Candidates Forum Draws District 2 Contenders, Amendment #1 Discussion

Despite poor timing with the weather ­ the night before Hurricane Irene flooded South Florida ­ several dozen Brickell area neighbors and business people braved the elements to attend the BHA's Candidates Forum at the Immanuel Lutheran Church on Oct. 14.

Cosponsored by the Miami Roads Neighborhood Civic Association and, for the first time, also sponsored by the Brickell Area Association, it was the eighth annual forum staged for Brickell voters to hear directly from candidates and learn about issues. With more than 4,000 registered voters in the Brickell precincts, the BHA voter block can make a significant impact on an election. This is especially the case with the upcoming City of Miami vote for commissioner of District 2 where Brickell voters make up 14% of the district's total 29,000 registered voters, the majority of whom are not expected to vote in the upcoming election.
Attendees at the Candidates Forum heard from three of the four contenders for the District 2 seat, and from both sides on the most hotly debated charter proposal change, amendment #1, the so-called "strong mayor" initiative.

Amendments Bode Trouble
The BHA and the Brickell Neighborhood PAC have both taken strong stands in opposition to amendments #1 and amendment #3. Tucker Gibbs spoke against both, representing the NO! PAC, and Commissioner JL Plummer, as a last-minute replacement, presented the pro side since he had voted in favor of putting the amendments on the ballot. Plummer did say, however, that he objected to at least one major component and would personally vote against amendment #1. (See PAC News page 1, and President's Column page 3).

Attendees in the audience had a lot of questions for both Gibbs and Commissioner Plummer, trying to understand, among other things, how such a proposal got on the ballot in the first place when there wasn't a public demand for it. Mel Frankel, a BHA resident and member of the Brickell PAC Steering Committee, characterized the amendment that would give unprecedented powers to the Commissioners as another chance for the politicians to get their hands "back in the pickle barrel." (See "NO! PAC" opposite.)

District 2 Race is On
Rene Diaz, first-time candidate, spoke about his experiences walking through the district for the past two-and-a-half years to meet residents and hear their concerns.
"People feel neglected and are lacking basic city services," Diaz said. "I grew up here. It's a beautiful city. I know what people want."

Commissioner Plummer described the City of Miami on the rebound with cash surpluses, reduced crime and a reduced tax rate. The stresses on our community come from our continual huge influx of immigrants needing many of the services the city provides.
The Commissioner said areas of particular concern for the future include the traffic in the Brickell area with all the new developments being built. Code enforcement and building and zoning in the City are not working, he admitted, and said he would not be renewing his appointments to that board in an effort to help bring about improvement.

Johnny Winton, the third candidate to take the podium and incumbent Plummer's biggest challenger, told attendees at the Candidates Forum that after being involved with trying to improve Downtown Miami for several years and witnessing mismanagement firsthand, he decided to step back from his business to take on a leadership role. One of the keys to rebuilding Miami is in its neighborhoods, Winton said. Home values must appreciate over time rather than deteriorate as they have in Miami.
"Government abandoned the neighborhoods and stole the American dream from residents who stayed in the neighborhoods."

If elected, Winton vows to work to make code enforcement work, NET offices effective and alleviate the need for the state's Financial Oversight Board.

Brickell Neighborhood PAC Endorses Johnny Winton, Takes "No" Stand on Amendments #1 and #3
After a screening process where candidates' views were queried and analyzed, the Brickell Neighborhood PAC announced its endorsement of Johnny Winton for City of Miami Commissioner District 2, over incumbent JL Plummer and two other contenders for the seat that represents residents along the coast from 87th Street down through Coconut Grove.

Looking for new ideas for making the City of Miami fiscally strong and effective in meeting community needs, the PAC Steering Committee chose Winton as the "new blood" who just might be able to bring change about.

"JL Plummer has been a strong advocate of the Brickell neighborhood and a regular participant in our meetings," Tory Jacobs, Chairman of the Brickell Neighborhood PAC, said. "The endorsement of Winton isn't an indictment against Plummer as much as the PAC's feeling that the City must completely remake itself if it is ever to become a great city government again. The committee felt new faces are needed to continue to improve the City."

On November 2, the NO! PAC urges you to vote no on Charter Amendment #1 which creates a stronger city commission at the expense of the mayor's office. The proposed changes would eliminate the city manager's position and transfer his powers to the mayor and the city commissioners.

