Dear Readers at the 7/14/09 Commission meeting Consent Agenda item 12 b. was the “sweetheart deal” for VM McIntee…..including an exchange between this writer and the Vice Mayor…(below)….. and the Town Manager trying to give him and herself some cover….same old…same old…
THE JUNE 17,2009 CITIZEN CONTACT CENTER FORM….which shows filled out as “Resident”…along with the address…and “Called Chen 6/17/09″…. The Assist. Town Manager said this is where the process starts from in order to have “historic information”…and then they go and investigate it…Hmmm…(see below)….That’s’ sure some fast investigating Mr. Olinzock!….
MCINTEE’S JULY 14,2009 AGENDA ITEM REQUEST FORM….for item 16F…Notice the Vice Mayor’s large signature…and the writing next to the EXPLANATION does not look like his writing or that of the Citizen Contact Center Form…the “n”s in the Contact form are lower case “n”s…in the Agenda Item Req. are all upper case N’s…the “t”s are different etc…and a look at other Agenda Item Req. forms previously placed on the backup materials by the VM have different writing so it appears as if the VM signs his agenda request forms and staff fills out the rest….We hear it was a staff member that filled out the Contact Center Form…and was “directed” to do so…..
Consent Agenda Item 12 B…
The Mayor read the item.. Commission approval of Agreement for Stormwater System Design on SE 21st Avenue at SE 16th Street with Chen & Associates, in the amount of $4,850.00 (Assistant Town Manager Olinzock)
The Vice Mayor said he was “gonna recuse myself from this put it on the record.”…
Assist. Town Manager Olinzock came to the podium…”The proposal in front of you will provide for a stormwater retention system similar to the ones we’ve been placing in other areas of town, um one you might be familiar with is in front of um, the Old News stand. We’ll use an infiltration system that helps retain the water until it can be easily absorbed, a more friendly environmental system then attaching to the outfalls. It’s A BIT more cost effective, since we don’t have a stormwater utility fund, we’re looking for ways to stretch that dollar.”
Comm. Clottey wanted to clear her name after she said it was said from the floor she would benefit from the request….and she lives ” at the other end of the street”…Assist. Olinzock said it was “for that intersection” (in front of the VM’s home)…stating it was a low point “in that section of the sub-division”…He went on to say when we had the annexation …”We did not get any AS BUILT drawing, any stormwater system drawing, telephone and utility locations, we go LOCK STOCK AND BARREL FROM BROWARD COUNT HERE IT IS, IT’S YOURS. and we’re ATTEMPTING to make it better.”…(any corroboration on this assertion by Olinzock who was not working in LBTS at the time?)…
Olinzock went on to say …” IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND WRITES UP A CITIZEN CONTACT FORM AND REQUESTS US TO INVESTIGATE SOMETHING, THIS IS HOW WE APPROACH IT.”…Hmmm…. According to the Assist. TM a person comes in…that person writes the request…the town investigates ….BUT in the above case for the VM…it was not written by the “Citizen”……and it WAS “investigated” that very same day….OOPS!…
Comm. Clottey the said…”Commissioner McIntee (did she demote the VM?) SINCE THE MOOD OF THIS PARTICULAR AUDIENCE IS SOMETHING THAT’S GONNA BE DONE FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO WITHDRAW YOUR REQUEST FOR THIS?”… (THE MOOD OF THIS PARTICULAR AUDIENCE…YIKES!… Comm. Clottey…what in the world goes on in your mind to actually say such things as this?)…
Vice Mayor McIntee said he’d “be more than happy to withdraw my request”…but added everybody should drive by and see how really bad it is and that it is “sad that it has to be, I’ll withdraw it.”
The Mayor realized at the same time the VM did he could not withdraw it since he had recused himself and the question of withdrawal was put to the Town Atty….who said the item was put on under Assist. TM Olinzock and he can withdraw it…(HE NEVER DID)….and it’s still in the budget…OOPS!…
The Mayor then spoke to Olinzock and requested that in the future the Citizen Contact form be followed with the residents name…for she “found it strange” and “wouldn’t normally a Citizen Contact form have the resident’s name”…Olinzock played dumb saying “I don’t recall”…the Mayor said it was right there in the package…she also asked for all previous complaints to be included …
The VM- said the Mayor” INSINUATING THAT I WAS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH MAYOR.”and wanted Olinzock to concur that there had been muliple call son the flooding problems…
Assist. TM Olinzock- ” Yes, but THE CITIZEN CONTACT CENTER FORM, WE WON’T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT DOING THOSE FORMS, SO THAT WE HAVE HISTORIC INFORMATION”…HUH?…Take a look at the form above…how is that historic information over a multiple phone call that should have been documented by staff (the best employees in Florida according to the VM…prev. post)…
Comm Dodd spoke about a similar situation with a dais member (Mayor Parker) wanting an improvement in front of his home…(underground wiring)…and how he (Dodd) put the kabosh on it when he took office…He also asked about the process…the 2nd Chen proposal that said it might not solve the problem, referring to the 1st proposal (not included in the backup) and why we were not listening to the Engineer’s recommendation….The VM jumped forward to the mike and accused Dodd of “badgering” the Assist. TM and how he [VM] was “gonna defend our Assistant Town Manager, he’s being badgered”…No one was buying it!….Comm Dodd went on to ask Olinzock about the sewers and new streets and why this was not done then…Olinzock said “We were just doing sewers when we did that project. I unfortunately was not part of the original Bel Air sewer system ……Comm. Dodd finished by adding the $25,000.00 won’t solve the problem according to the proposal…
This writer was allowed to speak, saving my public comment to address this item…I spoke of the glaring problem with this request…that according to Olinzock it started with the Citizen request, that the Citizen request was “not written by the Vice Mayor”…
The VM said “THAT’S ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE, THAT’S ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE!”
