One guess where I won’t be tomorrow night.
Yeah, that’s right.
I will not be at the North Miami Beach City Council meeting. I’d much rather watch a Law & Order:SVU marathon on the USA Network than endure what is sure to be yet another contentious gathering at City Hall.
According to the Agenda for the June 17, 2014 meeting, there are four, count ’em four, hotly debated pieces of legislation on the table, which means attendees can expect to camp out until the wee hours of the morning.
[Note to Meeting Goers: BYOW&P (Bring Your Own Water & Popcorn)]
Right out of the box, Resolution No. 2014-19 will be discussed ad nauseam, but not before public comment, when a long line of residents/employees/lobbyists/lawyers/doctors/Indian chiefs will assume the position at the podium to praise/chastise/applaud/beg/plead/urge/implore the Council to see things their way.
Because everyone is an expert and everyone knows what’s best for everyone else.
[Note to Self: THIS is precisely why you will NEVER run for office.]
Next up is the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) Ordinance No. 2014-5, for the purpose of rezoning the property located at 85 NW 168 Street from RO to CF. What this means is that the property, which “has been vacant for over five years, producing no economic benefit for its owners or the city,” according to a Memorandum from the City Manager to Mayor and Council, might actually be put to use.
Currently this building is zoned as a Residential Office. The Council is proposing to rezone it for a Community Facility, which “will allow it to house any number of medical uses, generating BTR revenues for the city, creating jobs and increasing economic activity for surrounding businesses.”
But we just can’t have any of that, now can we?
After all, this IS North Miami Beach. Why should we have an income producing property in our midst when we can have a lovely, but vacant, building to admire as we drive by on our way to someplace else?
Especially if that building houses a [GASP!] detoxification facility! Heaven forbid we have a medical facility designed to help people overcome their struggle with drug addiction, turn their lives around, and encourage them to become productive citizens.
But, no. According to some residents in North Miami Beach, we can’t have any of that!
Especially if we have a chance to increase the city’s coffers, create jobs and increase economic activity.
Yeah, it’s a nice idea to help people recover from drug addiction…
But, Not In My Back Yard.
[Note to City Council: The residents who don’t want a rehab facility in North Miami Beach are the same ones who grouse that we don’t have enough revenue and too many cops, while at the same time complaining that there aren’t enough parks and that there’s too much crime. Try balancing that act.]
Moving right along…
Ordinance No. 2014-6 is a proposal to rezone two pieces of property directly behind City Hall in the 17000 block of NE 20 Avenue, for the purpose of allowing a Residential Mid-Rise Multifamily development to be built.
YIKES! There’s that “D” word! Big, bad DEVELOPMENT!
We already know the usual and customary Anti-Development crowd will be out in full force screaming “NIMBY!”
Even if the proposed development isn’t in their back yard.
[Note #2 to City Council: See “Note to City Council” above, replacing the words “a rehab facility” with “development.”]
And, lastly, not only does the City Council propose to rezone the property mentioned above, but Resolution No. R2014-23 proposes building a WHOLE SLEW of townhouses on that very spot!
Even worse! The townhouses contemplated might even be two or [GASP!] three story Towers of Terror!
If that’s not enough to give the Anti-Development cranks palpitations, I don’t know what is! That alone would be worth the show, if I were so inclined to attend.
Even though tomorrow night’s council meeting should provide enough drama to get us through the long, hot summer ahead, I’m much more inclined to watch L&O:SVU reruns all night long. I’d rather drool over Danny Pino’s Det. Nick Amaro any day of the week than sit through another butt-numbing North Miami Beach City Council meeting.
[Note to Lisa: Christopher Meloni is all yours. I got dibs on Danny.]
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
No need to go to City Hall when you can watch from the convenience of your home Stephanie. Unless a person is willing to speak in front of the many residents and employees and then get stared at and hear people talk under their breath about you, I soon stay home.
I was invited to this,
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
We are calling a special meeting this Saturday 14th June, 2014, at 10:00 am – 12 noon at Eastern Shores Dunkin Donuts (corner of 163rd street and 35th Ave – Eastern Shores) to prepare for the next City Council meeting.
On Tuesday, June 17th 7:30 pm at City Hall, the Mayor will bring to a vote – the “sale” of our Sanitation Department to a private company for the promise of saving money. Our Sanitation Dept is growing and is very profitable (over $800 K per year). We need to keep these profits for our city to prosper and grow. It is a ludicrous and insane idea to give it away!
SUPPORT is growing among North Miami Beach residents and businesses to keep our Sanitation Dept. Join us this Saturday at Dunkin Donuts.
I wouldn’t attend that meeting either. While I do understand the need for citizens to participate and be a part of their government, I found that the discussion at that meeting is not something I can side with. After I read some interesting comments from your recent guest blog column, I find it hard not to agree that savings need to come from somewhere and the sanitation department, while profitable is not profitable enough when compared to the savings that poster’s added to the column should the city outsource. It seemed like some of your posters knew a lot and seemed to make a lot of sense to me. I like to see our government spend our money wisely.
Thank-you.
You might consider that such a meeting was an opportunity to foster open discussion on the issue. It’s important for people to stand up for what they believe is true, even if it might not be what the here believe.
I too was made aware of the meeting in Eastern Shores, however, after reading the slant in the invitation, I too declined to waste my time.
“Our Sanitation Department is growing and is very profitable (over $800 K per year)” says a lot in itself. Why would or should our sanitation department be “growing”? Are they hiring even more deadbeats? As I read in your previous column, someone with brains pointed out that the $800,000 profit is all relative. It could be $2,800,000 in “profit” if the services are outsourced to companies whose bread and butter is garbage.
I equate our sanitation department to the post office. They are really nice people however, if you want something that absolutely, positively has to get there, you call UPS. The post office workers shuffle, the UPS people hustle.
My recycling is picked up by a private contractor and I have no complaints about their service. I would imagine they could do an equal job at picking up our garbage too.
You can have Danny. I’ll keep Christopher. Deal?
Such a deal!
The real reason we are all addicted to Law and Order:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-duff/crime-shows_b_5455022.html
Interesting theory, but have you ever seen Danny Pino? Yeah, he’s the reason I keep watching. (Sorry, Lisa.)
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. 🙂
No need to be sorry. Danny Pino is HOT! That being said, our deal still stands.
“Interesting theory” is a bit of a stretch. I watch television to be entertained. I believe that is the purpose of television: entertainment. Nothing political about it. No deeper psychological motives involved. SVU is a darn good show…end of story. Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! 🙂
And I’m stickin’ with you. On all counts!