversation with certain people….A faithful longtime reader finally appearing in person…A real pleasant surprise…long overdue…I so enjoyed  hearing this reader’s insight and quick wit…with a face to match the barbs (pun intended)….Bumping into so many “groups”….. was like being in a pin ball machine…at every turn…. in every corner…all having the same topic on their minds…ending the political staus quo…and counting down the days..until the next election….Amazing…truly amazing…just what does go on in a 2 mile stretch of coastal land…right in front of our eyes…and craftily below the radar!….

Some were younger than the norm…some were well known with their stance …and it is terrific to report quite a few are new to the “game”…They knew each other well or had come together for the same common cause….our town…It reminded me of something… it popped  into this writer’s mind as the evening wore on……Election day 2008 when so many voters took me aside outside Jarvis Hall to say…”I’m voting for your guys”…even though the signs in their yards said otherwise… They explained they feared retaliation if they did not comply with requests to put them there…….all the while knowing retaliation has no place in the voting booth and goes away after the votes are counted ….when those they appeased were now feeling their big loss!… I have seen a steady climb in the numbers of those jumping on the bandwagon ……who are seriously looking to act upon their beliefs…their civic duty and their vision of the future of this town….

With the election still many months away….will they follow through…continue on with their present plans…individually and collectively?…

All I can say with any certainty faithful Readers is this…. From the intrigue I experienced in the span of 2 hours….within the framework of this major town  event..after listening to the conviction they each expressed …..Boy- oh- boy…. We should have quite a municipal election here in LBTS in March 2010…..One that should make the history books…

Here’s to more intrigue…in 2009/2010….and a lot going on (behind the scenes ) in this small little town…

more to come….

Tags: Local Politics, pavilion, Scoops
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HERE’S WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED….

The LBTS Beach Pavilion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was the latest in a year long “series” of events where the new majority “cut off their nose to spite their face” by being all inclusive……in this writer’s opinion…An opinion shared by countless others in attendance for the event ….who have not been shy about expressing their thoughts…before…during and after ….as the sun went down…

The Town turned its back on letting MPSC Vice- Chair  Sandra Booth run it…and it showed…Instead of a professionally put together media covered event we had a  “hokey” poorly planned program…that left much to be desired…(OH, I know the CIC Mc-Gang will call this a foul ball…(baseball season started this week)…and get their fingers tapping with all sorts of crass responses of  “lies”…”attacks” and only seeing the “worst” on their Mc-slapp site…and most likely  it will make an appearance at Comm. Comments…but that’s to be expected…since this is their modus operandi ….but don’t shoot the messenger for what the general consensus is…outside the inner circle of kool-aid drinkers)….

Here’s the low-down…at 6:15 the rows of chairs were being set up for a 7 pm show….no reserved seats for the elected officials, invited guests…(who were the invited guests?…Were appropriate invitations sent?)…No programs…and no major coverage ….Unless you call Mc-Furth BTSTimes Owner and self proclaimed journalist coverage running around with her home-made “press pass”…which caused quite a lot of fodder…from those that asked the other local newspaper representatives where theirs was!……Some in the audience want a message sent to Town/VFD/BTSTimes Editor- Photog Marc Furth…baseball caps are off  for National Anthem….a sign of respect…don’t ya know?…

The intros were hardly well done…in part because the “Master of Ceremonies”…had no clue if past officials and MPSC members were in attendance and where they would be..again no designated seating…

In the front row you had the Town Manager who thought it appropriate to yell for the scissors  as the Commissioners were preparing to cut the ribbon causing quite a few “tennis” head turns in her direction!….Disturbingly so…

You had to turn your head in the other direction to see the response of MPSC Vice- Chair Booth when  Commissioner Clottey introduced her by saying they had to “do a little arm pulling” to get her to come up……A visibly stunned Sandra Booth mouthed “that’s not true”…And judging from her stage presence, she was revved up and ready to take on the role she so richly deserved…

Thank goodness…because it made the difference in world… …She  definitely picked this dragging, hard to hear program up a few notches… It was obvious this was her “baby”….her passion …With her knowledge and her presentation of how we got here over the past two years…She really wrapped the much needed “bow” around this project and made everyone understand what was right in front of their eyes to celebrate this night!….  It was also evidenced in the well deserved accolades from the Art Institute Instructor and student she  proudly introduced……She seized the time allotted to her last minute after an open letter appeared on this site and a call from Comm. Clottey less than 24 hours ahead of the event that righted this apparent deliberate act to cast her aside…Rectified yes…but hardly soon to be forgotten….

