Thursday night's big Environmental meeting at Hollywood City Hall, 6-8 PM. #PlanetOrPlastic

@Mawrgun #Broward #SeaLevelRise🌊 #PlanetOrPlastic #pollution - .@cohgov hosts #Environmental forum, "Our Environmental Future: Borrowing from our Future Generations - Views from Today’s Young Leaders" Thursday, May 24th 6-8 PM, Hollywood City Hall, Room 219, 2600 Hollywood Blvd. pic.twitter.com/BvWPsWjO8Z

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 20, 2018

"Featured speakers will discuss environmental concerns such as Sea Level Rise, the future of our food supply, the impacts of pollution and the role of the Florida Everglades. Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy and Florida State Representative Evan Jenne will be on hand to moderate the question and answer period. Light refreshments will be provided. For additional event information please call Lorie Mertens-Black at 954.921.3201." 

City will be videotaping it for later viewing on the city's website, but will not be airing/streaming it LIVE, so you need to be there to see what actually happens when it matters.

It will probably take a day or so to get it posted, but here is the link to the page where it will appear:

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/165/Green-Team-Advisory-Committee and here:

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/920/Green-Team

The #SoFL portion of this starts at 17:57.
.@SkyNews special report, "In Too Deep: The race to save our seas" - Ed Conway takes a look at our eco. relationship w/the oceans across the world, #PlanetOrPlastic, pollution, and "the tragedy of the commons."https://t.co/UJsOc67Wv0

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 20, 2018

@Mawrgun @JoshLevyHlwd @beamfurr @PattyAsseff @cohgov @ChipLaMarca @marksamuelian @MiamiBeachNews @crespogram
Americans in Danger From Rising Seas 🌊🌊Could Triple. Up to 13 million along US coasts cld be displaced by end of century. https://t.co/ifo8GtpY8Z via @mlavelles @NatGeo

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 22, 2018

@Mawrgun @JoshLevyHlwd @beamfurr @PattyAsseff @cohgov @ChipLaMarca @marksamuelian @MiamiBeachNews @crespogram Treading Water. #FL's bill = coming due as costs of #ClimateChange add up. Adaptations help - can they save #Miami? https://t.co/tjkCqaI90i via @laurajoparker @NatGeoMag

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 22, 2018

@Mawrgun @JoshLevyHlwd @beamfurr @PattyAsseff @cohgov @ChipLaMarca @marksamuelian @MiamiBeachNews @crespogram #PlanetOrPlastic
MT @jefftayloredits #UK preps to go to war against #plasticpollution with plan to ban straws, cotton swabs https://t.co/TQZA02pgIR via @USATODAY

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 22, 2018

@Mawrgun @JoshLevyHlwd @beamfurr @PattyAsseff @cohgov @ChipLaMarca @RepJoseOliva @marksamuelian #SoFL's #Republicans are protecting sea coasts & future, too. 🏖️🌴🌊🐠🐬
via @chriscmooney @washingtonpost https://t.co/A1fbEfPMhc #Broward #MiamiDade #PlanetOrPlastic #HollywoodFL

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) May 22, 2018

And via marine biologist Morgan Knowles @Mawrgun

It may put a bandaid on #sealevelrise for now, but in the long term... 😬🌊 I’ve reduced my #carbonfootprint by 37% this year, we all need to 4 this 2 work. Thinkin about #waterworld & just hoping I’m actually a “muto” before that happens. #kevincostner pic.twitter.com/UZURHMrnk1

— Morgan Knowles (@Mawrgun) May 22, 2018

Dave 

HallandaleBeachBlog@gmail.com

Hallandale Beach Blog: http://www.hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @hbbtruth, https://twitter.com/hbbtruth/with_replies

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/HallandaleBeachBlog 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbbtruth/ 

Snapchat: SoBeHoosier

Make plans to attend tonight's important Hollywood Mayoral and District 1 City Commission candidate forum at the Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center at 7 PM, 1301 South Ocean Drive

Writing this post to remind you about tonight's important Hollywood Mayoral and District 1 City Commission candidate forum at the Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center at 7 PM, 1301 South Ocean Drive.

