While on a search to find out everything we could about North Miami Beach’s newest Interim City Attorney, Hans Ottinot, we followed the trail to the City of Tamarac, where he also holds the Interim City Attorney position. What we discovered there is so much more heinous than even we were expecting.
It’s almost too shocking for words.
The overt and unmitigated racism, misogyny, and even antisemitism, spewed by two of the Commissioners at public meetings was enough to make one’s blood boil.
Believe it or not, Hans Ottinot is the least of the many problems at Tamarac City Hall.
In an interesting February 24, 2021 letter to the editor in Tamarac Talk, the community newspaper, entitled To the Tamarac City Commission: Interim City Attorney Has Serious Unresolved Allegations Against Him, Tamarac resident A. Losa wrote:
I am writing to express my neighbors’ deep concerns with our Interim City Attorney and his hire. As you know, our former City Attorney abruptly resigned after 15 years of service.
After, you all met and discussed how to replace Goren and decided to hire an interim city attorney for a short time while a bid was put together for a permanent firm.
You also decided that whoever you chose as the interim city attorney would not be considered for the permanent position. You all also told us that you would make this process fairly quickly.
That has not happened.
In the meantime, you hired Hans Ottinot as our Interim City Attorney. It seems that you did not properly do your homework before hiring him.
He has been involved in recent incidents that call into question his ethics, judgment, and ability to follow the law.
Mr. Losa then mentioned that Hans was investigated by the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust for “conflict of interest issues.” (More about that in my next blog.)
He also brought up a February 13, 2021 Miami Herald article, North Miami Beach Mayor Asks Prosecutors To Investigate City Attorney Hiring, which reported “that Mr. Ottinot tricked the North Miami Beach Mayor into signing his contract. He led the North Miami Beach Mayor to believe that his contract was vetted by the city’s procurement department. The North Miami Beach Mayor was quoted as saying Ottinot ‘shoved a paper on my desk that did not go through a process of ratification.'”
Mr. Losa closed his letter by urging the Tamarac City Commission to “begin the process of selecting a permanent new City Attorney immediately. Why involve yourself and our City in this Ottinot mess? Our City does not need this sort of negative attention from any of our officials. I am confident all will make the best decision for our community when informed.”
Unfortunately, his confidence in his local government officials is probably misplaced if the Tamarac Commissioners are anything like Team Apocalypse of North Miami Beach.
Witness the video (beginning at hour 1:36:11) of the February 24, 2021 Tamarac Regular City Commission meeting, during discussion of a proposed Resolution, which Interim City Attorney Hans Ottinot drafted to “establish a policy.” Mayor Michelle Gomez proceeded to educate Hans that the proposed “policy” should be adopted by Ordinance and not a Resolution.
As it turns out, by foisting this Resolution on the Mayor and Council, Hans Ottinot had an ulterior motive, which was exposed by Mayor Gomez at hour 1:49:52 of the meeting video.
The Mayor explained that the proper way would be to propose an Ordinance with a “public reading and have public comment on it. And done to be a law, not a Resolution trying to effect policy.”
“Isn’t it true,” she asked, “that this is being rushed because it’s an improper attempt to try to stop somebody, a member of this Commission, from serving on a Broward County Planning Council Board?”
Hans attempted to interrupt her, but the Mayor wasn’t about to let him bully her.
Mayor Gomez continued, “I’m going to start again. Isn’t it true that this is being rushed through, being submitted in the form of a Resolution, to stop a member of this Commission from serving on a duly appointed board in the Broward County Planning Council tomorrow, as an Ordinance would take a full month before it would be enacted?”
BUSTED!
We have never been in contact with any public official in the City of Tamarac. But, to the uninitiated viewer of this particular meeting, it certainly appears that Hans Ottinot and Commissioner Marlon Bolton have some sort of grudge against Mayor Michelle Gomez. We certainly were intrigued, and continued watching.
When Mayor Gomez backed up her legal opinion by citing Florida Statute 166.041, as well as numerous case laws, Commissioner Marlon D. Bolton rushed in to defend Hans by accusing her of racism.
Oh, dear.
Here we go again.
