Last Tuesday was Whack-A-Weasel night at North Miami Beach City Hall when Council Weasel Frantz Pierre got his just deserts.

It was absolutely PRICELESS!

Just as the Three Stooges outdid themselves in sheer wackiness at the July 21, 2015 council meeting, their Feckless Leader, Frantzie, was also in rare form.  Unfortunately for Frantz (but fortunately for the blogger), the Mayor was in no mood for his lying, blustering, posturing and game playing.

Frantzie’s first act of buffoonery took place during the discussion of Resolution 2015-51 (page 10 of the Agenda) regarding the creation of a Charter Review Committee.  The item came up for discussion, and at about 9:40 pm (hour 2:04:51 on the video), Frantzie angled for an amendment to add “alternate” members to the Committee.

The P Man said, “Based on my experience with my third charter review committee, it’s okay each person to appoint one member, but I remember at the last charter review, there was one member that would never showed [sic] up.  So in order to cover such possibility, I would recommend to come up with something like, uh, designate two members, one would be an alternate in case one cannot serve, so we might find criteria to appoint that alternate, but there should be a way to cover for all seven members to be present at all times.”

I hurt myself laughing as he was talking because, as everyone knows, lack of attendance was certainly NOT the reason the Committee was disbanded.

Frantzie was THE sole reason for that disaster when he appointed MIRAMAR resident Yvenoline Dargenson to the Charter Review Committee.  The only reason for doing so was to have her run AGAINST HIS OWN COLLEAGUE in the 2013 election.  Since Dargenson was a VERIFIED carpetbagger, she was forthwith booted from the Committee.  The entire board then had to be axed.

Courtesy of L’il Frantzie P!

The real reason Frantzie wanted additional alternate members was indeed more calculated than his excuse.  Although not a requirement to run for office, candidates like to boast on their campaign literature that they served on one city board or another.  Everyone knows that when Frantzie appoints “his people” to committees, even if they never show up for meetings, that’s his way of prepping them to run for office.

At the end of the final four year term he’s currently serving, Frantzie has no intention of simply walking away without having his proxies in place.  Between now and 2017, he aims to stack the dais with his cronies so he can continue running North Miami Beach from behind the scenes.  If he can finagle a way to appoint two of his “surrogates” to the Charter Review Committee, he’ll then be able to pit them against two of his colleagues in 2017.  That way “his people” can follow in his corrupt footsteps long after he’s gone in 2019.

For fifteen minutes, Frantzie kept attempting to steer the discussion toward this end until finally, at hour 2:18:20 of the meeting, Mayor Vallejo delivered the first of many bitch slaps to the very deserving Council Weasel.

After Frantzie finished spewing his nonsense about alternates and non-attendance, the Mayor simply said, “The reason the last Charter Review Committee was disbanded … was not just because of absenteeism.  There were other issues.  There was a NON-RESIDENT MEMBER which tainted the process.  And, really, that’s the reason why we dismantled that and decided to start over.  So, let’s make sure we have the history correct so that we don’t over-engineer this.”

WHACK!

Frantzie remained sufficiently subdued until his encore performance, which began when Resolution R2015-59 (page 37 of the Agenda) was up for discussion.

This Resolution authorizes the City Manager to negotiate with number one bidder, Waste Management, Inc., for the privatization of the sanitation department.  It also authorizes the City Manager to negotiate with the number two bidder, Waste Pro, if an acceptable agreement cannot be reached with Waste Management.

Considering that five out of the seven council members already stated they were voting for this proposal (a rambling Phyllis eventually said she was voting against it even though it was “a good thing”), by the time it was Frantzie’s turn to speak, he was determined to make an ass out of himself.

Which really comes easy to him.

Frantzie’s motive was obvious.  If he could keep his bullshit going until midnight, the meeting would be automatically adjourned unless the council voted to continue the meeting past the witching hour.

(On that count, his ploy didn’t work.  At one minute before the clock struck twelve, the ever vigilant City Clerk noted that there needed to be a motion to continue.  It was made, seconded and approved.)