I will be attending it and hope that as many of you as possible can make it as well to let the candidates know what you and your neighbors believe are the top local concerns and priorities of Hollywood residents and Small Business ownwers -esp. in the Hollywood Lakes and District 1 community- and let them and any pundits and reporters who attend get a sense of what they all collectively ought to be talking about, writing about and considering as voters as Election Day draws near.

As you might guess, I'm working on some questions of my own, and am hopeful that the local Miami news media will take full advantage of the opportunity to show up and perhaps do some LIVE stand-ups for the 6, 10 or 11 pm newscasts.

I have been to two candidate forums so far, each of which drew very large crowds of residents and interested parties. First was the joint candidate forum on September 16 at the Fred Lippman Community Center that featured the City Commission District 2 and mayoral candidates -minus District 1 incumbent Patricia Asseff- and last week at David Park in Hollywood Hills featuring all three mayoral candidates: Asseff, Joshua Levy and Eleanor Sobel.

In theory, tonight's forum should give District 1 candidates Debra Case, Victor Debianchi, Stacey North Kotzen and Luis H. Prada plenty of time to draw attention to their particular priorities and make a case for their candidacy, given that District 1 has traditionally had a lot of influence on what happens in the city because it includes the beach area that has long served as the economic engine of the city, via tourism.

So far, to my mind, based on what I've seen and heard, all the District 1 candidates have thus far been talking too much in cliches and platitudes, and really need to give some specificity and nuance to the voters to give them some sense of what they are for -and what they are against.

I do have some news to share with you that I suspect few of you have caught wind of yet, and that is that I learned recently that former Broward County Sheriff and Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth and former Broward Commissioner Sue Gunzburger have officially endorsed Victor Debianchi in the District 1 Commission contest.

As many of you know, the Dolphins at Bengals game tonight is slated to kickoff at 8:20 and I was hoping to miss as little of it as possible after the candidate forum is over, so depending upon what time it's over, and knowing that they'd like to close up around 9 pm, I may be there a bit after the forum if there's a TV showing the game.

So if you don't get a chance to come by and say hello before or during the forum, swing by afterwards and let me know what you think.

Also, you might be interested in knowing that tonight is Comm. Asseff's 49th wedding anniversary, and yet because she cares so much about the city and its residents, instead of celebrating the anniversary, she'll be there tonight to listen to the residents and Small Business owners of Hollywood, and explain her goals and priorities for the city moving forward.

See ya there!

Dave

All August and September 2016 photos below by me, South Beach Hoosier. © 2016 Hallandale Beach Blog, All Rights Reserved.

Important 'Meet the Candidates' forum tonight in Downtown Hollywood at the Hollywood Center for the Performing Arts; I'll be there, pen, pad and camera at the ready, to observe whatever happens

Hollywood City Hall, August 5, 2012 photo by South Beach Hoosier. © 2012 Hallandale Beach Blog, All Rights Reserved.

Given the paucity of scheduled candidate debates and forums here in Hallandale Beach -which is the way that that the powers-that-be in Hallandale Beach City Hall like it- those of you like me who like to see a good give-and-take might want to check-out tonight's second of two 'Meet the Candidates' forum hosted by the Hollywood Coalition of Civic and Business Associations, the first having been Tuesday night in western Hollywood.

Tonight at the Hollywood Center for the Performing Arts, 1650 Harrison -i.e. just south of the backside of the Publix at Young Circle- will be an event for Hollywood candidates for Mayor and the Commission seats for Districts 1, 2 & 3, which is the beach west to I-95 just north of us, and from I-95 north of Hollywood Blvd., west to N. 56th Street. 

It's slated to run from 6-9 p.m.

View Larger Map

District Map at: http://www.hollywoodfl.org/index.aspx?nid=66

List of Candidates: http://www.hollywoodfl.org/index.aspx?nid=150

Candidates Treasurer’s Reports: http://www.hollywoodfl.org/index.aspx?NID=151

If what I'm hearing is true, there are a lot of people who'll need to drastically step-up their "game."