For her part Commissioner Clottey brought the Lynn University Brass Quintet to play at the event, a kickoff to a concert series she hope will take off in town…

A little background….a few months ago Comm. Clottey felt there was a void left by no cultural programs offered in the town, with the door being  shut on the Raguso theater programs and a Sea Ranch Club resident who stepped up to offer a replacement series….who then decided to take a hike after coming to an impasse on her choice of material for her plays meeting with scrutiny and Vice Mayor McIntee’s apparent need for censorship…

Comm. Clottey worked on getting Lynn University for a couple of weeks….but the inclusion of  using them in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony came as an afterthought in the process….It somehow catapulted her into the role of “Master of Ceremonies” despite the fact of no vote being taken on the dais for the role ….or her having absolutely nothing to do with the pavilion project itself up to this point…..and the casting aside of all help offered from Mrs. Booth…(Reminiscent of the MPSC board appointments, and the nastiness Mrs. Booth endured at the start of the new majority’s term from those who may have had a hand it this action as well)……

Dr. Clottey  herself, must have been mortified at the start of the second part of the evening’s program…For this was her “baby”…presenting the town with the Lynn University “concert.”…… a 35 minute program……Unfortunately it turned into something else……as the Vice Mayor walked right in front of the musicians as they began to play and started speaking to someone in a loud voice…blocking the view and the already hard to hear sounds of these 5 musicians who had been sitting there waiting for hours from those seated in the chairs……The audience disassembled  to join officials and staff who were walking around… eating and talking thus rudely relegating the Brass Quintet  into background music…what a shame it was….

In the aftermath….the real fun began for this writer with an onslaught of “intrigue” …coming from so many directions….and that will be part 3….

more to come………

Tags: pavilion, Scoops
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THE SUNSET AND THE FESTIVITIES….

The Road was cordoned off and the rows of white seats were in place in front of the new Eddie Forbe’s designed LBTS Beach Pavilion….A little after 6 pm people were gathering …Old Guard…New Guard…CIC members…Unite Our Town members…business owners…elected officials local and county…public safety personnel…Town staff and tourists…all to join in on the new addition front and center to the entry of our public beachfront….

A few minutes after 7 pm the “Master of Ceremonies” Commissioner Clottey began…she welcomed all and thanked (for the first time with many such inferences to follow)…the Broward County Commission and the grant that made for roughly half of the funding….The Commissioner explained that there would be a short formal ceremony followed by a 35 minute concert…by the Lynn University Brass Quintet…(which was her “baby” with this being the first of many such concerts she hopes will take place in town in coordination with the Lynn University Conservatory of Music)….

A resident who resides in this writer’s building came to sing the national anthem followed by the invocation by Town Chaplain Rev George Hunsaker…He invited all to “take a moment to look to the east”…to “look at the beauty God created”…He spoke of people who travel here to see what we who live here neglect to look at ourselves…..Rev. Hunsaker blessed the pavilion and those who built it and had a hand in it……and also asked for God’s continued blessing of  this evening  and this town with his guidance…..

Commissioner Clottey asked the Town Commission…Mayor Minnet, Vice Mayor McIntee, Comm. Silverstone and Comm. Dodd along with Broward County Vice Mayor Keechl to join her in cutting the ribbon…(as yell came from the audience…it was the Town Manger yelling for the scissors to be supplied by her staff)…..Once in hand with the cameras lined up to snap the photos for the local papers……the  large gold ribbon was cut…..

As she continued her duties Comm. Clottey spoke of the pavilion…saying it was built “under the auspices of this commission, but started under the previous commission…naming former Mayor Parker, Commissioners Clark and Yanni…and asking them to stand…not knowing if they were in attendance…(Clark was, but left…former Comm. Yanni was seen and this writer did not see former Mayor Parker)…

Comm. Clottey introduced “Our lovely Mayor”…Mayor Minnet…who spoke eloquently of “friendship, cooperation and partnership”…saying this pavilion was a “testimony” to friendship and partnership with the previous commission who listened to the residents…and about the partnership we enjoyed with Broward County  Vice Mayor Keechl …She acknowledged the extraordinary time and talent of the Master Plan Steering Committees…past and present…along with the cooperation of Town staff and management…finishing up with saying these three factors are the “tools” for LBTS…

