Tag Archives: North Miami

City Of Tamarac Refuses To Say Who Gave Order To Pay $3,000 To Marlon Bolton Crony For Singing At Christmas Tree Lighting Event

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It seems like a simple and straightforward question deserving of a simple and straightforward answer. Who told the City of Tamarac Parks and Recreation Department to hire a business associate of Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton to perform at the 2021 Christmas Tree Lighting Event? Yet, for some reason, City officials and Commissioner Marlon Bolton refuse to say how Dwight M.Moment, Sr. picked up a $3,000 singing gig paid for by City of Tamarac residents.

Since 2015, Dwight M. Moment Sr., a Lauderdale Lakes pastor, has produced a “Singing Pastors” musical revue featuring local church leaders. One of the regular performers on the “Singing Pastors” bill is Praise Experience Worldwide Outreach Church pastor Marlon Bolton. On his church related YouTube channel, Bolton posted a video of his performance at the 2020 Singing Pastors event. Bolton has been featured prominently in Singing Pastors promotional materials since at least 2016.

REDBROWARD obtained the documents surrounding Moment’s deal with the City. On November 30, 2021, Dwight D. Moment Sr, submitted an invoice for the City of Tamarac. The invoice was for $3,000 to perform at the City sponsored 2021 Light The Night Tree Lighting event on December 2nd at Caporella Park.

On December 1, 2021, the City of Tamarac Parks and Recreation Department issued purchase order #250401 for $3,000 payable to Dwight Moment of Lauderdale Lakes. According to the purchase order, Moment would provide “entertainment for tree lighting event.”

REDBROWARD contacted Tamarac Parks and Recreation Department Director Greg Warner with questions about the deal. In an email, we asked Warner:

1. Who recommended the hiring of Dwight Moment?

2. Did anyone negotiate with Dwight Moment?

3. Has Dwight Moment performed at any City Of Tamarac events in the past?

Instead of replying to these simple questions, Greg Warner had the City Public Information Office respond to REDBROWARD.

Since the initial email was sent on Monday, February 21st, Presidents Day, Senior Strategic Communications Officer Eunicia Baker wrote that a complete response would be made the following day.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, February 22nd, REDBROWARD contacted Baker on the status of her follow up. She stated they were working on it and it would be ready on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, February 23rd at 6:00PM, Baker responded to our initial inquiry. Well, sort of.

Baker stated “The City of Tamarac contracted with Dwight Moment And Symphony for the December 2021 Tree Lighting Event at the Performer’s set price of $3,000. This group has not performed at previous City events.”

Yeah, we knew that. Which is why we asked whose brilliant idea was it to hire a this specific singer?

And we told Baker the purchase order was with an individual, Dwight Moment, not the Dwight Moment And Symphony corporation.

Once again, we asked Baker:

1. Who recommended Dwight Moment?

2. Since there was no Request For Proposals (RFP), how was Moment chosen for the job?

On Thursday February 24th at 6:27PM, Baker confirmed the City made a deal with Dwight Moment and not his corporation. Baker said, “City staff did not undergo an RFP process, as the City’s purchasing policy lists several ‘Exemptions to Formal Competition.’ Among those exemptions are ‘entertainment and entertainment-related services for City-sponsored events,’ which applies to the December 2021 tree lighting.”

Once again, Baker failed to answer who recommended Dwight Moment.

REDBROWARD immediately asked Baker for answers:

1. How did the City choose Dwight Moment?

2. Did someone recommend Moment?

3. Did any Commissioner direct staff to hire Dwight Moment?

On Friday February 25th, Baker sent this terse response:

“The City of Tamarac has no further details to provide pertaining to this matter.”

That’s it?

The City of Tamarac claims it can use taxpayer dollars to hire anyone for City-sponsored entertainment events and they don’t have to tell residents why they hired them?

