A FINAL LOOK BACK AT 2009 …..

Dear Readers …as promised the real retrospective of what happened in LBTS in 2009…Informed readers know that repetition of “fearmongering” by the “gang” cannot pass muster this time around…because nothing goes unchallenged ….What has been posted from daily is an accurate account their own actions and in their own words …

IN 2009….

We heard Calypso’s time was running out prior to the presidential election and in the end it was a no go after communities came together to speak out against it… We saw that the pavilion had a permit problem at the end of 2008 and the start of a unilateral decision made by the Town Manager to change the Forbes design seen only when a rendition was put up causing quite a ruckus that continued on throughout 2009…and continues still…We saw fees increasing at an alarming rate brought forth by the Town Manager and staff through codes and code sweeps…Moe McIntee went “Truth Deflector”…and tried unsuccessfully to remain anonymous as she “slapped” those who called it like it is …Vice Mayor McIntee made a scene at Athena By The Sea and was called out in a letter …with fallout to come…A drowning victim was found on the beach…The CIC called for members to re-up and found their re-up efforts were re-down…Vice Mayor McIntee was now VFD Deputy Chief McIntee despite promises made after his last turn in the same role and breaking the VFD By-laws…The Pelican Hopper was hopping out of money and needed an influx of taxpayer cash…it would come unilaterally from the TM…Height referendums  were discussed at workshops …Palm Club residents were called to come to Jarvis Hall with Vice Mayor Mcintee “pulling a Parker” on them…with false hopes of ” Gold Shovel” federal funds for the sewers…Vice Mayor McIntee went after the Pier sign to take it down …Athena By The Sea owner Louis Marchelos caught his hypo-Crissie on tape and played to a “hissing” response from the Vice Mayor’s wife…In the infamous “Cockroach” exchange…an encounter after the meeting with Mr Marchelos.. a filed McIntee  police report ..The incident was published in and outside of town limits in local newspapers…and in Feb. Moe McIntee had a different version at the podium…(like husband like wife)…Decorum special meeting…The Master Plan Steering Committee began talk of the medians for the south per the Manager’s continued instruction the Oriana million could only be used for that part of El Mar….only to find at years end she was wrong…and the “Gang would” vote in Dec. to spend the million on it anyway…no matter walkers of El Mar and the MPSC do not want it!…

The ribbon cutting for the $2 million dollar Public Safety building…despite the BSO not in…and VFD not allowed to sleep there …Bags finally came off the meters throughout town…The new VFD-ATV  broke …Vice Mayor was caught in the “purchasing” on the repairs /new  apparatus despite a letter to the Fl. Ethics Comm. he did not have any such role…Comm. Silverstone began frequent his freedom of speech “Norm Crosby”/ answering the public comments made act…Joe Couriel thrown out of the meeting called VM McIntee “God”…Vice Mayor McIntee was now called a “Vigilante” in town for patrolling and calling out code violations…Vice Mayor McIntee was proposing his VFD referendum to make the VFD a lifetime public safety provider…Vice Mayor McIntee, Comms. Clottey and Silverstone  wanted to put bathrooms in the alleyway…This writer found out Deerfield Beach was asking for the annual performance review for their Town Manager and began the search to see if TM Colon was to have on as well…The pre-proposal meeting took place for the Waste contract RFP …This writer found a seriously flawed contract brought to the table by the Town Manager and poorly presented by her Asst. TM Olinzock..it contained a requirement for a toter per unit and warnings given verbally that day and posted of the up-rise that would ensue fell on deaf ears…This writer received the Manager’s contract to find an annual performance review was indeed required before the budget was adopted each September…This was just the beginning for that portion of Esther Colon’s contract and for what else she put in it….

We saw 2nd readings of ordinances …go back to the drawing table numerous times…$$$$…boats and Tennis and more…because some commissioners could not do their homework..Comm. Dodd offered up a code of Ethics based on the Miami/ Dade ordinance…and it died as a “2-hats” ordinance from the dais majority…contents buried in it would come back into play later in 2009 with the “cone of silence” lame excuse by the TM who erroneously after she used it to imply the Town had such it on the books …and it wad found we do not…… Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl gave the Welcome Center $20,000 and the TM, and Comm. Clottey tried to take it away from the Chamber’s annual amount for 2010… as the Chamber had to jump through hoops to get the check from the Town…. A look into the audit for this writer brought forth the news that the Town Manager had unilaterally accepted a 3 year $200,000+ contract with the (way too) long Town Auditors after a look back at the video and the minutes showed she was “informing” the commission of her actions never getting a vote and she supplied them with the prior contract with the prior amounts made to the previous commission although the Town had a current packet at that time…Comm. Dodd chased this one down…leading to an ongoing RFP/ITB conflict that later boiled over in July…The new RFP for audit went out at the end of the 2009…Looking forward to the 2010 election and needing new blood in the CIC the majority CIC dais member voted for spending over $50,000 for blacktopping N. Tradewinds despite protestations from other area residents that said there’s was worst……The recipient became a CIC member and a writer to the BTSTimes Editor…. Bel Air and Terra Mar residents were at odds over the way Bel air got its new signs and Terra Mar’s bridge is again pushed to the future…(in the budget for over 5 years).On March 10, 2009 this writer posted an article from the Miami Herald Business section that Mayor Minnet and family had sold a warehouse for $416,340 stating maybe the Mayor could help the Town with their still unsold and never brought back to the dais west side warehouse sale …The Mayor’s warehouse would pop up at the last meeting of 2009 with the Vice Mayor and his anonymous letter where he lied and said she flipped a house for that amount and he had a letter from the not so anonymous letter writer…There is no letter…and the Mayor requested it on Dec. 9th with still no response from the VM…because this was the sale..and again McIntee screwed up his “investigation”…RFP bids were opened for the Waste contract bids..no problems at all reading them “aloud” after being “publicly opened”…but that would change in July anyhow…The last sight of any real number of CIC members were directed to Jarvis Hall after a CIC meeting to “parade” to the podium and support the TM and thwart an annual performance review…..The CIC tried again to have a Town Hall meeting after failing with the 1st one…and failed once more……it was the last one…Planning and Zoning finally sat on the dais to get to some land regulations…(Chap. 30) …and found as the year went on most went un-noticed by the dais..at the end of 2009 another portion is in the works for 2010…ISO had a workshop for the community and no one came except this writer, and the Sentinel and a few commissioners…..Waste Management after the bid opening sent out a last ditch letter to longtime customers…Choice Environmental won the contract …and the “toters” this writer warned about early on…came into play just as predicted..an uprising with the increase of fees as well as cans…The pavilion saw a sinkhole and flooding…renamed “Lake Colon”…..A police chase took place..SWAT teams were in place and a BTSTimes newsflash was at odds to give way to the rumblings of a LBTS Police Dept. from the Mc-Furths…A semi tractor trailer came a rushing down Commercial and ended up at the pavilion and in the news…Later in the year it would be a car chase from Radio Shack and a car on its side at the pavilion….Suddenly majority on the dais began a new “mantra”…”we’re in the black”…although numbers from the multitude of Sun Trust Bank accounts would not be brought forward until right before the 2009-2010 budget in September…A fire in a kitchen condo and a few incident reports at odds with the VM/ Comm. Silverstone’s dais accounts for pats on the back to the Dep. Chief… … McIntee again sat on the dais and spoke of the end of his and Comm. Silverstone’s 2006 Fl. Elections complaint investigation..whitewashing the many “probable cause” findings…

McIntee went after the Mayor still on the Mayor’s  problem with Greenfest…all for a paltry $33 …the cost to the Town must be tenfold at the very least……This continued on even as late as Dec. through  McIntee/ Furth  “minion” and former candidate for Mayor /P&Z Chair Peanuts Wick at 2 public comments …He was “outed” on his intoxication by Comm. Clottey after his “slanderous” comments concerning the Mayor were repeated at public comments in a recap of the Chamber’s Holiday party …The Pier and Athena By The Sea made the New York Times Travel section…along with La Spada  winning Zagats 2009 award later in the year…The Beach Pavilion had their ribbon cutting…and Comm. Clottey though she had no part in the project became the MC…This writer sent her an open letter  to that effect…The project shut down within hours due to faulty siding and continued problems…Thanks to PIO D’Oliveira the backup material for meetings was not to be online on the Town website until the next meeting…Former Mayor Oliver Parker showed up in the news to perhaps run for County Commission against Ken Keechl…Parker would rise up again in the news concerning his run against Bogdanoff…a possible 2nd run for that seat…and later in the year as a BFF to the Furths and Clottey and Moe Mcintee… who sang his praises for keeping decorum as Mayor …and again as a nominee for the Hillsboro Inlet by fast food pal Clottey after she threw Comm.Dodd under the bus……and then he changed his mind per an interview in the Pompano Pelican?…Easter By The Sea took place as a drowning arose and the ATV’s were stationed in the park with the Dep. Chief’s sign front and center…it included mandatory VFD participation at the Mc-Furth led event…July 4th fireworks on the beach began and this years event was filled with appearances of breaking sunshine…non-RFP fireworks…and we hear an accusation by the VM that threw the then-Fire Marshall under the bus for a “Kick-back” to “job” the appearance of bidding on the display from the beach…Turtle and environmental groups were mortified…TM Colon assisted in lack of public notices etc….The noise ordinance began with Comm. Clottey and more “claims” on phone calls of complaint…although no one ever came forward to verify them……and ensued for some months…bringing lots of angry residents and businesses to the podium…and hilariously videoed “field trip” to do a “gotcha” on the entertainment providers… The Vice Mayor went after the Mayor in an orchestrated display with the BTSTimes for her removal from her condo board ……it backfired ..Jay Leno did his “headlines” using the By The Sea Future’s “Town’s Colon wins an award”…The Furths through “besotted, clueless” Clottey had the Anglin monument moved across A1A in order not to interfere with their July 4th extravaganza…McIntee Free Zone signs went out to keep the unwanted first responder on scene for medical/fire calls outside their door…

The Hyperbaric explosion took place while the VM was out of town…BSO had a real hero and the VFD was heroic as well as AMR in an event that touched us all…  The Dep. Chief came back with his usual P.R. overload that was embarrassing  considering the devastation of what took place…Aruba canceled it’s Beach Bash..due to the ongoing noise ordinance /code invasion…The VFD was still feeling their oats when they went on a mutual aid-McIntee free…A suicide took place in Bel Air and the VM broke the VFD By-laws/ first responder and changed the story later in the year when the 1st investigation was posted and printed…It would be active at the end of 2009 still…A ceremony would be held to Hero BSO Deputy John Melbourne for his role in the Hyperbaric explosion…The ISO report came out and the Town retained the same as BSO with a dismal training score under McIntee’s training direction…… The power went out in downtown with 2 electrical fires.in one day…..McIntee faced with a crowded Jarvis Hall withdrew his  call for a permanent VFD referendum…..5 near drownings More riptide encounters brought a flurry of beach incidents..and VM McIntee and his photog Marc Furth put together a powerpoint to show the Beach Patrol in action…another near drowning followed …Bert J.Harris came into play serving the Town with 4 north end properties lined up with lawsuits…Comm. Clottey had her 1st concert series at the Community Church…Marc Furth was tagged as the VM’s personal photog…Chief Gooding came to the podium to address Comm.Clottey’s charges of residents fearing to contact BSO and did not know  then that his days were numbered…Kite surfing was put on the forefront…bringing forth quite a number of agenda item discussions and groups with input for regulations and fees pro and con that in the end went nowhere…Same scenario for lifeguards on the beach…The Mc-Furth gang was talking of  replacing  BSO police……The VFD “Bee Foam” incidents took place ….Beach access was  being used to keep the alleyway closed ….it was introduced yet again in a flawed “traffic study” wrapping that was payback to the Marchelos brothers…and made the news in and outside town limits in print…Doubled up another year with dueling Hurricane events…and a dismal turnout for the Town sponsored one where the soon to be terminated Fire Marshal was thwarted from his speech due to TM fears of questions about the fireworks on the beach…The Scenic Highway was approved for LBTS and neighboring coastal towns……Manatees were beached en’masse and an overzealous Deputy Chief wanted to assist…told to stand down by the experts…he had his 15 minutes to embarrass us all with crass statements made on and off the dais… BSO Chief Gooding was thrown under the bus by TM Colon with a big assist by Clottey, Silverstone and McIntee…after the TM pulled the plug on the long agreed upon BSO renovations… A special meeting was called by the Mayor to a packed room of Chief Gooding supporters… The Town Manager stood her ground…The Vice Mayor was asked for his e-mails in the matter by resident Yann Brandt…Some weeks later  McIntee told constituents from the dais he deleted all 3 1/2 years of emails..He further lied about writing e-mails…and this writer posted many from his past…The VM  proceeded to ask for email from his opposing dais members Mayor Minnet and Comm. Dodd…for payback…going to the State Atty. to get them, the same State Atty. looking into his own lack of e-mails produced…It ended later in the year with the state not wanting to get involved…and only Mayor Minnert turning over the PRR made by the VM through the Town Manager…..the other 2  Mcintee and Dodd are still in a holding pattern…The fallout from the TM termination of Gooding resulted in a talk radio interview “Th Banana Republic of LBTS”…The Furths put on the July 4th event…They were the CIC “Citizens” of the year…small participation by non -CIC members (the few left)…and mandatory for VFD… smaller turnout for the parade/ event in El Prado park…The fireworks were on the beach…with highly accessorized ATVs and VFD Seadoo taking up the center of Town’s fenced of El Prado beachfront…The numbers for the event were “jobbed” something seen again with the Halloween event………Clottey resorted to pull out her “degrees” to stand up against her mounting lack of support in her role to oust the Chief…The TM assisted in buying VM/Dep chief McIntee a brand new red command car…which was as it turned out only his til the year ended…The Town Manager’s contract was posted on this site to show she had a guaranteed $250,000 addition to it if she was fired…unlike the “as is” she required for her staff including the soon to be terminated Fire Marshal Alex Stevenson…The VFD Fire Inspector was given a 2 titled job…Also posted was a side by side comparison of Colon’s contract and her predecessor Baldwin…showing they were nothing alike as she/McIntee and Silverstone insisted for 2 years!….The VFD purchased a $150,000 102′ ladder truck with a big “purchase” assist from the Dep. Chief….and multiple attempts and removals  on the agenda with an offer to the town  to buy it a a reduced rate…after the fact…. Fire assessment and millage were addressed and a unilateral Sun Trust acct. for the VFD Beach Patrol was put in place by the TM after it was found to not be allowed to come from the fire assessed funds as was being done…A goodbye party at Village Grille for outgoing BSO Police Chief Scott Gooding…with Sheriff Lamberti  to sing his praises…No longer were RFP’s read aloud after publicly being opened…in an effort by the TM to stop transparency and accountability in the process…with the info being posted by this writer ….A fallout would ensue after a room full of vendors came and were turned away in Jarvis Hall…with calls of “backroom deals”….Adding to further RFP problems seen in faulty and substandard TM practices for putting out the parking RFPs …resulting in a new low in dealing with “Who’s the Boss” and insulting interested vendors like Chris Hood …with untruthful assertions made   by the “tag team” McIntee and Colon…Fishing from the beach started with an assist from this writer to a comment sent in for help and a directive to come to Jarvis Hall and speak at public comments……the Broom Boys took it as a sign of a new voter and a way to cause yet more trouble for the Marchelos…and eventually despite it was voted in 3-2 despite the will of the people…The Manager left her Finance Director here and went to partake in a basic course at the very place that gives her kudos for her presentations of budget (not the budget itself)…Later in the year after the 1st quarter the new Furth assisted budget book would appear to give her another presentation award in 2009…This writer through a PRR obtained (finally) TM Colon’s resume…in fact 2 were found that showed why she hires from within…it was familiar territory ..as she did not meet the requirements for her 1stposition as well… Another PRR and we found the Manager’s contract was in the 2007 backup…or was it?… Still questionable…leaving the Broom Boys either complicit in the contract or accountable for lack of due diligence…

