As if the City of North Miami Beach didn’t have enough problems to deal with, councilwoman Phyllis Smith is going full steam ahead with her insistence on sitting her tuchus right next to the Mayor on the dais. She has spent an inordinate amount of time (and our money) directing the City Attorney to draft not one, not two, but THREE different ordinances in a ridiculous effort to get her way. If we thought former mayor Myron Rosner was a childish idiot, Phyllis has surely outdone him this time.
The City has just posted its agenda for the meeting next Tuesday, July 19, 2011 (http://webcasts.citynmb.tv/council2011/AG071911.pdf), and in addition to all the REAL BUSINESS the City Council, Manager and Attorney have to conduct, we also have the dubious privilege of having to sit through Phyllis’ whiny bloviating about why she wants to sit at the grown up table. If we’re really lucky, she’ll throw a Myron-like tantrum!
Resolution No. R2011-38 comes in three parts: A, B, and C, each two pages long. The first, 38A, sets up a convoluted and complicated seating arrangement whereby “The Councilmember representing Seat number two (2) shall sit to the far right of the Mayor. Seat number three (3) shall sit next to Seat number two (2) and Seat number four (4) shall sit next to Seat number three (3) and to the immediate right of (next to) the Mayor. Seat number five (5) shall sit next to the Mayor on his or her immediate left. Seat number six (6) shall sit to the immediate left of (next to) Seat number five (5). Seat number seven (7) shall sit to the immediate left of Seat number six (6) and to the far left of the Mayor.”
Are you exhausted yet? Oy vey!
Under this scheme, Phyllis, who is “Seat number three (3),” will sit to the “immediate right of (next to) the Mayor.” How convenient! BREAKING NEWS: It was pointed out to me by someone who studied this Resolution more in depth than I did that when read properly, it’s Seat number four (4) that actually sits next to the Mayor and not Seat number three (3). This is a perfect example of how these Resolutions are written in such a way that makes it difficult for anyone to understand them. No wonder Myron got away with exceeding the campaign sign limit with his bus benches by forcing the City Attorney to call them “street furniture.”
The fact that Phyllis designed her Resolution to make it appear that this wasn’t about her. Nevertheless, this is still a power play against the Mayor, which is even more devious on her part.
Resolution No. R2011-38B states, “The Mayor and Council of the City of North Miami Beach, Florida, hereby establish a written policy that seating assignments on the dais shall correspond to the seniority of each Councilmember. The Mayor shall sit in the middle of the dais while presiding over all meetings. The seating arrangement on the dais shall be by seniority. The Councilmembers with the most seniority shall sit on either side of the Mayor. If more than two (2) Councilmembers have served the same amount of time, then the two Councilmembers who have received the most votes at the last election shall be deemed to be senior and shall be seated on each side of the Mayor. The Councilmembers with the least seniority shall be seated at the ends of the dais.”
This is a bit more complicated. Mr. Derose, who is the most senior member of the council, will automatically sit next to the Mayor, which is where Mayor Vallejo already placed him. The next two senior members are Phyllis and Frantz Pierre. According to this Resolution, the one “who received the most votes at the last election” was Frantz, who got 1,796 votes to Phyllis’ 1,705. HOWEVER, Frantz has already stated on several occasions that, unlike Phyllis, he doesn’t give a rat’s ass where he sits. He’s just happy to be here. In fact, I do believe he even said that he prefers to be on the end of the dais. Luckily, that’s where he sits now. This Resolution would give Frantz the perfect opportunity to “graciously” cede the seat next to the Mayor to his mentor and cohort, Phyllis Smith. How convenient!
Resolution No. R2011-38C states, “The Mayor and Council of the City of North Miami Beach, Florida, hereby establish a written policy that the Mayor chooses, at his or her sole discretion, the location of each Councilmember’s seat assignment. The Councilmember shall remain in that location on the dais until the Mayor determines otherwise.”
Since we already know that Phyllis has been fighting tooth and nail against the letting the Mayor have his way, you just know she didn’t ask for this “option” to be on the table. I don’t know who sponsored Resolution2011-38C, or if the City Attorney simply decided that the Mayor deserved to have sole discretion in this instance, but this is the only choice that is viable.
