The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

Based on his mailers and presentations, it is clear that Lew Thaler does not understand how our local government is structured and is intended to run. We would like to help him out (as well as those voters he may have confused).

Our City Charter acts as our City’s constitution and clearly describes that we operate under a Commission-Manager form of government, very much like other  municipalities in South Florida. The City Commission is responsible for setting policy, approving budgets, determining tax rates, hiring and firing charter officers and the development of community land policies.  The Commission, which includes the Mayor, reviews and votes on the policies that define official parameters, including those within which the City Manager must perform his duties. The Commission works on a part-time basis, which allows our elected officials to serve our City in addition to having independent careers.   As with other municipalities, the part-time nature of the Commission’s role in Sunny Isles is reflected in the salaries our City currently offers: the Mayor receives an annual salary of $14,000, whereas the City Manager receives an annual salary of $212,000.

The City Manager, selected by the City Commission, is responsible for the administration of all departments and divisions of City government and for carrying out policies adopted by the City Commission. He is responsible for the appointment, supervision and removal of all City employees except our City attorney and his staff. He prepares and submits budgets to the Commission, an annual report on finances and administrative activities of the City. (More information can be found at www.sibfl.net ).  In short, the City Manager, a full-time well compensated professional, is the one who manages our City.

Lew Thaler is disingenuous when he states that he will be your “full time mayor” knowing that one is not required or needed.  Thaler wants voters to believe that he is more qualified than a business executive because he can offer quantity of time, while we prefer the idea of Bud Scholl offering  more than ample quality time.

What Lew Thaler also fails to mention is that Commissioner Scholl will keep regularly scheduled hours at City Hall. Furthermore, when not physically at City Hall, Bud Scholl will still be  readily accessible. In today’s world, individuals are no longer tied to a particular desk at a particular place, but rather execute in a more mobile, fluid manner through various technologies. Bud Scholl and most residents understand and prefer this. Perhaps Lew Thaler does not, and as such continues to push his antiquated notion.

Unlike Lew Thaler, informed voters understand that being a municipal leader can, and often does, go hand in hand with being a successful business person.  For example:

• Aventura, our neighbor to the west, had Mayor Jeff Perlow who successfully combined being mayor and a partner in a law firm. Aventura with a population of 36,981 is much larger than Sunny Isles Beach (population 21,395). Their charter specifically states “the position of Mayor is considered to be part-time.” The annual salaries for the Mayor and City Manager positions reflect the different level of responsibility and are similar to those in Sunny Isles: Aventura’s part- time Mayor earns $10,000, while the full-time City Manager’s salary is $231,974.72.

  
  

• Miami Beach, our neighbor to the south has Mayor Philip Levine, a successful businessman who is currently CEO of Royal Media Partners, the exclusive partner of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. Miami Beach’s population is 90,588.  The part-time mayor’s annual salary is $10,000, while the full-time City Manager’s annual salary is $255,000.

• Let’s not forget that a little known place called New York City, with its population of over 8,000,000, had Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a high profile billionaire businessman who managed to run the Big Apple quite successfully while also handling his many business interests around the globe.

Of course, we could go on and on.  But we won’t.  You get the point.

The choice for this mayoral race is:  Bud Scholl, a successful businessman whose time management skills are so exceptional that he has been able to be a family man and grow various businesses while successfully serving as Commissioner in Sunny Isles Beach.  Or, Lew Thaler, a man who apparently, and by his own repeated admission,  needs to work full time hours to perform a part time job.

Quality or Quantity? It’s up to you Sunny Isles Beach voters!

By Sharon Elster, Editor

Lew Thaler was elected Commissioner from September 2003 through November 2012. During his commission term, Thaler was also appointed Vice-Mayor by Mayor Norman Edelcup. Thaler lives at Ocean One condominium, 19333 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach, which was built in 1999. According to annual corporate filings, Lew Thaler has served on Ocean One’s Board of Directors at various times beginning in 2001 to the present. Thaler is currently Board Treasurer. Moreover, Thaler served on its Financial Committee. It is obvious that Lew Thaler has actively participated in overseeing building operations at Ocean One.

Ocean One’s newsletter Ocean One Waves is available on the internet. These newsletters clearly reveal a record of mismanagement, waste, abuse of power and possibly worse. While the newsletter’s version of events is highly disturbing, we may never know the full extent of what really happened. Taken directly from the Ocean One Waves newsletter, we summarize below the incredibly bad situations which negatively impacted the quality of life for residents at Ocean One:

1. Illegal Board elections from 2009 and continuing until 2013. Lack of cooperation among Board members.

2. Fifteen Lawsuits that drained financial resources.

3. Hiring contractors without getting competitive bids.

4. Unfulfilled financial obligations left over from a 2010 balcony assessment.

5. Long term problems with transparency, accountability, dereliction of duty of key personnel (General Manager, Maintenance and Housekeeping).

6. Dangerous black mold remediation necessary to Spa bathrooms caused by undetected leaks in men’s & women shower rooms, saunas, bathrooms & foyers contaminating walls, tiles and insulation materials which had to be discarded.

7. Ongoing troubled projects: Renovation of Lobby and structural repair of building. Numerous deficiencies – sloppy painting, poor installation of wood panels, wallpaper and carpet of inferior quality causing work to be halted and redone over and over. Significant cost increase and delays renovating elevator cabs.