Comm. Clottey then introduced Broward County Vice Mayor Ken Keechl …who came up to say he would be brief…”hard to do for a politician” he joked……and to explain the role he played in continuing to provide the extensions required to keep this grant alive and to say how  “thrilled to be here, this is the kind of stuff you need to see on our coasts, it’s beautiful.”…

Next up was an introduction of Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Director of Communications Arlene Wites …..followed by the introduction of Sandra Booth who really stole the show…rightfully so…with her professionalism and her passion in full view for the culmination of all her hard work and that of those who worked with her since 2007!…She said the names of all the past MPSC members and thanked them for their “time and tenacity”…and then thanked the present MPSC board..she also thanked the past and present commission, saying “tonight you see what we brought to this town”…Thanking also the Town Manager and Assist. Town Manager who “dreamed about this”…and took the opportunity to extend thanks to Municipal Director Don Prince and his colleagues for making this evening special…

Mrs. Booth the went on to recall the day, April 7, 2007 when she first met with A.I. Industrial Design Instructor Winston Menish  …..declaring her admiration for him and what he brought to the process …saying she found in working with him he had the  “key element” essential for this project…a group of  20 students from diverse backgrounds…..

Instructor Menish came to the microphone to thank Sandra and tell her the “feeling was totally mutual”…for himself and the A.I. students…He reflected that the very spot he was standing in was  a favorite spot in the past to bring his family, to have ice cream from the local parlor…”Now to be standing in this , is something I never dreamed”…Mr Menish went on to explain the culmination of the design process …reflecting on the first visit with the students at Aruba Beach Cafe’ and the long view of what the students had at that time……all the students in the class participated and all contributed….He finished up by saying he wanted  to thank Sandra for walking into his office…

Sandra then spoke of the designer of the pavilion…the winning A.I. student Edwin Forbes…She said “Eddie loves his family, the beach, design and structure.”…adding his parents were in the front row …traveling to attend this ceremony from Georgia…She spoke to his parents and said April6,2009 would be in the history books for LBTS …and that this pavilion which would offer so much including an opportunity for the handicapped to be close to the beach that it shows the difference one person can make…Eddie Forbes…

Eddie Forbes came up to speak, and said he was proud to be part of the town, and was at a loss for words…adding his thanks to Sandra for the “long hard fought battle”…saying “we did it” and concluding by saying ” Thanks for standing behind the design, I hope you enjoy it, I know I will!”….

Comm. Clottey came back to the podium to ask for a round of applause for the Town staff for all their hard work and thanked Chief Perkins for the sound equipment…asking all to come up for recognition…including the police and fire department (?)…She also acknowledged and thanked Aruba Beach Cafe’ for the refreshments…saying this concluded the first part of the program…

Marc Reese Assistant Dean of the Lynn University Conservatory of Music was introduced and came to the micophone to thank the town for what he hoped was the beginning of a “long future” with Lauderdale-By-The-Sea…giving some background about the music program at the university which consists of students from all over the world, and adding out of a 100 students… the 5 who made up the Lynn University Brass Quintet here this evening would play a 30 minute program congratulating us once again…

The music began, and people began to get up …walk around and talk..as the sun went down…behind the new LBTS Beach Pavilion….

more to come……..

Tags: pavilion, Scoops
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COUNTING DOWN TO THE LBTS BEACH PAVILION CEREMONY….

They are busy putting the final touches on tonight’s 7 pm ceremony to celebrate the completion of this longtime project that was years in the making…with many times back to the drawing board…. many times back to the Broward County Commission….and THE main  project for many incarnations of commissions, committees. and town administrations…..

The opening may be brief…(tonight only…previous scoops post)…..but the workers are already down at the site…we hear putting in some lighting for the event (the turtle lighting will need to come to the commission…asap)…to ensure the speakers and the musicians can present us all with a program we will long remember!…

I want to extend a personal thank you to Master of Ceremonies, Comm. Clottey for clearing up the oversight of MPSC  Vice-Chair Sandra Booth’s participation tonight, as we hear Mrs. Booth will be introducing Art Institute Industrial Design Instructor Winston Menish and Art Institute Design student and Beach Pavilion winner Edwin Forbes…which is most fitting and appropriate!…

See you all there ……

more to come……

Tags: pavilion, update, Updates
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7 PM  RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY!…

COMMERCIAL BOULEVARD BEACH PAVILION

FROM THIS…..Before the sidewalk cafe’ dining…..