The old BSO Chief was gone…New BSO Chief  Oscar Llerena was brought in to work with Lt. Angelo Cedeno…..The RFPs went out for the slimmed down BSO renovation…with again the results not being read aloud…extra time and money spent to keep all in the dark with Ocampo and the deadline missed as was required…again swept under the rug……The administration went ahead and changed out the windows in the existing BSO headquarters…The TM bought new vehicles for town and tried unsuccessfully to sell the old…also unsuccessful in selling the development trailer…on its way out…as Minto is allowed trailers across the way with no expiration date…We still we have the warehouse in the west…and no updates on the dais…We finally learned about the money for capital improvements…thanks to Comm.Dodd/Resident Yann Brandt  persistence and the hefty pre-payment penalty thanks to Finance Director Colon’s past direction……we took a financial hit due to the TM secrecy and lack of response for the requests…despite Comm. (He’s not a CPA) Silverstone’s bait and switch attempts to give the TM cover…In a 4-0 vote at the 1st Sept. budget meeting …Clottey was M.I.A. ..the direction was pay it off…TM Colon paid it off the next morning.. with no negotiation… We had the adoption of the annual budget scheduled on Yom Kippur…with fallout and the “slights” spoken by  McIntee and Silverstone that cannot be wiped away…despite McIntee’s action of trying to appease the Town’s Jewish residents by enlisting a  Chabad Rabbi to give the invocation thus  bypassing protocol and going behind the Town Chaplain’s back…There was a unilateral action by Town Administration using a Wilton Manors copied Townwide survey…It out with the politically driven and factually inaccurate question for the townwide height of 33′……The expected dismal response came in…It was used as P.R.in a slanted Town Topics entry at the end of the year…. Comm. Clottey and TM Colon put out an RFP for the Senior Center…bypassing the rest of the commission and treating the center’s Director very badly…In the end the Director was re-upped…there was alot of bad P.R. and less than truthful response for their actions on the dais…and payback from the Manager with not allowing under 60/non- residents from attending after 9 years…at the end of the year petitions are in the works once again……Fees for town went up 5% in 6 months rather than a year…The “Gang” brought some back down to appease their upset supporters…The Town Manager fought back often from the dais saying she will be the “browbeater” of her staff and will not be the “browbeatee”…The TM went after a early candidate for McIntee’s seat early on with a questionable and unconvincing use of the BSO to undermine his podium claims…it failed…The Manager’s performance review consisted in the end of 2 round tables…a special meeting with a “Range Rider” brought in though unfamiliar with the town…and a borrowed  Lauderhill based evaluation  done by 4 of the 5 commission members of the dais…More Referendum workshops …. heights and ethics and lifeguards…Halloween came with alot of unnecessary Mcintee noise …literally…and more “jobbed” numbers of the cost……… Esther’s evaluations of her staff proved she evaluated THEM annually …McIntee tried to get the sewers in front of his house fixed  “anonymously”…and withdrew the item when caught…A number of candidates came forward for the 2010 municipal election to run against the “Broom Boys”….Unite Our Town now the largest growing Town PAC had a fundraiser at Athena By The Sea and an overflowing crowd….The CIC’s was not so plentiful except in the propaganda published after the “it’s a fundraiser …it’s a dinner…it was a fundraiser after all” event in the Surf and Yacht Club whose Board has asked the CIC Chair/BTSTimes Editor Bob Roberts to stop the CIC use.. A meeting set for Jan. 3, 2010 shows Robert’s does not abide by the rules either……Bonnet House was the sight for the ribbon cutting ceremony for A1A scenic Highway….McIntee again tried to get the cul-de-sacs back and go after the “developers” of Garden Court…The VFD sent out a colorful mailed plea for Booster Fund donations claiming they needed the money and saying it was tax deductible…which it is not…a big problem for longtime VFD Registered Agent Comm. Jim Silverstone… McIntee went on a cruise and left the Furths high and dry…as the vote for heights and ethics  went down…and off the 2010 March ballot…It happened in a preview of a whatt a McIntee -free dais can be like…Commissioner Clottey accused political opponents of vandalizing her car…and later it was found she made no police report…McIntee came back and returned to the dais on Dec. 8th with an anonymous ( or was it?) letter accusing the Mayor’s occupation …and ended up with the majority voting to allow for anonymous letters being accepted as long as one commissioner knew the identity……A 1960s evaluation was posted about a certain “Quack” at the beginning of his chosen occupation…. Upon his return from the sea …McIntee chose to throw his Chief of the VFD under the bus…and ran for Fire Chief position himself ready to resign from the commission ( or was he going for both?)……He lost in a landslide… as a complaint made against him for his altercation in Mexico was read and put with 5 others in his permanent file…He is said to have made threats and then went underground…although he attended the CIC- Carribean Christmas party and was promptly welcomed back into the Furth Town East fold…He went away for Christmas only to return a few days before New Years Eve with a TM “oversight” assist to go after the  VFD ….and take down what he said he built… The VFD are seeing support everywhere without him…knowing now his threats were empty and when all said the “problem” was not with the VFD ..it was with their leadership…They really meant it was with McIntee!… The new candidates, Scot Sasser and Chris Vincent were busy going door to door .. Chris had  a Boat Parade fundraiser…and they are way ahead of whomever they run against…The CIC has yet to announce…with word going around McIntee is over…or McIntee is in…Silverstone is not yet finished…or Silverstone will finally put his Fiancee’s wishes first and not run…And Cristie Furth is still trying to ascend to the commission…… Christmas brought a weekend of overflowing garbage /recycling cans…due to a change in the Choice contract…and a myriad of calls that despite the Colon negotiated contract brought Choice out to deal with the lack of oversight…New Years Eve was last night…it was another McIntee- free event.. Fireworks and warm wishes were the universal theme of the night….as the ball dropped and shouts were heard in Pelican Square…”Happy New Year!”..

As the sun finally sets on what looks to be the end of the last year of a 4 year reign of McIntee terror…This writer looks forward to a much different…much shorter year in review next December…coming from a newly elected commission that provides me with nothing much to write about…due to representing the will of  all of the town’s people …openly, honestly and transparently… as the sun rises in 2010!…

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea 2009, Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissionr Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Maanger Esther Colon, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Boards, Civic Organizations, Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD, local government

Time To Step Down Commissioner Clottey …

Dear Readers … This writer walked up to Town Hall today to sit in for the opening of the bids for the sale of the Development Department trailer (ITB 09-12-01)  … As I approached the hall I saw the Director of the Senior Center sitting outside on the Jarvis Hall portico… I went to say hello…I was surprised to see him outside due to the LBTS staff Christmas luncheon going on inside Jarvis at that time.. I asked Armilio if he was invited and he told me no!… I told him he was in good company because the Mayor was not invited either!… I went on to also tell him Commissioner Dodd was not invited by the Manager until last night at 6 pm…and of course he could not attend on such short notice due to work commitments… Inside the hall was the Manager ..administrative staff and town employees…Marc and Cristie Furth…. Commissioner Silverstone as Santa (that costume must be pretty ripe by now…after Christmas- By- The-  Sea and Marie White Christmas) …BSO … AMR and the VFD… But the Director of the Senior Center was literally left out in the cold!… M.I.A. was Vice Mayor McIntee…and after asking about any “Butch” sightings…one invitee said…”I thought he’d show up as an Elf!”…The Mayor though uninvited stopped by to pick up her mail and popped in…We are told the Manager was quite cold toward her…not quite the same as when this writer observed in Town Hall Comm. Clottey come in only to be warmly greeted by Ms. Colon and told “You better hurry, they’re running out of food!”…So much for not playing politics!…

But there is something much more disturbing then the cold shoulder and the lack of a proper Town Manager  invite to the Town Christmas luncheon folks!…

Thanks to “Clueless” Commissioner Clottey…and her galpal Town Manager Colon…the Senior Center has now shut its doors to many of the people who enjoyed and participated in it for such a long time!…

You may recall from previous posts that it was Comm. Clottey who pushed the Manager to go for an RFP for the Senior Center…The Manager quickly and happily complied and assisted… She bypassed bringing it to the dais for discussion and underhandedly asked the Director to write a job description…Then she threw him under the bus when she used it to find his replacement…There was an uproar after this writer posted what they had done…Nevertheless their Mc-Gang joined along…and in the end they needed to cave …but not due to pressure from the petitions or the calls they received  from constituents…They caved from lack of anyone else swooping in for job!…At the meeting to approve the RFP the “Gang” tried to appease those angry with their actions…And the Manager was less than truthful concerning her intent of combining the Director’s duties to incorporate the recreation programs (although it is still in the contract)… Commissioner Clottey obviously didn’t think she had done enough damage …as she continued to push forward ideas that we were not complying with the criteria of what is allowed for such centers … She stated the center could only be used by seniors 65 or older and of moderate to low incomes…She also wanted excursions to plays etc…to be incorporated… The Manager said she would “oversee” the concerns of Clottey with “spot checks”…What a gal…oversight for the Senior Center…but none for the VFD!…

Armilio sent a letter to the Manager after that exchange looking for clarification on what age would be allowed. to use the facility….He received her reply…It is posted on the Senior Center door today…SADLY!…

“SPECIAL NOTICE

MUST BE 60 YEARS OF AGE OR OVER

MUST BE OF LOW OR MODERATE INCOME

MUST BE A BROWARD COUNTY RESIDENT

MUST BRING TO REGISTER-

1. DRIVERS LICENSE OR STATE OF FLORIDA I.D.

2. UTILITY BILL FOR PROOF OF RESIDENCY

3. VEHICLE TAG FOR PARKING PERMIT”

Thanks to Clottey…no one under 60 can come and participate at the Senior Center

Thanks to Clottey…no renters / Tourists who come for season can participate at the Senior Center

Thanks to Clottey…the numbers will go down…and then folks…the Senior Center with a loss in the number of participants will be told by the Manager and Commissioner Clottey….it is no longer “viable” and it will close its doors to all…no matter what your age or residency is!…

Make sure to thank “Clueless” Commissioner Clottey… (info below)
Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey
Tel: 954-895-6595

biruteannclottey@lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov

She was instrumental in the termination of BSO Chief Scott Gooding…She was instrumental in the new town noise ordinance….She was instrumental in going after the Mayor….She was instrumental in her charges from the dais of resident’s “fear of calling the BSO”…She was instrumental in saying we have the homeless in our parks and portals (12/7/09 Comm. meeting- Pompan0 Pelican article 12/11/09)…She was instrumental in changing the Senior Center…She is instrumental in closing the door to many of those who for years enjoyed going to activities at the Senior Center no matter their age or their residency……and she will be instrumental in its possible demise !…

And while you’re at it make sure to thank her “Mentors”…the CIC and Marc and Cristie Furth”… Commissioner Birute Clottey doesn’t make an “instrumental”  move without them!…

By the way…the Development Department trailer ….RFP 09-12-01 ….had no bids!…

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea CIC, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea Senior Center, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manager Esther Colon, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Scoops, local government

WALKING IN THE MEDIANS? ….

“Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group (herd), maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those.”

…………………………………………………………..

Dear Readers … The Sea Ranch Club walkers of El Mar are “horrified” … and will not be “herded” into the center of El Mar Drive to walk on the medians…They will continue to walk in the street and on the sidewalks just as they always have!…The walkers of El Mar do not feel they need to be “educated” to walk down the center of road from Pine to Palm as was suggested by Ocampo and Associates at the Round table meeting on Dec. 7th!… The walkers on El Mar have never complained about the lack of “shade ” …as Vice Mayor McIntee tried to lob onto as an excuse to use the Oriana million to start piecemeal in the south end medians… The walkers of El Mar are not “happy” with McIntee, Silverstone and Clottey and their vote to disregard the MPSC and go ahead with this project despite the overwhelming sentiment to abort it until the board and possibly a new commission can further look into the whole of El Mar Drive and get this one right!… McIntee saying this has been in the works for 2 years is full of his usual bull-y pulpit you know what!… He was not involved in the actual process at all…It was done by the students of the Art Institute in record time…a matter of weeks…not years (prev. posts under boards)…and then crassly ignored by the same majority on the commission who now are so quick to get this done …(also previously posted)…Vice Mayor McIntee disingenuously tried to say they needed get going on this for the MPSC and Vice Chair Sandra Booth…Sandra Booth came forward at the meeting on the 7th (along with Chair Paul Novak , and member Bob Eckblad) to say she too felt it should not go forward …. but McIntee did not want to pay heed to her…especially after he threw her a “bone”of “praise”……The residents who live at the south end of El Mar do not want this done…and this writer is unable to come upon anyone who does!… Just three commissioners who do not walk El Mar Drive…and do not live on El Mar Drive…but feel the need to spend 1 million dollars to have Chen and Associates start a project that will cost the Town until a new commission can come in to stop it!…

If Readers look at the archived minutes from 2007… they will find much earlier than this in the “lame duck” days of the previous commission it was then-Commissioner McIntee…Commissioner Silverstone and the commissioner- candidates for the upcoming election who routinely voted items of much less importance and with far less financial impact to the taxpayer to be tabled for the new commission to decide!…

Just Saturday there was a Sentinel news article about the Furth’s pals from “Cry of the Water” ( with no RFP from another group!) and the $20,000 for a “Marine Park” payed for by the Town (5-0 vote in Oct. prev. post) …It included the “plans for meetings for public input and form a group of citizens that will create the management for the park”…Hmmm…They’ll do it for a $20,000 investment… but for a million… it’s over…and done…kaput…time to move on… says McIntee..Silverstone and Clottey…after McIntee stood his ground in a back and forth dialogue with MPSC Chair Paul Novak who expressed the views of the Sea Ranch Club “walkers”…and said “You can’t make everyone happy.”… His “gang”promptly  joined in for the 3-2 vote…to throw out a million dollars on a few medians in the south…ready to see if the “sheep” can be “herded” to go to the center and walk from Palm to Pine!… Bahhhh …HUMBUG!…

Below are the excerpt comments made by candidates Scot Sasser and Chris Vincent at the Dec. 8, 2009 Commission meeting on the median expenditure….and a letter from a concerned taxpaying resident…who wishes to remain anonymous…

……………………………………..

