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Page 4 August 16 - August 22, 2013

The Town-Crier

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OUR OPINION

Be Alert On The Roads As School Returns After Summer Recess The new school year kicks off next week, and whether you’re excited to be going back or wishing the summer would stretch on forever, it’s time to get back to the daily grind. The first few days of school are always hectic, rife with confusion as everyone settles into a rhythm. Drivers who have noticed a summer lull in morning traffic will once again find the streets full, while parents dropping their kids off will once again have to get used to the inevitable traffic cycle. We at the Town-Crier urge everyone to be aware and be safe. All too often, motorists don’t heed school speed zones or seem to have forgotten that if a bus is stopped to pick up or disembark riders, they must come to a full stop and must not pass the bus. Drivers must also get used to looking extra carefully for kids crossing the streets — not every child knows the rules of the road and when it’s safest to cross. It seems like common sense, but every new school year there are violators, and what we don’t need is an accident to mar the beginning of what should be an exciting time for kids. So shake the summer cobwebs away and be on the alert. With new schools in our area, drivers must also be on alert for new traffic patterns. For example, there is a new traffic light on Crestwood Blvd., north of Southern Blvd., where the Renaissance Charter School at Palms West will be open for its first day of school Monday. Drivers in the area should remember there is now an operational light at that intersection and take extra precautions.

Next week is an opportunity for everyone to start the year off on the right foot. Students begin the new school year with clean slates. What happened last year is in the past. What’s most important is that students know they have the support to succeed, not only from parents and other family members, but from their communities. And community members need to set good examples by being good role models for students and for being good neighbors who look out for each other. The new school year is a time of firsts and lasts. For kindergarteners, it’s the very beginning of a lengthy academic career. For seniors, it’s the beginning of the end of an era and for some, an end to school altogether. For middle schoolers, it’s making the transition from elementary school. For high schoolers, it’s making the transition from middle school. Sometimes these changes aren’t always as easy to make as they seem. So, at least at the beginning of the year, let’s give everybody the benefit of the doubt that they’re trying their best and if somebody is struggling, lend them a hand. For some teachers, it will be the last time they face a class, as retirement comes at the end of the school year. For others, it will be their first time leading a class and they might be more than a little nervous. Remembering that we are all in this together might go a long way in getting the first days and weeks of school off to a smooth start.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Good First Step, Still Concerns

I applaud the Wellington Village Council for looking into current problems and having a consultant analyze obstacles to moving forward. The Town-Crier is right on when the newspaper states that this is the first building block to repairing relationships, working on establishing trust and common goals, and having frank and honest discussions about the village and its future. Unfortunately, there is one bad apple who seems to constantly strive to stir the pot and make a career of being divisive and being the voice of “no” and negativity: Councilman Matt Willhite. Mr. Willhite is the driving force behind the move to fire the manager, and was quoted as saying, “that we just aren’t getting along” in the days before the consultant was brought on board. Now that the consultant confirmed that indeed they aren’t getting along, and has outlined a process to solve those problems, Mr. Willhite now wants a study to make a decision on whether they should fire Mr. Schofield. Sorry councilman, that is your job and quit looking for somebody else to take the heat. If you were paying attention, you would notice that he is doing a great job. Years ago, when Wellington was

in its infancy as a municipality, Mr. Willhite would sit in the back of the council chambers and speak against every issue that came up, religiously, meeting after meeting. Some things never change, and unfortunately, Mr. Willhite is not only part of the problem now, he is the problem. But I am very hopeful, as Mayor Bob Margolis is becoming the leader and mayor that all of us knew he could be. During Bob’s terms as councilman, he was the most respected and liked councilman from all sectors of the community. His achievements were large, and he was known for getting things done and listening to all sides of every issue. I feel that with the mayor’s leadership, and the other three council members’ willingness to work together, Wellington can finally get back on track and move forward, keeping this one of the best places in America to live. Steve Haughn Wellington

Can We Save The Inspector General?