TO…..

……COME AND CHECK IT OUT………..

Invocation by Town Chaplain, Rev. George Hunsaker….Elected Officials…County and LBTS Commissioners/ Art Institute Design Student Winner of this project- Edwin Forbes and Industrial Design Instructor -Winston Menish/The Lynn University Brass Quintet performing a 35 minute concert…..

And please Dear Readers…..be sure to extend along with this writer your appreciation to Sandra Booth for without her, this project would not have been possible….

more to come………

Overview to follow the event…….

Tags: pavilion, Places To Go
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GOT THE SHOT?….

It seems the “help” being offered yesterday to Coastal Construction from the Vice Mayor was to “hose” down the pavilion..

We residents got “hosed” alright……PURE McIntee/Furth POLITICAL P.R.

A reader gave this writer the heads up…about the “offer” for the fake opening of the Beach Pavilion set for tomorrow night at 7 pm….Fake because the day after this soiree’ it will be shut down…while they try to fix the ongoing messes…(previous post)….the siding…the lights…the seating…and  we  will still have a load of major problems lined up to follow after these are addressed……

The drainage first brought to the attention of the Town Manager from Comm. Dodd after he was shown the problem from a business owner…produced a reply from the Manager that was certainly not professional…and the result so far…is far from appropriate…The “show” today was proof of that…As VM McIntee and his personal photog Marc Furth hosed the pavilion down…the water in the drain in  the south side flower bed overflowed…and the curb cut to alleviate the water in that flowerbed sent a steady stream of water across the sidewalk and out onto the beach…leaving beachgoers to walk into a huge puddle as they made their way towards the ocean!…(Run off  like this is not allowed …we hear) The standing mucky sand from the showers will be permanent and the complaints were ongoing by all who came and went…this day…not a Kudo was heard…

The bike rack…is another big problem on that same south side…as a few who wanted to use it could not…the bike rear wheel would have taken up 3/4 of the sidewalk!…

There is a deep step off into the sand with a jagged corner sticking out…that will surely be a hazard to the seniors trying to step onto the beach…Isn’t ADA involved with the entry to the beach?…

The pavilion itself sticks out so far into the road ahead that it is just a matter of time before a pier parking customer goes straight ahead and rams it…just wait!…

The new handicapped parking place put to the west entry of the pier parking lot is another accident waiting to happen…as the blue line on the driver’s side..extends within the piers drive-in entry…leaving it a given that someone will get “clipped” and the Town will be at fault!…

BC- of note one of the Marchellos brothers tried to alert the Assist. Town Manager on this …but John Olinzock it is said…ran off saying he could not speak to him!…

All the more reason…after observing all the above that it makes absolutely no sense not to work with the pier owners and allow a permanent egress from their lot to the alleyway…Vendetta’s should not override public safety…and anyone who takes the time to take it all in…what happens at this turn-about will see this is a matter of public safety…no doubt!…Many pier parking customers and walkers said as much!….

THE P.R. STUNT….SET TO BE SEEN IN THE NEXT Mc-Furth BTSTimes!…

What a joke…no matter what “spin” you read alongside the Marc Furth photos in the next edition…this was a “stunt” a “political P.R. Stunt” plain and simple!…

Here it is Sunday morning at 10 am…the height of congestion for the beach…the pier…and Aruba ….constant activity…and Vice Mayor McIntee put his own political “agenda” above it all…

McIntee  came with 2 VFD firetrucks…one blocking the pavilion …as he proceeded to park his VFD-SUV alongside behind parked cars on the south side of Commercial…The 2nd VFD-firetruck was parked on El Mar in front of the median…until it was off on a medical call…light and sirens..following a racing Beach ATV…lights on…heading north……

Marc Furth took the photos of Vice Mayor McIntee hosing down the pavilion…while at least a half dozen Coastal Construction workers stood around to watch…After about five minutes and many photo shots…the VM handed to hose to Furth…who took over the cleaning on his own…..as the VM went into Aruba’s to retrieve a couple of glasses of soda…Still the Coastal workers stood waiting…the pavers were cleaned off…and done…but this McIntee “moment” could not end…the 2nd firetruck returned …to park by the median right across fro Aruba’s parking lot entry…as customers tried mightily to get around the VFD obstacle course of trucks…and hoses…Why?…Because more photos were to be taken of VFD members hosing off the remaining dusting of sand …….