It should be noted that Mayor Michelle Jaye Gomez is herself an accomplished attorney. She is THE Senior Partner of Saunders Curtis Ginestra & Gore, P.A., one of the oldest and most prestigious law firms in the State of Florida, which was founded before Hans was even a zygote. Ms. Gomez is a member of the Florida Bar, the Broward County Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the New York Bar. She is also admitted to practice before the Southern District of Florida Federal Court and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator and County Court Mediator. For all intents and purposes, Mayor Gomez is jurisprudential royalty.
Hans Ottinot, Sr., is a member of the Florida Bar.
If Mayor Gomez was compelled to debate Hans Ottinot over a legal matter, we’re supremely confident it had nothing to do with the fact that Hans is black.
Watching this exchange, however, we got the distinct impression that Hans & Co.’s animosity toward the Mayor is because she’s not black.
In fact, it’s pretty insulting that Commissioner Bolton, also a pastor self-dubbed as “Prophet Fire,” automatically assumed that Mayor Gomez was only “attacking” Hans because he’s black, and not because she’s a highly intelligent, well educated lawyer in her own right.
That’s pretty damn sexist if you ask us.
Not to mention racist.
Then again, Commissioner Michael D. Bolton, an interesting character himself, also seems to have a problem with women.
This preacher, a/k/a “Prophet Fire,” was spotlighted by the Miami New Times last year for claiming to have “prophesied” COVID-19 … and for scolding women if they’re not satisfied with their husbands’ “6-inch” penises, while protesting, “Not me. I’m well-endowed!”
Watch Porn on the Pulpit:
Folks, we couldn’t make this stuff up if we tried.
We certainly have no idea how Mayor Michelle Gomez can sit through Commission meetings with a straight face while suffering these two fools gladly, but she manages to do so with grace and dignity.
Even when she was viciously attacked by the overt racist, misogynistic Bolton during last Wednesday night’s Tamarac City Commission Meeting.
Beginning at hour 0:48:59 of the meeting video, the “well-endowed” Commissioner Marlon D. Bolton moved to appoint Hans Ottinot as the permanent City Attorney, despite the fact that the Mayor and Commission are currently in the process of accepting applications.
Commissioner “Prophet Fire” Bolton began his speech by claiming to be a “unifier,” as opposed to the actual racist and sexist that he is, and that he thought “long and hard” (no pun intended) about Hans Ottinot and he had “some thoughts.”
He then asked his colleagues for a “blanket approval,” and then made a motion that the City Commission “suspend the six-day rule and add an item to the Agenda in accordance to [sic] Section 2-34, Subsection (d)(3) of our Code allowing that I discuss an item with possible action immediately and for this item and also suspend Robert’s Rules.”
Mayor Gomez advised him that the proper time to discuss this matter would not be during Commission Reports, but during Section 13. Other of the Agenda, which she reminded Bolton that he himself had set aside for business not on the Agenda.
Bolton ignored her like the racist/sexist he is, and said, “I made a motion and I’d like a second please.”
When Mayor Gomez reminded the Commission that no motions were to be made during Commission Reports, Bolton’s fellow racist/sexist Commissioner Mike Gelin (the same cop-hating, con artist who tried to subvert a bidding process in North Miami) also ignored the Mayor and seconded the motion.
Bolton then overstepped his bounds by trying to direct the City Clerk to call the roll, but the Mayor shut him down and opened it up for discussion.
Commissioner Debra Placko spoke and wanted to know why this wasn’t being brought up during the section set aside for “Other.”
Bolton retorted, “I have access to the Agenda and I can bring up an item any time I want.”
As expected, Hans Ottinot backed up his fellow racist/sexist Bolton, who dramatically announced that he wanted Hans to be the permanent City Attorney of Tamarac.
Marlon “The Prophesier” Bolton explained, “I wholeheartedly believe that another man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Hans Ottinot is here.”
Unclear on the concept of the word “interim,” Bolton went on, “I know we are looking for a permanent City Attorney. I believe that while we are looking for the right firm, Hans Ottinot should nevertheless be our permanent Attorney. We should still go out, go through the process of finding someone. But I want to be sure that Hans is designated as our permanent Attorney whose services will end when we confirm our permanent Attorney, and quite frankly, that could be Ottinot or some other firm.”