So here’s the thing. The Miami-Dade County Mayor, newly elected Carlos Gimenez, decides where the County Commissioners sit on his dais. The Mayor of the City of Miami decides where the City Commissioners sit on his dais. I also believe that the Miami-Dade County Public School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho decides where the School District Representatives sit on his dais. In other words, the “titular head” of the legislative body gets to decide who sits where. DUH!
But, in Phyllis World, the Mayor of North Miami Beach, has no freaking say in where he wants his council to sit on his dais! Does anyone else realize how freaking insane this is? Of course you do!
The people of North Miami Beach elected George Vallejo over Myron the Moron because we believed in his ability to run our city and fix all the problems that Myron and Phyllis caused. Ever since Myron, Phyllis and Frantz were elected, this city has gone to seed and nothing of any worth has been done to bring it back to its former luster. George Vallejo has a lot of real work to do to turn things around. The last thing he needs, and the last thing the residents need, is someone who IS the problem cause even MORE problems for everyone else! Phyllis is a joke and the laughing stock of the city, yet somehow she hasn’t figured that out. If you need any proof of this, consider that the only thing she thinks is important enough for this council to vote on is where she gets to plant her load. Is she freaking kidding? And, yes, this IS all about her! After all, what better position for constant photo ops than right next to the Mayor? Puh-LEEZE!
I certainly hope that when these Resolutions go to a vote that Resolution No. R2011-38C passes 6-1. Any council member up there (besides Phyllis, of course) who votes for either A or B will be the subject of much ridicule and humiliation by the Best Gadfly of 2011 according to the Miami New Times (that’d be me). And I do mean ANY council member. None of you are safe from my wrath if you VOTE AGAINST THE MAYOR! Because a vote for anything but 38C is a vote of “no confidence” AGAINST George Vallejo.
I urge the council to do the right thing and tell Phyllis for once and for all to STFU!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
OMIGOD, Stephanie! Phyllis is a clown! Did you really think you were catching a break after Rosner?!? Not! So as long as Phyllis and Frantz are on that dias, wherever seated, you’re in business.
Congratulations Gadfly 2011. I actually saw the paper copy listing your name among the big guns of South Florida. Keep up the great work!
You’re welcome, Jennie. It was a huge surprise and very gratifying. Yeah, Phyllis is the new Myron. I have plenty of material to keep going. 🙂
Is she for real? poor mr. Vallejo, to think that the whiner will be seating next to him. WAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa oh is the dog there too?
You forgot R2011-38D.
This is where Phyllis sits alone on the dais and the Mayor and Council partake in the meetings via Skype from their offices.
ROFLMAO!
I am looking at Business Tax Receipt: Queen of Diamonds – a liquor hole/strip club is being given approval by Chief Hernandez to open until 6 am on Biscaynne Bld. right in the heart of our city. Unlike the City Manager, Mr. Bonner who choose to live in the community, Chief Hernandez choose to live miles away from our city. Him and his boys are trying to turn NMB into a hell hole with all of the liquor bars and strip clubs they are approving.
Reason is simple. If they can make this into a hell hole, it will justify their outrageous salaries they currently receive.
A worker with a PhD or an MA in our city receives approximately or just above $80,000.00 in salary plus a small pension. A cop with a high school diploma, after propagating how dangerous his job is, receives $78,000.00 plus a mind boggling pension twice the guy with the MA or PhD.
In a sleepy Mayberry city like NMB, the PD is desperately trying now to make it into a hell hole. They made a rule that all businesses that operate in the late hours of the night MUST hire NMBPD personnel. They have placed a monopoly on this. They turn a blind eye to almost every DUI that pulls up to these water holes so as not to discourage patrons from coming to have a gay old time. Gay as in happy.
If they really start charging the drunks, the business owner would not have money to pay their over time, hence a conflict of interest arise. Do they do their duty and uphold the law, or do they turn a “Nelson’s eye” and collect their whopping OT. Seems the latter is chosen. Look at the reports. No DUI’s, only assaults and battery among other things.
I support our Police Department, but the ones who are turning it upside down, has to be removed. The department gets restructured and we move on.
