Coming Sunday night: What is Mayor Joy Cooper up to in Hallandale Beach? Plotting another illegal coup on the City Commission? Hmm-m...

July 12, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier

Teaser Alert: This time, unlike what she sprang on the community in 2008 with Anthony Sanders, South Florida's news media is watching and waiting -closely!
Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they've been properly warned, and have at least feigned some degree of interest in pretending to care or pay attention, which for this crowd, is saying something.

"Who the hell is Alex Berkovich, anyway?"

That's a question that's been very much in the air in Hallandale Beach the past few weeks as folks watch this not-so-stealthy Cooper crony -with a huge sense of entitlement- utterly fail at his one task to serve and advance her reign of ruin -the disastrous and wildly unpopular Golden Isles Overlay.

Well, answers to these and many other questions that have been piling-up the past few weeks will be forthcoming in mere hours... so hold tight.

Things are about to get very, very interesting just as the city's budget is about to be reviewed and very curious anti-taxpayer decisions and policies will be revisited on Monday and Tuesday afternoons in the infamous Room 257.

We'll see who's for reform, accountability and transparency, and who's in favor of business as usual.

Why won't Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper follow the rules and let the people in Golden Isles vote? Some rare logic & reason re the Oct. 19th Golden Isles meeting

Above, October 19, 2010 photograph by South Beach Hoosier of Part C-1, TERM of the "Protective Covenants relating to the residential section of Golden Isles" in Hallandale Beach, FL effective May 26, 1959.

The key area for you to consider is "unless an instrument signed by a majority of the then owners of the lots has been recorded, agreeing to change said covenants in whole or in part."

What could possibly be simpler?
In order to change any aspect of the covenants, you need 51%.

Every homeowner in the Golden Isles section of Hallandale Beach has a copy of these rules.

But certain people living in Golden Isles don't want to follow these rules, and that includes the mayor of this city, Joy Cooper, the current President of the Florida League of Cities, and many of her friends and neighbors.

They want to go around the written rules they had already agreed to. Not surprisingly, a LOT of people don't like that idea one bit, and for good reason.


Below is an email that I wrote and distributed on Wednesday afternoon throughout Hallandale Beach, Broward County, South Florida and beyond to some concerned Floridians, elected officials and news media regarding the very curious and queer SRO public meeting that I attended (and videotaped) on Tuesday night at Hallandale Beach City Hall.

It was one of the oddest public meetings I have attended of the dozens I've gone to throughout South Florida over the past seven years since returning to South Florida after 15 years living and working in the Washington, D.C. area.

In fact, it may be THE oddest, since it was the most obvious failure, though the Miami-Dade County hearing I attended in early 2009 on proposed public financing of a Marlins Stadium had been the leader up 'til now.

That was the public hearing where Chairman Dennis Moss refused to allow the hundreds of citizens in attendance at the M-D Commission Chambers in downtown Miami to watch the City of Miami's public hearing with the Marlins' David Samson -the reason for the long delay where we were, and its eventual postponement -after a few hours of nothing happening- on the large TV screens in the Commission Chambers, even though the staff, commissioners and news media could watch it in their offices or the next door media room.

But for the assembled citizens, Moss delivered an emphatic "No!"

Then Dennis Moss compounded the basic problem by lying to the public (and the hordes of news media) by saying that it wasn't technically possible, even though county employees I spoke to there said it would only take a few seconds to do it.

Plain and simple, Dennis Moss didn't want the South Florida public to know what was going on at that other hearing.

This was the smug, elitist and entitled attitude I saw displayed by Comm. Moss in a taxpayer-funded room in a taxpayer-funded building, where everything you see is something that taxpayers paid for, including the very equipment the M-D commissioners, staff and news media watched the City of Miami meeting on!
A fact that the dutiful South Florida news media conveniently ignored, as usual.

You bet I want to see Dennis Moss recalled by Miami-Dade County voters, with Norman Braman's help and leadership.
I only wish I could legally sign the petition!

As for voter recall in Hallandale Beach, it'll be here sooner than you think...


