Why bother having a City Code if no one complies? Even more importantly, why bother having a City Code if it’s not enforced?
No, these are not rhetorical questions, although they probably should be. In North Miami Beach, we have a building Code. We really do. It’s even published on the city’s website under “City Charter and Code of Ordinances.”
Therefore, they must mean business, right?
WRONG!
As I’ve blogged ad nauseam, most recently in L’il (Old Lawbreaker) Frantzie P, North Miami Beach councilcritter Frantz Pierre has nine (yes, NINE!) registered voters living in his three bedroom, two bath home. That’s not even including his five (yes, FIVE!) minor children who presumably are not registered to vote. You’d think it would be easy to get our city’s Code Department to verify whether or not there are thirteen (yes, THIRTEEN!) people living in a three bedroom, two bath home, right?
WRONG AGAIN!
I’ve been trying to find out the answer to this question since March 1, 2012 when I first discovered Frantzie’s little secret and published it in Instant Karma’s Gonna Get You. To no avail.
On December 3, 2012, nine months after my first request, I sent the new City Manager Roslyn Weisblum the following email:
Dear Ms. Weisblum,
This letter will serve as a formal complaint that Mr. Frantz Pierre may in violation of City Ordinance No. 92-9 by having “more than three (3) of whom are unrelated to each other by birth, adoption, or marriage, and who are living and cooking as a single household. (Ord. No. 92-9, § 2, 6-16-92)”
According to the most recent voter rolls from Miami-Dade County, there are eight (8) registered voters living at 2120 NE 171 Street, North Miami Beach, FL 33162. You can see all the details on my column from this morning at https://www.votersopinion.com/?
If, in fact, you do determine that there are more than three individuals living at his home “who are unrelated to each other by birth, adoption, or marriage,” I expect that you and/or the Code Enforcement Officer will take appropriate action by citing the violation and making sure the violation is corrected within a reasonable amount of time.
Please notify me immediately once you determine whether or not a violation has been committed so that I may take further action, if necessary.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Stephanie Kienzle
Not surprisingly, I got no response.
On December 18, 2012, I followed up my original request with the following email:
Still waiting for a response to this complaint. An acknowledgement would be nice.
Stephanie Kienzle
Finally, on December 19, 2012, I received the following email from Ms. Weisblum:
I am not certain as to what is required to receive a voter’s registration at a particular address. I called the City Clerk’s office and it appears that in addition to a government photo ID, another document such as utility bill or bank statement with the name and address is also required. However, I am not sure how a child of the owner of the property who has reached the age of majority would obtain a voter’s registration if they could not provide a bill.
I have not obtained any information that indicates that the Ordinance you mentioned below has been violated.
Sincerely,
Roz
Roslyn B. Weisblum
City Manager
City of North Miami Beach
17011 N.E. 19th Avenue
North Miami Beach, FL 33162
Phone: 305-948-2900
Fax: 305-957-3602
Talk about evading the question, huh? WTF?
I quickly shot back an email stating:
Ms. Weisblum,
You did not answer my question. How many people live in Frantz Pierre’s house?
As I researched:
Under “Article II, Sec. 24-12 Language,” which deals with the definitions of terms used in the the “North Miami Beach Zoning and Land Development Code.” One of the items defined is the word “family” as:
Family: One (1) or more persons occupying a dwelling, not more than three (3) of whom are unrelated to each other by birth, adoption, or marriage, and who are living and cooking as a single household. (Ord. No. 92-9, § 2, 6-16-92)
If Frantz has more than three unrelated adults, as described in the ordinance, living in his house, he is in violation of the Code.
Therefore, I ask again, How many people live in Frantz Pierre’s house?
Thank you,
Stephanie Kienzle
That was yesterday. Today is a brand new day. Let’s see how quickly I get a response to the question I actually asked. I hope I don’t have to wait as long as it takes for Phyllis to finish a sentence. I’m just saying.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
UPDATE DECEMBER 20, 2012 8:59 AM:
Ms. Weisblum sent me the following email:
I am sorry to say that I have no means of an answering your question. Other than the knowledge that Mr. Pierre has a large family, I have no way of knowing the number of people residing in the home.
Roz
I responded with:
Apparently, then, the City of North Miami Beach has no way of enforcing its building Code. Therefore, I am contending that any resident or business owner who receives a Notice of Violation need not comply. If a CITY COUNCILMAN can allegedly violate the City Code with no consequences, everyone else is now feel free to do the same.
Thank Frantz Pierre for setting the precedent for the rest of us! I’ll be spreading the word.
I notified my email list, too. FREE AT LAST!
Are you a betting woman?
Is it possible that Frantz Pierre has invoked Executive Privilege? After all, he does allude to his close association with Frederica Wilson when being investigated. Regarding Roz, I’m sure she is too busy pushing through incorporation of her neighborhood as a NE Dade MAC Board member, so has little time for such mundane matters as managing North Miami Beach. It was mighty nice of the NMB Council to help Roz build her pre-retirement resume so she can become CM of the intended new city incorporation. God help the unwilling victims of the empire building dreams of the MAC Board.