Take Good Care, Mike.

The Deerfield Beach Commission fired City Manager Mike Mahaney last evening. That is a sad thing. Mike is a good person but three commissioners couldn’t/wouldn’t work with him. Having a majority of your bosses against you makes a job impossible to do.

The commissioners are supposed to set policy, and the manager is supposed to implement it. But having two or three micro managers on the dais second guessing your every move makes it very hard to operate.

Mike was a huge improvement over the last city manager; he kept the city solvent and was frugal with city money. Many past abuses were corrected. I am sorry to see him go. I can’t imagine what manager candidate would want to work with this commission; they are setting a new record for discord in Deerfield Beach.

2009 - Good, Bad, and Ugly

2009
January:

Deerfield parks director Vince Hendricks gets long-awaited kidney transplant.

The City election campaigns were underway with Deerfield Beach politics as usual, stolen signs, indicted candidates, partisan “news” articles in the local throwaway paper, unopposed candidate in District 2.

Appointments for commissioners to serve until the March election were made: Vice Mayor Sylvia Poitier was appointed mayor because Al Capellini was suspended by Governor Crist, Gloria Battle was appointed to fill in for Poitier’s District 2 seat and Colleen DiDonato was appointed to fill, resigned Commissioner, Steve Gonot’s seat for District 4.

The public was astonished that the city would consider paying Pete Boinis $600,000 to buy the Melrose Property, (the small piece of under and next to the toilets by the pier) after he only paid $200,000 for it.

Deerfield Beach Ethics Code was introduced by Commissioner Militello.

An ordinance that was developed by the City’s Telecommunication Towers Committee, was tabled after a very long discussion, the committee was formed after residents stormed the commission irate about a cell tower in a small west Deerfield park.

Deerfield Palms Condominium owed back water bills and there was a discussion as to whether to turn the water off to the entire complex.


February:

Residents were either amused or angry about Pete Boinis’ signs; he ringed his piece of beach sand with no trespassing signs. He was rubbing the city’s nose in the fact that HE owned the property.

As one South Florida politician after another became embroiled in scandal, Florida Atlantic University decided it was time to devote more attention to the study of ethics. So the university's School of Public Administration in Fort Lauderdale created a new Public Ethics Academy, intended to research ethics and provide training for local government agencies.

The Ethics Code was passed by the commission 4 to 1, public hearing to be held in March.

The Ordinance about cell towers, tabled from the last meeting, was passed.

The Key West look for the Cove Shopping Center was adopted.

This blog was started in reaction to the Observer Newspaper’s biased election reporting.

The Observer held a candidates forum that was so biased that people walked out, candidates walked out, and bloggers had a field day ridiculing Eller and his lawyer. Refresh your memory here: http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2009/02/deerfield_beach_mayor_election.php#more Part of what was written: “But even the understandably jaded followers of city politics were appalled by what they witnessed Tuesday evening at a candidates’ forum held by the Observer, the community newspaper. The word I heard most: "Disgrace."”

Al Capellini had to tape over Mayor on his election signs and was told to stop calling himself “Mayor”.

The County MPO recommended that the Dixie Flyover project receive stimulus dollars, the estimate for the project was $56 million.

The Original Save Our Beach mayoral candidate forum was a standing room only success. The format where all candidates were asked the same questions in rotating order went over very well with the crowd. Unlike the Observer show, the audience was encouraged to submit questions, and asked some tough ones.



March:

The Deerfield Beach Commission Ethics Code public hearing was long and spirited but the code passed, 3-2.

State grant money to buy the Boinis property was applied for in addition to the $350,000 from the County. Boinis is standing firm on his asking price of $600,000!!

The Deerfield Beach firefighters were found electioneering on city time and storing campaign materials in the firehouse. They received counseling as their punishment.

Buddy Nevins, in a foreshadowing of things to come posted this:
Broward County commissioners have been warned: Be honest. Or the feds might throw you in jail for up to 20 years! In a startling three-page memo from County Attorney Jeff Newton, commissioners were told in writing how to avoid being snared by a wide ranging federal corruption law. It has come to this, folks. Broward government is so shady that commissioners need advice on how to be ethical....” (Little did he know)

Thomas Noland (the Mayor’s son) was pulled in for stealing campaign signs.

Noland, Miller, Popelsky, Poitier (unopposed) and Ganz won the election.