Tuesday night's meeting in Hallandale Beach was held to discuss some news regarding proposed changes to the status quo in the Golden Isles section of southeast Hallandale Beach, which is a separate taxing district for certain purposes, and which has a security gatehouse at its entrance on Layne Blvd., though anyone can still enter since it's on a public road.

But what Tuesday night's meeting most resembled was a failed pep rally, run by supporters of HB mayor Joy Cooper and her cronies. That's because that's exactly what it was.

My email below appears exactly as sent, minus a few cleaned-up typos and a few things I've completely spelled out in order to make it clearer for blog readers.
-----

Wednesday October 10th, 2010

I commend to you the common sense email, below, from attorney David C. Barnett, a resident of Hallandale Beach who seems able to see what most of the city residents attending last night's meeting at HB City Hall could see with their own eyes: an attempted hijacking of democracy by a small clique under the guise of maintaining high-property values.
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.aspx?NID=680

Mayor Joy Cooper and Comm. Keith London, both of whom live in Golden Isles, were precluded from speaking publicly on this issue at last night's meeting -which I videotaped- because it could/will come before the Hallandale Beach City Commission in Dec. or Jan. if approved by the Hallandale Beach Planning & Zoning Board.

Not that this stopped Harry Cooper, the mayor's husband, from speaking and blaming Comm. London, who was responsible for the large turnout of residents last night by informing and educating people about the possible long-term ramifications of what is being proposed, which from Harry Cooper's personal p.o.v., necessarily, makes his wife look bad.
But if that is the reality, and it is, it's true whether he likes it or not.
Having carefully read the documents provided, including the covenants involved, it's pretty clear that there needs to be an election of the homeowners in the Golden Isles taxing district, which will be approved if 51% say yes.
In fact, it says EXACTLY that.
The powers-that-be among the two self-selecting Golden Isles groups that met last night at City Hall are chock-a-block full of Joy Cooper supporters, and don't think they can reach that low threshold -and even said so.

But rather than follow the proscribed rules, and take their chances with an election, they are trying to go thru the backdoor and have the city take care of things, even though that will be an expense that the entire city will be asked to pay for.

Naturally, thanks to the mayor's efforts at mis-direction, the rest of the city doesn't know anything about this, or that they are going to have to pay for the enforcement of these Golden Isles-specific rules that they no longer do, as Mr. Barnett correctly states below, despite how many times Cooper family friend Gerry Natelson calls them the same rules.

As it happens, his daughter, Sheryl Natelson, is on the city's P&Z Board.
(Guess who appointed her?)
She's one of the two geniuses on the city's P&Z board who threatened to have me removed by the Hallandale Beach Police from a public P&Z meeting last year for... taking photos of the Board at a public meeting!

From about 50 feet away.
At a public meeting where I was one of only three citizens present in the entire HB Cultural Center.

Natelson's yet another attorney in HB who doesn't understand or doesn't like the state's Sunshine Laws, just like City Attorney David Jove, who for years has looked the other way at what was going on right in front of him, regardless of how badly it illegally disadvantages the citizen taxpayers of this community, because that's what Mayor Cooper and former
City Manager Mike Good wanted.

I'm hardly sharing Breaking News when I tell you that it's the opinion of the majority of concerned and well-informed people in HB that Jove's number-one priority is keeping his job. Period.
Just saying...
If this situation is going to be handled fairly and legally, the residents of that special taxing district need to have their referendum, plain and simple, and the two Golden Isles groups and Mayor Cooper need to STOP trying to bypass THEIR OWN RULES.
And any pretense at fairness and transparency.
Why won't Mayor Joy Cooper follow the rules and let the people in Golden Isles vote on the matter?
There's your story.
Dave

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Keith London
Date: Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 12:12 PM
Subject: FW: 10/19 Meeting
To: "Commissioner, Hallandale Beach - Keith London" <klondon@hallandalebeachfl.gov>

Everyone,

Please read the attached email from one of your neighbors concerning the meeting last night.

Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts, comments or responses of your own.