It was clear and simple. The inspector general needs additional monies or she will have to lay off a large part of her staff. The county commissioners have always said

they are in favor of an independent inspector general. Since the rogue cites have ignored the 72 percent of their electorate, and have sued to not fund the IG, there was only one way to keep the IG going, and that is for the Palm Beach County commissioners to give her the money, and they agreed in principle to do it. Things are going much better for Palm Beach County this year. Housing is booming, property values are rising and taxes will increase. There should be enough money to fund the temporary needs of the inspector general, despite budget constraints. County Clerk Sharon Bock is currently holding onto the money 25 cities have committed to fund and is trying to get the authority to pass it on to the inspector general. The rogue cites are still stonewalling the inspector general by shamelessly disregarding citizens’ wishes to fund the IG. Their only hope is to vote their representatives out of office in the next election, which is exactly what Wellington did in its last election. This issue is getting old, but we must not relent. Morley Alperstein Wellington

Flooding: An Important Issue

Flooding destroys properties

and endangers lives, furthermore, flooding pollutes clean water sources. It is vitally important to identify the causes and ways of mitigating the effects of flooding. My friends in academia, such as Dr. J. William Louda, who is an eminently qualified environmental biogeochemist and who has contributed to this section from time to time, will hopefully share his critical insights. In the interim, having studied law and water policy management, I would like to share my views. Parking lots, roads, playgrounds and other man-made structures with impervious surfaces and inadequate drainage and water retention systems significantly contribute to clean-water pollution. Insurance covers the cost to repair damage, but does nothing to return our clean water sources to their pre-flooding chemical, physical and biological characteristics. Polluters and not taxpayers should pick up the tab for the damage they cause. Since the 1950s, private flood insurance has not existed and government has been picking up the tab. If we are looking for causes, one problem is that older building codes did not require adequate drainage and water retention systems, as do current codes. Municipalities are not liable for negligence in code enforcement and developers are of-

ten insulated from liability suits if they have complied with building codes; however, building codes set a minimum standard and do not establish the outer limits of a developer’s safety responsibilities. It is not likely that courts will retroactively assess damages against developers of properties that flood, as has been the case with chemical polluters. But there is another mechanism that might accomplish the same result. The U.S. Supreme Court decided government has the power to require its citizens to purchase health insurance or pay a tax. Accordingly, I submit that government has the power to require developers and owners to buy flood insurance and call it a tax. The Flood Disaster Protection

Act of 1973 was the beginning of a plan that mandated the compulsory purchase of flood insurance for owners of commercial and residential properties encumbered by federally backed mortgages. This mandate is very likely to be extended to private homeowners not covered by federally backed mortgages. FEMA has drafted a new map, which puts Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee and The Acreage in new flood plains. If enacted, a flood-insurance mandate could cost residents of those areas $800 a year or more. To learn more about flooding and what the county is working on visit www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/ dem/floodawareness. Frank Morelli Wellington

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can e-mail letters@ goTownCrier.com.

OPINION

Hurricane Tips For Being Prepared When A Storm Blows Our Way As we start to roll into the most active part of the hurricane season — and 2013 is slated to be a doozy — here are a hatful of tips and suggestions which can be most useful. Remember, before the storm is the time to get ready! Home survival kit: 7 to 10 day supply of water, cash in case banks or ATM machines are not

Footloose and... By Jules W. Rabin available, medications, 7 to 10

day supply of non-perishable canned or packaged food, a portable radio, extra batteries, a manual can opener, flashlights for all, a fully charged cell phone, a good first aid kit and charcoal or filled propane tanks for the barbecue. Also, don’t forget soap, toothbrush, toilet paper, paper towels, etc, and also easy access to emergency tools such

as pliers, screw driver and wrenches. Other notable items: remove damaged and diseased tree branches… organize emergency supplies like canned food, drinking water, first aid supplies, etc… clear the yard and garden of loose objects like lawn furniture and trash cans… make sure the car has a full tank since many gas

stations might not have electricity. Also, keep in mind that most Red Cross shelters do not permit pets inside and make other plans if you need to shelter your animals. Don’t forget a list of key phone numbers, and if you own a boat, don’t forget to check your contract with the marina, since some point out once there is a hurricane

watch issued, the responsibility for the boat is yours, not theirs. Storm Categories, if statistics turn you on: Category 1, 74-95 mph (some to moderate damage ); Category 2, 96-110 mph (extensive damage); Category 3, 111-129 mph (devastating damage); Category 4, 130-156 mph (catastrophic damage); and Category 5, 157 mph or higher (catastrophic damage).

follow whatever the court’s ruling may be.” Palm Beach County Mayor Stephen Abrams asked whether the Solid Waste Authority, which is controlled by the county commission, might be able to come up with additional temporary financing. “That may be something we can look at in our other capacity,” Abrams said. “I’m just looking for ways to close the gap. It may be a combination of different sources,

something to get us through this period of litigation.” Commissioner Jess Santamaria said he supported the OIG for the overall good of the people of Palm Beach County. “Whatever means are necessary, we must support the Office of Inspector General,” he said. Commissioner Hal Valeche made a motion to fund the $687,000 for fiscal year 2014, which carried 6-0, with Commissioner Shelley Vana absent.

