Merger

Thought some of you might like an update on the merger – at least the little bit that I’m aware of. The Sheriff’s Office has sent the City a “final” proposal that consists of a spreadsheet detailing the cost and a cover letter that outlines contract renewal increases for the first three years and goes on to ask for a more comprehensive response, presumably from the city. To my knowledge, no contract was delivered for the Commission to consider, so I’m left with the impression that there’s more to be negotiated. As far as a timetable, without a contract to consider, I don’t know how the Commission can act on anything this week in time for the Sheriff to address the next County Commission meeting, if that is his intention. Maybe the contract is being put together now. I don’t know but I sure hope so. This has gone on long enough.

In less than 3 months, the Commission has to approve next years budget. If not PBSO, then what? And how? And how much?

So it’s more wait and see. I remain hopeful that a public meeting will be called, maybe at the LW High School auditorium, where all the interested parties can finally resolve this one way or the other and allow the public to learn what the future holds for law enforcement in Lake Worth. Anyone can contact me at 602-8874 or marylindsey33460@gmail.com

M.

Thought some of you might like an update on the merger – at least the little bit that I’m aware of. The Sheriff’s Office has sent the City a “final” proposal that consists of a spreadsheet detailing the cost and a cover letter that outlines contract renewal increases for the first three years and goes on to ask for a more comprehensive response, presumably from the city. To my knowledge, no contract was delivered for the Commission to consider, so I’m left with the impression that there’s more to be negotiated. As far as a timetable, without a contract to consider, I don’t know how the Commission can act on anything this week in time for the Sheriff to address the next County Commission meeting, if that is his intention. Maybe the contract is being put together now. I don’t know but I sure hope so. This has gone on long enough.

In less than 3 months, the Commission has to approve next years budget. If not PBSO, then what? And how? And how much?

So it’s more wait and see. I remain hopeful that a public meeting will be called, maybe at the LW High School auditorium, where all the interested parties can finally resolve this one way or the other and allow the public to learn what the future holds for law enforcement in Lake Worth. Anyone can contact me at 602-8874 or marylindsey33460@gmail.com

M.
Once again, thank you Mary for your assistance. Keep us informed, because the city does not.

Thank you Mary. It is truly sad that the City and the police department think so little of thier employees that they keep them in dark for close to a year.

Word is a contract should be hammered out by tomorrow afternoon and then it's up to the city to call a special meeting to approve or reject, or just wait until the regular commission meeting next Tuesday if we have that long before the offer expires. I'm in favor of a special meeting this week devoted to this important issue.

In other news, the Sheriff is hosting a barbeque this coming Saturday, July 12 from 11am to 3pm at John Prince Park in the Center Drive Pavilion. No cost to attend and no campaign contributions for the Sheriff's re-election will be accepted. Strikes me as a great opportunity to show support for the merger.

Today’s meeting with the negotiating team, Chief Smith, City Manager Baldwin, Administrative Services Director Bates, Commissioner Vespo and Major Veccia is critical. A contract called a LESA (Law Enforcement Service Agreement) must come out of this meeting. Whatever points of negotiation remain have to be finalized today in order to have a LESA ready for the City Commission to accept or reject in time to meet the Sheriff’s deadline (this Friday) which has already been extended by a month. The Commission will have to call a special meeting in order to vote on the contract and that can only happen in one of two ways. Either the Mayor calls for a special meeting no later than tomorrow, Thursday (24 hour notice is required by law), or one of the Commissioners can ask for special meeting and the City Clerk then has to poll the other Commissioners and receive a majority consent to have the meeting. The same 24 hour notice is required.

So if the LESA is not finalized today and the special Commission meeting is not called for by Thursday, there can be no Commission vote on this contract in time to meet the deadline and the opportunity to provide Lake Worth residents and Lake Worth officers with all the resources and administrative support they need to keep this city from sliding into utter chaos and lawlessness will be lost. This is not a matter of go with the PBSO or return to the status quo. The status quo has deteriorated while this year long stand-off has endured delay after delay. The city is calling for 10% cuts across the board in every dept. The city is not in the widget business. The city is in the service providing business and that means PEOPLE. I seriously doubt if the criminals are ready to voluntarily cut their activities by 10%.

