Will they OR Won't they?

The Agenda for the June 7th City Commission Meeting is posted on the cities' web site.  This is the meeting that the moderators of the "Voice in the Choice Meeting" requested to be put on at the Tuesday, May 17th regular commission meeting.

At that meeting, Scott Maxwell asked the City Clerk Pam Lopez to put us on.  Karri followed the procedure outlined on the web site for agenda requests and sent a formal request to the City Manager as directed on May 20th.

Initially, Karri was informed by Susan Stanton that the request had to be send to Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill.. After a weekend of e-mails between Stanton and Karri with a litany of discouragement from Stanton and Karri reiterating over and over WHY the moderators should be allowed to give the presentation; Mulvehill chimed in on Monday, May 23rd and informed us she would get back to us in a day or two.  I guess she had to check with her advisors.

Now keep in mind, Scott Maxwell had already put in a request for us to be on the June 7th agenda on May 17th.  He did this in front of the entire commission and a room full of people.  On Tuesday, May 24th, we received an e-mail denying the request from Mulvehill.

Both Stanton and Mulvehill kept on saying they had heard enough about the Willdan Study.  Karri kept responding back that the presentation was about more than the Willdan Study; it was about increasing revunes and cutting costs.  The couple hundred people that attended the public meeting broke into 8 groups and only 1 of them discussed the Willdan Study.

This attempt to explain to Stanton and Mulvehill was like beating one's head against a wall and trying to get blood from a turnip.  Here is the link to the e-mails are exchanged:


 Request for Presentation on June 7th, 2011 Agenda from Moderators of Public Meeting


On Wednesday, May 24th, Bob and Karri (two of the three moderators) attended the joint CRA and Commission meeting at Compass.  At this point things got really interesting.  As one blogger put it, you just had to be there.  It was like a tennis match; one minute the presentation was on, one minute it was off and the volley continued.

The final decision on the possibllity of the presentation being permitted on Tuesday the 7th of June - is that the commissioners will VOTE on whether this will happen or not ON the DAY of the PRESENTATION.  Yes, you read correctly.

Before this could be posted, City Mangager Susan Stanon put in her Weekly Report that the negotiations were nearing completion with Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.  The negotiations are expected to be complete on Wednesday, June 8th.  This is the day AFTER the day of the presentation  we requested to make.

In this CM report, Stanton requests us NOT to contact City Hall or the PBSO in order that negotiations can close smoothly.  Apparently the new caveat for NOT going with the PBSO will fall on our shoulders now.

It's hours to countdown now.......... Will they or Won't they?  Only the "3" know for sure.

Comments about the Joint Finance Advisory Board & City Commission Joint Meeting Wed. May 25th

Jack Simons

Karri Casper was a threat to Mulvehill's attempt to keep the 200-250 people who met on May 14 from making a 10 minute Presentation of their meeting's conclusions on a myriad of subjects in the June 7 City Commission meeting.  




Mulvehill was trying to use the Commission majority vote she knew she had to prevent Commissioner Maxwell's proposed Agenda item for the Presentation at the June 7 meeting. Mulvehill was representing that the Presentation would only cover areas of the Willdan PBSO Study that had already been covered. Mulvehill said she knew this because of email communication she had with a May 14 organizer. Karri Casper identified herself as the originator of that communication and stated that Mulvehill was misrepresenting the communication. That was when Mulvehill told her to leave the meeting and because Karri didn't, Mulvehill recessed the meeting and called PBSO.

After the recess, the City Manager opined that the presentation would hinder her negotiations with PBSO. Then the City Attorney and the City Clerk said that instead of voting on the Maxwell Agenda item at this time, it was more appropriate to vote at the June 7 meeting as to whether or not to Amend, Reorder or Delete an individual agenda item.


Karri Casper

Gee, since I was outside the room on the phone with Channel 12, I wasn't aware of this decision or more appropriately the lack of one.

So let me get this straight, the moderators will come to the meeting with their presentation and at that time the 3 anarchist commissioners will vote from their throne NOT to allow the presentation. Now that folks, is transparency.