* Reminder: Kickoff for Dolphins at Cowboys exhibition football game is 8:30 p.m., airing on Channel 33 instead of Channel 4 due to Republican National Convention

coverage at 10 p.m., which will consist of Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan's speech, after remarks by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. 

Video of the 2009 Hollywood City Commission voting on $30k deal with State Sen. Eleanor Sobel; Sara Case was talking about budget problems even then!

September 20, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Later than I had originally planned, I now finally have the link to the video from April 1st, 2009 at Hollywood City Hall that was the heart of the $30K deal for State Senator Eleanor Sobel that I have referenced twice within the past week, via a post of my own and one yesterday by Hollywood civic activist Sara Case at The Balance Sheet Blog, in light of her formal request to have the State of Florida perform an audit of the City of Hollywood.

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/pol-who-wanted-and-got-hollywood.html

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/hollywood-civic-activist-sara-cases.html

Me, I find her timing and rationale very, very curious, and that would be true even if I hadn't voted in the 2008 primary for Tim Ryan for State Senate, despite the nasty and untrue TV ads paid for by her shadowy supporters at 527s, and electioneering communication groups

A survey done by VancoreJones Communications in June 2008 described Democratic voters in District 31 as "the most angry, despondent and suspicious group we've ever polled.'' But on the plus side: "Despite being very opinionated they can be easily persuaded.''

Just like other 527's did the bidding of Alexander Lewy last year in Hallandale Beach against Comm. Keith London in Lewy's bid to get elected on his second try for office, where I wrote: "Not out of any great magnanimous desire to help the citizens of this city, mind you, but rather to help himself and take his first step in becoming a career politician."

History has proven me prescient.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/527/committee-to-protect-florida.asp

You may find it worthwhile to know that using Internet Explorer, you can't find the link on the city's website marked "Archived City Commission" meetings, but the video itself seems to ONLY play using Internet Explorer, since it will NOT work using Google Chrome.

I know that because I have tried and tried over the past few months to see several old Commission meetings that I wanted to reference in blog posts but was unable to.

Above, the webpage using Internet Explorer -list of files is invisible!

Below, the webpage using Google Chrome, a list of files.

Once you get to the blue-highlighted agenda item on the particular Hollywood City Commission meeting you want to view -or even the entire meeting if you choose- the link doesn't work using Google Chrome.

Consider yourself warned!

It's SNAFU!

And there is nothing on the city's website page that tell you that you have to use Internet Explorer to see video of selected agenda items.

A real conundrum that!

I'll be talking to the City Clerk's office about that next week.

April 1, 2009

6. R-2009-072 - Resolution - A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The Appropriate City Officials To Execute The Attached Agreement Between State Senator Eleanor Sobel, State Representative Elaine Schwartz And The City Of Hollywood For Lease Of City Office Space And To Reallocate Funds For The Renovations For New Offices For Senator Sobel In The Old Library Building.

PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

September 20, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

State Senator Eleanor Sobel receives 5,000 sq. feet of improved office space, inc. electricity and water, for only $750 a month for a period of 40 months -the remaining period of her term at the time in 2009- paying no interest.

State Representative Elaine Schwartz is paying $500 a month in rent, which includes the costs incurred by Hollywood for past improvements from 2006.

Florida House and Senate legal counsel contacted City Attorney Jeffrey Sheffel and said that rules on limitations on member's office account expenditures are such that this matter needed to be done in the form of rent rather than checks for improvements.

Video is 23:47 minutes long

Entire agenda is at: http://www.hollywoodfl.org/Media/Archives/CCM/ccm040109/ccm040109_Indexed.pdf

Video for this item is at http://www.hollywoodfl.org/Media/Archives/CCM/ccm040109/ccm040109_Indexed.pdf

Eleanor Sobel, Broward pol who wanted -and got- Hollywood taxpayers to pay $30k for her new FL State Senate office in 2009 now asks FL legislature for audit of Hollywood!

Pol who wanted -and got- City of Hollywood taxpayers to pay $30k for her new FL State Senate office in 2009 now asks FL legislature for audit of Hollywood!