Even if the city chooses to exempt the Police dept from budget cuts, all that means is bigger than 10% cuts in other departments as well as another year of not filling vacant positions already in Police department. And that’s only if everyone currently employed by LWPD decides to stay employed by LWPD and there aren’t MORE vacant positions.

I’m an optimistic person by nature and I choose to believe that everyone involved is going to step up and do the right thing. It’s not an easy decision. There are consequences that involve sacrifice and unpopular decisions. Some ill-informed people view the merger as giving away another piece of our city. Some people fear losing control, as if crime in LW was under control now!

Make no mistake. This is a political decision that will be made by politicians who will reap the rewards or suffer the consequences depending on how they decide. The public, the employees and even the criminals have nothing to do but wait and see if Lake Worth will be a home for families or a haven for drug dealers, prostitutes, thieves and thugs.

God protect all of you and all of us in Lake Worth.
M.

Thank you for the insightful posts. Today is Thursday any more info on what's to come?

An agreement with the Sheriff has been reached but before the Commission votes on it there are several issues the city has to work out with the union. The Sheriff has agreed to a short extension to give the city and the union time to do that. So, we'll see.

Actually, this may be the biggest hurdle. :(

what is it that the city and the union need to go over? I do not understand. if the Sheriff and the city commission came to an agreement. what is the hold up for?
how long is this extension? Could the deal fall apart if the commission and the union disagree?

The extension is until the 18th. No agreement, no deal.

WHY should the Union have to give up anything? The Sheriff wants us and the mayor wants us to go PBSO so why are we having to give up anything? We are the ones on the street with our lives on the line every day in this hell hole. The city already nickels and dimes us already and now they want us to give up something when they hardly give us anything already. Do you see what we have to pay for family insurance? Not one department in this county pays more for family medical then we do. It is unbelievable to me that this city wants us to give up stuff when we have to beg to get anything.

I guess now you're starting to wake up. This merger thing isn't going to be easy. Just be lucky if it happens. What a nightmare. And there arent any guarantees everyone will crossover because you are actually being rehired. It feels like we're going to be 2nd class deputies if this thing happens.

Get ready ladies and gents. The city will try to follow Delray Beach P.D. and lower our pension benefits. They are going to screw us if we stay blue. We must do all we can to go green. The sheriff will not screw us like the city will. Read todays Sun Sentinel about Delray Beach P.D. This will happen to us along with no raises the next year or two. If we do not go green the new cops will have to leave to support their families.

Leave and go where in this jobless economy?

WOW M.B. cares about new officers.... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. If that were true we would all still be FOP and he would be our president. BUT, he tried to line his pockets with money and screw the officers in the step plan by getting rid of it even thought he had the benefit of the step plan as a cop. Way to look out for the younger officers now by trying to scare us Retire already and go away. Better yet keep your nose out of this hole blue going green thing b/c it reeks of desperation by you, because you have no power in this and no one believes what you say anyway.

Well said last poster. Thank you.

I guess now you're starting to wake up. This merger thing isn't going to be easy. Just be lucky if it happens. What a nightmare. And there arent any guarantees everyone will crossover because you are actually being rehired. It feels like we're going to be 2nd class deputies if this thing happens.

Wow talk about someone who is misinformed. The Sheriff has made it clear that every Lake Worth police officer will become Deputies. Stop siring the pot! Lake Worth officers will not be second class deputies. Royal Palm was not treated this way and Lake Worth will not either.