Candidate Scot Sasser
“Let me first thank the Commission for holding the round table discussion on the El Mar drive street-scape project. I found it to be informative and it helped me to understand just where we are in the process. With this in mind, I would like to take this time to put forth some questions and suggestions regarding this important project. Since it is obvious that we are in the very beginning stages, having not yet come to a final decision on overall look of the project, or whether or not the project will entail all of El Mar or a fraction thereof, might I suggest that we not rush into a decision to appropriate funds just yet? This is a very important project that does not need to be piecemealed together. This is our time to get it right. From the discussion last night it is clear that the project will cost more than the $980K which begs the question of where the other funds will come from. As several Commissioners pointed out, the projections point to a decline in tax revenue over the coming years due to the declining real estate market. Knowing this should place emphasis on the overall plan. We should realize that what we do not finish now could go unfinished for some time. There are also rudimentary questions that should be asked before moving forward.
• How would the proposed stamping of the asphalt affect the surrounding area since it will create noise as cars drive over it?
• Can we get a sample or see a sample of the proposed stamping to make sure it looks appropriate? Perhaps if we can see it in actual use somewhere it will help us answer the noise question as well.
• What is the long-term plan to tie in surrounding areas to create the look and feel we want downtown?
• Is there a way to begin all of El Mar and phase in instead of taking a fraction?
• How would spending this money affect our ability to complete infrastructure changes such as much needed sidewalk repair and torrential flooding at the pavilion?
• How will this dovetail into the budget in the coming years and is there a plan for any financial overruns?

I realize we are very early in the process and that many of these types of questions need to be flushed out but that is my point. Let’s “measure twice and cut once” as they say. There is no reason to rush into spending $1MM now just because we are still at the starting gate after a year has past.

Thank you and I want to wish each of you safe and Happy Holidays and New Year.”
………………………………………………
Candidate Chris Vincent.
“I would like to address two separate items this evening.

First regarding the Master Plan Workshop yesterday.

It was clear that the board was not in favor to move forward with the current plan on the table. They were given 3 new options to consider and we should allow them the time needed to do that. They have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort with this project and have a willingness to get it right the first time. Allow them that opportunity.

Please do not rush to spend the funds. There is no need to do that. The roundtable was a good start.

Many important issues were raised and should be addressed. Have additional roundtables until you get it right. The attitude of lets just get it started is really not having a well thought out plan.

You need to trust your boards recommendations, anything less would be disrespectful.”

……………………………………….
From a concerned Resident….
“The Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Commission voted 3 to 2 on December 8, 2009 to proceed with the El Mar Drive project. During the discussion leading up to vote some comments were made that were misleading (or as they say in Washington D.C., disingenuous), and irresponsible.

At the Roundtable Workshop Meeting the prior night it was clearly the wishes and recommendations of the Master Plan Steering Committee (MSPC) that the entire project including the medians, drainage, lighting, sidewalks, paving, etc. be evaluated and developed into a total plan so that a determination could be made as to the total cost and future sources of funding. While the Town may only have approximately $1 Million available at present, it was brought up that there might be local, State, or Federal Grants available in the future, that debt service on loans might be affordable in the future, and that an overall long-term plan should be developed before proceeding.

That, clearly, was Commissioner Dodd’s and Mayor Minnet’s interpretation. It didn’t sound like it was the intent of the MPSC to move forward immediately with the median project south of Commercial before agreeing on an overall plan. It was irresponsible of the Vice-Mayor to support concentrating on spending the $1 Million now and then say, “hope for the best.”

The overall cost of the entire project was projected to be approximately $5 Million, and if the Town borrowed the $4 Million balance needed the annual debt service would probably be in the range of $500,000, certainly a possibility worth considering, and not just dismissed out of hand.

Our elected officials should take a proactive role in planning for the future and not govern by the seat of their pants, or dress as the case may be. Successful organizations all have strategic plans, plans that can be modified as time goes by and circumstances change.

A Concerned Citizen”

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The Master Plan Steering Committee is canceled for Tuesday evening (12/15/09) …… and so far there have been no RFPs advertised in the Sentinel…But if the Town Manager reacts to this 3-2 vote as this writer expects her to do…”directed” by her pal Vice Mayor McIntee ( ala the anonymous letter -prev. post) it will be in there well before the Jan 12, 2010 first commission meeting of the month…depleting the million…for something it seems only 3 people, presently with power on the dais want done…

Vote for a new majority on March 9, 2010….and let the CIC- Mc-Furth Gang know that the LBTS taxpayers know full well…….when people are herded it is often known as crowd control….

more to come………

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Candidate Scot Sasser, Lauderdale By The Sea Chris Vincent, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea El Mar Drive Million Dollar median project, Lauderdale By The Sea Master Plan Steering Commitee, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Boards, Local Politics, Scoops, Sea Ranch Club, local government

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY …. DISCOUNTS FOR 3 OR MORE … ….

Dear Readers … the continuation of the November 10, 2009 commission meeting took place last night on December 7, 2009…and being out of whack turned out to be the “theme”   of the evening…

We began with Commissioner Clottey still on her Hillsboro Inlet “bent”… to throw Commissioner Dodd off the board…It was combined with the new business item put on by Commissioner Dodd…He tried unsuccessfully to ask her why she would proceed with this change…and gave the facts of how this appointment was historically made and how it has and is a long term appointment from most municipalities including LBTS……Her ridiculous statements and her tone in response warrant more and more concern that this woman is not dealing with a full deck…Her shrill “explanations” …don’t make any sense at all…She met Oliver Parker and he asked her to put this on and he wants his old job back and she said she would do it…Is that “sound” decision making?…Never mind the history of the CIC and former Mayor Parker…(Recall)…She tried to say it is a job to be rotated like the others that the commissioners attend ….despite being informed otherwise……She tried to say it was to get “us” known out there beyond town limits…..Really?… If that’s her reasoning…how does she justify nominating Parker to return once “out there” again?….With Comm. Clottey,  up is down and down is up…getting defensive over all her “time” spent for Town duties…5-6 days a month…and sometimes they go from 9:30-2:30… WOW!…Give the commissioner one of those cheap “medals” the Vice Mayor wanted for the “heroes” among us!…Give me a break!… The Mayor was right on target and said the new representative would most likely be on for a month….But Clottey being Clottey did not care…she was going to move forward for her new best friend..Mr Oliver… or maybe galpal, Maria… With her majority on the dais, she, Silverstone and McIntee voted to put this through…with a cutoff of Jan. 7th …SEND YOUR APPLICATION IN !…. http://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/ …The Mayor responded this was “unfortunate”…Get this woman a couch!…

Too, too funny in order to make up to those long ignored Jews among us in LBTS …(this writer is Jewish)…the Town did a mea culpa by putting on the agenda to change the date of a meeting in Sept. to accommodate the Jewish Holiday of Sukkot …not an important holiday for most…and after the Mayor asked if this was under the direction of the Jewish Federation and found it was from the long-term calendar the received 2 years ago Town ignored (prev. post)…Commissioner Silverstone motioned to defer it until the 2nd meeting in April…. saying it wasn’t that important…A vote was made 4-1…Vice Mayor McIntee voted no…to the deferred action…perhaps thinking a no vote would “score” him Jewish points…this election year!… Get this man a couch!…

The Cone of Silence…Commissioner Dodd read from his prepared notes …

“I have reviewed the video of the end of the previous meeting several times. I am not going to get into any controversial discussion or argument at 11.15 p.m. after a 4 hour session. I can tell you I will always put the unresolved issues on a fresh agenda item to be discussed at another time. After careful consideration it appears the town manager was trying to imply a commissioner had broken one of the rules regarding the “Cone of Silence”. She stated verbatim – I guess we forgot about the cone of silence that was handed out in January 2009. She state shortly aft verbatim – If this town commission is going to allow or is going to communicate with vendors and accept bids that are non responsible ( I think she meant non responsive) the issue is on this dais.
First I would never dream of interfering, negotiating, and making false promises during any part RFP process. The bids were opened on the parking RFP months ago and I was contacted by the vendor with a problem with our town staff and I chose to reply and send a copy to the town as a public record. I received the following – E-mail from a vendor bidding on a town RFP. “ What in hell is going on in Lauderdale by the sea” . She expressed how rude the caller from LBTS was. He said the person was short and requested the contract and just hung up the phone. The caller from LBTS didn’t even provide sending instructions. This was the second call – It must have been bad ….. The rudeness and unprofessional contacts with our customers however – has no acceptable format.
I replied – On behalf of the commission please accept my apologies. I asked on September 11th for the evaluation and reason behind the town staff’s strange choice when your RFP to the casual observer to be in the best interests of the town. Please accept my personal apologies……….

I’m sorry Commissioner Silverstone if this e-mail apologizing on your behalf has upset you and that you want to be excluded from any situation where an apology is in my opinion required. If you receive a personal e-mail that requires an apology on behalf of the town I would ask you kindly to include me in. Remember it was an e-mail addressed to me and I had no way of knowing whether it was also sent to anyone else.
We are public servants and the correct solution in my opinion would have been for the town manager to call the vendor, apologize and ask the vendor whom from the Plantation PD called him with the complaint but it appears from the memorandum we all received that this didn’t happen and the vendor hasn’t yet had an apology nor is he likely to ever bid on any future town contract after the treatment he received publicly from this town

I personally feel my actions in no way infringes any Cone of silence or other rules regarding RFP’s and is in fact the code of decency to apologize unless you believe the vendor made it up. We are public servants and should act and behave as such.

If we are raising the cone of Silence – I feel the Vice Mayor telling Armelio – “We just have to go through the motions” even before the bids were opened to be a blatant and far more serious infringement. What about all our conversations with Minto where all the commissioners privately met with Minto to discuss changes to their next building phase. Does that constitute a breach of the cone of silence?
What about conversations with Choice representatives after the bids were opened
Does that constitute a breach of the cone of silence?

I will not be accused of anything by innuendo by the town manager or anyone else – get the facts straight and ask the question if you have something to say. I have said before – if you have a problem call me and I will come and see you in your office and with a witness if you want – I’m not the one with the problem.

Also for the record the cone of silence was actually in the ethics ordinance back-up that I tried to get this dais to introduce earlier this year.

Also for the record this town does not have a Cone of silence ordinance as adopted by other municipalities into their code, this town has no reference to cone of silence in the purchasing manual and there was no reference to the cone of silence in the parking RFP. I fail therefore to see how this commissioner could be accused of breaking it by sending an apology after the bids were closed months ago.

I yield”

Commissioner Silverstone as usual was his befuddled, incomprehensible self…”I will never speak for you or anyone commissioner.”…. Does he have a limited Rolodex in his head…and this time…he rolled it to T for Town Manager form of g0vernment?…He stated the commission is not to “interfere” with the Town Manager by contacting the vendors…that to do so was “totally irresponsible”…He brought up the Miami ethics materials brought forth to deal with the “2-Hats” ethics problem, and laughably to those who know his M.O. tried to say he read it!…No way…the portion on the “cone of silence” was buried pages back…and RFPs were not even on the radar until the following summer !..OOPS!… And if you follow Commissioner Silverstone’s thought process (stop laughing, readers)…He would have you believe that the commission should “adopt” a “cone of silence” because it was included in a backup!…No Ordinance required…Good God!… He actually tried to say that he has read the Charter many times since he became a commissioner…OK, maybe he did…but did he retain it?…This writer thinks not!…He has said the same for the codes…pretty funny that he ended up removing his item that followed this…for a change in the Town Code to deal with uncompleted building sites…after sheepishly admitting the Town Atty. told him it was already “on the books”…OUCH!… Get  this man a couch!…

The Town Manager did her repeat performance…it’s her staff…they did nothing…and she too stuck with the buried Miami-Dade “cone of silence” as her premise to admonish the commission (prev. post- LBTS agendas,meetings) …in October…She said if a “certain Commissioner wanted to believe a Vendor”…so be it…she stands behind her staff…Get this woman a couch!…

Then it was Vice Mayor McIntee’s turn…

“You know I’ve listened to some outrageous statements but this was one of the worst. The bottom line here is that a gentleman who didn’t get a bid was very mad and very upset and he sent a very nasty email and claimed a lot of things happened. And when he sent that email to Commissioner Dodd he responded by saying I’m sorry. The problem with him saying I’m sorry is there was never any attempt to determine if the staff broke any rules or did anything wrong. That’s where the problem lies. The staff was thrown under the bus by Commissioner Dodd by him apologizing for their actions when in fact they did nothing wrong. And that’s wrong. That’s absolutely wrong. If you have a situation you get a nasty letter from a purveyor or person trying to do contracts with this town, I would go to the Town Manager and say Town Manager please do an investigation for me. See who talked to this person. Get their side of the story. I would never, never accept the side of a,a purveyor of contracts to this town as being truthful and completely legitimate without verifying it! I have complete trust in our employees. They’re pretty good people. In the dissertation that, that he read to us he never said it ain’t so! Plantation sent a letter back saying none of their employees said that our employees were nasty to them.They did an investigation and they consulted all the people in Plantation who contact, who were in contact with our employees and each and everyone said they were congial, conga, excuse me…they were very nice to each other, friendly, appropriate activities. That was never mentioned yet Commissioner Dodd had that letter which said it didn’t happen in Plantation. So everything Mr. Hood said which is in my hand were lies. But yet, he apologized for the lies that Mr. Hood generated against our employees and that fact is just terrible. Our employees are good hardworking people and to take their word without an investigation with our so much as a say so. Maybe it was Nilkki? Maybe it was June? Say June did this happen? Could you tell me? Because I believe if they went to the Town Manager and said can I ask Nikki if it happened she’s probably give her permission to do it. But I couldn’t do it without the Town Manager but I would at least go to the complaint. I would never, never send a letter that I apologize for the whole commission.! I wouldn’t accept that. If the complaint came to me I would have gone right to the horses mouth. Did you do this? And when did it happen? I would have called Mr. Hood up and say Mr. Hood could you be more specific? What was said? What time was said? I would see who was working that day. I would see it was documented. But most of all when I finally got a letter from Plantation, the government of Plantation saying it ain’t so. Your employees were nice to us. Then I would have senbt a letter back to Mr. Hood saying I’m disappointed in what you said. Apparently your accusations are not true.”

Commissioner Dodd -”Point of information , nobody ever contacted Mr. Hood from this town. That’s the point that I’m trying to make.”

VM- ” You contacted him! They don’t have to.”

CD-” He contacted me! He sent me a letter!”

VM- ” And he accused the town of breaking the rules and being nasty!”

CD- ” Why didn’t the town contact him?”

VM- Did you go to the Town Manager?”

CD- ” I sent a copy of my email to the Town Manager for her to follow through.”

VM-”Did you apologize before you investigated?”

CD- It doesn’t cost anything to apologize. You said talk to her [TM] personally.”

VM- Wait, wait that’s the nit of the problem! You have to investigate!”

CD- “The Town didn’t investigate.”