The parade of cars and the backup going on did not stop this show…Why did he do it…because he can!…He didn’t care about its effect…the grumblings of all those around…It’s good to be “God”…in LBTS…

This should have been done by Coastal Construction…and it should have been done early in the morning before the activity of residents …tourists and customers came en’ masse….There is absolutely no excuse ….but unless and until the voters vote him out…the P.R. “shows” will continue on …at an accelerated pace!…Who else travels with their own photog?….

One bright spot for those who hold out hope that this “God’s”…. “2-Hats” days are numbered…the commentary heard all around…yet again today …saying it loud and clear!…

more to come……….

Tags: Local Politics, pavilion, Scoops, VFD
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WHO RUNS THIS TOWN….

IS IT MCINTEE OR COLON?…….READ ON…….

THE PAVILION POLES…

This Saturday morning this writer was at the pavilion…standing in front of a crew of guys putting on the finishing touches for the Monday night reveal…..

Standing in front of them observing a few bystanders…no positive words were said among them…independently they asked about so many poles…the lack of views…

The man in charge was asked…he replied they were needed to support this structure…all are concrete going down 4 feet into the ground…but these seniors weren’t buying it…and neither is this writer…sorry!…

WILL IT BE READY FOR MONDAY’S RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY?…

Yep said the man in charge…they will be done today…it will be open for Monday…the Town has it’s TCO…(temporary certificate of occupation)…and on Tuesday morning….IT WILL BE SHUT DOWN!…Why?…The siding is all put on incorrectly and needs to be torn off and redone!….YIKES!…

NO MORE STREET EVENTS….

The man in charge says this is where the concerts will be…the Town has told him…they’re shutting down the night time street events…..HUH?…The bystanders said but they have been having the music in the streets “for years”…The man in charge said he’s from West Palm Beach…and they shut down the streets …no problem…but he said our Town said that’s what they’re going to do!…WOW!…

WHY NO BATHROOMS?….

The man in charge gave the excuse…that the undesirables would hear there were bathroom and come use them over here …on this side of the bridge…This writer said they will probably put them somewhere else…The bystanders said…those awful port-a- potties?…OOPS!

WHERE’S THE SEATING?….

The bystanders said where are the seats?…They loved coming and sitting on the benches…The man in charge said the Town has stopped the seating…and the seating he agreed with the questioners will be limited!…OUCH!…

NO LIGHTS IN THE PAVILION!…

The man in charge pointed out without any questions being asked…that there will be no lights in the pavilion!…HUH?  This writer asked him why…He said the Commission said no!…This writer told him the Commission NEVER voted on lights in the pavilion…He said he was told the turtle lights would cost a $1000 a piece and the Town said the Commission said NO!…The electrical is ready for them…seems…THE MANAGER AGAIN DECIDED ON HER OWN!…

VIGILANTE…”2-HATS’….MICRO-MANAGER ALERT…

As this writer stood there ..who drove up but Deputy Chief McIntee along withVFD Ron McGirr…in the VFD SUV…they parked at Aruba…and walked over to the pavilion and the man in charge…where this writer observed…a few feet away…McIntee shaking his hand…offering the help of the VFD…Not sure…what for?…But if it was construction besides the micro-managing…are the VFD licensed…contractors to work on a town project?…He made sure to tell the man in charge..”I am also the Vice Mayor”…Seems a conflict…plain and straight!…He then learned himself about no lights…saying he would put it on the agenda!…So there you have the Manager decided on her own…So maybe she is more powerful then he is…after all!…

BC- during the campaign last year people would often ask who was in charge McIntee or MacMillan…guess now the question is who is charge…McIntee or Manager Colon?…

He left the pavilion…looked up at the front facing the street…and said that would be a great place for a clock…

AFTER THE VIGILANTE LEFT….

The scuttlebutt in and out of the site…gives this writer hope that his reign is about over… For his actions at the pavilion were received all around in “concert” (pun intended) with those who know he has to go!….

more to come….

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, pavilion, Scoops, VFD
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REMEMBER THIS?…………

Trucker wrecks construction site Dec.2008……..

‘Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Police said the disoriented man ran a red light along Commercial Boulevard and Ocean Drive, drove onto the beach and smashed into the fence of a pavilion construction crews had been working on.

