A very influential and highly respected resident in North Miami Beach always signs off his email correspondences with these words:
“There is no right way to do a wrong thing”
I can’t think of any better motto by which to govern one’s actions.
These are also the words that came to mind when I read the Agenda for tonight’s North Miami City Council meeting.
As recently as November 14, 2013, I praised the City Commission in a column, North Miami cleans up its act for telling the developer of Biscayne Landing to remove 194,000 cubic yards of potentially hazardous material that it planned to use as fill.
Apparently, my praises were premature.
It now seems that the City has succumbed to the pressure by entering into a settlement with Oleta Partners, LLC, which will allow the fill to remain at the site.
According to the proposed Settlement, as spelled out in Tab G of the Agenda:
1. On November 1, 2013, the Miami-Dade County Environmental Quality Control Board granted a variance to allow the use of the fill at Biscayne Landing.
2. On November 12, 2013, the City of North Miami voted to require Oleta Partners to remove the fill.
3. On November 18, 2013, the City sent a formal notice to Oleta to remove it.
4. On December 2, 2013, the City filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in order to quash the November 1, 2013 Miami-Dade County variance.
5. On December 9, 2013, Oleta filed a Motion to Dismiss the City’s Petition.
6. On December 12, 2013, the Court issued an Order to Show Cause, asking Oleta to explain why the City’s Petition should be denied.
For some inexplicable reason, instead of going ahead with the lawsuit in court, the City came up with a “solution” in order “to avoid the expense and inconvenience of litigation.” In exchange for the sum of ONE MILLION DOLLARS, Oleta Partners, LLC can keep the potentially hazardous land fill at Biscayne Landing.
Huh?
It’s apparently too expensive and inconvenient for the City Council members to concern themselves about the health of the city’s residents and the environment of our entire community, as long as the developers aren’t inconvenienced by having to get rid of the potentially hazardous material they dumped at Biscayne Landing.
But, no worries!
It’s all good because, according to Tab H of the Agenda, “the City, with Oleta’s input, will organize an educational campaign … to properly educate residents and stakeholders regarding the allowable uses of the Fill.”
This is eerily similar to the tactic once attempted by the Political Action Committee, MOCA Yes!, which was formed to properly educate the residents and stakeholders on why they should approve a bond for the museum in a referendum that failed miserably last August.
Note: MOCA Yes! is presently under investigation by the Florida Elections Commission, which found probable cause that this PAC has not complied with State election laws.
For the low cost of ONE MILLION DOLLARS, Oleta Partners, LLC was able to convince the Mayor and City Council of North Miami that “it is in the best interest of the City” to “allow the use of the Fill” and “to rescind” its own November 12, 2013 vote to remove it.
This should be interesting.
Someone needs to remind the North Miami City Council that:
“There is no right way to do a wrong thing”
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
This is North Miami that is, once again, putting the citizens last. Nobody should be at all surprised that this is happening. To hell with what’s right, just what’s convenient for the powers that be. Now we all must wonder what is going to happen to the quality of the water that is so important for everybody. So sad that stupidity continues to win out in this city.
As Gomer Pyle would say,
“SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!”
Unfortunately we NEVER litigate anything! Doesn’t matter who sits on the dais. Mayor, Council, City Atty, City Manager, etc. The answer is the same, too expensive to do anything but drop it. Several come to mind. Multiple debacles regarding our toxic waste dump, no longer on the EPA Superfund list currently known as 151 at Biscayne. If you give the City money we’ll just go away till the next problem comes up over there and we’ll bury that one too. Other dropped suits include Home Depot, FPL, State of Fl re the Citrus Canker BS, and so many more. Nobody cares and nothing gets done. We’re being nuked by the skyscraper power poles that line both sides of 135th Street what’s a little toxic fill between friends. Here’s 1 million dollars, now just go away. And criminals remain at City Hall! Thanks Stephanie for the info.
With the crooks we have on the North Miami Council we all know that three of the Council members will figure out a way to get the one million for themselves.
Nobody has asked the questions of who, how, where, when & why will the $1million be spent? 1million to 1 odda it will last 3 months. Furthermore, it has likely already been spent by the uncontrollable leaders of the city.
at one meeting they say money supposed to cover costs of additional pumps/in case of problems with cleaning this soil when added to the other injections/pumps they are doing right now with other soil. but… who knows… joseph- we need an east side mayor next time. just saying.
Thanks Stephanie. So much more to say but I have said it and you say it well. Scott and Carol if you are reading this, make some noise tonight. You’ve heard everyone before come out to speak, don’t let their efforts go to waste — I so dislike that you all (COUNCIL) vote on something after hearing lots of testimonials – then the crooks I mean developers come back with all their reasons they should be able to keep the stuff there THAT THEY WERE NEVER ALLOWED BY CONTRACT TO BRING — and the council changes their mind (except Scott.). At least you could have gotten more than a million dollars, (if you wonder why you are having such budget problems maybe you need to start with how you negotiate things!) I did not hear about this campaign to say why this soil is good – sick to me. The worse part is that they probably believe it. Anyone say doublespeak?
And isn’t an agreement an agreement- CLEAN SOIL was the agreement. And do you know that they would have never let them keep it there if there weren’t ALREADY cleaning up the ammonia they are CURRENTLY pumping down thousands of feet to clean! At one meeting they said they would just add this soil to the cleaning!! (of course you all know there are methane sensors under all the buildings.)
And… where is DERM/RER in all of this, in all their grand logic, another question all together… and if you want to follow the soil, that is another great question for an investigative reporter… but for now, tonite’s meeting and hoping that 3-2 vote gets a shift… Of regarding the water, I would never let my kids drink out of the fountains at that school, Just sayin’ (!)