NEWS OIG Budget

County To Cover Extra $687,000

continued from page 1 cover only the 23 positions filled, it would be $2.75 million. To maintain staffing at that level, an additional $687,000 would be required from the county’s general fund. No money is currently available in the 2014 budget, according to a county staff report, but if the commissioners choose to honor the request, amendments could be made at the first public budget hearing scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9. The amendments would increase the contribution from the county and reduce the overall budget to reflect only the 23 filled positions. The 17 vacant positions would be reinstated once the municipal financing was implemented. But without the additional county money, Inspector General Sheryl Steckler would need to lay off six employees by Sept. 27 and another three by Dec. 27. Steckler thanked County Administrator Bob Weisman for putting the matter on the agenda.

“The current issue, always difficult, is fairly straightforward,” Steckler said. “The office needs to continue on a long-term and continued funding base that is stable. We all understand that this was caused by the municipalities’ decision not to pay, and the Clerk of the Court’s interjecting herself into the lawsuit by withholding payment from those municipalities that are not party to this lawsuit.” At the beginning of the year, the office had 26 staffers, she said. “We were managing, but through the year, we lost three, and we did not fill those positions,” Steckler said. “So today, we stand at 23. We recognized that there were going to be some issues with the budget, so we didn’t fill those three positions.” Having 23 positions filled puts the office at 57 percent funding, she said. Yet it must oversee all of the entities in its jurisdiction, even the municipalities that are not paying for it. “If we did not take in the complaints, and did not do the investigations, or look at the contract review processes of the municipalities, what message would that send?” Steckler asked. She pointed out that the county charter sets the parameters of her office’s funding, which is 0.25

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percent of all contracts under the office’s jurisdiction. “The actual process to establish the inspector general’s funding never contemplated a multiyear lawsuit, and as such we are facing this today,” Steckler said. Nevertheless, the OIG must present a budget each year. “I not only complied, but presented a very reasonable budget to you all,” she said. Steckler noted that it came under the 0.25 percent allowable but was relying only on the 54 percent of overall financing that the county was scheduled to provide. She said her office will continue to perform its duties, but needs assurances of minimum financing levels so it can survive without having to lay off staff. About two dozen people spoke during public comment, urging commissioners to adequately finance the office, including Morley Alperstein of Wellington. “The county commissioners have always said that they favor an independent inspector general,” he said. “Since the rogue cities have ignored 72 percent of the electorate, and have sued not to fund the IG, there is only one way to keep the IG going. And that’s for you, the county commissioners, to give her the money.”

Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara pointed out that this was a more clear-cut issue than governments often face. “You have a clear mandate,” he said. “More than 72 percent of the voters said, ‘Make this happen.’ Even better than that, you have a working model and successful example to follow. Miami-Dade’s OIG has worked well and served the citizens of their county.” Hampton Peterson, general counsel for the office of Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock, said he wanted to clarify some of the allegations made about Bock’s role in the OIG lawsuit. “First of all, the clerk is not in a position to make policy,” Peterson said. “The reason for her getting involved in this lawsuit was as an intervener... only to ask the court’s clarification as to the distribution of the funds that have been collected. She has an obligation to protect the taxpayers’ dollars, and the question was brought by the municipalities whether this was an illegal funding mechanism. Until that was determined, or until the court made a decision regarding the distribution of these funds, she felt it was an obligation to be in this lawsuit. Once the court makes a determination, she will

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor

JODY GORRAN Associate Publisher

DAWN RIVERA General Manager

LGLA Meeting On Aug. 22 The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet Thursday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves). There will be two guest speakers for this meeting. The first speaker will be discussing film and TV productions in Palm Beach County, explaining what has been produced here and how people can get involved. There will also be a representative from the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Science in Belle Glade, who will speak about the Green Industries Best Management Practice mod-

ule and Florida-friendly fertilization. GI-BMP training is required for all landscapers in order to minimize nutrient pollution. There will be a question-andanswer session after each speaker finishes. It will be an open meeting during which residents will get a chance to discuss issues of concern they may have related to things that are going on in the town. The meeting is open to the public, but only LGLA members with 2013 paid dues can make motions and vote on them. For additional information, contact LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 8189114 or marge@herzog.ms.

EDITORIAL STAFF/ Anne Checkosky • Chris Felk er • Denise Fleischman

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