8. Fire Code Citation issued in March 2006. Lien not satisfied until December 2008. Ocean One paid fine of $5,085. Source: Miami-Dade County Clerk Code Enforcement CFN#20080791758

9. Unsafe working conditions for building employees.

10. Lack of security of costly building equipment. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment (42” TV, computers, DVD player, drill machines, saws, tools, office supplies, walkie-talkies, etc.) went missing. Items were returned only after warning employees that police would be called.

11. Outdoor beach furniture shabby, rusty and sagging. Plans to replace pool and Tiki Hut furniture put on hold due to “too many more important projects with higher priorities.”

12. Plagued with endless difficulties the Blue Wave Café eventually closes.
a) Café phone did not work making it impossible to order room service to apartments.
b) Café subsidies cost Ocean One up to $4,000 monthly. Ocean One waived rent, provided free utilities but food and service was poor.
c) Repelling odors of frying garlic, onion, fish emanated from Café into Lobby.
d) Many complaints of anti-sanitary conditions, inconsistent menu items, portion sizes.
e) Café received numerous Warning Violations by both the Miami-Dade Fire Department and by the City of Sunny Isles Beach Building & Zoning Departments.

Sources: Ocean One Waves-March 2013, July 2013 issues
http://cgpnewsletters.com/uploads/Ocean_One_MARCH_2013.pdf http://cgpnewsletters.com/uploads/Ocean_One_JULY_2013.pdf

These violations of law and incidents of blatant mismanagement exposed residents and employees alike to dangerous health hazards resulting in a diminished lifestyle. The cost of these blunders was simply passed on to residents.

During the years all of these unfortunate events were taking place, where was mayoral hopeful Lew Thaler?  LEW WAS THERE!

This was Lew Thaler’s home, yet Lew Thaler was apparently unwilling or incapable of being an effective problem solver at Ocean One Condominium.

Lew Thaler could not provide the capability and leadership necessary to meet those challenges and resolve problems at the condominium building where he lived.  Therefore,  how can we expect him to successfully perform the far more complex duties required as Mayor of Sunny Isles Beach?

If his building’s situation is any indicator, it is clear that having time to be engaged, and giving it a go, so to speak, is no substitute for competence.  In short, perhaps an “A” for effort, but he is not exactly valedictorian when it comes to results.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/09/Breaking-Rabbi-Fatally-Shot-While-Walking-to-North-Miami-Beach-Temple

Stephanie Kienzle of VotersOpinion.com provides more information with printable MDPD flier on this homicide go to:

http://www.votersopinion.com/2014/08/11/miami-dade-police-department-seeking-homicide-information/

Book Review by Sharon Elster, Editor

Nothing to Report by Patrick Abbruzzi is a compelling portrayal of police on patrol in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island that takes place during the deeply troubled times of the 1960’s through the 1980’s.

Although the book is a novel of fiction it is, in fact, based on actual incidents. As such, Mr. Abbruzzi’s meticulous attention to details presents a gritty reality of the hazards police encounter every day on the streets of New York City. This fascinating book takes you on a gripping  journey filled with stories of danger, passion, betrayal and redemption. Mr. Abbruzzi skillfully manages to create an honest and touching account of the lives of New York’s Finest which holds the reader captive until the very last page.

Patrick Abbruzzi is a retired Lieutenant who served 28 years with the New York City Police Department. His parents, Walter and Ida Makarevich are longtime residents of Sunny Isles Beach.

For more information on this book go to: http://amzn.com/1494738074

By Sharon Elster, Editor

After the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of Temple B’Nai Zion’s religious discrimination lawsuit against the City and Mayor Norman Edelcup, and although a trial date had been set for December 2014, the parties may be close to a settlement. More details are not available at this time but before an agreement is finalized, it must be publicly voted on and approved by the City Commission. For more, go to:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/23/4196837/sunny-isles-beach-close-to-settling.html

We regret to inform our readers that the FIRE SARAH ZABEL! Campaign has come to an abrupt halt due to the surprise withdrawal of Marianne Salazar from the race. This means that Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel will, for a second time, run unopposed and automatically serve 6 more years on the bench.

For an important update to this story provided by Stephanie Kienzle, go to: http://www.votersopinion.com/2014/05/05/its-official-im-weird/

The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter supports noteworthy blogger Stephanie Kienzle in an effort to unseat Judge Sarah Zabel.

Judge Sarah Zabel is a Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge since 2003. She is also the wife of former North Miami Beach Mayor Myron Rosner. In 2012, ex-mayor Rosner was charged with 4 felony counts which include unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior and grand theft, along with 5 misdemeanor counts on a variety of other charges – a total of 9 counts in all. Court records show his latest court hearing scheduled for May 7, 2014.

Myron Rosner’s wife, Judge Sarah Zabel ran unopposed in 2008. She is now up for re-election August 26, 2014, and this time she is being challenged by attorney MARIANNE SALAZAR, a member of the Florida Bar for almost 17 years. We will provide regular updates on this story. For more information, please go to:

www.votersopinion.com/2014/04/29/fire-sarah-zabel/

By Sharon Elster, Editor

Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Scholl’s efforts to ban sales of e-cigarettes to anyone under age 18 grew out of his concerns that use by middle and high school students has been rising rapidly due to marketing that targets minors. The ordinance is up for final approval at the City’s May 15th commission meeting.

For more go to Miami Herald article: www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/21/4072119/sunny-isles-beach-tentatively.html

Two lanes of traffic northbound will be CLOSED on Collins Avenue from 178th – 185th Street, beginning Friday, April 4, at 9:00 PM until Sunday, April 6, around 5:00 PM. Please try to seek an alternate route, or expect to experience heavy delays.