After repeating the same stupidity several times, he finally made a motion to appoint Hans as the permanent-but-really-interim City Attorney, which motion was, of course, immediately seconded by Commissioner Mike “F*ck the Police” Gelin.
Of course there were no public comments since the public, who must register ahead of time to speak at meetings, had no way of knowing that this matter was going to be added to the Agenda at the last minute.
Commissioner Debra Placko spoke first and said, “I’m a little confused. We’re going to make someone a permanent Attorney and then hire a permanent Attorney? That doesn’t seem logical to me.”
Maybe that’s because she doesn’t have a penis to think with, right Pastor Bolton?
Mike Gelin likes the idea because he doesn’t like the word “interim.”
Anyone wanna guess what organ he thinks with?
Mayor Gomez, who appeared to be confused, wondered why they interrupted Commission Reports to fix something that isn’t broken and to debate semantics.
In his infinite wisdom, Bolton insisted, “Interim Attorney is temporary, um, City Attorney is permanent. Uh, that is the difference. We are going through the process to find a permanent Attorney. Uh, if this motion passes tonight, Hans Ottinot will become our permanent Attorney. Uh, when we finish the process, if we find a law firm that is better than his, he will be fired and that law firm will assume the role of permanent Attorney. If we go through the process and his firm is selected, then he will continue on as our permanent City Attorney. Let’s not make this complicated. It is not rocket science. It is simple, uh, and I think it is the right thing to do.”
Bolton then turned on his “Prophet Fire” persona and boomed:
Now, please hear me and hear me good. I will not be bullied, Mayor, by you or your FAKE FRIENDS who sent emails. I will repeat – slooooow motion. I will not be bullied! By YOU! Or your FAKE FRIENDS who sent emails. Take that for a double down.
When the Mayor responded that he makes those false allegations all the time, Bolton shot back with:
Well, guess what? I think that you are falsifying public records by bullying all of us to send us emails, and when we find out who the real culprit is, you’ve made your bed in HELL.
Uh, huh.
And yet, if anyone was doing the bullying here, it was none other than the Bolton himself.
But, apparently he’s more concerned about the size of his package than how despicably he treats women.
Then there’s Commissioner Mike Gelin, who was very much in favor hiring Hans as the permanent City Attorney for the sole purpose of having the word “Interim” removed from his official title.
Gelin said he spoke to all but one of the referrals that Hans listed on his application.
He also claimed that he also received “three unsolicited calls,” one of which was a person “whose last name, I think, is Goldman, a white, Jewish woman who’s an attorney at Shutts and Bowen, also a Commissioner in the City of Sunny Isles Beach – gave him a GLOWING recommendation.”
He said this with amazement, as if he just discovered that we all don’t have horns, carry diamonds in our pockets, or drink the blood of Christian babies at Passover.
By the way, Gelin, we love the gratuitous dig at “the blogger.”
We’ll take notoriety over obscurity any any time you wanna give us a shout out!
After nearly forty minutes of discussion, Mayor Gomez told Mr. Bolton that he had one last comment before putting his matter to a vote since they had to move on.
He flexed his, ahem, muscle again and said, “Who decides I have one last comment?”
When the Mayor responded, “Myself,” he lost his shit.
“No, you don’t,” he retorted. “I have one last comment but you DO NOT have the right to tell me I have one last comment, and I do not have to put my hand up because we suspended Robert’s Rules for this discussion.”
“So, tread lightly,” he threatened. “I know the law. You may have the law degree, but it’s dusty.”
Commissioner Bolton is obviously threatened by Mayor Gomez, who is clearly his intellectual and professional superior.
Then again, someone so hung up on titles and penis size is lacking in both areas.
Using his most bombastic hellfire and brimstone preacher voice, Bolton dramatically announced:
Let me be abundantly clear. I like Hans Ottinot. I think he’s doing great work. And he deserves to be called our permanent City Attorney. Our City Attorney. I purposely wanted this to be discussed now because throughout this meeting, Mayor, if this passes you WILL call him City Attorney and not Interim City Attorney. Call the BLACK MAN City Attorney! Please. I would love to hear that. And I hope that this passes.
There it is.
