Several months ago I heard a rumor that North Miami Beach Council Weasel Frantz Pierre had missed an inordinate amount of council and board meetings this year.  Of course, I decided to dig some dirt, starting with a simple public records request.  Ordinarily, my requests to the Clerk’s office, which are not as frequent as you might expect, are answered promptly.  Even if a document is not immediately available, I’ll receive a response from one of the Clerks (usually Adrian Thomas) advising me that she’s working on it and will get back to me as soon as possible.  Adrian is really great at responding to requests and never drops the ball.

For some odd reason, however, obtaining Frantzie’s attendance records was (and still is) like pulling teeth.  Without novocaine.

Instead of trying to explain it to you, I decided simply to reprint the email chain of events, which spell out in detail just how painful this process has been.

Next time, I think I’ll just get a root canal instead.

Read on:

May 9, 2013

Dear Clerks,

Please give me a copy of the attendance records of all the council members from 1/1/12 through the present date for the following meetings:

1.  Council meetings
2.  Budget meetings
3.  CRA meetings

Thanks for your assistance.

Stephanie

May 10, 2013

Hi Stephanie, there are no attendance records; other than what is captured in the Roll Call section of the minutes for Council and Budget Meetings. I will check with the CRA Coordinator to see if there are attendance records for the CRA meetings.

Pamela Latimore

June 6, 2013

I’m writing to follow up on the CRA meeting attendance record request.  Any word?

In order to make it easier to search, can you please tell me specifically how many meetings Frantz Pierre did NOT attend since January 1, 2013.  Please include council, budget and CRA meetings.

Thanks,
Stephanie

June 6, 2013

Councilman Pierre was absent from the April 16th 2013 meeting. I have requested the information from the CRA. Thanks.

Pamela

June 6, 2013

I also meant to ask about his absences from Executive meetings, but I forgot.  Please provide me with that information, too.

Thanks!

Stephanie

June 6, 2013

Information on Exec.sessions are not public until issue is resolved. So I would need specific session to see if that issue is closed.

Pamela

Before I could respond, I finally got a partial response the next day.

June 7, 2013

Per your request.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: “Cameau, Rasha” <Rasha.Cameau@citynmb.com>
To: “Latimore, Pamela” <Pamela.Latimore@citynmb.com>
Cc: “Weisblum, Roslyn” <Roslyn.Weisblum@citynmb.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 08:00:45 -0400
Subject: RE: Public Records Request re Council Attendance

Sorry!  Too tired to read this email apparently!

According to the minutes of:

January 2nd  Councilman Pierre was not present
January 24th Councilman Pierre was not present
March 19th   Councilman Pierre was not present
April 23rd Councilman Pierre was not present.

Please let me know if I should send you the minutes for each

Rasha

So I wrote back:

June 7, 2013

Thanks.  Are these dates council meetings or CRA meetings?

Are you able to get back to me regarding the executive meetings?  I am not interested in what was discussed.  I only want to know if Pierre was present or not.

Stephanie

June 7, 2013

CRA meetings.

Pamela

June 8, 2013

And executive meetings?

Stephanie

June 8, 2013

I don’t attend executive sessions and I am not sure as to how the attendance is recorded. I will attempt to find out as my office has not received any of the transcripts.

Pamela

June 18, 2013

Ten days have passed since my request for information.  Is any forthcoming?

Stephanie

No response for over two weeks, so I tried again.

July 3, 2013

Seriously, is there any reason I can’t get a response on this public records request?  Are we getting as bad as North Miami, where residents can die of old age before a request is filled?  It’s almost two months since my original request.  It’s not as if I’m asking for the impossible.  Somebody over there has to know how many executive committee meetings Frantz Pierre missed since the first of the year!  Darcee?  Roz?  Anyone?  HELLOOOO?

Stephanie

July 3, 2013

Stephanie, As I explained in a previous email…I do not believe that attendance records are kept for those sessions.

Due to that fact there may be a problem giving or getting that information with any certainty.

Pamela

My new BFF City Attorney Darcee Siegel got involved and wrote:

July 3, 2013

I will speak to Roz today and try to get you an answer.

Darcee

Still waiting, Darcee!

Yesterday I was advised that the General Pension Administrator sent an email to the Pension Board advising them that Frantzie was “out of the country” and will not be attending today’s meeting.  I then remembered my apparently long forgotten public records request and sent the following letter to the clerks, city manager and city attorney today:

August 15, 2013

Hello all.

It’s been over three months since my initial public records request about the attendance/non-attendance record of Frantz Pierre at Budget, Council, CRA and Pension meetings.  The only response I’ve received are his non-attendance record for the CRA board from January 2, 2013 through April 23, 2013.  I have not received any response for any of the other meetings, and I’m sure by now he’s missed more CRA meetings as well.

I was also advised that he is not attending today’s Pension meeting because he’s “out of the country.”

Do you think I’ll get an answer to all, or even any, of the above in the near future?

Just asking.

Stephanie

I’m sure a response is forthcoming.  Meanwhile, I scheduled an appointment for a routine root canal while I’m waiting.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”