VM-” But, but before you apologize for an action you investigate to make sure the action occurred or else you’re putting all the responsibility on those poor Town employees and you threw them under the bus and that’s why there’s problems!”…

BC-First…Commissioner Dodd forwarded the email he received about the situation (prev. post)…Mr Hood would not have sent such an email if he had not been contacted in the vetting process…There was no approved bid at this time……The town received no letter…and what McIntee had amounted to emails between Plantation and Kaola King  consisting of a few line exchange….No investigation in Plantation…..and the “person” responsible …this writer believes…was neither of the women accused…He is taking cover…and being covered by his mentor!… Comm. Clottey is on record at the final award of the RFP saying she had spoken to Mr Hood while it was in process…..Commissioner Silverstone, Commissioner Clottey and the Vice Mayor all shook hands with Mr Hood at the end of the process…In fact Commissioner Silverstone sent Mr. Hood an email…

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“Wednesday, October 28, 2009 9:19 AM

Mr. Hood,
I was wondering why you stayed for the entire 5 hour ordeal. Turns out you made the effort to meet each one of use and to thank us. That was a step above and beyond. I was most impressed and further more after I received your email below.
Thanks for achieving your intent. It benefits both of us.
Best regards,
Jim Silverstone
Commissioner LBTS”

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As for the above statements. made by the Vice Mayor…..folks…read them again…and then see the (not quite so) anonymous, letter about the Mayor (prev. post) and what the Vice Mayor did with it…on Dec. 8th agenda…and you will see…THIS GUY NEEDS A COUCH!… TALK ABOUT HYPO-CRISSIE!…

Commissioner Clottey added her 2 cents..putting her foot where it’s spent a lot of time..saying the “gal” at the end (Nikki) never said a a nasty word to anyone (not true…prev. post…it’s a Colon trickle down Town Administration, with the exception of Kaola King, the Finance Director whom I do not believe was involved until after the rude hang-up)….. Commissioner Clottey said you have to judge someone on their prior action…and on that we all agree…This woman needs a couch!…

The Mayor thanked Commissioner Dodd for putting this on…

Back the Commissioner Clottey and her phobia of the BSO police …her phantom phone calls and phobia of “those people”, the homeless… She spoke of calls she received from residents “uncomfortable” around “Washington Beach Park”…(that would be Washingtonia …Commissioner)…She admitted she again did not contact the police and it was obvious she did not tell them to contact the BSO police…BSO Police Chief Llerena came to the podium and said “there is no easy answer” …and that one gentleman in that area is there everyday reading and not doing anything that is a disturbance…He spoke about the massive lawsuit in Miami for harassing the homeless…and said he and his men have never witnessed anyone sleeping… We hear the person Clottey almost “tripped over” was also a resident…This woman needs a couch!…

The Mayor asked the Chief if residents should contact the police…and the Chief that the vast majority of calls produce nothing suspicious,,,that they have a right to be there..The Town Atty. spoke of case law and confirmed the Chief’s words of caution…

The Vice Mayor ever the diplomat said “I don’t think we should go near this. The Lieutenant’s out there on the ATV, I don’t know if they’re looking at the girls!”… Crass, VM really crass…This guy needs a couch!…

Commissioner Silverstone went counter to Clottey’s assertions saying his phone calls have decreased…and asked about shutting down access to the beach!… This guy needs a couch!…

The Mayor asked about signs…and the Town Atty. addressed overnight parking restrictions…(which we already have on the books)…OOPS!…

Vice Mayor McIntee I don’t think we should direct the Town Attorney to spend any money…Pretty funny after the anonymous letter and Greenfest…etc…Get this guy a couch!…

Then it was time to address Clottey’s item concerning this writer and her unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations that I called her “inappropriate words”… “Despicable and disgraceful” for her actions toward Commissioner Dodd and the Hillsboro Inlet…Appropriate then and appropriate still!.. Comm. Clottey dialed it back but fraudulently contended that it was heard by others…Could not be…cause it did not happen… More of her empty political accusations…By the way Note to the Commissioner… please stop trying to talk to me….off the dais…those days are long gone ….You made your decision to be fully complicit in Mc-Furth bad behavior…This woman needs a couch!…

Clottey again…disingenuously acting as if “slogans” for the Town suddenly came to her…( a McIntee- type epiphany…courtesy of the Furths)..The slogan contest was a regular item in the BTSTimes this last year…and need not be an issue at this point in time…No surprise the Vice Mayor and Comm. Silverstone were for it… They’re all late night  “regulars” at Town Hall east…no matter where they park…Get these guys a couch!…

We ended had less than 24 hours….before we all headed back…for the last LBTS Commission meeting of the year….It turned out to be …the meeting that put the nails in the CIC- coffin…so off the wall…that a couch is no longer an option…

Vice Mayor McIntee…Commissioner Silverstone and Commissioner Clottey…need to be committed!…

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Minnet, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, scoops. Lauderdale By The Sea cont. Commission meeting of 11/10/09- on 12/7/09
Posted in LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Scoops, local government

NO 33′ REFERENDUM? … ….TRY FOR THE WHOLE ENCHILADA …

Dear Readers…The “Broom Boys” need something to run on…and with 33′ feet off the ballot(?)..the next best thing is the “beautification” of El Mar Drive…That $980,000 dollars is Furth strategy # 2… Vice Mayor and his Pal Jimmy- Boy Silverstone couldn’t come up with enough convoluted reasons sitting around the table tonight to justify taking that money and putting into the south end medians on El Mar fast enough..it’s a safety issue…No it’s a shade issue…No it’s an educating the walkers issue…No it’s something we owe to the kids who came up with the idea…No we owe it to the Master Plan Steering Committee…despite the fact that the committee was saying to put the breaks on it until after the March election!…

Ocampo seemed to be all on board in  pushing through this ridiculous idea that the walkway for Ell Mar Drive should be the medians from Palm to Pine!…As one resident said…”If sidewalks were supposed to be in the medians they would be called middlewalks!”…

This writer calls for timed cameras to watch the activity on El Mar In a day…In the morning you have the large contingency of walkers…runners…bikers and such…and throughout the day…there will be groups walking into and out of downtown….And all day long you have the dogs!… Big, little and every size in between…from this neighborhood and beyond…Dogs are prohibited from going …pun intended …in the Town parks… and so they use the medians…Count the dogs…from the surrounding buildings and those brought here for their daily walks!…. Take away the grassy medians …and where do the dogs do their business?… It’s definitely a fitting finale for the Million dollar payout for 5 extra feet in the set-back!…

Tonight’s meeting started off with the “Broom Boys” tripping all over themselves in trying to justify breaking the commission’s own rules of not discussing anything that appears on the next agenda…after Commissioner Dodd and the Mayor called them on their actions…So close are they now after 4 years on the dais…that, like some old married couple..they can finish each other sentences!… Now that’s getting in touch with their feminine side!…OUCH!…

The Mayor correctly said the minority (Dodd and herself) would not prevail…as McIntee told it like it was…no doubt unaware of his candor…He basically admitted they had to break the rules…because if they didn’t do it  now…the project can’t get going…Yeah, baby…Silverstone, so accommodating as  his sidekick said “technically” this was not a “new issue” so therefor it should get a pass… Commissioner Dodd again drove home the point they were indeed breaking their rules!…Commissioner Clottey asked to comment said she had no response…

They went on…

Siting at the table in front with the commissioners were the Master Plan Steering Committee members Chair Paul Novak, Vice Chair Sandra Booth, Bob Eckblad, Marilyn Carr and Maryann Wardlaw …conspicuously absent was Taco Bell East owner and operator -BTSTimes Publisher/Editor Marc Furth and a couple others… Ocampo architect Ernie Ojito and on the dais Raul Ocampo who began a powerpoint presentation…

On the “menu” tonight 4 choices…to choose from for the Oriana “Million”…or more…or less…

Item #1- was the previous single choice offered up to the commission when we were operating under the pre-”Mr Oliver”-Clottey fast friendship…that threw the Town Managers almost 2 year assertions under the bus…Thinking we only could use the funds south of Commercial…and after a rather embarrassing MPSC/ commission round table some months back…Ocampo was directed to work with the Art Institute student’s designs for the medians and come up with some renderings…and they did…It was pet walks, benches, exercise areas, water features…and shade..

Item #2 – Someone directed Ocampo (who?) to do the same medians as in item #1…but to add “stamped concrete in the 2 adjacent lanes on either side of the medians for walking…textured they could be used for pedestrians or special events…and cordoned off…(This writer immediately thought this was Comm. Silverstone and his “squiggly lines” for walkers not cars) …at a cost of $796 per linear foot or $796,000 per 100 linear feet…

Item #3- widening the sidewalks to 8 feet (they are now varied from 4, 5, and 8 ft. )…median landscape only…redoing drainage…the cost $1030.83 per linear foot…or $1.030  per 1000 linear feet…

Item #4- THE “FULL ENCHILADA!”… per Ocampo…do the medians (#1) …do the adjacent lanes (#2) …do the 8 foot sidewalks (#3)… do it all!…the cost for the belly buster…$1412 per linear foot or $1.412 million per linear 1000 feet…

The distance for Pine Ave in the north to Palm Ave. in the south….5000 feet … or $5 million!…The original (#1) was approx. a 1000 feet…or 20%… of the entire length of El Mar Drive…

Having quire a “Mac attack” (wrong fast food joint )…the Vice Mayor pulled another “Bogdanoff” moment (prev. post…”Punked”)…when he insisted over and over again that Pine ave (north end) to Oriana was a 1000 ft.!… Comm. Dodd tried hard to make him (McIntee) understand Oriana was south of Commercial…3/4 of the way…far beyond a 1000 ft….Explaining he meant Palm…(south of Oriana)…As insolent as as always.. the Vice Mayor insisted that was what he said (watch the tape…with the Truth Deflector, VM)…

Finally Chair Paul Novak jumped in to speak about the cost being somewhere in the neighborhood ….pun intended of 3500-4000 square feet excluding the Oriana and Minto medians ….

VM McIntee was none too pleased with the Chair…saying we needed to do it because of the kids…But Paul Novak didn’t back down (Thank you, Paul)… and said the money should now go to both ends…reiterating the faulty information the committee was working under…

VM McIntee said that would mean starting over…(Yeah!)…

Paul Novak addressed the 8 foot sidewalks….and Commissioner Dodd asked about the drainage costs…Ocampo said options 2 and 3 do not include any drainage…Ernie Ojito spoke about how to do the drainage …the breakdown and the options that could be “pick and choose” on option 1.. (Is that with or without the sauce?)… Chair Paul Novak said he was for the “whole enchilada …that it would cost less in the end than doing it piecemeal…

Ernie Ojito spoke of the existing always and the conflict with the back-out parking….The Mayor spoke about the changes for backout parking with new development…but Ojito countered that non-conforming can stick to theirs…

VM McIntee was not having any…he was a man on a “mission”…to spend the “Million”…before he was tossed off the dais in March…He again said the “bottom line” was there was a million…for a 1000 feet at the south end…no problem…”no turmoil”…

Ernie Ojito like what he was hearing from VM McIntee and again spoke of the students…and the “components” that could be added or deducted in the bid process…

VM McIntee his foot shaking …his jacked stuck up in his chair…leaned forward…”back-out not in the game”..and we take care of the drainage…Comm. Dodd again tried to straighten him out…VM McIntee was belligerent…”I’m asking him”(Ojito)……Ojito said  …$100 per linear foot plus demolition … and you cannot “piecemeal” drainage …cost $650,000- $750,000..

Commissioner Clottey misread her  menu and could not get the combo…she asked why when she added the total bill it was 2.9 million and she kept getting 4.9?… Ojito told her she was looking at the price without the medians of 2.9!…

Discussion moved onto power…and how to get it to the medians…that have none…Comm. Clottey again showing her ineptness ..(sort of like her previous statement of “lifting the rock”…when discussing the new Bel Air monument signs)…said maybe we could go solar for lights…Ocampo and Ojito explained the costs substantial upfront for solar…the “redundant system”…”not reliable”…and in need of regular power to supplement the storage battery system that deteriorates over approx. 2 years…

VM McIntee was ready to get moving…”service from the medians…outrageous…costs off the wall!”…

Commissioner Dodd questioned the need for transformers…and Ojito said for simplicity of the system…

Commissioner Silverstone chimed in that option one would have drainage and utilities far enough away not to interfere…in the future.. He followed that up with how long?…7 months to 1 year!…Due to problems with getting contractors …and permits…Comm. Silverstone was ready to go…saying this was the “best direction”…for the million…

Commissioner Clottey wanted to know about “disruption”…and Ocampo said of course there will be some…but it will be “scheduled”….(we heard that one before…with the pavilion and street closings…OUCH!)…She also asked about the permitting process…and the answer was 3 months…going down to 2 after more discussion about lack of permits in the building dept…

Commissioner Dodd wanted more information on the stamped areas (2 El Mar lanes…think Pompano Beach crosswalks on Federal Highway)…and the noise that was mentioned in the presentation…and if it’s conducive to walking…There will be noise from driving on it…

VM McIntee…said there wouldn’t be a shovel hitting the ground until June…that’s when Ocampo cut his months for permits down to 2…and VM McIntee said season would not be in jeopardy…

Paul Novak asked quickly about the next season…and Ocampo said they would be doing the “finishes” then…

The Mayor spoke of concerns for people crossing the street to get onto the medians…the medians are not contiguous …

Paul Novak said he would not widen the sidewalks 1 inch…people will still walk in the streets…even with the medians…The Mayor concurred the pedestrians won’t use it anyway…

The Vice Mayor was still on a tear…”It will look prettier!”…

Commissioner Dodd agreed with Paul and the Mayor…and said lowering the speed limit was a better way to keep the walkers safe…

Vice Mayor McIntee must have thought he could “will” this desperate election attempt to include these south end medians on his palm card election bullet points to pass out next in town month…”Worth a try”…he said (Worth a million dollar try?)…

Ocampo was pushing the medians…for shade…

VM McIntee was like a dog who was just thrown a bone…”Shade is the issue”…(Since when?)….

Ever befuddled…Comm. Silverstone wanted to know about his “original idea” of striping the lanes…asking “any possibility”…YIKES!….Ojito told him what everybody in the room already knew…”Option #2″…Ocampo said they could discuss making the roads less wide when they widened the sidewalks…(Hmmm. sounds like Seagrape Drive lane talk)…

Comm. Silverstone went on about “liability” of walking on the stamped concrete lanes…Hmmm…(but he just said he wanted a lane for walking)…Ojito spoke of the cost to cut to one lane…(HUH? …No Cristie Furth came a running upon hearing El Mar 1 lane?)…..

Jimmy Silverstone must have had good quick kick under the table from his pal on his left…..because suddenly he did a total switch…he is now for the medians in the south end..(a look at his past dais comments were against the medians) …”Broom Boys”…united in 2010!…

More discussion on the stamped concrete and its impact on ADA…and talk of losing the stamped surface with a “re-do”….