Quick Facts

• The city commissioners would gain the final say on the hiring of all department directors.
• The commissioners would gain the final say on the budget of the mayor's office as well as the number of positions and who will fill those positions in that office.
• The city commission would gain the power to decide whether the mayor may speak at the commission meetings or to have an item placed on the agenda.
• The commission has mandated that there must be an election for the new mayor's position in March of 2000 but not for their own positions.
• This is not a strong mayor form of government, but a weak mayor and strong commission.

Reasons to Oppose the Charter Revisions

• The changes are motivated by a highly publicized feud between the Mayor and the Commissioners and not for any public purpose.
• The citizens have just approved the current form of government two years ago and it appears to be working. There has been no public outcry for change and no studies that support the charter revisions. The charter is not what needs changing in the City of Miami!
• The political turmoil caused by this divisive proposal has helped delay an increased bond rating for the City. This will cost the city an estimated million dollars a year. In addition, the elections for the charter revision and the subsequent mayoral election will cost hundreds of thousand of dollars of taxpayers money. All over a petty political feud!
• The changes take away the professional administration of the day-to-day operations of the city by eliminating the city manager's position and turns them over to a politician.
• Currently, either the Mayor or 4/5ths of the commission voting to terminate him can fire the manager. If these charter revisions pass, the mayor, who will be in charge of operating the city, will only be held accountable by the voters every four years. Therefore the elimination of the manager's position reduces the accountability of government to the people of Miami.
• Voters and businesses that do not support the winning politicians will no longer be able to expect fair nonpolitical treatment from the department directors or city staff.
• With the commissioners' increased power, there will be more meddling in the day-to-day operations of the city by the commissioners. This is similar to a board of directors running the day-to-day operations of a company. It is simply bad business!
• Companies that deal with the city will have to hire lobbyists not only for commission meetings but also for the any dealings with these new political department directors.

Paid for and approved by NO! PAC, 2665 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 603, Miami, Florida 33133 Telephone: 305-856-2711 Fax: 305-854-6093

President's Column By T. Sinclair (Tory) Jacobs
Election Time...Time to Vote. Here's Why...
November 2nd is our first opportunity to vote in an election for the City of Miami Commission seat to represent our district, District 2. There are four candidates including the incumbent. The Brickell Neighborhood PAC

Steering Committee screened the candidates and chose to endorse Johnny Winton as you read on page 1.

Also on the ballot are three Charter Amendments:

1. "Strong Mayor ­ Stronger Commission"
2. Term Limits
3. "Independent" Auditor

Both the Brickell Neighborhood PAC and the BHA have taken strong positions against Amendments #1 and #3.

Amendment #1 actually weakens the powers of the mayor vis-à-vis the commission and eliminates the city manager position. In effect, at the very least, it facilitates political interference in City administration, while enabling favoritism to the point of corruption.

Amendment #3 sounds like a winner-an independent auditor. But, as currently structured, the auditor is not independent at all. The auditor serves at the pleasure of the commission and individual commissioners can order investigations of any city employee with no justification required, thus providing each commissioner with a draconian tool to interfere and intimidate those who may not bend rules for friends or favor insiders.

These two amendments are designed to remove the protections than have enabled the City of Miami to climb out of its fiscal crisis. These two amendments are designed to let the "old gang" get back to the City's feeding trough.

Amendment #2, Term Limits, was included to prompt favorable reaction to the other two. It is a device dangerous only because it may encourage across-the-board positive votes.

We must get out and vote against Amendments #1 and #3.
And, we must get out and vote because our neighborhood's influence at City Hall, County Hall and up the line is in a large measure based not on population, not on property taxes paid, not on numbers of registered voters, but on the number who actually vote.

So, get out and voteand measure up!

Funds Sought for Brickell Median
The City of Miami is applying to the State of Florida for a grant to redo Brickell medians between 15th and 25th Roads. A troubling issue since their replanting only four years ago, the underground irrigation system ­ sometimes called the "leaky pipe" system ­ never worked properly and consequently, the landscaping didn't do so well either. The City has determined an above-ground system is needed.

"I haven't found a municipality that is happy with this kind of system," Jim Kay, the City's director of public works, said.