The real motive behind his bringing this up at the beginning of the meeting was so he could tell a white woman to bow down and kiss the ass of a black man.
Only a sad, evil, little man, with an even smaller penis, would take such sadistic pleasure in spewing such venom.
And while he appeared to be on his best behavior, Vice Mayor Elvin Villalobos certainly had no problem with the unchecked racism, sexism, and antisemitism displayed by his colleagues on the dais.
We’d almost feel sorry that Hans Ottinot was collateral damage in Bolton’s twisted, racist game if he weren’t most likely in on the scheme.
In our next blog, we will dish all the dirt about Ottinot’s former gig as the City Attorney for Sunny Isles Beach, and his ugly departure.
Stephanie
I don’t know how truthful A. Losa’s letter is in stating that the Interim Attorney was not going to be considered for the Permanent Attorney’s position, as nothing pointed out in your post includes this information as fact. If it is true, then Hans cannot be considered for the Permanent position, and these two Commissioners are not following the previous directive when they appointed him as Interim. The Citizens of Tamarac need to speak up, and one thing you mentioned about having to register first before the meeting, I believe is a violation of law, as anyone has a right to speak at a meeting, especially when a curveball like this, is thrown.
A. Losa is a Tamarac resident. I assume he knows more than I do about his city. Since I never paid any attention to Tamarac before, and I only watched parts of the last two meetings, I had no idea of the history until now.
Tamarac Talk posted an article the day before my blog was posted, which I didn’t see until yesterday, but it backs up what A. Losa stated. Click to read: https://tamaractalk.com/bolton-demands-commission-city-attorneys-24744
The article states, “Last December, the commission voted to temporarily hire Hans Ottinot’s law firm after Sam’s Goren’s untimely departure. Despite feeling remorse three months ago for his actions, Bolton made a statement claiming on Wednesday that he never berated Goren, even though he is on record of calling Goren untrustworthy, even saying, “You, Sam Goren, are full of Holy Bible.” After Goren left, Bolton and the rest of the commission agreed that Ottinot would be an interim city attorney and would not be considered a permanent replacement.”
This Bolton character really is a piece of work. The more I read about him, the more I can see he’s just bat shit crazy. And it’s obvious he also hates the Mayor (and maybe all white people) with a passion. That’s not a good combination. I hope she’s taking extra precautions. Just saying.
Bolton once told a neighborhood leader he had to blow him(bolton) if the neighborhood leader wanted his help on a park issue. Pretty sure he went to a woman instead….
I do not doubt this happened. Bolton appears to have major psychological problems. I think he needs help.
Bolton has had allegations against him that would suggest he plays both sides of the fence (https://youtu.be/2vfc8kNnOto?t=259). Also, prior to becoming “Prophet Fire,” he was a modeling agent that specialized in half-naked men (https://marlonbolton-frontsteam.blogspot.com/ [https://archive.is/A5bbZ]).
The commission stated that the interim attorney would not be able to bid for the permanent position at the special commission meeting they held on Dec. 14, 2020. Placko made the motion, Bolton seconded it, and it passed unanimously: https://tamaracfl.new.swagit.com/videos/108183?ts=2752
Jack, thanks for sending me the message. As you can see, your comments are now posted. As as admin of this site, I need to approve comments before they post, and I was away from my computer for several hours this morning. Thanks also for sending this article: https://tamaractalk.com/vice-mayor-conversion-to-judaism-23022
Bolton is a real nut job. It’s hard to believe he walks among normal people unsupervised.
This was one of the most shocking and revealing blogs I’ve ever read of yours. More so because I cannot believe this hasn’t made it to the 6 o’clock news. These 2 men are outright bigots and if the table was turned and they were white men telling a black woman anything similar, in reverse of course, this would be on the 6:30 national news as well as every cable news network.
From this descrptive blog to what is happening in NMB of late, it’s obvious Hans Ottinot’s fingerprints are all over both Tamarac and North Miami Beach.
I think you need to change your popcorn bucket reference in past blogs to a vomit bucket. This makes my stomach turn as it should make everyone else’s.