More than 300,000 empty houses and condos in Florida. Big box stores like Circuit City -- the nation's second-largest consumer electronics retailer -- closed for good. Linens 'n Things, Home Depot's Expo Design Centers? All goners. Empty homes, empty stores, growing unemployment, people looking for someone to blame. Hmmm, how about sub-prime lenders and greedy developers.


April:

Keith Associates group presented the Cove Shopping Center proposal to the CRA Board aka the Commission. The audience was awed by the well thought out design.

The annexed areas still cannot get the commission meetings on Comcast, they had it for about a year, but now cannot get it.

Simon Cowell stunned by Susan Boyle’s singing.

Hillsboro streetscape is well underway, FPL is causing problems.

The CRA meeting vote to approve the design work on the Cove Shopping Center sidewalk design assured the businesses and residents that work would go ahead on the parking lot renovation.

The Code Enforcement Board was eliminated in favor of a Special Master.

Commissioner Bill Ganz was the only no vote for allowing a parking deviation for a Pain Clinic. (Good going Bill)

Commissioner Miller suggested that the City Manager approach Mr. Boinis with the proposition of purchasing the beach property for $510,000 using $200,000 of city money plus the county grant money.

May:

Resolution 2009/ - A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida, authorizing a contract for the purchase of certain property, Lot 1, Block 4, Page 45, in the City of Deerfield Beach for the purchase price of $510,000 from PPB Ocean, LLC.
Motion failed 1-4 (Miller the only yes vote)
“Commissioner Ganz said that we are about to spend a $500,000; $200,000 is coming from the City’s contingency account for a piece of property that is essentially unsellable. This gentleman is going to be able to make a profit when everyone else in the City of Deerfield Beach is losing money on their properties…”

HUD bails out Palms condos, helping with the water bill and mortgage modifications.

Request for reconsideration of Resolution 2009/ – A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida, authorizing a contract for the purchase of certain property, Lot 1, Block 4, Page 45, in the City of Deerfield Beach for the purchase price of $510,000 from PPB Ocean, LLC. (Requested by Mayor Peggy Noland) ACTION: Commission to vote on Resolution - Passed 3-2. Ganz and Popelsky voting no. Commissioner Popelsky thought it would be a nice thing for Boinis to donate the property to the city. Commissioner Ganz said that “we have no way of knowing what is going to happen this year, where funds will be needed. Our contingency fund is extremely low; using half of it to pay for this is risky and boarder line foolish”.

A lobbyist registration ordinance was proposed by Commissioner Ganz and passed by the commission.

Plans for LaPlace Du Soleil, a 17 room guest hotel to be built on the beach in the long empty lot were approved.

June:

City Manager Mahaney says he will present the 2010 budget to the commission on August 4th.

State officials presented the flyover project at a public meeting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday. (perfect timing if you want to get home in time for dinner and not have any pesky residents show up).

Jim Jai Kong, Official Ninja for the Acts of Sedition was refused the right to show his DVD, and the commission decided to ban AV presentations without prior approval by the city staff. Pam Militello, next up for a presentation was also denied showing power point presentation on Cove Shopping Center Parking Lot. The ban was later rescinded after the commission, I assume, reread the constitution of the USA.

Residents near the west wellfield project requested that their properties be protected from the noise of the pump control building by relocating it.

The commission voted to raise the fire assessment fee from $99 to $149, Ganz and Poitier voted no.

Vice Mayor Sylvia Poitier said she was no longer going to use the name Poitier, she was going back to her maiden name of Ferguson.


July:

A quick Google search in July, ’09 brought up 17 articles about corrupt public officials; the tip of the iceberg.

From Tom Francis’ blog: The Deerfield Beach Commission should be ashamed of this pissant (firefighters’ campaign violations) investigation. http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2009/08/deerfield_beach_fire_investigation_campaigning_noland.php


August:

Michael Mahaney, City Manager, presented the Fiscal Year 2009/2010 Budget Highlights and scheduled commission workshops for budget review.

A Deerfield Beach city employee, Cassandra Moye, was suspended from work for failing to say hello to the mayor.

Commissioner Ganz proposed an ordinance giving local businesses permission for extra signs, on a temporary basis, during these hard economic times.

The Elections Commission and its investigators have issued a finding of no probable cause in the complaint by Chaz Stevens against ROC and Gerry Brown.