Regards,

Keith

Keith S. London

City Commissioner

Hallandale Beach

954-457-1320 Office

954-494-3182 Cellular

www.KeithLondon.com

-----

The email below was written by David C. Barnett and was addressed to Hallandale Beach mayor Joy Cooper and Commissioner Keith S. London.

Other than my removing their email addresses at the top of the letter, it appears exactly as sent.

-----

Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:19 AM
Subject: 10/19 Meeting

Barnett & Lerner, P.A.

Fighting for injured workers

Dear Keith & Joy:

It was a pleasure seeing both of you last night at the Safe Neighborhood and Overlay meeting. As you know, although I am extremely busy with my law practice, once in a while I do find the time to go to a meeting to learn about what is happening in our little town.

I found last nights meeting offensive in that there seems to be an attitude of superiority exhibited by both "voluntary" boards. I thought they were volunteering their time in order to make our neighborhood - Golden Isles - better. Rather, it is apparent there are political and power issues behind everything. With these political and power issues come costs - both hard and soft costs.

At the beginning of the Overlay meeting, Gerry Nadelson started by reminding everyone that we are a volunteer homeowners association with volunteer dues of $20.00. He went on to tell everyone that we need to have this City Overlay done in order to protect the residents of Golden Isles from the threat of litigation. Gerry stated that if we (I guess he means the ENTIRE community of Golden Isles) get sued, our dues would not provide enough money to pay an attorney to defend the lawsuit. I do not know the statistics, but I know that I am not the only attorney living in our neighborhood and I am sure that if there was a threat to Golden Isles, there would be plenty of resident lawyers who would be there to maintain our little waterfront community.

As someone who has been involved politically, on both a state and national level, it scares me to hear the "threat of litigation" as a basis for change. What we found out however, is that in 56 years, there has been maybe one (1) lawsuit. Thus, based on the foregoing, a question needs to be asked - What is the motivating factor for this requested change? The answer, although not disclosed, is very simple to see.

As everything stands now, if we, the residents of Golden Isles, have a problem or a concern over a neighbor regarding deed compliance, it is up to us as individuals or as a community to retain our own lawyer to enforce the restrictions by suing the non-compliant neighbor. Nobody wants to get sued, and quite candidly, over 56 years we have been able to keep Golden Isles residents fairly compliant with deed restriction.

By adopting this Overlay, what will really happen is that the City Attorney will now be the free private "retained" attorney by the activists within our neighborhood without any direct costs to those individual activists. We already have individuals who drive up and down the streets, inspecting everyone's home and invading privacy while others get on their boats and inspect everyone's home from the water. Essentially, we have a group of our own "SS" within our community. These individuals constantly complain, but they will not fund a lawsuit against a non-compliant neighbor either because they cannot afford it or they are concerned about the repercussions that will develop within our neighborhood. To give them access to a "free" attorney with anonymous deed compliant complaints is very scary!

If we adopt this Overlay, our Golden Isles SS group will have unlimited access to the City Attorney, at no expense to themselves individually, but rather to the expense of not only Golden Isles, but also the ENTIRE city of Hallandale Beach. Has this volunteer Overlay Board of nine actually conducted a cost analysis of this Overlay proposal. Do ALL the residents of the CIty of Hallandale - beyond just Golden Isles - know, and are they aware and in agreement, that this Overlay will result in additional costs to the City, which will have to be placed within the City budget. Where is this money going to come from - our taxes! How many more attorney's will the city need to hire in order to be responsive to the demands of the Golden Isles SS group for enforcement litigation? We need to see a true, independent, cost analysis of this Overlay, before we proceed further.

I certainly understand the frustration that Gerry, Joy and Alex may have over the home near the end of Holiday which is falling apart and is a blight on the neighborhood, but the methodology they are bringing forth is very dangerous. Not only will there be real financial costs (City attorney budget will have to go up) associated with the City Overlay, there will be the soft, emotional costs on our neighborhood. Gerry said that we "need" this Overlay as it will increase the "value" of our homes! I heard the same garbage about Gulfstream how our homes would go up in value and the people that promoted it most were actually on the payroll of either Magna, Gulfstream or Forest City, which they never revealed. In any event, values did not go up but rather, we have all experienced about a 40-50% decline in home values (I know the economy has a lot to do with it) This Overlay will NOT increase the value of our homes. I hope that this statement is challenged and I would like to see an impact study supporting such a statement. Rather, I see the value of our homes dropping with this Overlay as the Overlay will pit neighbor against neighbor when the Golden Isles SS overwhelm the City Attorney with anonymous complaints about residents of Golden Isles. Thereafter, the City will be forced to flood the Courthouse with suits filed by the City Attorney against residents of Golden Isles. This is offensive, crazy and shows the lack of insight, common sense and good judgment.