Warmest regards,
Mubarak
My bad. Sorry. It should have read, “recommendations will be given by the Chief” as per trend. My apologies for that one.
Mr. Kazan,
I having been reading your posts on this web site and others, and so far I have not responded because I did not feel it was worth my time, but your last post has pushed me over the edge. You say you support the Police Department yet you take shots at it every chance you get. The sad thing about these shots that you take are that most of them are not true. It seems to be that you have a problem with the Chief of Police. If that is true take up your fight with him,and don’t drag all the hard working Police Officers in to it. Be a man and meet him face to face and tell him what you don’t like about the Police Department instead of writing these inflammatory e mails and letters.
I do have a few comments on your posts As far as the Police Department requiring off duty officers at these strip clubs. This was not a requirement by the Chief or “his boys” this was a requirement by the council when they realized they could not legally keep these clubs from opening up. As far as DUI’s at these clubs, the laws on how you can make a DUI arrest are very strict. You can not base a DUI arrest on the fact that a patron walks out of a strip club. Ask any lawyer and they will tell you that, and if you try to do it then the city will be sued for false arrests. This is not an opinion on my part, this is a fact. Do some homework and make some calls like I did.
You keep saying that the police department should switch it’s pension over to a 401K Iike Aventura has. Well I hate to correct you but Aventura’s Police Department switched over to a pension system like ours years ago. They did this to attract quality police officers. This brings me to the police officer’s pay that you keep yelling about. Have you ever heard the saying “you get what you pay for”? Well that’s the way it is in the law enforcement field. The law enforcement field is very competitive. Good quality police officers will not come and work for a police department if the pay and benefits are sub par and not in line with other police departments in the area. All you have to do is look at the Opa-Locka Police Department. They are one of the lowest paid Departments in Dade County and their benefits are sub par. Look what they are going through right now. They have Officers under investigation and their whole department is under investigation by FDLE. I don’t know about you but I want my family protected by the best Officers that we can hire, not some officers who could not get hired anywhere else. Not everyone can or should be a police officer, and when you trust the safety of your families to these people you want the best out here. Not someone who is getting sub par pay and knows he has to work till he dies because he does not have a pension to live off of or even worse…is coming on as a police officer with the intention of supplementing his poor pay with drug dealer protection money or other corruption methods of income supplementation. NMB hires the best, we get the best, and we have kept this awful taint from our city.
Another thing I am questioning. With all the issues that are going on in the City you can not get off the topic of the police department. There is so much that is wrong with this city yet most of your e mails and letters are attacking the police department. This leads me to think this is something personal, as I know there are other areas in the city that you can turn your attention too. This goes back to where I started. If you have a problem with the Chief then deal with him. And for heavens sake please get your facts right right before you post something.
As for the Citizens of North Miami Beach that read this. Please support your Police Department by letting Ms Kazan and a few others that spread these non-truths, that you are not buying the crap that they are shoveling.
P.S. What does this have to do with the original post anyway ?
It really has nothing to do with the subject matter of the blog, which is Phyllis and her antics. Mr. Kazan should have probably posted these comments on another column. I will suggest this for his future comments.
Regardless, I allow the comments to be posted because I don’t want anyone to think I’m censoring them and I want to allow for open and honest discussion among the residents and employees. What does concern me is the hostility that is becoming all too frequent. I am asking everyone to please be courteous to one another. There are ways to disagree without attacking others.
Peeping Tom former mayors or Cry Baby Councilwomen are fair game. 🙂
Unless I am mistaken I do not believe I was hostile to Mr Kazan.
No, “Enough,” I wasn’t referring to your comment. I’m just getting concerned about some of the comments on previous posts that did get out of hand, and I’m hoping it doesn’t continue. Thanks!
Ok thanks.
Oh and one more thing Mr. Kazan. You keep taking about restructuring the police department. Can you share with us what this means. Also you made a statement about the ” chief and his boys”. Who are the boys that you are referring too?
You are absolutely right that you get what you pay for. The same holds true for civilian employees as well, in NMB, other government agencies, and out in “the world.” A competitive salary and desirable benefits attract the best candidates. For management staff, NMB has become an undesirable place to work. Those who got what they got because of who they knew are clinging desperately to their positions, in spite of no raise and reduced benefits, because they know they could never get such a gig elsewhere without connections. Those who achieved their positions because of their qualifications and hard work are desperately trying to get out, like rats from a sinking ship, taking their knowledge and experience with them. Will the world end? Probably not. But quality of service will eventually decline. In many ways it already has.