The Deerfield Beach Commission voted to award the temporary contract to run the little pier restaurant to J.B.s. Oops, nope can’t do that, the redo (took months) saw J.B.s withdraw and The Pier Grill get the nod.

Kathi Maggi stated to the commission that Quiet Waters, Lyons Creek Middle, and Monarch High School are the schools that the west Deerfield kids go to but none of their academics or athletic achievements are ever spoken of or mentioned in the local media.


September:

An ordinance which would spell out that the city would have to notify surrounding residents for city projects was tabled to provide clearer language. Bill Ganz asked for this ordinance in reaction to the Wellfield project for which there was no notification, as the city doesn’t require city projects to notify neighbors, and neighbors were irate about the plan.

Mayor Noland placed an item on the commission agenda to repeal the newly enacted Deerfield Beach Ethics Code. The audience was filled with people who held up signs saying Ethics Yes, and Ganz, Popelsky and Miller all said it would be a mistake to repeal it. Noland then said she just put it on for discussion; she didn’t really want it repealed. An ad hoc committee was formed to give recommendations about the code.

Budget discussions continued. After 7 budget workshops the commission felt that very little had been accomplished. It was disclosed that various festivals cost the city a lot. One year the Mango Festival received over $400,000, the Founder’s Day $115,000. For 2010 Festivals were cut down to a total of $60,000 which some thought too much.

An ordinance prohibiting fishing from the beach was proposed.

Commissioner Ganz proposed banning pain clinics (pill mills) from Deerfield Beach.


October:

The Commission met at the Embassy Suites hotel for a “Retreat”, led by a paid Strategic Planner, to come up with a vision for Deerfield Beach. This cost the city $15,000 and resulted in the discovery that the three most important things facing the city, in the opinion of our elected officials, are Communication, Commissioners respect of each other, and accountability and transparency.

Crist calls for grand jury to investigate public corruption

Michael Brewer was doused a rubbing alcohol and set on fire by school mates.

County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs held a well attended town hall meeting at City Hall.



November:

Christopher Chisholm received a certificate of recognition for putting out a fire in a city truck.

A group of fisherman gave impassioned pleas to the Commission arguing against a ban on beach fishing, including Chris Kristophe, 14 year old, who stated that due to the poor economy, he and his family would be sad if they were not able to fish from the beaches. The ordinance was voted down, fishing remains on the beach.

State Road A1A was designated a Scenic Highway Corridor by the State of Florida.

Pine View Cemetery fees were raised, discussion about restricting the cemetery to residents only will continue.

Red light cameras were put on hold; they could bring in $500,000 to the city but may not be legal.

The Deerfield Chamber of Commerce is struggling; Mahaney explained some of the issues that they are dealing with. He said that the Chamber of Commerce is behind approximately $3,000 on their water bill and they paid $500.00+ on the account a few weeks ago.

Greg Stewart of MPO said that it looks like it will be a long time if ever that the 10th street project will happen, it is still on the books, but not funded, and way down on the list of projects.

The city is working on a comprehensive plan for dealing with abandoned properties.


December:

Thanks to John and Patricia Blossom for donating a large parcel of beach property to the city. (Attention Pete Boinis!!)

A redevelopment plan for the bait shop, restaurant, beginning of the pier and the restrooms was approved.

Thanks to Bill Ganz proposing a new ordinance, the City now will be able to take remedial action on abandoned properties and levy a special assessment against the building so the city will get their money back. The City will also create a nuisance abatement trust fund and have a nuisance inspector, the aim is to maintain properties, prevent blight and vandalism.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL

Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, but Free as a Bird

Excerpted from: Dan Christensen’s browardbulldog.org

Executives talk, but PBS&J walks in campaign scheme

A Federal Election Commission report made public last week says one of Broward County's biggest government contractors regularly made illegal campaign contributions.

In the report written in September, FEC investigators concluded that "political contributions were part of PBS&J's business strategy," and that "the practice of making illegal campaign contributions involved officers at all levels of the company and was not limited to a few rogue employees."

But in a surprising Oct. 20 decision that was made public last week, the six commissioners failed to pass a motion to approve the staff recommendations. The 3-3 vote along party lines means the FEC will not enforce the law in the PBS&J case. The case will be closed.

Three Democrats voted to approve the recommendations; three Republicans voted to kill them – the latest in a string of partisan deadlocks that have raised doubts about agency’s ability to function.

This year, Broward County chose PBS&J to help lead the design engineering team for its $810 million airport runway expansion.

To read the entire post go to: http://www.browardbulldog.org/?p=605#more-605


Yikes!!!! How can this be possible, PBS&J gets away without even a slap on the wrist, and then they get a county contract!!!! Who says crime doesn’t pay, in Broward County (and with the FEC) it certainly does!!!!!

What does this say about the caliber of people we have as Commissioners at the Federal Elections Commission. And, why did the federal prosecutors send the case to a civil board? Why not continue the criminal case and go after the other miscreants, after locking up the company’s chairman? What part of the word ILLEGAL do they have trouble with?

What is additionally disgusting is that partisanship trumps good judgment. In this circumstance, it is the Republicans voting not to do something about this behavior. But, both parties are equally guilty. Given slightly different circumstances, the positions would be flipped. Good and bad government crosses party lines. Both Republicans and Democrats are sleazy in going after campaign dollars and doing the bidding of developers. But the voters, of both parties, want good, ethical government, and are getting sick to death of hearing about the corruption.

Along with reading about the latest elected felon, we are reading about all the cities, counties and states jumping on the “lets toughen the ethics laws” bandwagon. Yes, we should have strong ethics codes with big nasty teeth, and yes the codes should be set up so it doesn’t take a citizen’s complaint to start an investigation, that will help. But, politicians have big egos.

Chris Megerian in writing for “Inside New Jersey” about New Jersey’s latest corruption sting said,

“The arrests also renewed the age-old question of why politicians continue to do dirty deeds when so many of them are caught and sent to jail.

“When opportunity presents itself, most people can’t turn down money,” says Louis B. Schlesinger, professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Taking money from a crooked developer is no different than walking into a 7-Eleven with a pistol in your pocket, Schlesinger says. It’s just a matter of convincing yourself that you can get away with it.

“This has been going on and on and on, and nobody seems to learn,” he says. “They don’t think the law applies to them, because they don’t think they’re going to get caught.”

Rejection of all incumbents will be the reaction of voters; with the futile hope that change will bring honesty. There is some validity to this hope, most newly elected officials tend to take a while to become corrupt.

Deerfield Beach Holiday Party a Flop?

I heard that the employees' holiday party cost the city $11,000 and asked around about it. This year’s Deerfield Beach employee holiday party was the most poorly attended ever, I was told by an employee. The employee said they, and many others didn't attend because workers don’t feel valued by the city or their supervisors.

A holiday party is a very good opportunity for the city to show its appreciation of its staff and it is a shame so many declined to attend, and a shame employees don’t feel respected.

Of the about 760 (including BSO) city employees, only 235 attended and of those, 59 were part-timers. I also heard that Mayor Noland was upset with the quality of the food. THIS EVENT COST THE CITY $11,000. What’s that, about $45 for each person? If a full dinner is really necessary for the employee party, it could be done for less. A quick Google search came up with a catered hot and cold buffet from Boca Joes, with servers included, for $15.95 (see menu below) less than $5,000, add a grand for entertainment and we can pull this off for $6,000.

I am sure most company holiday parties this year were done on more of a shoe string than the city one, some hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks and the high school glee club singing for their supper sounds about right.

Add this $11,000 to the $15,000 that the city spent for the retreat at the Embassy Suites which resulted in the commissioners discovering that they didn’t communicate well and we have $26,000 which could have been better spent on needed audits, and ethics investigations.

Boca Joes Full Service Catered Buffet $15.95 ea
30 persons min.

INCLUDES :
l Salad ( choose 1 ) Caesar , Tossed , Tricolor Chopped , Greek ( All salads come with dressing of choice )
l Pasta Entree ( choose 1 )
m Penne Vodka
m Rigatoni Marinara
m Penne with Rosemary Alfredo
m Baked Ziti
m Tortelline ALA Audry
m Orzo with Spinach and Mushrooms
m Baked Stuffed Shells
m Bow Ties with Broccoli , Sun Dried Tomatoes , Roasted Garlic
l Meat Entree ( choose 1 )
m Chicken Marsala
m Shrimp Scampi
m Crabmeat Stuffed Tilapia
m Chicken Francaise
m Salmon Livornese
m Chicken Parmesan
m Rosemary Grilled Chicken
m Chicken Rustica ( sun dried tomatoes , spinach and mushrooms )
All Buffets Include :
l Garlic or Dinner Rolls with Butter
l Complete Plastiware
l Chafers and Sternos
l Serving Utensils
This Buffet Includes 1 Staff Member For 2 Hours . They Will Set Up , Serve , Clean , Breakdown The Buffet.
( 15% Gratuity and Tax NOT INCLUDED )
Free Delivery Within 10 Miles Of Store

