Remember that time Dr. Rudy Moise tried to grab $1,211,540 of North Miami CRA money?
Well, he’s back!
Despite the fact that the Community Redevelopment Agency‘s own grant limit is $100,000, the wealthy doctor, and good friend of North Miami Mayor Smith Joseph, is still intent on requesting that North Miami taxpayers help fund the expansion of his private health care facility, Comprehensive Health Care, LLC.
Item 6 of the Agenda for tonight’s meeting of the CRA Board, is the “Comprehensive Health Center, LLC. Rehabilitation Grant Request.” In a memo to the CRA Board, Executive Director (and City Manager) Larry M. Spring Jr. states that even though the Dr. Moise is still “asking the CRA to consider a grant of $1,211,540, but [he] will accept a counter offer of $605,770, which amounts to 20% of project costs for phase one of the project.”
And which is still more than six times the CRA’s own grant limit.
But, hey. Can’t blame a guy for trying, right?
Larry Spring’s memo also noted that if the CRA Board approved this request, it “would need to waive the grant guidelines to exceed the maximum grant amount of $100,000.”
Ya think?
Ironically, in November of 2016, we criticized Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime for refusing to approve “a Second Amendment to the Interlocal Agreement in connection with the Amendment to CRA Redevelopment Plan (2016),” and threatening to destroy “the very agency he helped create.”
In exchange for passing the Second Amendment, Monestime demanded that the CRA boundaries be redrawn to exclude the rehabilitation of all single family homes.
We recently learned, however, Commissioner Monestime’s main beef was that the North Miami Community Development Agency consistently refused to abide by its own Commercial Grants Guidelines, which specifically limit grants to no more than $100,000. He had a point. Pollo Tropical, Alaska Coffee Roasting Co., Cafe Creme, Cafe Moca, and Descarga Brewing Company are just a few of the businesses that received CRA grant money in excess of $100,000. At least one of those grants was as high as $250,000, or 250% more than the grant limit.
It also didn’t help that there’s no love lost between Commissioner Monestime and North Miami Mayor Smith Joseph.
Just saying.
If the North Miami CRA Board, the members of which are conveniently the North Miami Mayor and Council, vote to approve Dr. Moise’s request for a $605,770 grant, it will be well over 600% higher than the CRA’s own limit.
Then again, it just might be in the Mayor’s own best interest to urge his colleagues on the CRA Board to approve this request. Multiple sources have intimated that after Mayor Dr. Smith Joseph’s term on the dais is up next May, he plans to join Dr. Moise’s medical practice.
Again, just saying.
North Miami residents – and especially its taxpayers – deserve better.
Stephanie
CRA GIVE AWAY–ASTONISHING!!! Why the hell does the CRA have a limit on what somebody can get, but be a friend of the Mayor’s and you get hundreds of thousands of dollars. North Miami is beyond corrupt and the City Manager is right up there with the reason the city NEEDS a forensic audit. WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI SO WE DON’T END UP LIKE OPA LOCKA AND MIAMI GARDENS. Wake up people. Our city is being raped and nobody seems to care.
Descarga Brewing has yet to open. New Times did a story a year ago and they said they would be opening in September. Still not open. Will do a drive-by sometime in the next few days to see what is going on. It shouldn’t take over a year unless they are dragging their feet. Do the grants come with guarantees to at least open the business or is it a check with no stipulations?
I believe each grant is individually negotiated, so you would have to check the contract between the grantee and the CRA. I could not find these contracts on the website, so I think you’d have to make a public records request.
I also could not find a comprehensive list of all CRA grant recipients and the amounts they received. This information should be listed on a single document and easily found on the website. Just saying.
there is a pollo tropical in north miami???
woops, forgot the one at the SW end of san souci blvd
That’s not NoMi. If PT received NoMi CRA $ for that shithole with was a scam. That’s County.
There is another PT on NW 7 Avenue. That’s the one that received CRA money.
I did not realize NM extended so far to the west!
Why a big brand name would need CRA money…does a fast food restaurant really fight blight? Hehe. just talking off the cuff.
It’s likely a corrupt NM system that involves the department employees, too. Consistent bad behavior all points to the staff that either are Yes people, profit from these grants, or simply unethical.Their staff report finally indicated that they are breaking their own rules and need a waiver to exceed $100,000. Dr Moise helped create the budget for this program? Isn’t that self serving interest? Did he also help create or modify the grant program? Again self serving interest.
Hey! Join a government advisory board, tinker with the program, apply for the program, get caught, resign, re-apply, and cash out after-the-fact.
Woot woot!
Ethical employees wouldn’t let this happen… just saying. It takes a staff of bad public servants.