A week later, it's time to observe what happens when you get too close for comfort for the folks at Hallandale Beach City Hall.
If you need a quick review of this issue, please see my blog post of last Tuesday, September 6th, appropriately titled, City of Hallandale Beach set to name street after ex-Police Chief who lied & wasted city resources to frame 2 HB officers; cost city $ & integrity
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/city-of-hallandale-beach-set-to-name.html
The email I wrote and the ensuing response speak for themselves I think.
But perhaps you disagree.
C'est la vie!
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September 7th, 2011
Dear City Manager Antonio:
I don't know whether I'll be able to attend tonight's HB City Commission meeting, so I'm sending this email now so that my longstanding concerns -shared by MANY other HB citizens- re agenda item J can be received and addressed whether I make it to the meeting or not.
J. A Resolution of the City of Hallandale Beach, Authorizing the City Manager to Amend the Street Name for SE 3rd Street to Chief Tom Magill Way/SE 3rd Street and Implement Beautification Enhancements Along this Corridor. (Staff: Director of Public Works, Utilities and Engineering) (See Backup) CAD#014/11 (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)
I believe it would be financially prudent and in everyone's best interests if your staff publicly mentioned the following information when explaining this specific agenda item and how it came up, BEFORE turning things over to the City Commission to discuss and vote, since to the best of my knowledge, that specific information has never been publicly mentioned at any Hallandale Beach City Commission meeting, and runs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The citizen taxpayers of this community are more than entitled to finally know the "true costs" associated with having Thomas A. Magill as HB Police Chief, and then retaining him even after discovering that he had personally engaged in highly unethical and, as seems clear, criminal conduct.
1.) The total amount of money damages paid (to be paid) in settlements costs from the city and/or its insurance company to Talous Cirilo and Mary Hagopian.
2.) The total amount of money the city and/or its insurance company paid (will pay) for attorneys fees for Cirilo and Hagopian.
3.) The total amount of money the city paid (will pay) their own Independent Counsel for all phases of this litigation.
4.) The total amount of additional costs (non-attorney) incurred by the city for personnel and resources for all phases of this litigation.
5.) The total amount in increased insurance premium fees per year paid by the city as result of all phases of this litigation.
By "all phases of this litigation," I refer to a.) the city's unsuccessful efforts to have Cirilo and Hagopian prosecuted for something they didn't do, b.) Cirilo and Hagopian's successful suits against the city, and c.) the city's efforts to defend itself against Mary Hagopian's charges that they are in material breach of the previously signed settlement.
Additionally, despite my having previously mentioned it to you by email and to the IT Dept. head, the city's message board continues to erroneously advertise the second City Commission meeting of the month at 7 p.m., despite the change to 6 p.m. a number of months ago.
There's no need to respond to this in writing, I'll look for you or your staff's reply at the meeting, either in-person or via computer if I can't make it.
City Manager Antonio's response came on September 8, 2011 at 9:16 a.m.
Sorry I could not reply sooner. As you know our meeting started at 1pm and did not end until midnight. As you were not able to attend the meeting and speak on this issue during public input the CC did approve the item unanimously.
For you future edification, the only time an email or document can or would be read into the record by the city clerk is on matters involving Quasi-judicial hearings. Therefore in the future I would not recommend sending me or my staff such a request (unless a Quasi-judicial), but instead contact your City Commission directly and voice your opinion for consideration in their decision. Of course you can always attend a meeting and speak to the matter directly.
On the concern related to the meeting times. I do not recall the email you previously sent but I thank you for the correction and this will be fixed immediately.
But I thought that... oh, you remember that, too?
Yes, three years and seven months ago in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, an article about this attempt by Magill to frame and prosecute two citizens -HB police officers no less- written by John Holland that I posted here last week again -at the URL above- contained this delicious quote: "I'd love to talk about this and tell people what happened, but unfortunately I can't," Cooper said.
I guess she still can't, huh?
It's still TOP SECRET, not to be disclosed to Hallandale Beach taxpayers.
Along with a long-overdue explanation for why there was never ANY public discussion at meetings of the elected City Commission that Mayor Joy Cooper controlled as the Chair, about Magill's descent into unacceptable unethical behavior, why it was condoned and never punished thru his swift dismissal, the lack of any punishment against members of the Civil Service Advisory Board who acted contrary to Florida law and common sense and who attempted to accomodate the cover-up.
Yes, yet another embarrassing example of former City Attorney David Jove's uselessness.
He sat like a bump on a log the whole time.
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