WOW M.B. cares about new officers.... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. If that were true we would all still be FOP and he would be our president. BUT, he tried to line his pockets with money and screw the officers in the step plan by getting rid of it even thought he had the benefit of the step plan as a cop. Way to look out for the younger officers now by trying to scare us Retire already and go away. Better yet keep your nose out of this hole blue going green thing b/c it reeks of desperation by you, because you have no power in this and no one believes what you say anyway.

Wow, talk about beating a dead horse. What you should be asking yourself is why are the current reps keeping information from the body. From what I hear, and this is just hallway talk since no one else is putting any information out, is that the Sheriffs office and the City have reached an aggreement but the city wants some concessions from the Union. These may be comp time or the greivances or both, no one knows for sure because no one is speaking. I know that there is a time limit, and since this merger is what the majority wants, the reps need to grow a pair and begin to work on it, before the time limit runs out.

Well lets see by Friday what happens. We all know something needs to happen whether it's going green or just getting a better schedule put in.

M.B get a life and stop spreading rumors (I know that is the only way you have "power"). Go play peakaBOOO in the woods in TENN and stop trying to screw people over by telling your stories.

You morons are worried about your schedules. The city cannot afford to pay us. It's either go PBSO or suffer the consequences, which means no more raises for a few years and take a hit in our pensions. Oh and don't forget the high cost of health insurance which will definately keep goig up. The previous posters who are against a merger are supervisors who fear losing their control.
The city has no choice but to merge and as a unified body we should not give up too much to make it happen.

Demanding any concessions on 185 is useless and the city knows that. Demanding concessions on accrued leave from the unions is also useless as far as the Sheriff's deal is concerned. This is just a tactic that's EXTREMELY USEFUL in last minute desperate situations to divide the officers. Don't fall for it. 185 is not just a number - it's a STATE LAW with pages and pages of fine print that is NOT negotiable.
Fraternity fellas!

The extension is until the 18th. No agreement, no deal.

The 18th is getting closer..........any ideas?

getting real close. do or die

Yup, so close I can smell the green grass.... Or maybe not?

Nah, thats just cow manurer you're smell'in. :D

Word here at PBSO that tomorrow we should know something definite.

Word here at PBSO that tomorrow we should know something definite.

Since PBSO is going 2 take over LW are they also going to take over the School Police. If you hear anything let me know

Word here at PBSO that tomorrow we should know something definite.

Since PBSO is going 2 take over LW are they also going to take over the School Police. If you hear anything let me know

No word about school police.

Nah, thats just cow manurer you're smell'in. :D

Quite possibly. :D

OK. It's 7/18 and late afternoon. What is the latest? Yes or no: PBSO?

It was a two week extension until the 25th not until the 18th. There is one more week.

The following was posted on PBSO LEO Affairs:

"They are only a few hundred thousand dollars away. The city started negotiations with the police union personnel last week. If they can get the officers to agree on some money issues it will be a done deal.

The city already tried to get their 185 money to close the deal and they got shut down, so now they have to negotiate.

The problem for the officers is they are going to have to compromise and give up some stuff. The only alternative is a possible bankruptcy at which time they get nothing or the city just does what Belle glade did: fired them all which would probably never happen."

Can anyone comment on this post?

They are going to be some major sacrifices. I just don't think it is fair. What a political move by the city. They'll turn around and say we tried our best and throw everything right back in our faces making it seem like we dropped the ball ourselves on this one. We are so to the point where we really don't have the leverage to bargain. Unbelieveable.

The above poster is correct, we are down to the wire. We really need to think about what we want to do, and if we are willing to make some sacrifices for the opportunities that PBSO will provide as compared with a city which is telling us that they are going to have to lay off personell and cut our pay. We already know that the 5% in Oct. is probably not going to be coming, and I'm not sure if they will cut us further. I've heard that clothing allowance and intrepeter pay may be out of the window also. Without a contract to speak of we may not be able to fight these issues.

The bottom line is what is better for our futures and that of our families. Stay with a City which chronically mismanages money and is quickly heading to bankruptsy, or make some small sacrifices which will help you in the future.