It was Andre Pierre who got Hans installed in both Tamarac and NMB. Andre directed Mike Gelin to get Hans the job in Tamarac, and Andre also controls NMB’s Team Apocalypse. Andre tried to throw me off his scent by tossing out another name, and telling me that person is the Puppetmaster. However, after doing more digging and talking to a lot more people, I am certain that Andre is at the center of all of this.
While Hans may have engineered his appointment as permanent-but-not-really-permanent City Attorney in Tamarac, I honestly believe he had no idea that Marlon Bolton was a certifiable lunatic. I watched that meeting, and I got the impression that even Hans was uncomfortable when Bolton started spewing his racist garbage.
Hans is no angel – and he comes with plenty of baggage, but Bolton is just flat out deranged.
As for NMB, along with Andre, another player pulling the strings of Team Apocalypse is Jean Monestime. They saw an opportunity and jumped on it. The rest is history.
As an aside, I’ll just leave this right here:
1. Any woman who sleeps with a married man is a slut and a traitor to the sisterhood.
2. Any woman who sleeps with a man in exchange for a political career is literally a prostitute.
Just saying.
Marlon have used his Commissioner position to intimidate and manipulate others. during campaign he made fun of people with accents, and had a Crew that he paid to attack any one who was running against him. Obviously, he believes that women belongs in the kitchen because he said it out loud. He also told one of the library employees {A senior woman} that he will use all his power to make her lose her job because he has strong power in Tamarac if she continues coming at him and remind him to follow the rules during campaigning which by the way the senior fainted because of the way Marlon shout at her and even an ambulance picked her up that day. While the ambulance was preparing the library employee to be taken to the hospital he also made a comment on how well deserved this is happening to the senior lady because she should mind her own business.
There really is something wrong with him. Why hasn’t anyone filed a complaint with the Broward Inspector General? This is an egregious abuse of power. He need to be removed from office.
Politics has seen racist thugs and crooks before…. thank God for freedom of the press and this insightful article on the current state of disunion in the great city of Tamarac. The Mayor must really love her city to be able to stand up against the insane behavior of these boorish and self-serving City Commissioners.
I take my hat off to Mayor Gomez. Good luck to you and your city.
As usual your informative articles once again help to understand possible “Corruption” in Bay Harbor Islands, when our previous Town Attorney resigned after 43 years in Office (“$4.1 Million is being investigated by the FBI), and when Law Firms and/or individual Attorneys signed up to become (03-22-2021) our next (BHI) Town Attorney{s}. Besides the “Assistant” Attorney continuing on for approximately a year as our “Interim” Town Attorney stating he allegedly “knows nothing,” there are (2) two other Law Firms, and/or individual Attorneys who signed up, and where the Miami-Dade Ethics & Public Trust was asked why these (2) two particular Attorneys did not also sign up as alleged “LOBBYIST” (described below):
FYI: 04-06-2021: TOWN ELECTION: (BHI) Mayor running as “INCUMBENT” after (+/-) 16 years:
02-24-2017) Town Mayor taking a “POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION” from Developer/ Owner “One Kane Concourse? ” The Town Mayor (03-10-2021) approving changing our Town Code (Sec. 23-23(e) to decrease our (20′) wide Gateway Pedestrian Promenade to (10′), to allegedly only benefit this particular Developer/ Owner at “One Kane Concourse?”
(03-16-2017) The Town Mayor taking a “POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION” from Developer/ Owner “Church by the Sea? The Town Mayor (03-10-2021), after “admission of guilt,” approving “funding” (Fl. Statute 376.78(2)(c) for this particular Multimillionaire Tax-Exempt “Church by the Sea,” when allegedly this particular Owner/Developer “Church” is NOT being held accountable for previous noxious and poisonous gases released allegedly into the lungs of both our Town Residents and their Children’s Public Health, Safety and General Welfare when their “Demolition Permit” was originally issued (01-07-2020)?
Anyone who takes the time to read Mayor Gomez’s bio on the Tamarac city website will find that she is a rock star. Her accomplishments go on and on. She does not deserve to have to sit next to some of those clowns on the city commission who can’t even come close to matching her credentials. Tamarac is super lucky to have her as their mayor.