We just have to take their word that the fact Dwight Moment performs regularly at paid events with Commissioner Marlon Bolton played no role in Moment landing the $3,000 gig?

REDBROWARD tried to ask Marlon Bolton about Dwight Moment during a break at last week’s Commission meeting. Bolton refused to answer.

On Monday February 28th, REDBROWARD contacted Dwight Moment. Even though Moment was busy with a family emergency, he did answer one question.

REDBROWARD asked if Marlon Bolton recommended him for the 2021 Light The Night Tree Lighting Event.

Dwight Moment said, “yes.”

Why can Dwight Moment answer the simple question?

Marlon Bolton refused to answer this question.

City officials spent an entire week avoiding this question. Officials who get paid more than $3,000 in taxpayer funds.

How many other deals were made on the recommendation of Marlon Bolton?

Don’t Tamarac residents deserve honest answers from its leaders and employees?

Tamarac Interim City Attorney Hans Ottinot Fails To Disclose His Role As Paid Political Consultant & Campaign Manager

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Hans Ottinot and wife with Judge Phoebe Francois

Tamarac interim city attorney Hans Ottinot failed to disclose his recent role as a paid political consultant and campaign manager, records show. This is the second instance of Ottinot failing to tell Tamarac officials about his outside consulting work. Last month, REDBROWARD revealed Hans Ottinot failed to disclose his lucrative legal consulting contract with the City of North Miami when applying for the permanent city attorney position.

REDBROWARD obtained a November 2020 contract between HLA Consulting Group LLC and the City of North Miami for legal consulting on matters involving private/public partnership developments and other land use issues. HLA Consulting Group LLC receives $2,500 per month for the contract which runs through September 2021. Florida business records show Hans Ottinot created HLA Consulting Group LLC in November 2020.

A review of Hans Ottinot’s bid to be the permanent Tamarac City Attorney shows no mention of HLA Consulting Group LLC or its lucrative deal with the City of North Miami. Ottinot’s paperwork also lacks any mention of his work as a paid political consultant.

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

Official campaign treasurer reports show Hans Ottinot and his wife were paid political consultants for Broward County Judge Phoebe Francois for her 2020 election. The records show Judge Francois paid Hans Ottinot $7,500 for his consulting work. Ottinot’s wife, Margarita Francois Ottinot was paid $7,000 for consulting on Judge Francois’ campaign.

In addition to the $7,000 consulting fee, Margarita Francois Ottinot was paid $3,000 for “early voting” and another $3,000 for “election day.” One would think Hans Ottinot would brag about his election victory not to mention his family’s $20,500 haul.

Yet Ottinot never mentioned this payday in his city attorney paperwork.

Perhaps Hans Ottinot thought it was weird that his opponents for the permanent City of Tamarac attorney position helped make the Ottinot family $20,500 haul possible.

The campaign treasurer records show State Representative Dotie Joseph made a small contribution to Judge Phoebe Francois. As REDBROWARD exposed last month, Dotie Joseph is listed as a member of the Ottinot Law firm in the proposal submitted to City of Tamarac. But Dotie Joseph is also listed as an attorney with the Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell firm, according to its website.

Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell is hoping to be the next Tamarac city attorney.

Michelle Pamies of the Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell firm made a $500 contribution to Judge Phoebe Francois.

Burnadette Norris Weeks P.A. made a $350 contribution to Judge Phoebe Francois. Burnadette Norris Weeks was the former attorney for Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes.

Another Tamarac City Attorney hopeful, Michael Garcia, is also listed as an attorney on the Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell website.

Why does Hans Ottinot fail to disclose his significant business dealings to City of Tamarac officials? The Mayor, the City Commission and the City Manager need to know about matters which may pose a conflict of interest, right?

Why are so many of the law firms seeking the Tamarac city attorney job interconnected?

Is everyone on Team Dale Holness?

Tamarac voters deserve to know, right?

Who will come to the defense of Tamarac residents and business owners?