We all moved to Golden Isles because we did not want to live in a structured condo type community. We have had a nice neighborhood for 56 years without the Overlay. I do not see any upside to this proposed Overlay, only problems. This madness has to stop and we need your help to stop it.

Very truly yours,

David C. Barnett, Esquire

Barnett & Lerner, P.A.
2860 Marina Mile Blvd; Suite 105
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312
954-920-7400
954-920-9492 fax
888-732-7425 US Toll Free
www.injuredoverseas.com

Turning lemons into lemonade the Hallandale Beach way: start submarine races...

My comments follow the article, which, once again, shows the circus never really ever leaves Hallandale Beach.
_____________________________
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbboat0825sbaug25,0,3066722.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Down with this ship: Hallandale Beach and neighbors want sunken vessel removed
City and neighbors want to get rid of a sunken boat
By Ihosvani Rodriguez
August 25, 2008

Hallandale Beach - A 30-foot fishing boat that went down more than a month ago is still tangled in legal red tape.

The city has been trying to figure out how to get rid of the unnamed vessel, now almost completely submerged behind a foreclosed home in the affluent Golden Isles neighborhood.

Neighbors, many living in mansions and with mega-yachts docked nearby, are outraged by the barnacle-encrusted hulk visible from the Sunset Drive bridge.

"It's a real mess, major mess," said Marvin Wellen, who lives next door to the foreclosed, $1.1 million home in the 500 block of Oleander Drive. The owner of the house, who also co-owned the boat, is missing.

The sunken boat is an example of how the housing slump and increase in foreclosures are having a devastating effect on South Florida. There were 2,865 Broward County homeowners on the verge of losing their homes to lenders in July, double the 1,430 from a year ago, according to figures from the Foreclosuresdaily.com research firm.
The number of foreclosure sales swelled to 1,648, from 381.

According to property records, Deutsche Bank National in California took possession of the house in February. It is partially boarded up, and a cloud of mosquitoes hovers over the dark, mucky pool.

Police and neighbors said rain helped sink the boat after someone snatched its batteries and water pump.

The Broward County man who holds the registration is willing to remove the boat but can't because the bank is the legal owner. The city has been trying to sort out notification rules and assess the liability that could come with simply towing the boat away.

"We've encountered one legal obstacle after another," said Sgt. Michael Michael, of the police department's Marine Patrol Unit. "I just want to get the thing out of the water."

The registered co-owner of the boat, Donald Hughes Jr., said he contacted a salvage company but still lacks bank permission to move the boat.

"I am trying to do something about it, but I can't," he said. "It's really frustrating."

Bank officials could not be reached to comment.

Nearly every city department has worked on the problem. They called the U.S. Coast Guard, but officials said the vessel isn't blocking marine traffic or posing any hazards, so they can't help.

Now commissioners are floating the idea of an ordinance to give the city greater authority over abandoned vessels. City Manager Michael Good told commissioners he is prepared to hire a private company to take care of the vessel, but first the legal issues must be resolved. Good said cleaning up the mess could cost the city more than $5,000 and drag on for another month.
_________________________________________________________
The City of Hallandale Beach's own ordinances spell out what to do.
Why not follow your own existing laws?

Do banks have super-powers that put them beyond the reach of laws?
Nope.

