Where Oh Where Can It Be?
Once upon a time in a quaint, little old, “solvent” beach town called Indian Rocks Beach, citizens could access the City Calendar of upcoming commission meetings, board meetings, etc.
In today’s IRB, that seems no longer an option. The month is nearly half over before the calendar of public meetings ever gets posted. Is there a technical issue at work here or does your commission not want you to know the dates and times of meetings where you might learn that:
1. Your property taxes are GOING UP?
2. Your sewer rates could INCREASE as much as 80%?
3. Your garbage rates could INCREASE as much as 60%?
4. NO PUBLIC INVESTIGATION into the illegal loans/transfers responsible for these increases has begun (or has even been publicly discussed or placed on an upcoming agenda for discussion!)?
5. Your current commission has made no attempt to STOP these illegal transfers, now that the illegalities have been made public; they continue as you read this blog?
The "unveiling" of the preliminary results of the USF Planning Study (A2K), held on July 22nd at 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon, was a last-minute surprise. Once again, July’s calendar hadn’t been posted on the Web site. And, even when it finally did appear, the title of the meeting was “CC Work Session” with no mention of the subject matter. Anyone who attended the presentation could probably provide a plausible reason why the meeting wasn’t advertised better. Possibly the commission didn’t want you to see that your tax dollars have partially funded a planning study that involves a recommendation for taller buildings that sit right on Gulf Blvd.; the current 25’ setbacks are a foregone conclusion? And, Chic-a-Si Park is converted into a large parking garage! Although…"Chic-a-Si Parking" does have a certain ring to it…doesn’t it?
Needless to say, the Budget Workshop, scheduled for this Thursday, August 7th at 7:00 p.m., doesn’t appear anywhere on the City Calendar yet. What doesn’t your commission want you to know this week?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/Indian Rocks Beach
NOTE: The City Calendar can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://www.indian-rocks-beach.com/calendar.pdf. With any luck at all, August will finally be posted by the time you click on it. As of the date and time of this posting, however, last month (July) was still displayed!
Once upon a time in a quaint, little old, “solvent” beach town called Indian Rocks Beach, citizens could access the City Calendar of upcoming commission meetings, board meetings, etc.
In today’s IRB, that seems no longer an option. The month is nearly half over before the calendar of public meetings ever gets posted. Is there a technical issue at work here or does your commission not want you to know the dates and times of meetings where you might learn that:
1. Your property taxes are GOING UP?
2. Your sewer rates could INCREASE as much as 80%?
3. Your garbage rates could INCREASE as much as 60%?
4. NO PUBLIC INVESTIGATION into the illegal loans/transfers responsible for these increases has begun (or has even been publicly discussed or placed on an upcoming agenda for discussion!)?
5. Your current commission has made no attempt to STOP these illegal transfers, now that the illegalities have been made public; they continue as you read this blog?
The "unveiling" of the preliminary results of the USF Planning Study (A2K), held on July 22nd at 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon, was a last-minute surprise. Once again, July’s calendar hadn’t been posted on the Web site. And, even when it finally did appear, the title of the meeting was “CC Work Session” with no mention of the subject matter. Anyone who attended the presentation could probably provide a plausible reason why the meeting wasn’t advertised better. Possibly the commission didn’t want you to see that your tax dollars have partially funded a planning study that involves a recommendation for taller buildings that sit right on Gulf Blvd.; the current 25’ setbacks are a foregone conclusion? And, Chic-a-Si Park is converted into a large parking garage! Although…"Chic-a-Si Parking" does have a certain ring to it…doesn’t it?
Needless to say, the Budget Workshop, scheduled for this Thursday, August 7th at 7:00 p.m., doesn’t appear anywhere on the City Calendar yet. What doesn’t your commission want you to know this week?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/Indian Rocks Beach
NOTE: The City Calendar can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://www.indian-rocks-beach.com/calendar.pdf. With any luck at all, August will finally be posted by the time you click on it. As of the date and time of this posting, however, last month (July) was still displayed!
6 comments:
You are absolutely right! This commission is too "congenial" to do anything except raise taxes and fees out of sight. We are in a recession and other Communities are cutting expenses to meet shortffalls-but IRB only knows one way-tax, increase fees, and continue to spend. It is discraseful and I am appalled!
