Lack of Transparency fuels the fire of doubt

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This week, the local newspaper ran an editorial entitled Do You Really Believe that? condemning a citizen(s) for public commentary on the pool and the algae growing in it--told we "negatives" to find out/ask what the problems are with the pool before spewing "inaccuracies and fueling fire" or ridiculing the commission and staff. 

No one is searching for conspiracies in Lake Worth.  All of us are way too active and busy for that. The biggest problem that fuels doubt with the city government is the lack of transparency coming out of city hall. No one is giving this commission "flack" for the pool closure. What we are doing is just trying to find out why it is closed and when it will re-open and under what conditions. This is not too much to ask after three years of closure and this administrative staff, as well as the past, wanting to get rid of our pool. What would have been appropriate was telling the public that the pool pump was broken and the algae would be cleaned up soon. This had to be dragged out of staff because of one photo showing green water and a caption reading "Is this just another excuse to keep it closed?"

Now the Herald did exactly what he accused others of doing--fueling the fire. The Lake Worth Herald editorial states that the city has contracted with an outside pool company for the pool operations--now this is the exact sort of thing that keeps the embers burning because the statement is flat WRONG. An "inaccuracy." Who would have thought an error could be made by a newspaper for not checking out the facts. One phone call would have determined the truth.

According to the Recreation Manager, Juan Ruiz, "We have not contracted with any company. We will have our plans finalized and made public next week once we finalize a few details."

But this is another thing that bothers me.  Why don't we, the public, even know that the city is looking to contract out for pool operations, if they are, that is?  Is that, too, something that has been in the wind for 7 months and we just flat missed it or just another policy decided behind the scenes? After checking the city's web site, I could not find an RFP for a private company to operate our pool. Perhaps one exists, I just could not find it. The Herald's suggestion of "working in a positive direction" is sometimes trickier than one could ever imagine when the public and some members of the commission are kept in the dark. This is done willfully and obviously with commission approval.  All of these things should be given in the city manager's report, a report that we NEVER see.

Pool equipment needs to be constantly checked and maintained whether the pool is closed or not. Sometimes things just wear out.  When a city continues to ignore the public, it is human nature to believe the worst. Our trust just gets thinner and thinner and soon, just like that pool pump, the trust wears out.