Asked and answered.

http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10881&sid=9

Sec. 13-42. Abandoned or derelict vessels and floats in public waters.
(a) Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Float means anything that stays or causes something else to stay on the surface of the water, including rafts, floats, davits, docks and buoyant combinations.
Owner means the record owner of a vessel, float, dock or adjacent property, and any person in possession or control, or entitled to possession or control, of the property in violation.
Public waters means rivers, streams, lakes, navigable waters and associated tributaries, canals, and any bodies of water that are accessible to the public or surrounding property owners.
Vessel means any boat, watercraft, pleasure craft or device employed in the water.

(b) Abandonment of vessels prohibited.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to place, dump or abandon or cause to be placed, dumped or abandoned in the public waters of the city any vessel or float, or portion in a wrecked, derelict, junked or substantially dismantled condition without the consent of the governmental entity having jurisdiction.
(2) It is unlawful for any person to store or leave any vessel or float of any kind in a wrecked, derelict, junked, substantially dismantled or submerged condition, or abandoned upon or in any public waterway within the jurisdiction of the city.
(3) It is unlawful for any person to moor, place, leave or tie up in any waterway within the city any vessel, float or watercraft of any kind which is found to be of unsightly appearance or in badly deteriorated condition, or which is likely to cause damage to private or public property, or which may be a menace to navigation, or which poses a threat to the environment; except that such boat, vessel or watercraft may moor at licensed marine facilities for the purpose of repair.

(c) Enforcement.
(1) If any vessel or float shall be found in violation of this section, the owner of the vessel or float and the owner of the adjacent property shall, upon notice, cause the immediate removal of the vessel or float for the purposes of repair or disposal.
(2) It shall be a defense to this section for any owner of adjacent property to show that the vessel or float came to be on or adjacent to his property without his consent or without his knowledge.
(3) If any vessel or float shall be declared in violation of this section, the city shall have the immediate right to have the vessel removed and impounded or destroyed. All costs for towing and storage will be assessed to the owner.
(4) If the vessel or float is of unsightly appearance, badly deteriorated, whether afloat or sunken, and poses no hazard to navigation, and is no threat to the environment, the city through its agents shall notify the owner or authorized person in writing and shall also post a notice, if practicable, upon the vessel or float and give the owner or authorized person a 15-day period to correct the violation. If the violation is not corrected within 30 days, the city shall have the right to have the vessel removedand impounded.
(5) If any vessel or float is towed or impounded due to violation of this section and if after 90 days, is unclaimed, it will be sold with the proceeds paying for charges incurred and the remainder shall be held for a period of 90 days to be claimed by the rightful owner and thereafter forfeited to the city if not claimed. Failure to act on the part of the owner waives all liability on the part of the city from any damage resulting from towing and storage.
(6) Storage fees may be assessed by the city if the storage facility is a city garage or docking facility, or if active storage fees are incurred.
(7) All costs incurred by the city shall be a lien on the property as provided in section 10-65.

(d) Other means of abatement.
(1) The city, upon determining that a vessel has been abandoned in the public waters and that such vessel is not a derelict vessel, may remove such vessel pursuant to the procedures set forth in F.S. ch. 705, "Lost or Abandoned Property." As set forth in F.S. § 705.103, the rightful owner of such vessel shall be liable for the costs of removal of the abandoned vessel.
(2) In addition, the city may invoke any remedy provided by state statute or rule, county ordinance, or by general law. This section shall be in addition to and supplemental to such other laws and regulations.

(e) Jurisdiction. This section may be enforced by the code enforcement board of the city, by civil citation, or in any court having jurisdiction.
(Code 1980, § 13-32)

Cross references: Traffic and motor vehicles, and boats, ch. 28.
Secs. 13-43--13-60. Reserved.
___________________________
The fantastic pull quote: "Nearly every [HB] city department has worked on the problem..."
Sure, why not give everyone in the city the opportunity to make a bad situation EVEN WORSE!

I can only imagine what DPW's solution might've been.
Put more holes in the boat so that it would float up to the surface of the water on its own?
That sounds like their sort of response.

Honestly, are the Kardashian Sisters running things at HB City Hall?
No, because even they -especially Khloe, the one who runs DASH- would have more common sense to get something done before it becomes yet another subject worthy of mocking commentary in the community and media.

Why do I say this?