MPSC member Bob Eckblad spoke about the “goal” not being “to spend a million as fast as possible”…and spoke about going to the Town Manager to see how to include the project in budgets to come…

Commissioner Clottey brought up the dire future with the numbers she heard from the Broward County Property Appraiser Rep. at the POA (prev. post)… But Bob inquired about borrowing 4 million if need be…

VM McIntee wasn’t having any …clearly showing his disdain for Mr Eckblad…”That’s another topic!”.. Mr Eckblad tried to continue..and again was cut off by Comm. Silverstone…

Vice Chair Sandra Booth spoke and said she felt now the improvements should be done in phases…no longer behind the medians being put in now…

VM McIntee was not happy, with what he was hearing from the committee…and spoke of dire straits to come…No government money…”5 million like finding 50 million” taking Mr Eckblad again to task…He said we have no debt…and he wasn’t going there…

VM McIntee wants to “Showcase a little event”…(code-speak for election propaganda)…and then told Bob Eckblad they would both “be pushing up daisies” if they put this million dollar project off!…

The Mayor was quick…and put the Vice Mayor in his place…saying they were not putting off anything…that she was not “doing this for me, today” …but doing the right thing for after…

Ocampo said it was important to do all of El Mar…the entire stretch…and Commissioner Dodd said it should go back to the Master Plan Steering Committee…for conformity…one plan…”the million is not going away”…Comm. Dodd said to” spend a million in the south end is wrong”…they need “an overall concept, not piecemeal”…get “coordinate” and do it next year…”not rush ahead”…

Commissioner Clottey said option #1 is part of option #4…(How long are the VM’s legs anyhow?) …and Comm.Silverstone stepped in to again try help VM McIntee seal the south end median deal…going over the previously discussed “students”… VM McIntee swooped in …to add again drive home his point…the terrible shape the government is in…”We can regroup”…but they “have a plan everyone’s happy with (HUH? The MPSC…has said otherwise tonight!)…)…We blew it on Minto  (Furth-prickly bushes)…saying we need “shade”…”safety”… on El Mar Drive…

The Mayor was all for incorporating all the ideas…and still wanted to hold off for now…speaking of the fees and the costs…

Paul Novak again spoke for the majority of his committee…and those in the hall …Wait…..Give the MPSC 2-3 months and let them go over it all again…He agreed with Comm. Dodd…Ernie Ojito offered the committee technical assistance…and somehow the meeting went off into storm water fees in the plans… (with the present majority/TM in 2010)……The legalities and illegalities…… and the after some less than kind exchanges from McIntee to Eckblad (New sparring partners?)…Paul Novak again asked for time…

VM McIntee was asking for Paul to “bring in more kids” to do the rest of the medians…and Paul responded “we don’t need anymore”…just time…

After a little more than an hour…it was clear…to most…This one’s gong down…3-2… a done deal…

Mcintee…Silverstone and Clottey…will be voting to spend a million tonight…at the 12/8/09 Commission meeting…Cha Ching…Cha Ching…Cha Ching…

What’s a taxpayer to do?…

Vote them out in March…and let the next commission cancel the “gangs” “Fast” food order…..

Taco Bell Doggy Bags for all!….

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea El Mar Drive Beautification Project, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea Oriana Million, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Ocampo and Associates, Scoops
Posted in Boards, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Scoops, local government

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS …..

Dear Readers…along Commercial this year it’s snowflakes…last year it was candles…So where do old holiday street decorations go anyway?… On A1A the Town of LBTS has new Seasons Greetings banners as well.. “command car red ” with candy canes!…

A stop by the VFD for their 4th quarter income/expense report (post to come) showed that there may be some changes in store…on the wall were nominations for VFD officers…and some surprising names for Deputy Chief…….Ron McGirr and Joe Padden……with Deputy Chief 12  conspicuously MIA  from the list…. Chief Perkins was the only name listed for Chief…BUT …we hear nominations may be made from the floor when the VFD meets on Dec 14th for their monthly meeting and annual elections of officers for 2010…Will the members stand up and the VM/Dep. Chief 12 stand down?…Will someone stand to challenge Chief Perkins? …Who will drive the coveted red  command car next year?…stay tuned!….

Around town there is a lot of talk over the VFD Booster Fund Drive mailer….. Some are giving because they always did…Some are not hearing the VFD gets $73,000 + a month from the taxpayer already for their 66 members… And some are holding off due to ads being placed with their donations to the Mc-Furth BTSTimes… It’s not nice to divert taxpayer’s donation dollars for political publications.coming from El Mar Drive…

Today by the BCbythesea home on Washingtonia there was quite a response…a man was down for the count…too much Christmas cheer?…The response BSO…2 AMR ambulances .. the VFD firetruck and the red command car… too much of a response!…

Still ongoing… talking about “Clueless”  Clottey at the POA meeting…proving herself to be just as mind boggling daft off the dais as well as on…She told Bob Wolfe from BCPA  property taxes were lower for people with different professions…He was as confused by her statement as we all were …He asked her to explain, and she replied she “I don’t want to my neighbors in trouble!”… On the other side of the room …we asked what profession she was talking about?…And quickly one constituent responded  maybe the “oldest profession”…referring to Commissioner Clottey’s previous dais statement that complaining was really the “world’s oldest profession!”… After she finished, Mr Wolfe said they had no idea of the professions of the property owners and again explained how the BCPA did their property appraisal depending on the …property!…Comm. Clottey was seen speaking to Mr Wolfe after he finished…Her neighbors of the Commissioner may be receiving an unwanted call…OUCH!…

Too funny, It seems Comm. Clottey is not happy that her car was caught parked so often in front of Town Hall east…so now she parks in the El Prado parking lot and walks to her favorite place to be in town!…

Candidate Chris Vincent has been on the run this week … events each night …and door to door in between … in the south and in the north…

Tomorrow …it’s the first Saturday of the month LBTS-Chamber of Commerce Beach Cleanup … 9 am at the Commercial Blvd. Beach Pavilion…

Followed by the Community Church Craft and Outreach Fair at the LBTS Community Church on Bougainvilla at 10 am …

And of course…in the evening…if it’s Saturday…it’s time to Rock and Roll with Elvis…courtesy of Athena By The Sea …

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Scoops
Posted in Scoops, VFD

THE SUN SETS …AT SEA AND AT HOME …RIP 33′ Ft. Heights…

Dear Readers … For the first time in a very long time Vice Mayor McIntee did something good for this town… He took an excused absence and cruised away from from the first readings of the March 9, 2010 Referendum ballot questions… and while he and the Mrs. were relaxing  on the deck  or pulling the lever on the slot machine…It was the voters and the residents of Lauderdale- By- The- Sea that won big!…

With his departure for destinations unknown…and Commissioner Clottey’s failed attempts to defer until he arrived back at port… It came down to zip on the ethics…zilch on both height “clarifications”…leaving this next election to be run head to head on the records of the “Broom Boys” if they still go for another 4 years!…

We heard the clickety clack of  BTSTimes Owner/Editor Cristie Furth…as she walked from her corner in the back of the room to go backwards in time yet again…to  reach with all her might and go after the “Ghosts” of the elections past … It was another feeble attempt to try and remind those that it was not so very long ago she and her co-horts were the ones hearing the applause and they were the ones leading the way in going up against bad acts on the dais…

Sadly for Ms. Furth and her ever disappearing CIC-crowd.. they cannot grasp that bad acts know no particular group.. Bad acts are bad no matter whom it is doing them!.. She and her “gang” blew their chance to show they were different from those they built their empire on to defeat….when they took over the commission!…

There were no “attacks” made from the podium, and numerous orchestrated attempts from Commissioners Silverstone and Clottey this evening to call any commentary from residents and constituents who chose to come to the hall and speak out on the unnecessary referendum items, or commissioner comments made by Comm. Silverstone  at the last meeting after he chose to call them “anti-American”  and “anti-Town”…again showed the desperation that hangs over the CIC – inner circle!…

When it came to the referendum items the ethics  went down first as expected…as previously posted the intention for ethics went from zero to sixty in complexity …and as stated by Candidate Scot Sasser it took a wrong turn from what Commissioner Dodd had asked for…which was a simple, common sense ordinance that was based on one’s character and sense of duty to the office…Commissioner Dodd said appearance of conflict did matter…despite the senseless protestations in response from “2-Hats” BFF Commissioner Silverstone that “appearances are subjective”…Hmmm….

Strangely it was Commissioner Clottey in the first of many “episodes” this evening that gave all pause once again about her mental state…She admonished her constituents for not going out and coming up with their own referendum on ethics…(Later, this writer informed the commissioner that if she would have followed her own advice on calling and not making assumptions and called or asked those she was slapping down, why they did not have a petition referendum, they would have told her they were informed it was too late in the game, thanks to the stalling done by none other than…her and her group!) .. After some short discussion on the dais…Ordinance 2009-32  failed 3-1 with only Clottey voting yes…( she originally is on record saying she would not vote for an ethics referendum, but she would sign a petition for one!)…OOPS!…

Then it was the “lowering: the height to 33 feet in south end of town… with  Commissioners Silverstone and Clottey down at their end of the dais contentious  and convoluted in their stance.. They heard the people in the hall who chose to speak on the subject and if they held true to their records on past public commentary and “the will of the people” they would have seen this was a no go…But they knew where their bread is buttered on the height issue and where they park their cars  daily……at Town Hall East… They also knew they better do whatever and say whatever they could, even if it flew in the face of public opinion and the facts…as not to deal with the wrath of Christie Furth the Town’s resident “33 Foot Crazed Woman” (prev. post)…sitting all alone in the corner in the back!.. They tried..they tried hard…doing further harm to their credibility in the process to please Ms. Furth..but it was not to be..

Comm. Clottey showed her fellow commissioners a map of zoned areas in town and tried to deceive without proper explanation the listening audience with talk of 150 foot buildings zoned in the south end of town…( which later were explained to be the existing Sea Ranch Club condos, and two south end condos along with the Surf and Yacht Club aka CIC meeting headquarters…no longer allowed to go that high per the current height restriction of 2006 )…and as she grasped at straws to save the 33′ ballot item. ..she further put her foot in her mouth by again repeating falsehoods from her seat on the dais insisting there was a need for this to be voted on because the voters in 2006 did not get in the Charter all of what they voted for in 2006…

Talk about “clarification”…the new Furth invented word used to ramrod this 33′ foot lowered height referendum into the 2010 race…There was clarification alright tonight …but it came from none other than Mayor Minnet, who found decorum  and control of the dais was easy in this McIntee free zone this night…and both had to really hurt the McIntee-Furth-Silverstone -Clottey contingency where they sit!… TOUCHE’………

Mayor Minnet popped their political bubble…with the help of not one but two Town Attorneys…and she was assisted in her “gotcha” by none other than a “clueless” Commissioner Clottey!..Mayor Minnet thanked Commissioner Clottey for the informative zone  map…and said the zoning districts looks pretty straight forward, it certainly made it clear to her what heights were in place throughout the town…She then went on to ask the Town Attorney if she [Atty. Trevarthen] had checked and compared the petition voted in 2006 height referendum to the Charter and if the words of the petition had “accurately been inserted into the Charter”…Ms. Trevarthern said “yes” and brought forward her colleague Atty. James White. He said “the 2006 Charter referendum was properly codified into the Charter”… Both attorneys concurred that everything with the small exception of a clause was definitely in there. The clause was put into section 5 when found some time ago in this process and Atty. Trevarthen further “clarified” that even without it being included prior to their rectifying it’s absence it had and does have legal standing..OUCH!…

Not done yet, this writer wondered which one of the Mc-Furth patsy’s at the left side of the dais would try to stall this all important CIC-”Broom Boys” platform issue for the return of the much needed 3rd vote of the cruising off into the sunset ( a self-fulfilling prophecy?)…Vice Mayor to keep Cristie Furth happy …It was Clottey!…Besotted, clueless Clottey…who was ignoring the “will of the people”…who paid no heed and showed no sense of embarrassment for her deceit in repeating false statements about the 2006 petition not being correctly inserted into the Town Charter…Somebody get the net…She was whacked!… She didn’t like it and wanted McIntee included on the 8th…a motion was made to “defer”…and it went down 2-2..Dood-n0/ Clottey-yes/ Silverstone yes/ Mayor-no….A vote was taken…THANK YOU HALLOWEEN COMMITTEE!… With the voting board still out of order from their event…it was again done by roll…and it also went down 2-2!… But Clueless and now in this writers opinion, corrupt Clottey tried to change her vote to accommodate her beloved Furths… Perhaps, already fearing the wrath of Ms. Furth…She was met with a very straight forward Comm. Dodd who said he would then change his vote!…and discussion ensued over changing votes…prevailing sides…advice from the Atty. and the Town Asst. Clerk…There was no prevailing side…and then it came like a wave throughout the hall….the  sudden realization that the 33′ foot woman was defeated!… Vice Mayor McIntee and wife may want to stay on board!…

Commissioner Dodd called a break…and the room erupted in glee …the “will of the people” prevailed… as it did when the battered and bruised majority did so long ago, when they were in the right!..

After a brief time out…there was still the second version of the heights referendum to address…..and a few public speakers to speak on what many thought was a mere formality to address and discount.. Former candidate Edmund Malkoon called Commissioner Clottey out on her actions. and her declarations made concerning the last 3 times the voters dealt with the 3 over 1 height issue.. ..He  implored a loose lipped Commissioner Silverstone from further putting the Town in jeopardy after he [Silverstone] spoke at length about the Bert J. Harris lawsuit during the previous ordinance on height as the court reporter for the plaintiffs busily typed away!… YIKES!.. He was followed by his mother who also spoke to Commissioner Clottey and told her not change her votes every 5 minutes…..and then last to speak, none other than the 33 foot Crazed Woman who returned to the hall to again clickety clack to the podium to address the Town Atty. about any allowed increase in height that could be done solely by the commission…One last grasp at her attempt to control the 2010 commission race (with her possible run in the south) … Incredibly, Ms. Furth said she could live with 44′ in the end!… (This writer has put in a public records request for the accounting for legal and ads for the referendum items… instigated by miss one height only, herself!) ….. Commissioner Silverstone did his sidekick duties and asked the Town Atty. to answer Ms. Furth…and the Town Atty. said they could not increase if residential, only if by the Charter…..Again, voters need to ask themselves, how many thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent for these unnecessary referendums?…Silverstone looked like he was looking for a life jacket!…(perhaps his BFF can give him one from the ship he is on)…Commissioner Dodd went over what his stance was and how he spent the last 2 years hitting a brick wall to deal with the aftermath of the Overlay District removals, in trying to make use of the Master Plan Steering Committee and the Planning and Zoning Board… He spoke of  the consequences as addressed at both height public comments allowed by Manager of the Windjammer Diane Boutin and the impact these changes (not “clarifications”) in lowering the heights would have on her and several other timeshares if enacted and said there was a need to expand on the non-conforming definitions in the future….. Commissioner Clottey played it safe and said she would remain quiet due to the litigation situation…and a vote was taken Dodd-no/ Silverstone -yes/ Clottey -no/ Mayor-no…3-1…

Ordinance 2009-34 was also defeated….no 2nd reading…no referendum!…

Referendums ….One- two- three …Ethics- 33′Height version #1- 33′ Height version #2 ….SUNK!…

Nothing like a cruise!

more to come….