Oh, "that's Rich."

No, that's just Eleanor Sobel being Eleanor Sobel!

What brings this to mind is this blog post today by Steve Bousquet of the St. Petersburg Times:

Legislature OKs audit of city of Hollywood

TALLAHASSEE -- The Legislature on Monday approved a request by Sen. Eleanor Sobel to step in and audit the city of Hollywood's shaky finances. Sobel appeared at a meeting of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee in the Capitol to ask for the audit, citing the city's declaration of a state of "financial urgency," a recent 11 percent property tax increase, lucrative pension and health benefits for city employees and overly optimistic revenue projections.

Read the rest of the post at

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/10/state-approves-audit-of-city-of-hollywood-.html

Plus, at the time, April of 2009, Sobel's name was already STILL on the same building across from Hollywood City Hall -where Rep. Elaine Schwartz's office was/is also located- from when Sobel had used it as her temporary pit-stop of a Broward School Board office when she pretended to care about kids for a few months while waiting for Steve Geller to be term-limited out of the state senate.

I was at the Hollywood City Commission meeting when this self-serving effort got pushed thru -even updating my photos before going inside- and Balance Sheet Blog co-editor Sara Case was the only member of the public with the integrity to publicly say that Hollywood taxpayer funds should NOT be used in this manner, esp. for a woman who could well afford to pay for it herself, or, even rent one of the dozens of empty storefronts in Downtown Hollywood.

I thought Sara was particularly good in zeroing-in on the problems in her comments that day before the City Commission.

I have to admit, though, I was somewhat confounded that Mayor Peter Bober, having brought up some spot-on reasons that I hadn't even thought of to justify voting against it straightaway, or, continue it to the near future, along with some modifications to it and some added clarity on the ethical and financial issues, then voted FOR it.

I found that confusing on his part and some arguments by Comm. Richard Blattner, and I don't think I was alone in the Chambers in that sentiment.

Until it was mentioned at that meeting, in passing, I didn't know anything about Hollywood taxpayers also having spent $20,000 in 2006 on improvements to Rep. Schwartz's office.

Sara's point in her then-editorial about the real answer to the problem being that they leave their government cocoon and rent a downtown storefront is, of course, something that was completely lost on the woman from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Instead, this was a done-deal from the word "go," and it passed despite the gaping holes in logic and questions about propriety and extraneous spending.

R-2009-072 - Resolution - A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The Appropriate City Officials To Execute The Attached Agreement Between State Senator Eleanor Sobel, State Representative Elaine Schwartz And The City Of Hollywood For Lease Of City Office Space And To Reallocate Funds For The Renovations For New Offices For Senator Sobel In The Old Library Building. PASSED

Good to know that Sen. Sobel is trying to re-pay the PBA members' past help by expressing her new-found concern with extraneous government costs.

But where were those concerns of hers before when it involved her? MIA.

The photos above, all taken by me on September 20th, with the first showing the offices of Rep. Schwartz and Sen. Sobel and the second showing part of the view when you walk out of their office, looking west, at Hollywood City Hall.

In the next few days, once I find those old photos, I'll add them here for an Eleanor Sobel office compare-and-contrast.

Some contemporaneous articles about this story are:

a.)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Broward Politics blog

Sen. Sobel to taxpayers: Spend $30k cleaning rat-infested space for my office

Posted by Brittany Wallman at 10:57 AM

By Ihosvani Rodriguez, Staff Writer

State Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, wants new office digs in Hollywood, and it will cost city taxpayers about $30,000 for starters.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/04/sen_sobel_to_taxpayers_spend_3.html

b.)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hollywood to rent office to state Sen. Sobel

By Ihosvani Rodriguez

6:12 PM EDT, April 1, 2009

Read the rest of the post at:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/hollywood/sfl-sobel-office-b040209,0,4633755.story

Reader comments at:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/fort-lauderdale-fl/T7MBKTSCTPCC6IQBT

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Balance Sheet Blog is at http://balancesheetblog.wordpress.com/

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/

Speaking of diversity, will 2012 mark the end of the All-White Hollywood City Commission? And the introduction of more common sense ideas?