Because the City of Hallandale Beach's DPW Dept. is who is nominally in charge of the city's recycling facility at Ingalls Park. http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.asp?NID=547
Have you ever been there?

It's the city in microcosm.

The recycling facility there, as I've mentioned here before, doesn't have a specific bin for household batteries, which aren't supposed to be placed with regular garbage.
(As I've noted here previously, back in Arlington County, individual Fire Stations had plastic bins located outside the building for easy drop off of household batteries.)

The recycling facility that for months this spring and summer had lids missing from the recycling dumpsters.

Then, once they were properly secured, months later, someone at DPW got the "genius" idea of cutting out square holes in the lids, which is their current state.
Presumably, so that the plastic, aluminum and glass that is recycled by HB citizens can be assured of getting their weekly intake of rainwater.

The recycling facility that is one block south of Hallandale Beach Blvd. but which has ZERO directional signs on that street -or the neighborhood- indicating where the recycling facility is
located.

Honestly, if consciously you do a piss-poor job of maintaining the facility in the first place, and don't bother to even post helpful signs on one of the city's three main thoroughfares, a block away, don't act disappointed that the public's response rate is lower than you expected.

Typical Hallandale Beach City Hall Planning: Garbage in, garbage out!
And no common sense for recycling.
It's beyond embarrassing!

It's made all the worse by the fact that I've mentioned all these matters before in minute detail at public meetings where Mayor Joy Cooper, City Manager Mike Good and DPW director Brant were present.

This coming weekend, take a look at the self-evident photos I'll have posted here, which I've snapped over the past few months to highlight the neglect and mismanagment of something that seems almost too simple to screw up?

And ask yourself why these simple problems can't be solved by Mr. Brant, the head of DPW, and City Hall?

As to the matter of the boat, perhaps HB can ask the U.S. Coast Guard or Navy to bring in an underwater demolition squad to have a go at it.

[Perhaps the Coast Guard will recognize it for the great opportunity that it is and contact the producers down in Coconut Grove at South Beach Hoosier fave Burn Notice, and incorporate the explosion into an upcoming episode. http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/
Why not?

I've already daydreamed a bit during some recent boring govt. meetings and imagined myself laughing and conversing with Burn Notice newbie Tricia Helfer over a table at an outdoor restaurant at the new Village of Gulfstream once it's finito. http://www.triciahelfer.com/

Not as her crossword puzzle-carrying, gun-wielding baddie character Carla, but just Tricia, another in a long line of beautiful and interesting actresses from Canada who've come south of the border. For which we're all very grateful!

Her popularity is such that when you simply type in the name "Tricia" in Google, her website comes up as your #1 choice. Now that's popular!

See this interesting column from Sunday's Los Angeles Times:
'Burn Notice': The Novel
Does a real writer accept a gig doing books spun off from films or TV shows? A real writer found the answer to his own question.
By Tod Goldberg, Special to The Times
August 24, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-tie-ins24-2008aug24,0,6163967.story?track=ntothtml

If you want a more descripive bio of the evil Miss Carla:
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/theshow/characterprofiles/carla/index.html ]

Once the 'frog men' have done their thing, when the explosion -naturally- goes awry, and causes damage to nearby Golden Isles homes, or ruptures some underground pipes, causing a total loss of pressure to water pipes, and requires area mega-money residents to line-up every morning with giant water containers for the Red Cross and Broward County Emergency water dispensery, everyone can ask why it is that these sort of things always spiral out-of-control, over and over again in Hallandale Beach.

Of course, on the plus side, maybe the explosion will cause some oil to come bubblin' up a la Jed Clampett.
You know, "Texas Tea."

Just don't let Granny see the Navy 'frog men,' because as you all know perfectly well, Granny hates 'frog men' anywhere near the 'cement pond.'

One of the funniest BH episodes ever!
The first of the nine-episode arc on frog men which eventually led to the 'Grunion Invasion."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Beverly_Hillbillies_episodes
Episode 254, October 6, 1970 "Mark Templeton Arrives"
Mark Templeton, a Navy frogman, arrives to court Elly May, but Granny misunderstands his profession and thinks he is half-human, half-frog.