Everyone that is not working needs to be a the PBA meeting on Tuesday, at 1730hrs at the PBA Hall. Its on Florida Mango Road, just North of Belvedere. This meeting is going to be about your future as either a LW Offficer or PBSO Deputy.

By the way I'm not a Rep. but since no one else is really putting anything out about this meeting except to post it on the board in the lunchroom I thought I would put it on here. See you there.

The two last posters hit the nail right on the head. The city of Lake Worthless planned to do this from the beginning. As usual they waited until the last possible minute so our backs are against the wall. They basially want us to pay a ransome to go PBSO. The politicians did a great hatchet job on us and they had help from the chief, city manager and finance director. It's basically a take or leave it situation.
See you all at the meeting.

I think we all need to open our eyes and think about making a sacrifice to better our own futures. Unfortunately it's going to be down to us and, how bad we want to go green. Good luck to all and be safe. See everyone at the meeting.

I know they mentioned yesterday at the meeting that the results would be by Noon today but, who will convey those results to us? By when will the Officer know the results of the vote? Can we call and find out?

The above poster is correct, we are down to the wire. We really need to think about what we want to do, and if we are willing to make some sacrifices for the opportunities that PBSO will provide as compared with a city which is telling us that they are going to have to lay off personell and cut our pay. We already know that the 5% in Oct. is probably not going to be coming, and I'm not sure if they will cut us further. I've heard that clothing allowance and intrepeter pay may be out of the window also. Without a contract to speak of we may not be able to fight these issues.

The bottom line is what is better for our futures and that of our families. Stay with a City which chronically mismanages money and is quickly heading to bankruptsy, or make some small sacrifices which will help you in the future.


Ok borthers and sisters, the biggest herdel at these meetings is the police cheif. He is fighting everything and trying to stop the merger. With this you have to think why would he do that,answer BECUASE he will not have a job if the merger takes place. Ernie and Kaz should have the chief thrown out of these meetings.

Also its not going to kill us to give up a little, think about it, in return we will get out of this poor police management we have. We will ALL get take home cars from day one,for thoses who have family covered with the city we now pay over FIVE HUNDRED a month, with the SO we will pay around ONE HUNDRED and EIGHTY dollars a month.
When we retire we will get around FOUR HUNDRED dollars a month towards our health insurance paid for the rest of our life, going health insurance now is around EIGHT HUNDRED dollars a month after you retire-- what will it be when you retire, more like half your pension check.


Come on you guys have to see that going green will be better for all of us and the city as a whole.

The city wants us to pay/giveup a little over ONE HUNDRED dollars a month for 6-7 years. Do the math including family health insurance, retired supplement health insurance and the take home car far exceeds what we will have to pay back to the city WAKE UP .


Everyone that is not working needs to be a the PBA meeting on Tuesday, at 1730hrs at the PBA Hall. Its on Florida

By the way I'm not a Rep. but since no one else is really putting anything out about this meeting except to post it on the board in the lunchroom I thought I would put it on here. See you there.

The above post doesn't answer my question. I want to know what the results of yesterdays vote were. Anybody know?

The above post doesn't answer my question. I want to know what the results of yesterdays vote were. Anybody know?

Wasn't that meeting supposedly behind closed doors?

Iheard it was like 66 FOR and 8 AGAINST. PBA is suppose to be sending a official notice to the PD. Check the board in breakroom. Also, did you ask a rep, I did and got that answer.

http://www.wptv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=7464@wptv.dayport.com&navCatId=3

http://www.wptv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=7464@wptv.dayport.com&navCatId=3

Based on this report the merger sounds like it will happen.

http://www.wptv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=7464@wptv.dayport.com&navCatId=3

Based on this report the merger sounds like it will happen.
If you all are the praying type then start praying it will happen. In the mean time we all need to be at the Monday morning meeting at city hall and the meeting on Tuesday night at city hall. Let us ALL show them we want to go PBSO. Good luck to us all.