Speaking of diversity, will 2012 mark the end of the All-White Hollywood City Commission? And the introduction of some more common sense ideas?

In a city that proudly wears its sometimes competing intentions and aspirations of sophisticated, urban liberal AND upwardly middle-class family-friendly 'beachy' in some pretty obvious ways, whether thru lip service or actual votes for govt. programs borne by all city taxpayers, there's always lots of talk about diversity in and around Hollywood City Hall.

(Personally, I'm a bigger fan of diversity of well-informed, fact-based opinions, but that's just me.)

What there actually HASN'T been, though, since I returned to South Florida from the Washington, D.C. area in late 2003, is any actual diversity on the dais of the City Commission of Broward's fourth-largest city.

Though it has taken some time -longer than I expected- some informed residents of S.E. Broward County that I've spoken to this year are beginning to wonder if 2012 might finally be the end of the All-White Hollywood City Commission.

Wondering if some new faces and new ideas might do wonders to shake things up there, and get the City Commission more tethered to city resident's everyday reality, financial and otherwise, and a lot less worried about the creative pretensions of some.

I'll have more to say about this topic soon, when I discuss what's going on with Hollywood's September 13th referendum that aims to close a $38 million budget gap by giving Hollywood voters the chance to clip the pension wings of the city's Police and Fire Dept. members, and bring them more into line with what is financially reasonable for Hollywood beleaguered taxpayers, some of whom have chosen to leave rather than stay, due to either taxes, schools or crime.

Be sure to take a look at the Balance Sheet Blog if you haven't in the past month to see their take on Hollywood's financial problems. Reporters and columnists read it, why not you?

http://balancesheetblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/financial-troubles-in-hollywood/#comments

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www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/hollywood/mh-hollywood-wi-fi-20110828,0,2918225.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hollywood's Wi-Fi promise goes unfulfilled

By Carli Teproff, The Miami Herald

7:37 PM EDT, August 28, 2011

HOLLYWOOD

More than three years ago, the city borrowed $16 million to pay for a wireless communications platform that would give residents free computer network service, as well as automate the water-meter reader system and solar-powered parking meters.

But the system, meant to improve residents' quality of life, isn't completely functional.

"It is definitely not working the way we hoped it would," said Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Storey.

The idea was simple: install transmitters throughout the city that would allow water meters to be read and sent digitally, and parking meters that would accept credit cards. There would also be a secure network for police, fire and code enforcement officers.

The bonus was a wireless network for residents.

But Johnson Controls, the company hired to handle the project, ran into problems installing enough access points — similar to antennas — throughout the city that would allow the system to work.

Although money for this project didn't come out of the city's general fund, but through separate enterprise funds, residents say the city's failed attempt at creating citywide wireless Internet is yet another example of why the city faces a $38 million budget deficit.

"This is typical Hollywood," said longtime resident Joe Joynt. "We get promised something and we don't get it. They just spend money for no reason."

Some recent projects that have faced criticism include:

• The water tower: Earlier this year the city completed a $680,000 restoration project on the city's water tower. Residents criticized the commission for adding a clock and temperature reader which frequently don't work properly.

• New police cars: Last year, the commission approved spending $655,000 for 26 new police cars. For two months, the vehicles sat in Hollywood's parking lot while the city looked for ways to pay for them.

• New safety complex: In February, the commission approved a $7.9 million safety complex on the beach to serve the new Margaritaville Beach Resort. In July, just months after declaring a fiscal emergency, the commission considered stopping the project, but decided to continue after learning $1.6 million had already been spent on the project.

Storey said Hollywood's deal to bring Wi-Fi to the city has nothing to do with the budget gap.

"Even if we had not done this, our general fund would not be in any better shape than it is currently," she said.

Indeed, none of the projects facing criticism were paid for by money out of the general fund: the water tower was paid for out of the city's Water and Sewer Utility enterprise fund; the police cars came from the central services fund; and the safety complex is being paid for by money from the general obligation bond and the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Storey said Hollywood's budget problems are no different from other cities' across the state and the nation. She blames the recession, the investment market crash and rising pension costs for the budget hole.