Tags: By The Sea Times Editor/Owner Cristie Furth, Lauderdale By The Sea 12-1-2009 commission Meeting, Lauderdale By The Sea CIC, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea Heights Referendum. Lauderdale By The Sea Ethics Referendum, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea Ordinances for Referendum 2009-32/2009-33/2009-34, Scoops
Posted in LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Scoops, local government

“THIS IS NOT A JOKE, MAYOR ” …Comm. Birute Clottey 11/10/09

Dear Readers … Flashback time on the dais…circa 2006-07…. “Been there, done that” …The “writing’s on the web” for the current majority…4 months away from extinction..It is clear to those who participated in the previous campaigns emanating out of Town Hall East (aka Blue Seas Courtyard/Furth BTSTimes Hdqtrs) …..This time aiming for the Mayor , this writer …and anyone else in their sights…that will play a role in their demise… That “role” …getting out the vote to replace them!…

At the Nov. 10, 2009 meeting during the Vice Mayor’s long, long, long winded ( aren’t they all?)…Commissioner Comments…(time to run the dais clock for all in the hall and at home to see his long winded politicking minutes tick away)..McIntee had just begun on one of his well known “bluffs”…The one that involves total “recall” of buddy, buddy conversations to disparage someone while offering himself “cover”  because he always makes sure his fellow conversationalist is absent so as to not contradict the exchange or counter that it even took place at all!…

At this point in McIntee’s comments he was droning on about several exchanges ( 4 or 5) he claims to have had with the State Attorney, to state he informed the Atty. that  Mr Brandt had it in for him [VM] because Mr Brandt was terminated from the VFD …. ( a questionable termination, due to a loss of Mr Brandt’s father ) …The Mayor implored the Vice Mayor to stop his distasteful diatribe…and the Vice Mayor answered her back  “Is it any different than what they do to me?”….. (Flashback!) …Mr Brandt responded from the audience that he was not an elected official…The Vice Mayor responded to his constituent, Mr Brandt…”Oh, ok, but you can yell out. You can yell out!…(Flashback!)…Applause drowned out the Vice Mayor as he made this response…(Flashback!)…. and that’s when “Clueless” Clottey jumped in… The same Birute Clottey who has spent the past month going to the opponents of the Vice Mayor and his BFF Silverstone telling them to run …( she is being coached to do so from her pals at Town Hall East and/or she is hedging her position once she is in the minority after March 9th …) …Comm. Clottey ” Ah, excuse me Madam Mayor, you’re job is to control the meeting, . Please do so.”… There was one clap from the audience…from CIC Vice Chair Joe Couriel (the same Joe Couriel that said outside Jarvis Hall “McIntee is God!”) …(Flashback!)… The Mayor responded to Mr. Couriel’s clap with her own clap…and Comm Clottey was angry…” Madam Mayor, I’m asking for you to control the meeting and there are people that are speaking back and you are supposed to give them a warning!”……The Mayor responded “I give everyone in the audience including this commission a warning.”…..Clottey was furious “This is not a joke Mayor. This is not a joke!”… (Flashback!)…BFF Jim Silvestone (He is NOT a nice guy!) dove in “I make a motion to reprimand the Mayor!” … (Flashback!) …The audience booed and groaned…and then laughed at Silverstone and Clottey for the ridiculous orchestrated motion… (Flashback!) …The Mayor tried to calm the room by saying “Let’s all take a deep breath.”…But that was not part of the Mc-Furth plan…The Vice Mayor said “No, I second that!”… (Flashback!) …The Mayor knowing full well there was no way to stop this train-wreck said “Fine, let’s reprimand the Mayor. That’s fine, there’s a motion”… The roll was called (seems the voting board has been out of order since the Halloween event…Hmmm)… The vote was as expected 3-2 Silverstone, Clottey, McIntee vote yes to the reprimand …Mayor and Comm. Dodd vote no…(Flashback!) …The Mayor said “Ok, now that I’m reprimanded what would you like to do?”… The Vice Mayor jumped in to say “I think it’s certainly symbolic Mayor.But it’s my time to talk”… (Flashback!) …This was the only honest thing that came out of McIntee’s mouth during his comments!… He continued disparaging his constituent and eagerly embellished any”relationship” he has with the State Atty. ..(Can the State Atty. really be so cozy with a Vice Mayor  with McIntees’ probable cause track record?)…

Now ain’t funny that this new “Turkey” ( 1 week late) edition of the poorly distributed (lack of funds?) Mc-Furth paper has included from Clottey, a story about a 6th grade substitute teacher (Moe McIntee-light) .. and has Furth-er tried to pull the wool over the eyes of those with short memories…or new to the LBTS political arena in dishing out cries of lack of decorum on the dais and in the hall …(Flashback!) … Perhaps it’s time for the Professor to  pull out the 2006-2007 commission videos ( current CIC Pres/ BTST Editor Bob Roberts regularly distributed them)…take a seat, get a bucket of popcorn…and with her newly reconstituted “mentor”…purported “fast food eating buddy” and her announced nominee for the Hillsboro Inlet, “Mr Oliver Parker” (Former Mayor Parker…he of the failed CIC-led recall- [see below]…Flashback!)… watch as each video exposes the “decorum” from those seated on the CIC- side of Jarvis Hall…and the over-the-top heated exchanges on the dais between the BFF “Broom Boys” McIntee and Silverstone  vs. “Mr. Olivier” … (Flashback!)…

Comm. Clottey wrote ” In my opinion, rolling once eye’s, smirking, changing one’s voice to play supporting, and make fun of others is a rather strange route toward maintaining respect and fairness. Obviously others have different opinions.”… Did she run this one by “Mr. Oliver?”……. This from “nails on a chalkboard” Clottey, the “besotted” Town commissioner who has regularly embarrassed and offended so many of her constituents with her off the Marc (pun intended) behavior toward the BSO, businesses, attorneys and no surprise…especially to this writer  …. the Mayor…. the recipient of this oddly versed opinion piece!… She has had it in for the Mayor since running as a candidate …. (catfight!)……(Flashback!)…

The Mc-Furths… continued their politically motivated “reprimand” of the Mayor in their Moe McIntee (Truth Deflector/#1 suspect for the 11/11/09 anonymous letter writer? prev. post) “Town Tidbits”… (Flashback!)….. The same Moe McIntee who suddenly now has glowing words of appreciation for former foe-Mayor Oliver Parker…the new “Oracle” of the Mc-Furth-BTSTimes Gang!… Talk about “Old Guard”…Talk about “Cuckoo For Coconuts”….Talk about  a 2006 FLASHBACK!….When you finish the videos, Commissioner… you may want to proceed to Google….

…………………………………………………

(With Commentary )….full text link w/out below…

“Cuckoo for Coconuts
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea may lose its soul over a political firefight.

By Bob Norman
Published on December 21, 2006

“Mayor Oliver Parker knows he’s the most unpopular person in his own town.”

(VM McIntee  should know he’s the most unpopular person in his town.)

“A hundred-and-fifty years ago there probably would have been tar and feathers involved. Pitchforks and a greased rail would have likely also come into play.’

(Ditto -VM!)

“Looked at that way, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Oliver Parker can be thankful. He’s only facing a recall petition, an endless stream of insults, and the undying ire of a large percentage of his constituency.”

(Ditto-VM!)

“Parker, who has been mayor of the town since 1998, may very well be the most reviled politician in Broward County right now, per capita. And if you listen to him, the conflict boils down to a couple of time-honored staples of subtropical life, coconuts and bared breasts.”

Those are the first things that the mayor brings up when asked about the issue that is ripping his quaint and unique beach burg apart: The hostile takeover of the town’s fire services by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.”

(STILL-Ditto!….The McIntee -Furth 2010 re-election playbook)

“The longstanding Volunteer Fire Department was ousted from the town after BSO terminated its contract in November. Parker made the motion and cast the deciding vote to kill the 60-member VFD. The sheriff’s office then locked the volunteers out of the town firehouse and commandeered their fire trucks and equipment.”

(Ah, “Mr Oliver”….Clottey’s nominee for the Hillsboro Inlet)….

“The town’s surrender to empire-building Sheriff Ken Jenne enraged many of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s most civic-minded residents. Think Wal-Mart swallowing Mayberry. Darth Vader trumping Luke Skywalker. To them, the move was nothing less than a Gestapo tactic and another sign of democracy’s demise in their hyphenated town of 7,000 people.”

(Playbook 2010…to keep in power)

“At last week’s city commission meeting, several citizens lined up to berate the mayor. It’s a regular occurrence these days. And a newly formed Recall Oliver Parker Committee has already procured more than 700 signatures, which, if their petition stands, is enough to force a recall vote on Parker next year.”

(Nah,according to the “revisionist” CIC history…the current podium participants are something new to Jarvis Hall!)

“These people are our family; they help get us through hurricanes,” five-year resident Lisa Maxwell told the mayor last week, outrage dripping from her voice. “Why did you turn away from your history?”

Calling Lisa Maxwell, will there be enough of you to believe it is 2006 again?…Hmmm… how about blacktopping your road?…Free Kool-aid at the door!)

“It’s a good question, one that I posed to Parker during a phone interview last week. That’s when he told me about breasts and coconuts.”

“First off, I’m a supporter of the Volunteer Fire Department, always have been and always will be,” said the 55-year-old Republican who missed being elected to the Florida Legislature in 2004 by a mere 12 votes. “But I believe the volunteer fire department has to be professionally trained. Back in January, the department elected a chief and deputy chief who had no business being chief and deputy chief. They had no qualifications whatsoever.”

(New VFD…leadership problem…FLASHBACK!)…

“I’ll give you an example. We had an incident last October where a firefighter was cooking hamburgers for rescue workers right after Hurricane Wilma. A young lady comes up to the firefighter who was doing the cooking and says, ‘May I have a hamburger?’ He tells her she has to take her shirt off and show everybody her boobs. And she does it.”

“The horror. The woman did, indeed, flash her assets to at least some of the hungry volunteers. But the firefighter/cook in question, none other than Deputy Fire Chief Jerry McIntee, who is also a city commissioner, says he didn’t ask the woman to do it.”

“You drive down the beach and women are flashing the fire truck — c’mon, it’s South Florida,” says the married McIntee, who retired to Florida after a career as a police officer and arson investigator in Buffalo. “I didn’t see any boobs. She had a halter top and a throw thing on and she took it off and I told her to put her clothes back on. Apparently, she’s about 35 years old and she’s an exhibitionist-type person.”

(Yep, he was still using the “career cop” crap)….

“The real bottom line is that this guy [Parker] has turned into an ogre. He has the town furious at him.”

(The real bottom line is that this guy [McIntee] has turned into a bully. He has the town furious at him)

“The mayor says he’s just protecting the town, even if it hates him for it. He points to the fact that the volunteers were taking coconuts — which could become dangerous in hurricanes — down from trees as part of a paid training exercise.”

(The Vice Mayor says “He’s” protecting the town….Hmmm… Flashback!)

“Parker is most angry that they were taking the coconuts from some of their own yards.”

“That’s misappropriation of funds, embezzlement, and theft,” Parker says. “They could have done it on town trees and there would be no problem, but instead they decided to provide a special benefit to private citizens.”

(No oversight…thanks to the Town Manager…so any continuation …”hands off”…until after March 2010)

“Again, McIntee scoffs.”

(Ditto!)

“We have taken coconuts out of all sorts of people’s trees,” he says. “If it happens to be a volunteer’s house, well that’s what we do. If an old lady asks us to take their coconuts down, we’ll be there. Before the hurricane, an old lady called and said she needed help with her shutters. We had 12 guys over there to board up her house. We did this 30 or 40 times.”

“In other words, it’s typical small town stuff, which is the way the overwhelming majority of the people seem to like it. The volunteers respond to a pet dog stuck in a canal. BSO doesn’t. The volunteers cook burgers for hurricane victims and help them with their shutters. BSO doesn’t.”

(Get ready…to take out VFD and put in LBTS Police Dept…if the current majority wins)

“And the VFD has been around for a half-century without many complaints. It wasn’t until 2000 that the trouble began.
That year, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, which lies just north of Fort Lauderdale, annexed a piece of beach to its north, nearly doubling its population. “New Town,” as it’s commonly called, had none of the charm of traditional Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, which is now known as, you guessed it, “Old Town.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook -Flashback!)

“New Town has sterile and imposing condos lining the beach. Old Town has little old motels with names like “High Noon” and “Sea Spray” and “A Little Inn By The Sea.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!)

“New Town has a 15-story height limit, Old Town’s is a mere three. And New Town had massive contractor BSO as its fire service provider, while Old Town had just the little VFD.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!)

“The cost difference was jarring — at first, BSO was charging New Town residents five times what the VFD residents were paying for fire protection. And initially Parker vowed not to let BSO take over Old Town.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!)

“But Sheriff Ken Jenne has been a master at usurping the towns of Broward County. That’s a given — and Parker eventually gave in. In 2004, he helped the five-member commission pass a resolution to put BSO in command of the VFD. Of the $2 million contract for fire service paid to the sheriff’s office, it subcontracted the VFD for about $500,000.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!…except now the VFD costs close to a million…with a $2 million dollar crappy motel and a$3 million dollar “fire garage that sleeps firefighter”…if the majority stays)….

“By that time, the two agencies were already involved in a bitter turf war. And there was growing consternation about it in the town, which overwhelmingly supports the volunteers. Parker also was gaining political enmity for his growing commiseration with developers. The mayor isn’t shy about the fact that he wants to tear down the old motels and redevelop the town with condo and hotel projects.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!… But this is “Mr Oliver” the CIC- Mc-Furth “Oracle” of heights…Hmmmm…..)

“So the town, led by a small newspaper called By The Sea Times, turned on the mayor. In March, VFD leaders McIntee and James Silverstone ran for the commission against two incumbents who favored BSO, Ed Kennedy and David Wessels. The volunteers crushed the competition, gained two seats on the commission, and stunned Parker and the old guard.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!….But this is “Mr. Oliver the man quoted in the new Furth owned BTSTimes!…Hmmm…)

“In that same election, the town voted on a referendum to impose term limits. The measure, aimed squarely at putting Parker out of office, was passed by a resounding 74 percent of the vote.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!)

“The mayor responded by making Sheriff Jenne — who has been hobbled by scandal himself — the grand master of the town’s July 4 parade this year.”

( This year’s 2009 CIC Citizens of the Year…BTSTimes Publisher /Editor & owners Marc & Cristie Furth)….

“And he still controlled a three-vote bloc majority — with commissioners John Yanni (who happens to be employed by BSO) and Chuck Clark. It was that trio that ousted the VFD in November.”

(a three-vote bloc majority- with commissioners Silverstone (who happens to be a VFD member), McIntee (who happens to be a VFD member), and Birute Clottey. It is the trio that will oust the BSO Police if the two are re-elected in March)

“The vote came after BSO terminated its contract with the volunteers, saying they weren’t safe, and backing it up with a list of minor complaints.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!…. longtime VFD members who have left due to McIntee have repeated these complaints…due to substandard training and leadership)

“What BSO did was dump the volunteers and get a bonus of three quarters of a million dollars in equipment that was bought by Lauderdale-by-the-Sea,” McIntee says. “[The BSO fire department] has no home so they try to steal other people’s homes to exist. They will do anything they can to control what they can.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!…. McIntee got a 2 million dollar crappy motel…trucks…toys…He will do anything he can to control what he can.)