At 11:28 pm, or hour 3:47:43 of the meeting, Frantzie launched into false accusations of wrongdoing by prefacing that it was not his intention to accuse anyone of any wrongdoing.

He feigned regret in advance by pleading, “Please forgive if some name would be mentioned, some companies or some department.  Once again, no intention.  I’m simply ask [sic] for clarification.”

After asking some throw away questions, Frantzie finally got around to the real points he wanted to make.  He said.  “I have in my possession a communication dated December 22, 2014, from the number two company (Waste Pro) a communication, uh, actually to Mr. O’Conner stating quote unquote the selection process has been arbitrary and capricious.  In your manager’s seat I am convinced, and with legal, uh, on the other side, I am convinced that the process was clean.  It was not arbitrary.  It was not capricious.”

City Attorney Jose Smith responded that he was completely satisfied with the process, and noted that if Waste Pro had a problem, it had the opportunity to file a protest of the bidding outcome.  “The fact that they didn’t timely means that they have waived whatever arguments that they had about the process.”

But then Frantzie zoomed in for what he actually believed was the kill shot.

At approximately hour 3:57, he announced, “On that similar problem of the process, uh, I have another piece of literature.  Unfortunately I do not have it but I can guarantee that one other person have it at home.  Where the company that was listed number two with the picture of a council member in a piece of literature saying something like ‘coming soon to North Miami Beach.’  Uh, do you think, uh, that could be an impediment to the, uh, credibility of the process?  Because I LOVE my city.  I know you guys work SO hard.  I do not want anything to taint our city or put, uh, bad taste in peoples mouth on, uh, either the council, the members, and assuming what was said in that brochure and I promise I would give you a copy when I find it [unintelligible] I give them to, uh, do you think, uh, there could be a room for, for litigation if we decide to go through with the number one bidder?”

All of a sudden, Frantzie’s pompous bluster had now been replaced with a hesitant stammer while he struggled to get out this latest deception for the record.

Frantzie Watchers are well aware that this is not the first time he’s pulled this type of stunt.

In 2012, he accused then Public Works Director Shari Kamali of having “secret” meetings a sanitation bidder.

During an Internal Affairs investigation, Frantz claimed, “I can put on record that, I got at least two credible witnesses that can tell me, that the original vice-president of the winning bid company, has extensive conversation with Ms. Shari Kamali.”

I reported at the time, “At the Council meeting held June 5, 2012, Sgt. Silberman reiterated Pierre’s ridiculous remarks that “once again, when the time is right, the Council and the City will know the truth.”  He further quoted Frantz as saying, “I got “irrefutable evidence” that there were discussions, there were contact between Ms. Kamali and the individual.  I got credible witnesses and I stand by it.”

Frantzie’s “credible witnesses” never materialized.

And yet here he is, trying to pull the exact same crap all over again.

City Attorney Jose Smith was about to ask Frantzie about this alleged photograph when the Mayor interceded and flat out demanded, “Why don’t we do this?  What are you referring to, Councilman Pierre?  You saw it.  You saw the photo.  What is the photo of?  Name it.  What is it?”

WHACK!

Caught with his pants down, Frantzie started stammering and scrambling for a response.

Frantzie spat out, “A picture of the Mayor with an executive of Waste Pro in a magazine and, uh, I do not remember the exact wording but I save it and I have it, I guarantee I have it … somewhere, uh, something like ‘coming soon to North Miami Beach.’  I don’t want this to be [unintelligible] I promise I can [unintelligible] promise something and then give it to one other company.  That’s one thing.  And number two, since, uh, I’m not exploding (?) the contract yet, at, uh, they is, uh, they is, uh, allegation that we gonna squeeze the first bidder to the point they refuse and we give it to the second bidder.”

Oh, wait!  If Frantzie GUARANTEES  it, then we just HAVE TO  believe him!.

Yeah, I know.   Is that a riot, or what?