"That is something we never anticipated," she said.

When the city signed the contract with Johnson Controls in 2008, the agreement called for the city to see $23 million in savings over 15 years — otherwise the company would make up the difference.

Hollywood took out a $16 million loan in 2008, figuring the money it saved each year by having the system would cover the loan payments.

"At the time it sounded like a great deal for the city," said Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan. "You never go into a contract hoping it's going to fail."

But Johnson Controls was met with problems. The automated meter reader system would not work because the digital equipment would not transmit through concrete caps. The company then placed the caps with plastic ones, but when it rained the caps floated away, Storey said.

After months of trying different caps and methods, the automated reader system should be online any day, said Storey.

Storey said the parking meters are also working, but with cellular modems instead of wireless, which is being paid for by Johnson Controls.

The Wi-Fi portion, however, will likely not work, said Storey.

There aren't enough public places for access points to be installed without having interference from buildings and other signals, she said.

Johnson Controls could not be reached to comment for this story.

Storey said the city is negotiating with Johnson Controls to get back money for the parts of the system that aren't working.

"If this would have worked as we hoped, we would have been considered ahead of the curve," said Commissioner Beam Furr.

Hollywood is not alone in trying to offer free citywide Internet.

Miami Beach embarked on the journey in 2005, and nearly four years and $5 million later it was complete.

There were some challenges along the way, acknowledged the city's Chief Financial Officer Patricia Walker in an email. But now, Walker said, the system is very successful, with more than 158,000 subscribed users.

Hollywood residents wish that the city came through with its promise.

"This is just a grand fiasco," said Charlotte Greenbarg. "It's sad. Really, really sad."

But Storey said residents have to understand the city is getting its money back and the point of the project was to have an automated meter reader system, which will work.

"It is disappointing to say the least that it hasn't worked," Storey said. "But people shouldn't be left with the impression that $16 million is down the drain."

Reader comments at:

http://discussions.sun-sentinel.com/20/mh-hollywood-wi-fi-20110828/10?sort=asc

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While you were away this summer...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/hollywood/fl-hollywood-hart-suit-20110812,0,1272866.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Developer sues Hollywood for $1.3 million after not repaying $3.5 million loan

By Megan O'Matz, Sun Sentinel

1:19 PM EDT, August 13, 2011

HOLLYWOOD

A developer who borrowed $3.5 million from the city and never repaid it is suing the town for $1.35 million — a move seen by many as unspeakably outrageous.

"There are a lot of people out there that have a lot of chutzpah," said City Commissioner Fran Russo, who vowed not to give developer Gary Posner "5 cents."

Technically, the suit, like most of its kind, is about contract language and legal definitions.

But the simple filing of it — asking for another million-plus after what the city views as defaulting on a taxpayer-financed loan for three times that — raises questions for many.

"Galling," is how Terry Cantrell, president of the Hollywood Lakes Civic Association, describes the suit.

The city and Posner disagree on whether he still owes $3.5 million. The city says he does. He says the land was sold to another firm that was supposed to repay the loan, but didn't.

Hollywood, in an effort to stimulate development, released that company from the debt. But it contends Posner is still on the hook.

Louis Arslanian, the attorney who has filed the suit on behalf of Posner, recognizes the public relations problem the claim for $1.35 million presents. "It kind of makes me look like a really bad guy," he said. "I am so not a bad guy."

The lawsuit, against the city's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), is expected to be tried soon before a Broward County jury.

The agreed-to facts are these: Between 2004 and 2005, Posner's company, HART District Ltd., borrowed $3.5 million from the CRA to purchase and improve a drab corner, including the landmark Bread Building, at South 17th Avenue and Harrison Street, off Young Circle.

The plan called for a performing arts theater, condominiums, shops, offices and a school.

None of that materialized except for the charter school, the Hollywood Academy of Arts and Science. It takes up four floors of the Home Tower, a previously existing office and residential high-rise.