“Because VFD can serve the town for about half the cost of BSO, it’s commonly believed that Parker has struck up an unholy alliance with Jenne. “There is no reasonable justifiable reason to terminate the volunteers the way they did,” says Silverstone, the volunteer fire chief and new city commissioner. “Terminating the contract and kicking us out of our own station and taking our equipment, they didn’t need to do that. There must be some backroom politics going on here.”

(2010 Mc-Furth playbook- Flashback!…. Silverstone ….who spent 2 years insisting the Town Manager’s contract was the same as the former Town Manager….who voted against VFD by-laws for McIntee to be Dep. Chief…Who is NOT a nice guy!)

“Parker admits he’s become friends with Jenne, but says they aren’t close and he has cut no deal with the sheriff.”

(Parker admits he’s become friends with Clottey, McIntee, but say they aren’t close and he has cut no deal with the “gang”?)

“The sheriff can’t afford to pay me enough to make it worth my while,” says Parker, a multimillionaire who pumped about $350,000 of his own money into his losing 2004 state house race.”

(Hmmmm…..)

“He insists he’s just looking out for the town — even if it hates him for it.”

(2006-Parker/2009 McIntee)…

“We don’t need the fire version of the keystone cops,” he explains. “They’re incompetent, they’re dysfunctional, and, in my opinion, they are corrupt. And they refuse to discipline themselves. Put it in plain English, they refuse to accept civilian control.”

(2009….the VFD leadership “shoe” still fits)

“The volunteers are still functioning, if barely. They operate out of an office and have one fire truck left (which the department paid for rather than the city).”

(The volunteers have a 5 year contract with a 4% increase…5 firetrucks…..3 acquired in 2009 …1 paid for by city/ 2 VFD …the $150,000 non- RFP  purchased 1989  102′ ladder truck is sure to be paid for by the city if McIntee/Silverstone are re-elected in March….new command car…2 ATV’s…..Fire boat…Skidoo …$2 million dollar “Public Safety building”…$3 million dollar Fire Garage in their future…No oversight from town……all for approximately the same number of VFD members as when they were terminated!)….

“We’re doing community service, we’re going out with Santa Claus. We aren’t running away,” McIntee says. “Yesterday, an individual walked in and gave us a $50,000 check on the spot and said, ‘Now you have all the money you need to fight BSO.’ All of this money is going to be used to drive Ken Jenne and Oliver Parker out of this town. The mayor is part of the evil empire and it’s not going to stand.”

(Was that $50,000 ever checked out?…Booster Club Funds are not disclosed!)…

“Even if the recall fails, Parker’s term runs out in 2008. But the mayor says he’s going to run again despite the new term limits. He argues the new law is retroactive and the city attorney has agreed with him.”

(“Mr. Oliver” is is said wants payback for those that did not back him for his re-election…that would be the “Old Guard”)….

“The townspeople are livid about it, saying he’s a disgrace to democracy. Parker, who admits that his political career is probably doomed, says it’s just the opposite.”

“It’s real simple, if the voters want me out they’ll vote me out,” he says. “That’s what democracy is all about. I may not have any base of support for all I know. Maybe I won’t get any votes next time.”

(Flashback!)

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2006-12-21/news/cuckoo-for-coconuts/

Cuckoo comes a-calling  …in the 2010 CIC- McIntee- Silverstone-Furth Re-election Playbook…where it’s always 2006 and 2008…and 1973!….

I make a motion, as a LBTS registered voter to reprimand them all!…..Roll call please!…

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea By The Sea Times, Lauderdale By The Sea Commisioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea reprimands the Mayor, Lauderdale By The Sea Vice Mayor McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Civic Organizations, Local News, Local Politics, Scoops, local government

“LITTLE BIRDIES IN LBTS …

Dear Readers… Back from the windy city… and happy to report …”little birdies” all around LBTS kept this writer well informed of happenings…planned and unplanned in our little town…A big thanks to you all! …

We hear the CIC  will be having a fundraiser on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at the Surf  and Yacht Club in south end of town on Palm Avenue. They say to bring a friend and come join in the fun and to help elect two Commissioners and a Mayor who will support keeping our Town the charming seaside community we came here to enjoy. Dinner, drinks and music will be provided. They hope to see you there….BUT…

We also hear that the members of the Surf and Yacht Club have asked for it to be stopped!…

We hear that many of the members do not like their club being used for a political faction in town…They want no more CIC meetings in their private, non-political club….OUCH!…

So where will the fundraiser be?….

All bets are the LBTS Community Church will be the site for this spur of the moment CIC Fundraiser…..That is if CIC President Bob Roberts follows the wishes of the Surf and Yacht Club. Why the Community Church? ….It’s where Cristie Furth has been seen preening and politicking for a possible run as commissioner if she can do what she could not do last time around in 2008 and get someone else to run for Mayor!..(“Spreadsheet” Silverstone)…The dwindling CIC  membership and those who are still receiving newsflashes and this invitation …many who are long overdue on paying their annual CIC dues, with no intention of ever paying them again…received the invitation this last weekend…just one week prior!…OOPS!. They need this fundraiser especially after a look at their recent required CIC filing that  show they had a paltry $2000 in their coffers…and nary a new member joining since Jan. 2009…Those newly enlisted members in January were from one south end of town condominium, courtesy of a relatively new member’s effort in signing up her neighbors…and of course VFD members…who most likely told to join by you know who or else!…

Still roiling around this town…is the rumor of the Clottey-Parker fast food friendship that produced an “all is forgiven?”…from “Clueless” Commissioner…toward “Mr Oliver” the man the CIC tried unsuccessfully to recall just a few short years ago…Making friends over a “Big Mac”?…Was the Commissioner given the heads up by the CIC board to make nice and offer up a vote to return Parker to the Hillsboro Inlet?…A few meetings back none other than Mrs. “Truth Deflector” McIntee,  a CIC board member and wife of the then- Commissioner who spearheaded the CIC’s effort  to get rid of Parker at all costs……spoke of Parker’s keen ability to keep decorum in Jarvis Hall!…Strange bedfellows indeed!…Desperation all around in the CIC …or devious dirty deeds…Mc-Furth style?… We hear Parker actually believes Comm. Dodd was the one who “spearheaded” his recall…WRONG!…Comm. Dodd was the Chair of the CIC and that is the only reason his name appeared on the action…Parker has already lost all credibility in the Palm Club…letting the “cat out of the bag” on its private property status after he had no backing for another run at Mayor in 2008….Is he really willing to lose it throughout the rest of the town…joining forces with his nemesis?….If so… that will be some story!…(What fun those tapes will be to put on…McIntee vs Parker 2006-2008!)….Where’s Ken Wardlaw in all of this?…Seething we imagine!……And what about Clottey’s friend, John Thompson…and the former Editors/Owners of the BTSTimes?…Have they too witnessed the sudden closeness that is said to be?…Commissioner Silverstone quit the Optimist Club a few years back …He did it on the dais because he would no longer be on something Parker was on!…Has he joined Clottey..Furth…McIntee and the CIC to make up with Parker?…WOW!..

Now, for those who say…this writer is now talking to those who were the opposition in 2008 …there is a big difference…I did not know all the facts…blinded by the “kool-aid” ..But McIntee-Silverstone- Furth-Clottey- Wardlaw-MacMillan- CIC- VFD and Parker…any laying down of arms…after the demise of the VFD…the recall… and so much more…can only add up to one thing…POWER AND PAYBACK AT ALL COSTS!…PERFECT!…

We hear the Town Manager made a big blunder and the Town Atty. was none too pleased…The Manager distributed the first Ordinances on the referendum items to the commissioners…OOPS!…It was not to be distributed yet!…After a call to the Atty. from some of those commissioners…we were told the Manager most likely received “THE” call!…But anyone who really believes this Town Atty. would let the Manager have it…is sorely out of touch!…From what we have seen on the dais…it’s clear..the TM is the one that calls the shots!…Sadly, many have observed the lack of direction found from the Town Atty. to the commission when asked…almost never offered independently…There is the over direction seen in the Town Atty.’s work product…Such as the ITB/RFP changes in the the Purchasing Manual that were not as the commission voted on…(more on this to come)… no doubt this will continue until March 2010….

Do we have a little “McIntee” in the VFD Dept.?…We hear on Saturday night there was a fire at a condo in the south end of town…and later on a car accident near Palm ave…..The Command car came barreling down Commercial Blvd….Lights and siren blaring…took the corner of A1A and Commercial turning right and almost smacked into 4 cars!…It is said the cars were honking their horns and pedestrians witnessing it…were aghast!… It was not the Deputy Chief ,we are told …it was his “Protege’ “Captain Miko Angeles… We have heard also the ladder truck was out and about …at places it could be of no need or use……such as auto accidents…and Midnight calls or tours at the Pier…If the “birdies” are correct…looks like this Captain is following his “Trainer 3’s ” footsteps….giving many inside and outside  of the department much to be concerned and angry about!… Where was the “Little Chief” Perkins? … He of the 15 second average response time?…YIKES!!!….

The event of the week was at Interior Digs…… with lots and lots of “tweets” coming  from those attending it …..pics and more …to come in the next post!…

Reminder … tomorrow night …( open to the public/ televised on Comcast Ch. 78)….Nov. 17th…7 pm Jarvis Hall Master Plan Steering Committee ….That is unless there is a sudden cancellation…due to  lack of MPSC members….Will the CIC contingency of the MPSC be unable to attend…busy looking for another Sat. venue for their fundraiser…if their President Bob Roberts listens to the Surf and Yacht Club Board and puts the kibosh on it!… Hmmmm….

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea CIC, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Former Mayor Oliver Parker, Lauderdale By The Sea Surf and Yacht Club, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manager Esther Colon, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Boards, Civic Organizations, Local Politics, Scoops, VFD, local government

THERE’S NOTHING THAT CAN MAKE US SWALLOW IT….

Dear Readers … The Town Manager has a variety of tactics she uses when trying to cover her tracks…This writer has alerted you to them before and unfortunately must do so again…At the 11/10/09 meeting under Town Manager Report Town Manager Colon started out with one of her tried and true ones …”As you know”…When Ms. Colon starts out with that opening my ears perk up and I zone in on the untruthfulness to follow!… It’s a tactic that puts the recipient in the position of not wanting to appear stupid…akin to not remembering someone’s name, so they immediately nod as if they recall when in fact they do not, and the Manager knows they do not because it never happened!… When that happens she is even more in control, with no one to challenge her and gets emboldened to continue the farce…That’s what took place again with this report…

TM-” As you know the Town Commission has been speakin’ about doin’ some kind of survey for several months. ”

BC- The Town Commission spoke of doing a straw poll in the Town Topics from the dais and that was brought up in 2008 and periodically afterward in varying items…While they did it in the Topics for the doggy beach that was a 1 shot deal. If we are to believe this opening salvo from the manager then it would have been imperative for her to bring it to the commissioners for direction before sending the survey out, due to the request…neither ever took place!…

TM-” I took it upon myself to get the survey done in order to obtain information for the commission to have some guidelines of what residents are askin’ for or what kind of improvements they would like.”

BC- There is not a scintilla of truth in her statement… for as the manager knows there are other long term avenues to gather that information in already in place…the suggestion box in Town Hall and the Citizen Request form…to name two…neither have been used in by he Town Manager or staff to report “what residents are askin’ for”!…

TM- “I did speak with three of the commissioners. The Mayor reviewed some of the comments with me at yesterday’s meeting. Some of the comments were constructive, some of the comments have been resolved. As for the where we got our source of information, it’s common to municipalities, we all share information. Our Waste Management contract is currently being shared by another city.”

BC- The  survey information came as previously posted from Wilton Manors… through Asst. TM Olinzock who is a resident of Wilton Manors (more on him and his role below)… As far as sharing information with other municipalities…on that she is correct…This TM has done it with abandon throughout her short stint …and the results have been dismal…as previously posted… one size does not fit all….This writer found it most amusing she used the Waste Management contract as an example…having sat in the pre-meeting for the solid waste RFP…I posted on the lack of knowledge then- Asst.TO the TM Olinzock showed when sitting at the table going through the contract with Waste Management, Choice and others…Waste Management brought their Atty. who repeatedly informed Olinzock of outdated or non-applicable clauses in the contract…Olinzock much chagrined as well as inept came up with his own telling “cover lines”…of it being above his “pay grade” and “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”… So whatever municipality  is sharing our Waste Management contract…are hopefully “sharing” with other municipalities as well!…

TM- ” Um, is this a survey that was done to benefit me, I don’t see how? It basically spoke about the services of the Town. It spoke about what improvements the administration or the Town commission needs to address and yes it was a lengthy process , it’s done in house as time permitted and I believe that the results gave us a benchmark of what the residents want to see.”

BC- It was not lengthy according to the public requests information received …from the time Olinzock “lifted” it or “shared” it…to the Sept. townwide mailing…As far as benefiting the TM, it will most likely be skewed that way in the BTSTimes… as Mc-Furth factoids….and they’d get away with it…(they did in the past)….if the “gang” did not have a counter …(this site)…to any “cheerleading” claims armed with the real backup of e-mails and memos from my public records requests…. A far as a benchmark, come on…182 people out of 4802…(more on this below)….

TM- ” Whether it was a small response at least we did over 3% of the residents responding. I thank those that did response.As far as the comments most of those comments are policy decisions and I hope it’s a tool that the commission can use to move forward with our future capital improvement projects and our future code revisions or policy decisions that have to be made by the commission.”

BC- 3.79% is the real number…dismal at best…and again some of the comments were identical…and suspect…If she really believes in the comments than the manager must see the writing on the wall and her days are numbered as well as her co-horts…No mention of that…Hmmmmmm…

Commissioner Clottey spoke next and lived up to her “clueless” moniker…she spoke of not receiving her survey until 3 weeks after they were sent out…and blamed the post office…Clottey said therefor she did not mail hers in!…It really was a math challenged night for the 3 Mc-Furth commissioners…The survey went out at the beginning of Sept. and was not presented until the 10th of Nov….So Comm. Clottey had approximately 6 weeks to get it in…and we know that the commissioner is a regular visitor to Town Hall…she could have hand delivered the thing herself!… The Town Manage said as much and told al lit would be updated as more are received… I discourage any further surveys being sent in…they are faulty with the inclusion of the 33′ maximum height question…which is what this survey was all about!…The voters can offer a the commissioners and the administration a real “benchmark” with the ouster of McIntee, Silverstone and Clottey…in March…contained in the survey comments!…(prev. post)…

Comm. Silverstone was next up and he decided to present one of his famously foolish spreadsheets…as you read the following remember…he will be running for either commissioner or mayor…..