Nuisance Abatement

Thanks to Commissioner Bill Ganz proposing a new ordinance, the City of Deerfield Beach will be able to take remedial action on abandoned properties and levy a special assessment against the building so the city will get their money back. The City will also create a nuisance abatement trust fund and have a nuisance inspector, the aim is to maintain properties, prevent blight and vandalism.

That this kind of ordinance is needed rekindles my anger at the current mess Florida is in and the laxness of government oversight in allowing, even encouraging loans to people with no hope of paying long term, and at developers who were so greedy they build condo after condo selling to flippers with interest only loans and interest only in making millions, and at our elected officials, the corrupt and maybe not so corrupt who listened to the developer lobbyists who promised increased tax revenue and gave large campaign donations if allowed to build their monstrosities. There was no researching by commissions to find out if the claims were true, if they had, they would have found that for every dollar in taxes residential developments bring in the city has to spend from $1.75 to $2.50+ depending on the study you read, but certainly every study shows they cost more than they bring in.

George Santayana, a great Spanish philosopher said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and, Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. However our politicians don’t seem to get it, and once again are starting to tout building as a way to get out of the recession. (Yes, the very thing that is to blame for the mess we are in.) OMG!!!

The fear of the coming Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 referendum provision which, if passed, will give citizens the right to vote for or against any proposed comprehensive land use change, has developers flocking to commissions trying to get their parcels of farmland, green space, golf courses and parkland changed from whatever they are now to residential or commercial or industrial usage before the residents have to have a say.

If we are to save what is left of Florida, we cannot leave the decisions to builders, developers, lobbyists and especially our commissioners who are to blame for the mess we are in, we need to have the people who live in a community have a say as to whether a proposal is good for the quality of life in their neighborhood, and the future of their city.

We need a different emphasis in Florida; one that focuses on education and high paying jobs, and attracts industry and business with those kinds of jobs. This will keep our property values high, and prevent the boom and bust that is historic Florida.

Nuisance Abatement

During the commission meeting, thanks to Bill Ganz proposing a new ordinance, the City now will be able to take remedial action on abandoned properties and levy a special assessment against the building so the city will get their money back. The City will also create a nuisance abatement trust fund and have a nuisance inspector, the aim is to maintain properties, prevent blight and vandalism.

That this kind of ordinance is needed rekindles my anger at the current mess Florida is in and the laxness of government oversight in allowing, even encouraging loans to people with no hope of paying long term, and at developers who were so greedy they build condo after condo selling to flippers with interest only loans and interest only in making millions, and at our elected officials, the corrupt and maybe not so corrupt who listened to the developer lobbyists who promised increased tax revenue and gave large campaign donations if allowed to build their monstrosities. There was no researching by commissions to find out if the claims were true, if they had, they would have found that for every dollar in taxes residential developments bring in the city has to spend from $1.75 to $2.50+ depending on the study you read, but certainly every study shows they cost more than they bring in.

George Santayana, a great Spanish philosopher said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and, Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. However our politicians don’t seem to get it, and once again are starting to tout building as a way to get out of the recession. (Yes, the very thing that is to blame for the mess we are in.) OMG!!!

The fear of the coming Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 referendum provision which, if passed, will give citizens the right to vote for or against a city's proposed comprehensive plan land use change, has developers flocking to commissions trying to get their parcels of farmland, green space, golf courses and parkland changed from whatever they are now to residential or commercial or industrial usage before the residents have to have a say.

If we are to save what is left of Florida, we need Amendment 4, we cannot leave the decisions to builders, developers, lobbyists and especially our commissioners who are to blame for the mess we are in, we need to have the people who live in a community have a say as to whether a proposal is good for the quality of life in their neighborhood, and the future of their city.

We need a different emphasis in Florida; one that focuses on education and high paying jobs, and attracts industry and business with those kinds of jobs. This will keep our property values high, and prevent the boom and bust that is historic Florida.