In addition to the $3.5 million loan, the redevelopment authority gave HART District more than $1.6 million in "incentives" through 2008 to start and run the school.

The payments were required under the city's agreement with the company.

But in 2009, after the HART District defaulted on its loan payments and the redevelopment project collapsed, the city refused to pay an additional $270,000 a year for the charter school through 2013.

The Community Redevelopment Agency contended Posner's company breached the contract by failing to meet school enrollment targets and not providing audited statements of how it spent the incentive money.

HART District sued. It wants the city to pay $270,000 a year for the five years from 2009 through 2013, or $1.35 million in all.

The city agency countersued.

"We are asking to have the $3.5 million repaid. That is our suit," Hollywood City Attorney Jeffrey Sheffel said.

Posner's camp is arguing that he is no longer duty-bound to pay back the $3.5 million. "The HART District doesn't owe any money anymore," Arslanian said.

That's because in 2007, HART District sold the development project to WSG Development Co. of Miami Beach, which under terms of the purchase agreed to assume the debt for the $3.5 million CRA loan.

But in August 2008, the CRA released WSG from the obligation.

In return, the developer agreed to downsize the proposed residential tower, from 420 units to 390, to placate residents upset over its scale.

City officials say HART District, however, is still on the hook for the money it borrowed from the city. "HART was never released from the debt," Sheffel said.

HART District disputes that, arguing in court papers that the "CRA has completely eliminated the debt."

Today, with $3.5 million in taxpayer funds still unreimbursed, Hollywood's municipal finances are in disarray and the HART District parcel, known as Block 58, is an eyesore. Because of the economic downturn, WSG hasn't built anything. Last year, the company's lender foreclosed on the property.

Construction barriers block off a stretch of sidewalk. The Bread Building is locked tight, with vacant storefronts. A hulking and largely unused parking garage sits next to a vast lot with sparse patches of grass.

Said Cantrell: "That block is representative of the city's failed efforts at downtown redevelopment."

Meanwhile, Posner's suit is pending. It was on Judge Mily Rodriguez-Powell's calendar for trial in early June but was postponed and must be rescheduled.

Russo, the city commissioner, said she can't fathom how Posner can go forward with the suit. "He owes us money that he doesn't want to pay, and he wants us to give him money for that charter school. … just hope he doesn't win."

If Posner does win, Arslanian said, the lawsuit proceeds may be used to pay a $476,400 judgment against HART District in a separate, drawn-out legal saga involving the Home Tower building that houses the charter school.

"Another whole mess of a situation," Arslanian said.

Reader comments at:

http://discussions.sun-sentinel.com/20/soflanews/fl-hollywood-hart-suit-20110812/10

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www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/hollywood/fl-hollywood-pension-referendum-20110719,0,5672813.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hollywood gives initial OK to putting pension reform on ballot

Police and firefighters protest agreement

By Tonya Alanez, Sun Sentinel

8:11 PM EDT, July 18, 2011

Hollywood City commissioners tentatively agreed Monday to let voters decide whether to reform employee pensions as part of an effort to close a $38 million budget gap.

After the unanimous votes — one pertaining to each of the city's three unions — a deep, loud chorus of "Shame, shame, shame on you," rang out from police and firefighters who had packed into City Hall.

Vice Mayor Patricia Assef said the city's state of financial urgency has forced some difficult and unpopular decisions. "Nobody wants to do this, but it's either this or how are we going to pay them?" she said.

The proposed pension changes are specific to each union, but each would increase retirement ages, eliminate cost of living adjustments, and alter the formulas that calculate pensions. For example, under the current plan, a general employee hired in 1996 who retires in 2021 would have received an annual pension of $45,000. Under the new plan, that employee would get $34,500 a year.

The reform would also eliminate the DROP plan — or Deferred Retirement Option Program — which allows long-time employees to defer retirement for a set period and "bank" retirement benefits they can later take in a lump sum.

"This is not reform of the pension, this is gutting of the pension," said Michael Braverman, attorney for the Police Benevolent Association.