Request for Presentation on June 7th, 2011 Agenda from Moderators of Public Meeting

May 20, 2011 Original Request from Karri

From: Karri Casper [karricasper@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 10:09 AM
To: Susan Stanton
Cc: Robert Lepa; Wes Blackman; Pam Lopez
Subject: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Susan,

Wes, Bob and I would like to be put on the June 7th agenda to present a report on the public input regarding the Willdan report which states the city wants to reconstitute the Lake Worth police force. We do realize that the current thinking on the commission is to renegotiate the contract with the PBSO, but the public input is still applicable.

I remind you that there was no opportunity for public comment until this Tuesday when we were limited to two minutes. There were about 300 people at this meeting and obviously they were not all present on Tuesday. The input has been consolidated for this presentation.

Karri Casper

May 20, 2011 Stanton reply to Karri

From: Susan Stanton [sstanton@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 6:20 PM
To: Karri Casper
Cc: Suzanne Mulvehill
Subject: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Karri …..you need to direct this to the Vice Mayor. But, what is the point? The City Commission knows everyone wants to keep PBSO? Do we really need to take any more time to discuss this preference? Was there doubt in your mind that the City wants to keep them as well?

We have all seen the e - mails, accepted phone calls and talked with people in the community. But, if the Vice Mayor wants to devote more time to have additional time to receive your report on public comments ………… ..which itself would then be opened for more public comments on the Public Comment Report …she can place it on the agenda. It is not that public impute is not valued. Its was. We are trying to keep PBSO.
I have copied her with your request.

Susan A. Stanton, ICMA -- CM
City Manager 7 N Dixie Highway
Lake Worth, FL 33460
561.586.1689
sstanton@lakeworth.org

May 21, 2011 Karri to Suzanne & Stanton

 From: Karri Casper [karricasper@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2011 10:31 AM
To: Susan Stanton; Suzanne Mulvehill
Cc: Wes Blackman; Robert Lepa
Subject: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Suzanne,

Would you please put us on the agenda for June 7th? The specifics are below. (the preceding E-mail)

Ladies, since the city or Willdan did not put together a meeting for public input, it was left up to the citizens. We have invested a lot of TIME and EFFORT for the meeting and compiling the results.

We did not know if public input would be allowed Wednesday. Additionally, the 2 minutes we are permitted to speak is hardly sufficient to illuminate you on the facts.

2 hours of PUBLIC INPUT where 8 different topics were discussed by 8 different groups of almost 300 people has been condensed to one presentation.

Regardless of your current stance of wanting the sheriff, most of you on the dais are misinterpreting a lot of the information in the report.

Please allow us the opportunity to speak.

Karri Casper

May 21, 2011 Stanton reply to Karri

From: Susan Stanton [sstanton@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2011 7:52 PM
To: Karri Casper
Cc: Suzanne Mulvehill
Subject: Re: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Karri....

I am going to recommend we not have another meeting on this topic until we conclude our meetings with PBSO. I do wish you had your extended public meeting after hearing from the consultant. This very premise of your Saturday meeting was inaccurate..... The purpose of the City Commission work session was NOT to vote to cancel the contract which most people were told by those organizing your meeting. The purpose of the meeting on Wednesday night was to receive the report, hear from the consultant and begin discussions with the SO.

Sent from my iPad

Sat. P.M. May 21 Karri's Response to Stanton

From: Karri Casper [karricasper@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2011 10:07 PM
To: Susan Stanton
Cc: Suzanne Mulvehill; Wes Blackman; Robert Lepa
Subject: Re: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

At no time did anyone indicate or state that you would be voting to cancel the contract on Wed. As one of the organizers, I can unequivocally vouch for this.

However, if you refer to page 47, it clearly states that the intent is for the city to reconstitute the LWPD.

It does appear that you and the 3 commissioners that had been for the LWPD, are now claiming to want the PBSO. We are glad the citizens have gotten their point across.

The report had been received some time ago. Those of us who have read it (and there are more than a few) strongly disagree with much of the report. Hearing from the Willdan people did nothing to change our minds.