Spork Weasel continued, “This other thing I’m putting out in the open so we know exactly what we doing, we dealing with.  I don’t say it’s true, but I just wanna, uh, give us a word of caution, once again because I love my city and I know everybody here works SO hard and everybody, uh, has a reputation to deal with I don’t want ANY of my colleagues, whether it is the Mayor, anybody, uh, where we would be seen in a bad light, uh, I do not know, I do not know the exact date of the picture, uh, but I just put this thing out in the open for to clarify something or to clarify that the Mayor didn’t do anything wrong or we didn’t do anything wrong or we not responsible for the [unintelligible], uh, anything that have to do with that.”

Mayor Vallejo let him ramble.  He patiently sat through this blatantly false accusation of wrongdoing poker faced until Pierre was finally done doing the Weasel Dance.

When Frantzie finally stopped yammering, the Mayor calmly responded, “Councilman Pierre, I’m going to tell you something very clearly.  I can assure you, I can assure you, that I have not done anything wrong, and if there’s a photo of me in an advertisement like you’re saying, I don’t believe I ever authorized anything of the sort.  But, let me tell you something.”

Wait for it…

“I am not going to let these little red herrings, and these little accusations and these innuendos go unanswered.  If you say that there’s a picture of me somewhere in an advertisement, you better bring it to the city attorney by tomorrow!”

WHACK!

Weasel piped in, “As soon as I find it.  As soon as I find it.”

BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THERE IS NO SUCH PHOTOGRAPH!

The Mayor’s voice was even more measured as he continued, “Let me tell you, Councilman Pierre, you have done this many times on this dais and I am not gonna tolerate it.  That’s all I’m gonna tell you.”

WHACK!

For the record, as of late yesterday afternoon, Frantz Pierre STILL has not provided proof of his baseless accusations against the Mayor.

Trust me, there will be consequences.

Pierre continued to ask more stupid questions to which he already knew the answers, and then attempted to ask the City Manager if she thought other city departments would also be privatized.  It became blatantly apparent that he was merely stalling a vote on the Resolution.

At 11:53 pm, the Mayor interjected, “Councilman Pierre.  We don’t want to filibuster this.  We’re focusing on this one item.  It’s 11:45 at night.  We have people that are waiting.  We have other legislation.  Please let’s move it forward.  Ask your questions, let’s get the quick answers and let’s move forward.”

WHACK!

L’il Frantzie P had the freaking nerve to respond, “I have good consideration for you, Mr. Mayor and for the audience.  I want to speed this up, but if it takes me another three hours to go through all my questions I will.”

George sternly reminded the piss ant who’s in charge by replying, “No you won’t, Councilman Pierre, because the Mayor runs the meeting, okay?”

WHACK!

“Everyone here has had ample opportunity to meet with staff and workshop these issues to death and get these questions answered.  This is not a workshop.  This is a council meeting.  Everyone is supposed to have their information.  Please, let’s move it forward.”

Frantzie raised his puny voice and yelled, “Mr. Mayor, I think you’re being out of order.  The manager didn’t yet answer the question …”

Mayor George again stopped him dead in his tracks.  “Councilman Pierre, need I remind you that questions go through the chair?”

WHACK!

The Weasel then became visibly exasperated and responded with, “Do whatever you want.  Do whatever you want.”

He then slammed his notebook closed, said “Goodnight,” and got up to leave.  Sneaky little piece of crap that he is, this was his way of walking out on yet another controversial vote that he didn’t want to weigh in on.

He then sat down rather quickly because, as I was told later, Councilwoman Marlen Martell told him sternly, “You will sit down and VOTE!”

WHACK!

At the end of the discussion the Mayor had the last word.  He reiterated that he was going to vote for the Resolution, “based on the facts, based on the truth, and based on what is right for the city.”

Mayor Vallejo then said, “Madam Clerk, let’s vote,” and the Resolution finally came up for a vote.

Despite Frantzie’s lame attempt to hijack the meeting, the Resolution passed five to one, with Phyllis, interestingly, abstaining.*

*The official vote count was 5-2, with both Phyllis and Frantz voting “no.”  On the video, however, it did not appear that Phyllis spoke one way or the other.

WHACK!

Well played, Mayor.  Well played.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”