CS-” I work with numbers all day”…”Numbers, statistics” “Interesting to looking at the numbers”…

He went on to inquire from the TM about there being 4800 responses and how she arrived at that number …did it include residents and businesses…The TM even looked at him in disbelief!… She replied she got the recipients from the Broward County Property Appraiser list…unfortunately, like his BFF McIntee Jimmy-boy was oblivious to the reception he was getting…and proceeded on…he said there were 182 responses and that equaled 3.7901% as a return …

ALERT FOR THE WAY COMM.  SILVERSTONE TRIES TO FIX THE UNILATERAL COLON SENT SURVEY…

CS- ” The important thing is it wasn’t known you [TM] were going to do this, so therefore it was kind of a surprise for people! Now if we’d worked on one of this one of the bad things about doing that is then there could be some funny business going on to change these numbers around!”

BC- from the dais could be heard (the Mgr.?) “totally ridiculous!” …So if you use Jimmy-boys logic…. then Wilton Manors residents should not accept their town directed survey…and the Range Rider  who came for the Colon evaluation and said he would get direction for a survey was also setting up constituents for “funny business”…OUCH!…

CS- ” So I’m assuming that given a small percentage of the response. But still it’s going to be a varied response for the 182 who did respond. It gives a pretty a good overall view of the town.Both businesses and residential, condo owners and everything else we have in town.”

BC- HOW?….There was no breakdown of the responses offered in the backup!.. No percentage or numbers for businesses, residents, north side, south side, single family homes, duplex, condos…So what kind of a “statistician” can make such a statement?…. The non- CPA …kind!… It gets worse from here folks…

CS- ” Now what I did because we did it or the Town Manager did it  (Freudian slip?) in pretty much 4 groups of grades. one excellent, good, fair poor. I then sub-grouped it into excellent-good as one group, fair-poor in another group. And in looking at this there was one thing that shot up and I think it had something to do with why there is a division in this town. The number 1 question, question number 1 was a place to live. Do you like living here. The excellent and good totaled 82.53% and the fair and poor response totaled17.47%. But the poor response was the highest poor response of any of the questions that were asked at 14.46% . So somewhere along the line there’s a lot of people that loving in this town and think it’s a great thing and you people that don’t like living here for whatever reason that could be.”

BC- Looks like Jimmy was doing a Clottey when she described evaluating the TM…(lame for her..lame for him!)..The 1st question on the survey was …

1 How do you rate the Town of LBTS as a place to live?

Excellent 77/ Good 60/ Fair 5/ Poor 24

The question was to “rate” the town…not if you like living here!…As for the division…as your BFF McIntee is so fond of saying…”Look in the mirror”…

CS- ” But that was interesting staticallying (Jimmy-boy verbiage) these numbers cause the next lowest, the next highest poorest percentage was about half of that and that was the building department which I found really kind of strange. But if you look through this you’ll see that overall ah, I think people are very happy to um, overall the services and so forth. On a percentage basis the ah, on the excellent, the highest excellent rating was for the fire and EMS ah at 48.19%. But the total of good and and excellent totaled 77.71% the highest out of that was actually beach and park at 86.75%. The recreation, I think.”

BC- From the survey…What Jimmy-boy excludes…the satisfaction numbers..that put BSO Police above Fire-EMS…and the high number of “no contact” with the departments …Hmmm. no percentage on that…

2. How satisfied are you with the following Town services?

*Enforcement of Municipal codes & regulation

Very satisfied 37/ satisfied 80/ dissatisfied 21/ very dissatisfied 11/ no opinion 16

*Recreation or cultural programs

Very satisfied  34/ satisfied 71/ dissatisfied 22/ very dissatisfied 9/ no opinion 30

* Fire response/ services

Very satisfied 80/ satisfied  49/ dissatisfied 7/ very dissatisfied 8/ no opinion 22

* Fire rescue/(EMS) response/ services

Very satisfied 80/ satisfied 49/ dissatisfied 6/very dissatisfied 5/ no opinion 28

* Police response/ services

Very satisfied 73/ satisfied 63/ dissatisfied 5/ very dissatisfied 3/ no opinion 22

*Building dept. services

Very satisfied 26. satisfied 61/ dissatisfied 17/ very dissatisfied 13/ no opinion 40

* Beach and park maintenance

Very satisfied 57/ satisfied 87/ dissatisfied 16/ very dissatisfied 1/ no opinion 8

8. How do you rate the importance of providing the following services?

* Public safety

Very important 165/ somewhat important 10/ somewhat unimportant 1/ very unimportant 0/ no opinion 0

* Recreational and cultural

Very important 62/ somewhat important 74/ somewhat unimportant 26/ very unimportant 3/ no opinion 7

* Enforcement of municipal codes & regulations

Very important 113/ somewhat important 47/ somewhat unimportant 7/ very unimportant 1/ no opinion 5

* Preserving open space and waterways

Very important 137/ somewhat important 29/ somewhat unimportant 6/ very unimportant 0/ no opinion 0

* Land use, planning and zoning

Very important 143/ somewhat important 22/ somewhat unimportant 6/ very unimportant 0/ no opinion 4

10 Within the past year, if you made contact with the following Town departments, how satisfied were you with the service you received?

* Police

Very satisfied 54/ satisfied 30/ dissatisfied 8/ very dissatisfied 4/ no contact 51

* Fire

Very satisfied 38/ satisfied 15/ dissatisfied 4/ very dissatisfied 2/ no contact 75

*Fire Rescue

Very satisfied 43/ satisfied 11/ dissatisfied 3/ very dissatisfied 4/ no contact 73

ed 12/ no contact

* Building & Permitting

Very satisfied 18/ satisfied 21/ dissatisfied 10/ very dissatisfied 16/ no contact 71

*Administration

Very satisfied 33/ satisfied 30/ dissatisfied 12/ very dissatisfied 12/ no contact 52

* Town Hall

Very satisfied 38/ satisfied 39/ dissatisfied 11/ very dissatisfied 7/ no contact 46

CS-”Um, but if anyone else wants a copy of this contact me or the Town. But I think that’s another good way of looking at this to get an idea of those numbers and what they mean. But I like the idea of having a survey. I like the fact it wasn’t pre- planned. So it was kind of a spontaneous action with this and I thank the Town Manager fro doing it!”

BC-He actually said …” I like the fact it wasn’t pre- planned. So it was kind of a spontaneous action with this and I thank the Town Manager fro doing it!”…HUH?…Did he not hear the TM begin this “exercise” with the “as you know”…and the some months of the commissioners wanting a survey…and the “lengthy process”…and he says it was a “surprise” and “spontaneous”…4 more years …really?…4 more years of Silverstone statistics?… Save Silverstone from himself!…

Comm. Dodd questioned as to why the Town Manager would only speak to 3 of the 5 commissioners and she replied they came to her…Comm. Dodd again found no validity in the response… and the “division” that exists for those commissioners who do not do a “pop in” because they actually work…He went on to speak of his dissatisfaction with the response of 3.9%…lack of input from the commission prior to the finished product and inquired what the response was to Wilton Manore (the originator of this survey)…

With that Asst. TM Olinzock came to the podium and said Wilton Manors had not yet reported their results…A very interesting statement considering their went out before ours and the TM said ours was a “lengthy process.”…Comm. Dodd requested them when they were announced…

We witnessed the trickle down of Town un-truthfulness front and center with a big O.J. “If the glove fits” assist by none other than Vice Mayor McIntee going for a Town commission trifecta!…

VM- ” Ah, John this isn’t identical to Wilton Manors is it?”

JO- ” No, it’s not identical.”

BC- Looks like Olinzock has learned well how to deceive from his boss…”No, it’s not identical.”…because they changed city to Town and added a the bond/height issues…took away services we do not have…but the survey is the Wilton Manor survey! …(prev. post side by side comparison…scoops cat.)…

VM- ” So is it fair to say you took this from Wilton Manors?”

JO-” When Esther spoke to me about the, the desire to do a survey that it was evident this commission wanted to do something like that and I got that [Wilton Manor survey] in my mail, I came to her with a copy of it and said to her look at this, this might help save us a great deal of time compiling and putting a form together that can be used.”

VM- ” But did you use other sources also to do it?’

JO- visibly angry- ” No I didn’t feel I needed to! It covered everything that we’re doing . It’s a similar municipality. They’re 13,000, we’re 7,000 people. They provide very similar services.”

VM- ” So there was no ulterior motive? Just to save the Town money?”

JO -” I was trying to help Esther get something accomplished!”

BC- So what we have here…is a failure to communicate!… Asst. Olinzock thanks to the Vice Mayor’s ignorance was put on spot …Olinzock says “When Esther spoke to me about the, the desire to do a survey that it was evident this commission wanted to do something like that.”…he admits there was no commission direction for a “survey”… Olinzock also had to own up the the fact…he got the survey…they copied the survey…and he looked no further!…

One last thing…Wilton Manors as previously posted…also got a new 7 million dollar Town Hall…This writer sure wishes  Olinzock had come to Esther with that!…ARGHHHH….

Those familiar with McIntee trying to dig himself out of a hole…will notice …late to come to the realization that it was the Wilton Manor survey…he tried to “clean it up” with “there was no ulterior motive”…”Just trying to save the Town money”…It didn’t work…the glove was too small!…

This survey is not quite the total loss I first thought it was…Upon further reflection…Perhaps it sums up much, much more than the questions  contained within it……It  could actually serve the voters well in their decision for who to elect for commission next winter……It’s a look at how this Town operates……with the majority on the dais…This survey speaks volumes ……from the unilateral administrative decision to send it out… (perhaps with a few commissioners who frequent the Town Manager’s office may having had a heads- up) ….the “sharing” of the survey.. being “lifted” from Wilton Manors… the “piecemeal”…assembling of it by Town staff to send out…the poor response…the Town Manager relying on her tried and true pre-amble to rectify yet another ill-thought out action….and the neverending display of dais back-flips made by the Town Manager “protectors “…to save her “thin-skinned” hide!…

Does this survey  say 4 more years?……see the comments below… … EXCERPTS…(full comments prev. post scoops cat.)

#11. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Town of LBTS in the next 5 years?

End the Political Bickering. Please develop A city plan that creates and aesthetic cohesion & financial responsibility/ /We need to vote out McIntee, Silverstone, Clottey and fire Colon! These people are inept, laughable at best./ A more cohesive council/ Unifying the 2 sides of Town, letting go of the past and once that is done, the rest will come/ In-fighting, the commissioners are all pathetic./ Keeping our height limits, our commissioners and our Town Manager are doing a great job/ Establishing the reality & perception of sanity in our politics. Extremes on both sides are damaging our reputation./ Electing people that are tolerant of other opinions/Esther Colon? No Comments/A Commission with a sense of harmony/ Keeping our height limits our commission and our manager are doing a great job / Restore civility by getting Rid of Colon, Silverstone, Clottey, Esther, McIntee/ Town Management issues/ Getting less vindictive commissioners in office and getting Ms. Colon out of there. Let’s get  LBTS back to a happy well-organized Town as it has been in the past./  In Fighting!/ Retaining 3 and eliminate Mayor and Dodes/  Leadership/ Responsible management and public relations which are currently embarrassing/ Getting rid of “Jerry McIntee” He’s an embarrassment to out Town/ More cooperation between North & South and not falsifying the Truth/ Move forward, get things accomplished/Keeping Esther C.John O. J. Silverstone & J. McIntee in office to keep everything running smoothly/  The conflict between the 2 factions of government. I have no idea who is right and who is wrong. One side is vicious with their comments. I never met any of these people/ stop the infighting/ 1. Harmony on the Commission. /stop the inner fighting of the Commission/ Stopping the political nastiness and becoming a cohesive community/  Uniting the Town. Get rid of MacEnty & Silverstone.- they have a conflict of interest being Commissioners./Clean house on your city Commission- New Leadership is badly needed/  Getting Commissioners to work well together for the Town and the people/  Stop arguments and so much animosity among City Departments/  cost of employee benefits, employee moral regardless of Commission demands/ Removing the Town Mgr. & hiring an independent Town Mgr. Ms Colon is OK as Accountant only. Presently has too much power/ Childish political warfare among Town officials/ Coming together as 1 Town/ Getting a Commission and Town Mgr. who is concerned with the welfare of the Town and not their own personal agendas. Every effort to untie the Town/  Civility on Commission / Bringing community together. Cease and desist polarization/ Get rid of McIntee, Silverstone. Colon, Clottey/  Township members working together

#15. What suggestions can you provide for improving the quality of life for its residents?

Less negativity and -or discourteous arguments during meetings. Better sharing of unbiased information/ If you want tourists spending money here Respect their needs. Stop catering to local favorites. Transparency Please!/We need to fire Colon;get rid of McIntee, Silverstone & Clottey/ Very satisfied with our Commission & Town Manager . Keeping our millage rate down/Reduce Commission Mtg. duration/ Redo contract for #11 Above/ 2 yr. Terms for all political officers with Term limits/ Very satisfied with our Commission & Town Mgr. Keeping our millage rate down/ Listen to us/Equal treatment & Enforcement/ Get rid of McIntee &Colon/  More transparency & accountability from Town Commissioners &Town Manager/ Get rid of the Town Manager. No one should have a lifetime contract that was written by themselves. Also get rid of Commissioners McIntee, Silverstone, Clottey, Dodd. Get rid of conflicts of interest going on in this Town. Why is Commissioner McIntee Vice Mayor plus a paid volunteer fireman? It’s absurd!/  Add -one-new commissioner and new mayor/ Be respectful to each other-offer AA & NA program 3-4 times a week / Stop the incessant political slandering of each other & think of helping the town improve! /Stop Bickering/  Clean up the Commission/”Listen” when a Resident offers suggestions/Encourage all the nasty self serving people to leave town. /More respect from the Commissioners and less self service to themselves!/ Get rid of government and start over. Some personalities are just unbelievable. I call one town paper the nice one and the other the ugly one/ Stop the fighting!/ Listen to the Residents. Citizens Forum?/  Stop the infighting on the Town Board and focus on the issues!/ Stop bickering at meetings/The Town is fragmented & the Commission members must be changed to neutral parties. Can’t wait to vote in new positive people working for the people of LBTS/ Stop the North-South arguments!/ Replace the Town Manger/The fighting has to stop-Those who argue all the time should have to come up with ways to correct those problems/People who criticize should suggest a solution for the problem/ Esther Colon is key to the future of this Town, the elected officials need to keep their attitudes in check/ Keep up the status quo/Get off everyone’s back when only 1 or 2 people complain so what is right for the majority. Listen to the people. Vote with the majority. Do not follow small organizations who yell louder/   Do not use it to erect monuments to egomaniac commissioners and overpaid Town Mgr. UNITE OUR TOWN!! /Less fights among all of the Commissioners & more peace/ Stop bickering and rudeness at meetings, put garbage back into taxes, embrace the VFD, support Commercial Blvd. merchants/  Next year support a new roster & new candidates for mayor & Commissioners. Let’s stop the infighting/change in Town Commissioners who only care about the volunteer fire department/ Get rid of McIntee, Silverstone, Clottey & Colon/ Improve courtesy at Town meetings. Keep original promises at annexations/The Town is doing Great.

Statistics anyone?….How about placing your bets?…

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea 11-10-09 Commission meeting, Lauderdale By The Sea 2009 Townwide Survey, Lauderdale By The Sea Asst. Town Manager John Olinzock, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manager Esther Colon, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops, Wilton Manors 2009 Survey
Posted in LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Scoops, local government