A tow truck removed the semi, which had been trapped by the beach’s sand.’

It looks like the truck left a lasting reminder……and thanks to the Marchelos brothers who have been keeping an eye on the progress and process of the pavilion…a big part of the drainage problem may have been found.

Yesterday Commissioner Dodd, business owners, town staff  and the pavilion engineer all came together to view the problem…and found the pipe was badly damaged during the event either by the truck itself or the efforts to get it removed…It will now be addressed…

Further it was pointed out the drainage is improper coming from the shower areas…and the pavers are already caving due to the water run off!…

Also, we hear the specified area for the bike racks…will leave part of the bike in the walkway…

This won’t change the required changes coming from the town and the DEP to Aruba and whomever else has improper run off that heads to the state roadway (Commercial Blvd.)…

Also quite interesting the Engineering company hired for this project…Holland Engineering of Hollywood…is said to have been the engineers for the Oriana. development…..HMMM…Did McIntee know?….

Once more these ongoing “messes” say loud and clear …there was absolutely no reason for this project not to have been brought back monthly to the Commission…..rather than to have been dealt with behind closed doors independently by certain Town staff!

The Town Manager has 2 times a month to report to the Commission and the town…she should be using this time to update regularly on town projects…such as this one…and the sale of the warehouse…which is long past the 90 day contract with the real estate company  …as well as following the direction of Commissioner Dodd with providing a calendar of upcoming dates for major bids and RFPs…for pre-planning and input from the Commission and the residents…

more to come…….

Tags: Local News, pavilion, Scoops
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Commissioner Dodd…”IS THE PAVILION SINKING BEFORE WE GET IT OPEN?”

Finishing up yet another 2- day Commission meeting …we got hit with a news from the Town Manager that we not only have a new Beach Pavilion…we have a new Beach Sinkhole….

It’s developed next to the catch basin on the south side of the Pavilion….and the cost to repair…$3,815…

According to Holland Engineering the properties to the north and the south are “impacting the drainage system”…Also included in a memo today handed out to the Commission…the Environmental Protection and Growth Manage Department are now in the mix…meaning…the funds need to be approved and the problems need to be addressed with the property owners…because DEP is involved…

BC- which means the previous post about run-off from Aruba…appears to be correct…just as it was shown in the previous memo sent to the Commission…received after Comm. Dodd sent in the pictures of the flooded area…So now this corrects the correction…OOPS!…

The letter from the Engineer…to Ocampo & Assoc…

I would like to bring to your attention the presence of exiting conditions that are impacting the drainage design of the pavilion currently under construction on Commercial Blvd. A portion of commercial Blvd. drains toward the pavilion & included in the drainage system for the pavilion., which will accommodate most normal rain events that are 2-inches of rain or less ( The drainage system for the pavilion was upsized to account for this drainage.)

However, there is another existing condition that is impacting the drainage system for the pavilion. The contractor for the pavilion informed me that the properties to the north and the south of the pavilion also discharge drainage from their parking areas to commercial Boulevard. This was evident during the extreme storm event that occurred the week of March 16th, 2009. The water from the neighboring properties eventually ends up flowing toward the pavilion, resulting in flooding during intense rain events. Broward county code states that properties are to retain their storm water within their own property limits.This discharge of water from these properties into Commercial Boulevard will negatively impact the pavilion during certain rain events. Please review these findings with your client & inform me how to proceed, as this is not part of the original scope of work.

Included in the memo was a letter to Municipal Director Don Prince with the DEP requirements “for holding water for 72 hours retention area”..pointing out numbers 4 & %…

4. Retention basins shall again provide the capacity for the given volume of stormwater within 72 hours following the storm event. The additional storage volume must be provided by a decrease of stored water caused only by percolation through soil, evaporation or evapotranspiration.

5. Swales shall be designed to percolate 80% of the runoff resulting from a three-year, one-hour design storm within 72 hours after a storm event,assuming average antecedent conditions.

Following that was the request for change order from Ocampo and Coastal Construction…

BC- One observor looking at the  “sinkhole” believes that there may be “voids” by the new drains…

Another glaring reason why the plans for this pavilion should have been brought to this Commission every step of the way!

And as for the properties addressed in the memo …be prepared…the Town will be calling you….

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony…April 6, 2009…7 pm….

more to come…

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local News, pavilion, Scoops, Updates
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