Her legal credentials are also listed on her Florida Bar site (https://www.floridabar.org/mybarprofile/338590). Mayor Gomez is a legal rock star for sure! I really admire her for not reacting to the attacks and insults lobbed at her by the two ass clowns on the Commission. She never stoops to their level. She’s my idol!
Personally, I could never be so calm and collected. I’d be lunging across the dais and ripping their faces off.
Figuratively speaking, of course. 😉
Good Afternoon Ms. Kienzle,
I read one of the comments that questioned whether the Tamarac Interim Attorney could not be considered for the permanent position. Here is my last e-mail to the Commission, which they ignored of course. In the e-mail, I sent to all of them, I also pointed to the sections of the bid documents that specifically state that he can’t be considered for permanent. Here it is
Mayor Gomez and City Commissioners
Over the last few weeks, I and my neighbors have become very familiar with our Interim City Attorney’s past and current grey area practice. We have shared some of Ottinot’s sorted past with our you, including his role in the shenanigans that are now going on in North Miami Beach surrounding his appointment there. Those set of sorted facts have led to the accusations of criminality leading to a Miami-Dade State Attorney investigation. Well, it seems that there is always more when it comes to Hans Hottinot and unethical behavior and simply bad judgment. Turns out that for almost three years, Hans Ottinot was investigated by the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics for accepting numerous high priced courtside and lower level tickets to Miami Heat basketball games from a Sunny Isles developer, Raanan Katz. That is the same developer Ottinot went to work after he was fired from Sunny Isles. He was also investigated for that smart career move. You just can’t make up this stuff. What ethical person does this sort of nonsense? He also got concert tickets and other gifts. So, at the end of the lengthy investigation, Ottinot only avoided punishment because he hired a high powered, well connected former U.S Attorney, Kendall Coffey. The finding was that the violation was minimal because he “disclosed” the high price gifts on his financial reports. Laughable! Are we to believe it took the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and the Miami-Dade County State Attorneys’ Office three years to look at Hans Ottinot’s annual financial reports? If you want to read that investigation for yourself, you can go to the Miami Dade County Commission on Ethic’s website and look for Case Number K12-183. The bottom line is that all of these ongoing issues with Ottinot just stinks and are not isolated and is the way he operates.
The same facts are now playing out in North Miami Beach and are being investigated by the authorities. I have also reminded you all that you told the public that the interim position would be temporary and that the process to select a permanent City attorney would begin as soon as possible. In addition, I have also reminded that you also told the Community that the firm or attorney selected for the interim position would not be considered for the permanent City Attorney position. That was also specifically provided for in the document the City used to select the interim attorney. On December 14, 2020, our City issued a Request For Letters Of Interest – Emergency Interim Legal Services For The City Of Tamarac (LOI 21-08L). The due date was only three days later on December 17, 2020. In other words, any interested attorney or law firm had only three days to respond. Well, it does not take a genius or rocket scientist to conclude that the pool of candidates for the interim position would be extremely limited based on the quick turn around and the fact that they could not respond for the permanent solicitation. The LOI emphasized that in several places, beginning, in bold print, on page 1, ” NOTE: the firm chosen to provide these Interim Legal Services will not be permitted to receive an award for the permanent Legal Services.” There is similar language on page 8 of the LOI, “Interim Legal Services will be excluded from submitting any response or holding any contract for Legal Services on a permanent basis.” Although the language is clear, the City issued an Addendum on December 17, 2020 and further clarified that the interim firm could not be the permanent City Attorney.
Therefore, the only way Hans Ottinot can continue here is to delay the selection of a permanent City Attorney. You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that the Commission can not just change its mind, unless they want every investigative agency with jurisdiction making a home here in Tamarac. Of course, Ottinot is used to that sort of scrutiny, we should not be. Commissioners should heed the Ottinot warning signs and begin the process immediately at its next Commission Meeting.
Finally, this has absolutely nothing to do with race. The facts do not have gender, color or ethnicity. You all made a really bad decision. Fix it!!
I thank you for your service.
A. Losa
Thank you so much for writing and explaining further. Mr. Bolton is an embarrassment to your Commission. Mike Gelin is also not fit to serve, but he’s not as nuts as Bolton. Elections really do have consequences!
Also, thanks for that information on the 2012 Ethics Complaint. Very helpful.