The inaccuracies in the report, suggestions for budget trimming and alternative sources of revenue are what we want to present.

If you are sincere about wanting to achieve this mutual goal, we will be put on the schedule.

Karri Casper

May 22, 2011 Wes to Stanton & Suzanne

From: Wes Blackman [wesblackman@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 10:17 AM
To: Susan Stanton; Suzanne Mulvehill
Cc: Bob Lepa; Karri Casper
Subject: Fwd: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

We are asking for time under the "Presentations" part of the agenda. If you read a typical City Commission agenda, you will notice that there is no public comment allowed on presentations. Susan, the information we gathered at the meeting is much more than people just saying that they want to keep PBSO - there are ideas for increased revenue generation and other factors that may help in your negotiations.

I would suggest that the act of winning an election does not confer on one a supreme intelligence where you know all of the answers. It's time that we use our residents as the valuable resource they are and not just people to court and cajole around elect ion time.

Wes

May 22, 2011 - Stanton to Karri

From: Susan Stanton [sstanton@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 11:49 AM
To: karricasper@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

We see the world very differently.

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

May 22 Karri's reply to Stanton

From: Karri Casper [karricasper@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 12:14 PM
To: Susan Stanton
Cc: Suzanne Mulvehill; Robert Lepa; Wes Blackman
Subject: Re: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Susan,

That may well be the case, but I do respect your position as city manager. As you said to me when we started this dialogue back in Jan., you consider me an intelligent woman. You asked me to find solutions. That is what we have done.

Please allow us to present them to you on the 7th.

Karri Casper

May 23, 2011 Suzanne to Moderators

From: Suzanne Mulvehill [smulvehill@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 10:01 AM
To: Karri Casper; Susan Stanton
Cc: Robert Lepa; Wes Blackman
Subject: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Dear Karri and Wes,

I am reviewing your request and the email exchanges I received over the weekend and will get back with you in the next day or two.

Thank you,

Suzanne
Suzanne Mulvehill, MBA
Vice Mayor
City of Lake Worth, Florida
www.lakeworth.org
561 - 586- 1734
561 -267- 9829 cell
Sign up for Commissioner Mulvehill's updates
by sending an email to smulvehill@lakeworth.org
and writing "Subscribe" in the subject line.

May 24, 2011 Suzanne's Decision

From: Suzanne Mulvehill [smulvehill@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 1:59 PM
To: Karri Casper; wesblackman@gmail.com
Cc: Robert Lepa; Susan Stanton
Subject: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Karri and Wes,

I respect that you have information you want to present to the commission. At the next city commission meeting on June 7, I will request that the commission join me in hosting a revenue generation community meeting. I would encourage you, as well as anyone else in your group, to share your ideas with the commission and the community. Being that the City Commission has already addressed the Willdan Study, taken extensive public comment and directed the city manager to begin negotiating the contract, I believe it is in the best interest of the city that we allow the negotiations to proceed without taking any additional actions regarding the Willdan Homeland Solutions Study.

Thank you,

Suzanne
Suzanne Mulvehill
Vice Mayor
Lake Worth, Florida
561 - 586- 1734
561 - 267- 9829 (c)
smulvehill@lakeworth.org
www.lakeworth.org

May 25, 2011 Karri's reply to Suzanne

From: Karri Casper [karricasper@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 5:39 PM
To: Suzanne Mulvehill
Cc: Robert Lepa; Susan Stanton; wesblackman@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Request for being on the June 7th agenda

Suzanne,

I am distressed that you are NOT interested in hearing solutions for the city's financial state. Perhaps it does not matter to you, but I can assure you, it is IMPORTANT to the residents.

It doesn't seem to me that you have any respect for us, despite your verbiage.

Your "revenue generation" proposed meeting will likely take place after the PBSO vote, which will be ignoring the solutions that were devised specifically to keep the sheriff. This is NOT in the best interests of the city.

2 minutes per person of public input with people voicing they want to keep the PBSO is not extensive, nor does it address ways to do this in a concise revenue oriented manner.

If you honestly have the best interest of the city and it's citizens, you will put us on the agenda.

Karri Casper