I love your comment at the end – as if the councilpeople will vote the way you want…OR ELSE!
Or else, they will endure the wrath of the gadfly! 🙂
Meh. I know the council will vote the way they want regardless of whether I like it or not. I’m just one little ol’ person. I don’t have any power over them. Then after the meeting, I get to write what I want regardless of whether they like it or not. I love this job! 🙂
I don’t know what to say honestly, I feel bad for nmb, I tried to point out that my father is very level headed smart person that could fix up the city and avoid games.
City council meetings must be curbed, I for one refuse to attend, do you think the council members are listening or browsing the net during the monthly circus?
We need common sense not another set of ridiculous laws and ordinances! Balance the books or resign mrs smith!
If I spoke latin I’d say something catchy, but in american english we say “a wise man speaks the least”
P.s. Its the job of the police to keep the peace not prevent crime, I have a few shotguns to prevent crime, I call the police to collect the body’s. Mock me if you want, but many courts have ruled that the police are not responsible in preventing crime.
Now as for mk, maybe lawfully protest outside the strip clubs if they bother you?
My friends, I am going to say one more time, the bloody country just do not have the money anymore. What part of this can’t we understand? Look around you and see for yourselves.
If I did not like our police department, two years ago I could have joined forces with (NMB Councilman) John Julien and had it shut down. Instead I looked further than my nose and advised council this would be a wrong approach. Instead I asked for salary and budget reforms.
I see today in other cities where our government workers including retired firemen have not received a check for over one year. This was on John Stossel’s Nightline show a few weeks ago. A study was taken in 2003 in one of the city’s and it said if the elected officials does nothing to address the salaries and pension issues, by 2010, the city would run out to pay pensions. Guess what? The elected officials did absolutely nothing, and in 2010, the city ran out of money to pay pensions, hence the fireman’s wife was complaining to the present council.
“Enough” suggested in her comments above, we should pay our police officers what they deserve or this can encourage corruption as in other cities. Again, my friend, the $1 million dollars Eastern Shores pay in taxes to our city would not cut it. The $3/4 million we get from Oak Grove where I reside, would not cut it to pay the $20 million pay check to the police department. We should not be printing more money like Zimbabwe and socialist states to pay our debts. We need to live within our means. This would bring on inflation.
As per corruption emanating from the police force if we don’t pay them enough. Mam, paying a person little money does not bring out corruption from them. A person will maintain a straight attitude no matter what, and at the same time, if that person is corrupt, no matter how much money you pay them, the corruption streak will always be with them. Look at Bernie Madoff. He was paid billions, but do you think after the first billion he stopped stealing? A crook is a crook is a crook.
My friends, wake up and face reality. You can choose not listen to me and when we do not have a check to send to our hard working retired employees, only blame yourselves. The workers, if they do not want to compromise now, would only blame themselves when that check stops coming.
I think my message could not be clearer.
Mr. Kazan
The City that you are referring to that ran out of money to pay their retired employees is a City called Prichard Ala. And you are right they were warned back in the late 1990’s that they would run out of money in their pension fund if something was not done. However, what you failed to mention is that the City was not putting any money into the pension plan. And even after they were told that they had to start they refused to do so and that’s why they ran out of money. And just so you know they recently started paying their retired employees again. Again you are using information that you did not do any research on and you throw it out there to cause panic.
I think that every City employee is aware that some sacrifices have to be made during these times. However, to focus your rants and attacks on one department and it’s employees is shameful. There are so many other areas and departments that need to be looked at as well, yet you can not get away from the police department. If the council listened to you the police department would be sent back to the stone age where a starting police officer only made 20k a year. I know you think you live in Mayberry but if you want a quality police department with quality employees you at least have to pay them what the going rate is in the area. If you have your way we will lose all of our good hardworking employees to other police departments that are smart enough to know this.
With all due respect the only clear thing in your messages is that you have personal issues with the police department and can not focus any of your attention anywhere else.