Because the unions have not agreed to the changes, the city by law must put it to voters. So on Monday commissioners gave initial approval to spending $400,000 to put the item on a Sept. 13 ballot. If voters approve, that would allow the changes to go into effect Oct. 1, the beginning of the new budget year.

A final commission vote on the matter has not yet been scheduled in the hopes that the sides can come to an agreement.

Matthew Lalla, director of the Finance and Information Technology Department, projected pension reform would save the city $8.5 million. "That's a pretty substantial piece and we're definitely counting on it," he said.

Earlier this summer, commissioners laid off 16 city employees, slashed pay for most city workers by 7.5 percent, and cut salaries for police and firefighters by 12.5 percent.

If pension reform is not achieved, said interim City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, the city would have to cut employee pay by an additional 25 percent, lay off 150 employees, cut and privatize services.

Ralph Dierks, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said he believes commissioners are using financial urgency as a tool.

"I think the city commission and management is being driven by the ability to use financial urgency to make gains against the employees that they would never achieve through negotiations," he said.

Dan Martinez, president of Hollywood Professional Firefighters Local 13-75, said, "It needs to be negotiated amicably. It shouldn't be thrust into the public's hands to make this decision."

Painful as it is, mending the city's budget is critical, Mayor Peter Bober said.

"We're dealing with people's livelihoods, so I totally understand the anger and frustration,'' Bober said. "But I have to close a $38 million gap and there is no easy or pleasant way to do it."

Aug. 12 is the latest commissioners could cancel the election and not have to pay the total $400,000, though there would still be some costs for sending out absentee ballots, posting legal notices and training poll workers, said Mary Cooney, director of public services at the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office.

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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-07-18/news/fl-holocaust-museum-loan0718-20110718_1_holocaust-center-holocaust-museum-holocaust-education

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hollywood delays vote on erasing Holocaust education group's $1.7 million debt

By Megan O'Matz, Sun Sentinel

July 18, 2011

HOLLYWOOD — — Faced with a chorus of disapproval from residents, city commissioners couldn't bring themselves Monday to agree to write off a $1.7 million debt owed by a group that hopes to open a Holocaust museum in the heart of downtown.

Instead, they postponed the issue until October to give staff time to find a more palatable way to help the Holocaust Education & Documentation Center, which has collected the oral histories of 2,400 survivors of Nazi genocide.

"At least they didn't deny [assistance]," said Aron Halpern, a Holocaust survivor who lives in Hollywood.

The center bought its building at 2031 Harrison Street from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency in 2004, and was lent the purchase price by the CRA, but has yet to repay a cent. Now, it's asking the city to be released from its obligation, saying unexpectedly costly renovations have hampered its plans to open a gallery on the first floor that would draw tourists and much needed business to the area.

It's a tough time for such a request. The city is facing a $38 million shortfall in its operating budget in 2012. City redevelopment money comes from a different pot, but the distinction was lost on residents and business people who jammed the meeting room Monday.

"To give away money in such dire times makes absolutely no sense," said resident Charlotte Greenbarg.

Commissioner Fran Russo said she could not support forgiving the obligation when "we have foreclosures by the minute in the city of Hollywood."

Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan expressed the hope that the promised museum would open, but said she was disappointed in private meetings with the center's leaders that they were unwilling to pay back any amount, "not one penny."

Without the loan forgiveness, the center could be forced to sell the building and move elsewhere, warned attorney Jonathan Jaffe, who is assisting the center in its negotiations with the CRA.

In its lobbying efforts, the center turned to former mayor Mara Giulianti, now an unpaid board member for the Holocaust center. She interrupted a vacation in Maine last week to return to Hollywood to champion the project and has emailed officials and staff about it.

The prospect of Hollywood losing yet another asset — on downtrodden Harrison Street especially — did not sit well with Commissioner Beam Furr, who led the charge to delay the vote.

Hollywood, he said, needs "destination power" — more reasons for people to visit.

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Meanwhile, once upon a time, in 2005...

The Florida Masochist blog

Something fishy in Hollywood Florida?

July 10, 2005

http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2005/07/something-fishy-in-hollywood-florida.html

See also:

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/keyword/david-mach