Even worse the City commits financial improprieties and the Commission will not say why or how these were done. They tolerate inept personnel in the administration, and don't ask them to be accountable. At the last meeting, I saw our treasurer, and assistant treasurer, and the auditor sitting at the administration side. No one spoke about financials except the auditor and interim CM. What small town our size has a treasurer, assistant treasurer, employs an auditor and an outside consultant to do our financial work.
Regards,
Victor Wood
510 Harbor Drive North
IRB
PS But who is really to blame? It is the citizens for not demanding a higher standard and a stop to raising taxes and fees.
What? I thought that the last election was about electing nice people who would get along, not smart people who would actually do something. Geez! Now the laugh is on us! Because we listened to crazy people like that flip-flopper Leo, and Jose’s blog, and you Victor, we have all been made to suffer. Why don’t you stop complaining about everything and leave us all alone. You 3 rotten musketeers should just stop complaining, or perhaps you don’t remember just a few months ago who you were backing!
Call the Barrier Islands Gazette. They seem to be covering alot of the issues the other papers includeing the Times won't. They just did an outrageous front page storyon the whole Gulf Mariner issue where imminent domain is trying to get acted on public beach access. Maybe you should get a job with them.
When did the Commission approve a 13% increase in sewer and solid waste rates? My sewer bill went from $47.44 in May to $53.81 in July. My solid waste rates went from 36.52 to 41.42 from May to July. Both 13% increases. IRB sewer and SW rates are flat rates. They are not based on consumption. How is it they can be raised with no public notice, no public hearing, no explanation of the "loans" and no Commission vote as far as I can tell.
What else is in danger of being swept under the rug out of public view? Watch the a2k study; it appears to be the Publix scenario all over again--ask for the aircraft carrier Enterprise and settle for the Queen Mary in terms of density and height increases, and public expenditures for things like parking garages.
Bill Ockunzzi
This commission is a joke! I can remember when we had intelligent commissioners representing our best interests. I remember those folks being chastized by the likes of Jose, Leo and Victor and therefore losing the popular vote through a campaign played out in blogs, newspapers and vicious emails. I am talking about folks like Ed Pinero, Jimmy P, and even that wild and crazy guy Carmody. Lets us not forget that before Ockunzzi became mayor he did help create the supermajority petition that was accepted by an overwhelming majority of our voting citizens. If we spent 125k on the Kolb Park bathroom, can you imagine how much they would spend to build a parking structure!!!!! Give me a break, we need fiscal accountability, commissioners who disagree occasionaly for the sake of the cities best interest, we certainly do not need to purchase land outside the city limits just to park our garbage trucks!! We do not need a STINKIN PUBLIX! I encourage all of you to get behind some new faces who will challenge one of these morons in the upcoming election who can think for themselves and challenge the status quo! I can think of several leaders out there who should run, the problem is because of Leo and blogs and newspapers these good folks do not want to get involved.......what a shame!
Wake Up IRB, our city is sinking and the pumpkins are getting along!
Reading Leos blog can be quite amusing. A blog he tries to legitimize as a report on some of the surrounding cities. How can anyone who has gone to jail for embezzlement, stealing, lying and cheating call themselves legitimate? He must think he’s part of the Hollywood crowd. One cannot help but notice the many times he quotes Victor Wood and Jose Coppen. He also consistently quotes Terry Wollin and Bert Valery. Quite a group of individuals! In his latest blog posting he is very rude to Mayor Jim Driscoll. Can you believe it? Jim has done more in a day for this town than Leo has in his whole pathetic existence, let alone all five of these hypocrites. I have to agree with one of the comments. Victor, you’re a nuisance. Go away; you do more damage than good. Jose, you’re also an undesirable here in IRB. Please stop. You whine more than a baby. Leo, I personally think you are a coward. A yellow-belly coward and a thief. Terry and Bert will soon be gone, I believe the people of this town have realized what a mistake it was putting them up there, having accomplished nothing, not one thing. Yes they are all a disease on this town, which time will cure.
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