This writer- “I’ve seen your writing .”…he was asserting it was his writing…and I said ” Well, would you like to go under oath and say that you wrote resident? That’s not your writing.”
I went on to speak about the fact it was suspect for how quickly it was acted on…within days…2 proposals…calls to Pompano Beach…memos from staff to staff and requesting it on the 2009/2010 budget…I stated I had not seen it on the budget shown earlier at the workshop…( it was not in the June 9, 2009 Capital Imp. budget online)…and went on to talk of transparency…equal treatment…and imploring all residents and businesses to get a Citizen Contact Form and turning it in…to see if the results would be the same as the action taken on this request for the Vice Mayor….
Another resident had also asked to speak on the item, but gave her time to a resident who asked to speak as well…VM McIntee is heard (his mike was still on) saying “NO” to allowing the “resident” to speak…the other signed up speaker gave the gentleman her time…
Christopher Vincent a resident who lives in Silver Shores spoke next about the problem he has in front of his house with the swales…that also brings flooding of 7-8 inches when it rains…and how he lives with it…
Comm. Silverstone made a lame attempt to help his BFF out by saying we were “avoiding the problem” of the flooding in areas of town, and we needed to make a list of affected streets and address them…maybe bringing the MPSC in to help.
Town Manager Colon told the Commission this was the 4th project and that Commercial Blvd. would be the next…she went on to say “RESIDENT STUART DODD ” made that request…HUH?…Comm. Dodd put it on the agenda last March as a Commissioner!…Nice try TM …to attempt to bunch the two requests together…..NOT SO!…She went on to speak of Bougainvilla being on the next agenda……incredibly she dug a further hole for herself with the following assertions…
TM- ” Um, when Bel Air and Terra Mar and THE SCOPE of pavilion project were approved and grant funds were approved there was no drainage element allowed, so yes we do have drainage because of the elimination of the stormwater fee 2 years ago.” ….
BC- The stormwater Assessment was only in effect for 2 years…and we have had the flooding in this town for many more years than that….according to a learned friend…the stormwater fees went mostly to one area and were not used throughout the town….The Town ended up with funds ( approx. $200,000.00) left over when it was removed after finally be acknowledged as illegal to have collected…but those funds were moved from this proprietary fund…to the General Fund ….and we did not use them to deal with the existing flooding to fix the townwide problems being discussed this evening……all under the Town Manager’s watch…WHY NOT?….
Also for the TM to state…”THE SCOPE of pavilion project were approved and grant funds were approved there was no drainage element allowed”…is not so …according to the owner of Coastal Contracting (the company that built the pavilion …prev. post)… in a front page article in the Hi-Riser and in discussions with a business owner… Mr. McGeddy said the Town officials were made aware…Town Manager Esther Colon did what is now her M.O…… She told the Owner that the town did not have the funds….The TM never brought it to the Commission to ask for the funds…to request a change order…This just reeks!….It’s just like the lack of lighting for the pavilion when the construction supervisor told this writer they were told the Commission did not approve the lights because of lack of funds…It never happened…the Commission was never told about the lights…It is just like the statements made at the June 30th meeting when BSO said they were told they were being “pushed out” of their office by the Commissioners… That too never happened….it was the Manager that said they needed to move!…It is just like the Manager INFORMING the Commission of her extending the 3 year …$200,000.00 audit contract then sending a letter to the company stating the Commission accepted it…In the second year of the 3 year extension unilaterally decided on by the Manager it is on this years 2009/2010 budget with the agreed upon 10% yearly increase ..$55,000… Pompano Beach spends less for their auditors and has a less than 3% yearly increase…for a much larger …more complex municipality!….Fiscal irresponsibility!…BIG TIME…and well beyond the scope of her duties to purchase without Commission approval…
Town Manager Colon -” You cannot have the whole town at once.[stormwater systems] You don’t have a million in place to do it. There’s different types of outfall, we’re trying to remedy with the types of funds you have available.”
BC- Why were we not asked if we would have preferred to use the money not used for Palm Club sewers to do the whole town?…Why was there no consideration that it made more sense to use the 2 million for this instead of purchasing the crappy hotel for the VFD?… The Manager says she is competent in her job…this writer disagrees!…
Town Manager Colon- ” If you want to do the whole town we could always do a bond issue and get a couple of million all at one time, but we’re trying to do it the best we can.”
BC- Commissioner Dodd has sent in an agenda item for the July 28,2009 meeting to explore the bond option….GOOD MOVE!…But what happened to all the savings we were to experience with the removal of the BSO Fire Department?….Why do we not have the funds?….
Commissioner Silverstone said that made sense, but still wanted to deal with the areas ” that are the worst, MAYBE VICE MAYOR MCINTEES HOUSE IS THE WORST.”…YEAH, RIGHT!…
The VM finished by saying the flood problems started with the sewers and the road improvement…He said…”THE TOWN CREATED THE MONSTER.”….a member of the audience said…”SUE THE CONTRACTOR”…OUCH!…
BC- As it stands the Assistant Town Manager did not withdraw the item…so the question is, is it really gone?…
more to come…….
Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops, sewer assessments, storm sewers, sweetheart deals