A national firm specializing in these types of large municipal landscaping projects has been hired to assist with the grant application process. The State requires the applicant to have really thought out and planned the project, so professional plans are needed, Kay explained.

Both he and Commissioner JL Plummer told BHA directors that input from Brickell residents would be actively sought in the next few months as the plans are being made and the application written, which is due in early February.

The grant requirements stipulate that the City of Miami match the State's contribution. The City has not yet determined the amount they will be asking for.

I-95 Work to Continue
The ongoing lane closings and congestion at 25th and 26th Roads at the I-95 interchange isn't going to get better soon. What has seemed like months of disruption is going to stretch on for another year, Onaxa Gonzalez, public information officer for the "I-95 Pavement Rehabilitation Project," said.

Brickell neighbors and travelers through the area are experiencing the side effects of a large scale project to repair pavement slabs on I-95 from its US 1 beginning to the Golden Glades Interchange.

As part of the project, four bridges between US 1 and SW 8th Street are getting shoulder expansions so that disabled vehicles can be moved to the side without blocking traffic. One of those bridges is over 25th and 26th Roads, Gonzalez said.

What's described as "intermittent lane restrictions" from the I-95 Project will continue until August of 2000, Gonzalez said, as the "entire project is running at the same time." The lane closings in the Brickell area will be "on and off" until the entire project is complete.
Gonzalez invites any residents with questions to call her at (305) 858-9965.

Brickell Sidewalks Slated for Repair
The Florida Department of Transportation provided the BHA with the following list of sidewalks from their master list for repair over the next several weeks. If you know of a sidewalk that is broken, elevated due to tree roots or in some other state of disrepair and it is not on the list below, please call Ron Stiener at (305) 470-5351.
Sidewalks Being Repaired by FDOT
East Side of Brickell
30' south of SE 25 Road
150' north of SE 25 Road
Brickell Bay Club, 2333, in front
Brickell Mar Condos, 2201, 25' south of driveway
Brickell Bay Village, 2101, 50' north of driveway
50' south of sign for 1950, just south of tree
The Palace, 1541, north end of driveway
Block between SE 14 Road and SE 14 Terrace
Block between SE 11 and 12 Streets
West Side of Brickell
South of driveway to 1882, 84, 86, 88
1990, in front
South of driveway to 2110, 2112 and 2114
Brickell Villas, 2250, south of driveway
2250 Apartments, south
Pacific National Bank, 1390, 50' north
150' south of SE 8 St. in front of Bank

Development at Brickell Bay Village on Hold
The developer seeking to create a larger rental apartment building with 421 units at 2101-2105 Brickell Avenue, the current location of Brickell Bay Village, is reworking plans after objections by neighbors were raised about the scope of the proposed building. Originally, a 29-story rental apartment building was proposed but plans are with the architect for redesign.

The chief concerns stem over the proposed density and design of the building. Next-door neighbors to the south living in Bristol Tower with 147 units, and to the north in The Atlantis with 96 units, said the density was incompatible with the character of the neighborhood and would add more congestion and traffic to an already troubled area.

Neighbors are awaiting the newest draft of the plans.

Aircraft Noise Abatement Issues (Yet again!) By T. Sinclair (Tory) Jacobs
A recent article from the BHA
News on Aircraft Noise Abatement was forwarded to Miami-Dade County Manager Merrett Stierheim. He responded with the request that his letter refuting some of BHA's statements be published in the BHA News. A copy of Stierheim's letter and our latest resonse was published in the BHA News and is available upon request.

We are encouraged to have finally gotten the County Manager's attention...that is, if we really have his attention as yet. Often, CEOs don't even read letters, but just pass them along to appropriate department heads for action, comment or response...and even when they sign the response, it goes out unread. Naturally, these busy executive depend on staff. ..they just cannot stay abreast of all issues under their purview.

We believe that when the top county officials finally realize what is, or is not, going on at Miami-Dade Aviation Department, MIA will no longer be the only major U.S. airport without a Noise Abatement Program in place.
Outrageous, isn't it?

To Report Aircraft Noise...
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department is still taking noise reports. Please note as many details as to time, aircraft and arrival/departure. Send your report:

Fill out the online form.

Telephone: (305) 876-PLANE
Fax: (305) 876-7630
Mail: Development Division
Miami-Dade Aviation Dept.
P.O. Box 592075
Miami, FL 33159