Rio Vista - REDBROWARD

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis (D-Hapless) appeared to vent his frustrations while bullying a resident at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting. It was not a good day for Dean. On Monday night, NBC Nightly News reported on the 200+ million gallons of raw sewage the Trantalis administration pumped into local waterways in December and January. Earlier in the day, the Sun-Sentinel wrote the amount of sewage pumped in the local waterways was “enough to fill 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools.” By Tuesday morning, Fort Lauderdale sewergate went international with stories from CBS, Fox News, NY Post, CNN and The Guardian of London.

Then, just before the meeting started, news broke that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection levied a $1.8 million dollar fine against the City Of Fort Lauderdale due to the pumping of raw sewage.

Mitchel Vitale was one of a handful of Fort Lauderdale residents seeking to be heard about an agenda item extending the term of the City’s Infrastructure Taskforce Committee (ITC). Last week, Trantalis announced the ITC would study the feasibility of a building moratorium in the City. Many residents saw this as an attempt to “kick the can down the road” until after the November 2020 elections.

As his three-minutes of speaking time began, a nervous Vitale read from prepared remarks. First, he asked who would pay the $1.8 million dollar fine. Then, Vitale asked the City Commission if they would have acted on the sewer problems at all if not for the big break in December. He wanted to know, if this really was a huge priority, why hadn’t Mayor Trantalis acted sooner?

Vitale’s questions appeared to anger Trantalis. The Mayor interrupted Vitale before he hit the two-minute mark.

Trantalis launched into his usual litany of excuses. He claimed the former City Manager hindered his attempts to “stop siphoning off money from water and sewer fund.” Trantalis said his Commission voted to spend money to fix the Rio Vista sewer pipes just three days before they failed.

“We weren’t sitting on our hands, not waiting for a break to happen,” Trantalis said. “Unfortunately, it got ahead of us.”

According to Trantalis, the sewer problems are “no one’s fault on this Commission.”

A flustered Trantalis declared, “right now, we need to focus on solutions not blame.”

When he was allowed to continued, Vitale asked about the clean-up of waterways and shorelines. Worried no one was keeping people out of the water, Vitale said “we can’t rely on nature. It’s your responsibility [to clean up the waste], not nature.”

Trantalis tried to deflect blame once again, stating how he is very sensitive to the issue. Trantalis said they have asked City Manager to find solutions. Vitale interrupted the Mayor. He said the City should at least pressure clean the shorelines still covered in waste. “No kidding,” Trantalis said.

When Vitale said “time keeps ticking” Trantalis snapped.

Trantalis said, “that’s not true. You’re not listening…you’re giving a speech…you haven’t been listening.”

Vitale, a lifelong resident, stated he was disappointed in the City. “Sad you can’t go enjoy the water.” Vitale said. “You can’t think of going swimming.”

“And you shouldn’t [swim], because it’s polluted.” Trantalis declared. “I think we made that point clear, right?”

While the Fort Lauderdale waters may be cloudy, the lack of leadership from Mayor Dean Trantalis is crystal clear.

While he bemoans the “blame game,” Trantalis repeatedly blames past administrations and city managers for the problem. Never once mentioning his long tenure on these past commissions.

Trantalis refuses to answer questions about the role of his campaign advisers as lobbyists for companies seeking to benefit from Fort Lauderdale’s infrastructure woes.

Trantalis has no answers and no plans when it comes to protecting wildlife such as fish, birds, manatees and even household pets.

Trantalis is happy to dine with lobbyists at high-end restaurants, but he snaps when a local working stiff asks questions from the podium?

Can Dean Trantalis and his fellow commissioners even come up with an idea not filtered through advisers like “mayoral whisperer” James Blake MacDiarmid?

Perhaps Dean and Co. should listen to actual residents instead of their consultants who do not live in Fort Lauderdale?

Fort Lauderdale deserves better.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steven M. Glassman (D-Selfie) cancelled a meeting with concerned Rio Vista residents after receiving large campaign contributions from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) employees and a political committee tied to a former AHF lobbyist. Last summer, Rio Vista asked Glassman to take a “walking tour” of the proposed site of the AHF apartment building dubbed “Trantalis Tower.” The residents were concerned over the lack of transparency over who would live in the fifteen story building made up of tiny “micro unit” apartments as well as the type of social services AHF would provide to residents.

According to Kevin Cochrane, the tour organizer, Glassman received an e-mail invitation on August 12, 2019 to join the residents’ walking tour. Glassman was told District 4 Commissioner Ben Sorensen was joining residents for an August 13, 2019 tour of the site. On August 14th, Glassman responded to Cochrane. “I am sorry we missed the first tour,” Glassman wrote. “I will get back to you on Friday with some potential dates. How long was the tour?”

On August 16th, Cochrane told Glassman that Mayor Dean Trantalis scheduled a September 5th tour and asked him to find dates before the Mayor’s tour. On August 20th, Cochrane sent a fourth follow up email to Glassman advising him that Commissioner Heather Moraitis scheduled a September 19th tour with his group.

On August 29th, Cochrane sent his seventh email to Glassman. He told Glassman that Commissioner Robert McKinzie scheduled a September 25th walking tour.

The next day, Glassman finally responded. He said he could meet Cochrane’s group on October 10, 2019. Cochrane immediately accepted.

Nearly one month later, Cochrane contacted Glassman about the tour. On September 20, 2019, He told Glassman the AHF project was due to be heard before a City board before his tour. Cochrane mentioned nearly 300 residents had joined Trantalis, Sorensen and Moraitis on their tours and asked if he could scheduled a date before the AHF was to be heard.

Glassman took two weeks to respond. He told Cochrane the Fort Lauderdale City Attorney issued an adverse opinion regarding the AHF project. Glassman cancelled his tour with no further explanation.

So, what changed?

GLASSMAN MEETS WITH AHF OFFICIALS

Official City records show Commissioner Steven M. Glassman met with AHF lobbyists, lawyers and employees four times since 2018. On September 5, 2019 Glassman met with AHF attorney Debbie Orshefsky, AHF employee Ebonni Chrispin and “Trantalis Tower” architect Margi Nothard at City Hall.

One week later, the AHF checks started coming in.

On November 12th Glassman received a $1,000 contribution from David Poole of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Poole is the legislative affairs director for AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

That same day, Glassman received a maximum $1,000 contribution from Florida AIDS HIV PAC, a Tallahassee based political committee. State records show Towson Fraser as the chairperson of Florida AIDS HIV PAC. State lobbyist records show Fraser was a lobbyist for AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Seven days later, Glassman received another $1,000 check from an AHF employee. Michael Kahane, AHF Southern Bureau Chief, made his contribution on the day of Glassman’s re-election campaign kickoff on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Other guests at Glassman’s fundraiser included Mayor Dean Trantalis and Glassman political adviser Blake MacDiarmid of Miami Beach.

What was Steve Glassman doing on October 10th instead of meeting with residents? On Facebook, he was posting about the great success of his September fundraiser.

If the City Attorney made the AHF project a moot point, why didn’t Glassman return the contributions to Poole, Kahane and the Florida AIDS HIV PAC?

As REDBROWARD reported, Glassman loves to attend cultural events with lobbyists or talk about his BFF David Beckham. Instead of talking to residents of Rio Vista about “Trantalis Tower” or the sewer break disaster, Glassman poses with the Scooby Doo Gang, chows down on cupcakes after Zumba class or attends Oscar parties.

Doesn’t Fort Lauderdale deserve real leadership?