COMMISSIONER SILVERSTONE….SWEATING BIG TIME…..AS HE SHOULD!…
Dear Readers….This writer walked over to say hello to Chief Scott Gooding the morning of July 4th as the parade preparation was in full swing…as piddly as it was…Commissioner Jim Silverstone …drenched in sweat…walked over and extended his hand to say hello to the Chief as well and to say no hard feelings…HUH?…We all looked at him in disbelief…The Commissioner made mention of his excessive sweating…and the response …as well he should be!…. Sweating big time that is, for his role in the situation…his “lock-step” inaction along with his “Gang of 3″…in not voting to let the Town Manager know of his support for the Chief and his desire for Ms. Colon to reinstate Gooding….We hear BFF “Jimmy-Boy” is “conflicted” …Sorry but I’m not buying it…It stinks …any way you look at it……Either he voted the way he intended and his assertions of being “conflicted” are just a load of bull…or Jimmy voted against his beliefs and someone is holding something over his head…Both scenarios should keep him drenched for some time to come…Perhaps he’ll have time to dry out in March 2010!…
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTONE…JUNE 30, 2009 SPECIAL MEETING CONCERNING CHIEF SCOTT GOODING…
Comm. Silverstone – “Thank you Mayor, I was hoping that this agenda would be changed so you would hear from us first before you were allowed to speak. Ah, so we could clear up you know any um, questions that may answer and I think there’s a lot of information out there, a lo of um, um problems with ah, ah, the media, local media spreading lies and I think it’s pretty obvious. ( Laughter from the audience was followed by the Mayor asking the audience to refrain) We have very tough decisions to make up here. This is one of the toughest decisions I, I won’t continue, I yield.” (He was reacting to a hall full of constituents that were not buying what he was selling…and he pushed himself away from the mike…to applause that clearly affected him….momentarily)…” But I will, I will, before I yield though I will say that, that Chief Gooding did an outstanding job as a police officer in this town. There’s no question about that. His professionalism, his, his , he, I, I dealt with always, top notch. BSO’s still here for the FORESEEABLE future. When I first became a Commissioner I looked at the budgets. I did the analysis of this office because I cam in with the with the PRESSURE from people saying that YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE BSO CONTRACT as well as I did with the fire contract and I DID DO THAT. The whole Charter, EVERY TOWN CONTRACT SAYING BSO’S INVOLVED WITH AND I CAME UP WITH SOME NUMBERS AND WE’RE IN THE BALLPARK FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE. So I let it go cause I thought we were getting a good deal here. I think BSO’s doing a great job and I’ll say that on the record and I’ll also say one thing before I sign off,. Before I go on here at no time and it seems almost the sins of the past that we’re have to pay for because there’s a belief out there that we work behind the scenes and things are done out here that’s out. It’s one of the things I ran on as Commissioner that would not happen on my watch.” (the audience was quite vocal …again not buying what the BFF was selling) ” Mr, ah, Town Manager Colon at any time did you discuss with me the um, the um, the, to have Scott Gooding um, moved or ah, fired from this town or any way you want to put it, dismissed at any time before he was done, did you have any conversations with me?” ( TM Colon replied “No”) ” Simple it never happened ! So you can think what you want to think out there. You can think what people believe you want to think out there because that was done in the past but, it’s not done on this watch! And we have a tough job to to do and, and, and that’s all I’ll say. Thanks.”..(1 person clapped)
BC- The Commissioner should have stopped for good…when he pulled back from hsi microphone!…He is on record saying he was “pressured” to look at anything that had to do with the BSO!…He did the analysis…but I remind readers…Comm. Silverstone is not a licensed CPA…and anyone who thinks he is not biased…that there is no possible conflict of interest with the BSO and this Commissioner or that he, himself financially responsible when it comes to his own department …the VFD……should take a look at the VFD minutes…..
VFD Monthly Meeting Minutes….(previously posted until the VFD pulled the plug…per Comm. Clottey…and stopped making them available)…
September 8,2008…
Under Officer Report – page 2…’ Silverstone-Report on legal status, called attorney making an amendment to law suit to contractual issue only- filed amendment paper, the BSO have until the 26th or court date to respond. Further discussion on law suit was tabled to next month.’
Under New Business- page 3…’ Silverstone made a motion for the AUTHORITY (in lieu of an emergency meeting) for funds UP TO $50,000 shall be made available for the purchase of new radios. K Padden 2nd, all in favor. Another motion was made to move $25,000 from the booster acct into the operation acct until October 1st upon which said funds shall be returned, all in favor.’
BC- The income-expense reports received by this writer and posted show no funds in the booster fund…under income or expense for the 1st 6 months…In the 1st 3 month VFD report it shows on page 3 under NET GAINS/LOSS Due to Booster Account (Advance on start up cost) …(50,000.00)/ 2nd VFD report 0….The 1st and 2nd report show (as prev. posted and I brought up at the podium during the June 30,2009 special meeting) legal fees paid to an Atty. ‘VFD VS BSO’ which again seems to be a conflict for Comm. Sillverstone to vote or discuss BSO from the dais…(along with his “2-Hats” pal)…And finally Comm. Silverstone did not oppose the election of VM McIntee to Dep. Chief of the VFD despite full knowledge he was disobeying their own VFD laws prohibiting an Officer of the VFD to be an elected official…showing rules are randomly followed by Mr. Silverstone…
October 6,2008…
Under New Business-page 2….’Discussion on whether or not to impose an oversite committee (Mayor Minnet). VFD is under contract with Town/Commissioners. Our books are open, our meetings are open , our drills are open. Over 1,000 people/voters- free, at no cost to the town. Request denied, all in favor.’
BC- The minutes do not say VM McIntee and Comm. Silverstone left the room for this discussion..or were not included in the vote…In this writer’s opinion, it is a clear violation of Sunshine and a conflict of interest. Readers should also be aware of the change in policy, that came shortly after this no long allowing the meetings to be open….when Comm. Dodd wanted to attend.
The June 30th meeting continued and after asking for clarification on making a motion…Comm. Silverstone joined the “Gang of 3” in voting not to support Chief Gooding or to ask the Town Manager to reconsider and reinstate him!…
We also hear he has answered e-mails and constituents supporting the Town Manager….Perhaps, in the “foreseeable future”… Comm. Silverstone could be the “Registered Agent” for the New LBTS-Police Dept. as he is for the LBTS-VFD …..http://www.sunbiz.org/index.html
‘Registered Agent Name & Address
SILVERSTONE, JAMES J
278 MIRAMAR AV
LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA FL 33308
Name Changed: 09/10/2003
Address Changed: 07/10/2008’
BC- Pass the Old Spice……
more to come…
Tags: BSO, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD
