Current City Hall Site, What's Next, a CARMAX Appraisal?

Homestead City Hall Parcel with Miami-Dade Public Library Parcel in red outline.

No doubt this is a unique parcel. No doubt interest in the property has already been recorded and backroom deals have been and are still being discussed. The value had been placed at $8.5 million in 2010. Now we have learned the parcel is loaded with Radon and the building is contaminated with various other detrimental health concerns. This council majority ran on no backroom deals and full transparency, how is that working out? They kept the New City Hall Committee report hidden for two years knowing full well the place was contaminated!

Since the Homestead taxpayer is on the receiving end of so many bad decisions maybe it's time to get out in front of this issue before the City Council gets an appraisal from CARMAX, which is known for it's low-ball appraisals. Speaking of Wayne Rosen, there is said to be interest from him on this land.

Based upon the current contamination and the subsequent required building demolition the price bids will most likely fall to depths unseen for such a prime location by those making offers. The City Council needs to be firm, this is a unique corner in the City of Homestead and it needs to fetch top dollar.

Thanks to alert and wise contributors the library parcel is on it's own land but access and parking may complicate the sale and use of the City Hall property.

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Now Wells Fargo Is After The Mayor For A Debt

A case type 3 is indicated below and is for contract and indebtedness

WELLS FARGO BANK (NA) vs BATEMAN, STEVEN   Case Number (LOCAL):  2012-22669-CA-01 Dockets Retrieved:  4 Filing Date:  06/11/2012 Case Number (STATE):  13-2012-CA-022669-0000-01 Judicial Section:  32 Date Book/Page Docket Entry Comments 11/27/2012 ORDER: ADOPTING STIPULATION 06/11/2012 SUMMONS ISSUED DN01 06/11/2012 CIVIL COVER 06/11/2012 COMPLAINT
	Case Number (LOCAL):	2012-22669-CA-01	Filing Date:	06/11/2012
	Case Number (STATE):	13-2012-CA-022669-0000-01	CaseType:	3
	Consolidated Case Number:	N/A	Judicial Section:	32
Party Code Party Name PN 01 WELLS FARGO BANK (NA) DN 01 BATEMAN, STEVEN PK 01 WACHOVIA BANK (NA)

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Saturday December 1st, Rock'n Rib Fest @ Harris Field

Homestead Rock'n Rib Fest

Saturday, Dec 1 10:00a at Harris Field Pavilion, Homestead

This Is For The Kids Inc, is proud to present the 2012 Homestead Rock'n Rib Fest. 

Net proceeds raised will be donated to the Patches building fund. Admission $10 kids under 10 free. 

Saturday December 1, 2012 11am-9pm Harris Field Pavilion.
.
** Estimated start time -- Please confirm **

Tickets on Sale:Dec 1, 2012  

Event Website

Read more here: http://events.miamiherald.com/homestead_fl/events/show/275012925-homestead-rockn-rib-fest#storylink=cpy

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City Shut Out of Election Wait Time Investigation

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

Homestead wants to be part of an advisory group looking into why voting took so long in Miami-Dade County on Election Day — but the city won’t get a seat at the table.

Voters in Homestead waited more than four hours in some cases just to cast ballots during early and regular voting for the November general election. Many others around the county faced similar, monumental wait times.

So Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez put together an advisory group to look into what went wrong at the polls, and how to fix it.

Homestead City Clerk Elizabeth Sewell sent the county a letter on Nov. 19 requesting that she or the city manager be part of the group. But when Gimenez announced on Nov. 20 who would be on the task force, neither Homestead’s city clerk nor the city manager were on the list.

County spokesman Fernando Figueredo said the group members were chosen to give “wide representation” of county voters. The advisory group meets for the first time this week.

“The mayor wanted to go ahead and move forward with this group,” Figueredo said. “Now remember, this is the first meeting, so they might consider adding more folks as they move forward.”

Said Vice Mayor Jon Burgess: “It would be great if we had someone there...but we can’t, and now we need to look at what our next best avenue is.”

That next best avenue, Burgess said, may lead Homestead to the county Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Lynda Bell was named part of the task force, and she is a former mayor of the city whose current district includes Homestead. She still lives in the city.

Representatives in commissioner Bell’s office said they offered to the county several names of volunteers who had asked to be part of the task force. Of those volunteers, one was named to the group: Alice Ancona of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Homestead city officials did not make a request through Bell’s office to be part of the advisory committee, according to the commissioner’s chief of staff.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/27/3115831/homestead-officials-shut-out-of.html#storylink=cpy

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FPL And Turkey Point Win # 2

Paul Brinkmann

Reporter- South Florida Business Journal

 

 Florida Power & Light has received approvals from the Florida Public Service Commission two days in a row for rate increases tied to nuclear plant improvements.

One Tuesday, FPL was approved for a rate increase to cover increased operating costs due to “uprates” or improvements of St. Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear plants. FPL’s approved $246 million revenue increase represents a base rate increase of $2.59 per month on a typical 1,000 kilowatt hour residential bill beginning in January.

Tuesday’s approval came one day after the commission also approved a cost-recovery rate increase that will start in January for future expansion of both nuclear plants.

Tuesday’s approval was for the addition of 367 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity due to extended ‘up-rate’ projects at St. Lucie Units 1 & 2 and Turkey Point Unit 3.

The commission said in a news release that the added capacity would benefit Florida customers. Over the life of the projects, the improvements are estimated to save $3.8 billion. These figures also include the project currently underway at Turkey Point Unit 4, which will add 123 megawatts of capacity upon completion next year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2012/11/27/fpl-base-rate-also-rising-for.html

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FPL And Turkey Point Win # 1

Paul Brinkmann

Reporter- South Florida Business Journal

 

 South Florida businesses and residents will start paying for Florida Power & Light’s nuclear expansion on power bills in January.

The Florida Public Service Commission has approved FPL’s $151 million plan to recover costs for construction of two new nuclear power units at Turkey Point Nuclear Plant near Homestead.

The commission voted to approve cost recovery on Monday for FPL and for another nuclear expansion plan for Progress Energy Florida.

PEF’s approved recovery is approximately $143 million for expansion at Levy Units 1 and 2, and adding capacity to its existing Crystal River 3 (CR3) nuclear plant.

FPL’s approved recovery includes costs adding capacity to St. Lucie Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2.

The FPL projects are projected to add approximately 2,722 MW of new nuclear base load generation to FPL’s system, enough energy to power 1.4 million homes.

Estimated 2013 residential nuclear cost recovery, based on current sales forecast, is about $4.79 per month for the first 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) for PEF customers and about $1.69 per month for the first 1,000 kWh for FPL customers. Approved amounts for both PEF and FPL customer bills will be recovered through the fuel and capacity cost recovery charge on customer bills beginning in January.

Paul Brinkmann covers law, accounting, automotive, energy and environmental issues.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2012/11/26/fpls-nuclear-expansion-costs-approved.html

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Keys Reporter: "Nile Crocodile" Not Docile American Crocodile In Homestead's C-103 Canal? Amazing

 

 

 

 

 

 

By DAVID GOODHUE

dgoodhue@keysreporter.com

 

State wildlife officials are on the lookout for at least one Nile crocodile that likely escaped from a Miami-Dade County home several months ago.

Three of the Nile crocs, native to Africa and much more aggressive than their American cousins found in South Florida, were somehow released from a Miami-Dade residence, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino.

The FWC says only one is unaccounted for. It was last spotted in the C-103 canal in Homestead over the summer, said Frank Mazzotti, professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida.

While not time to panic, Mazzotti said the Nile crocodile is well suited for the South Florida climate, and a breeding population could get established here. He said wildlife officials must be proactive in not letting that happen, or risk having a situation on their hands similar to that of the Burmese python, which thrives in the Everglades and is now found in the Keys.

“Nile crocodiles are well adapted for the Everglades habitat,” Mazzotti said. “That’s why we need to respond while we only have one or two animals out there.”

About 2,000 American saltwater crocodiles live in South Florida, mostly from south Miami-Dade County to the Florida Keys, but there has never been a documented attack by one on a human. The biggest scare the area experienced was when a 10-foot croc leapt out of a Key Largo canal and killed a 65-pound dog in March.

The Nile crocodile, on the other hand, is known to be very dangerous to people. They’re naturally found in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to National Geographic, about 200 people are killed every year by the jaws of the reptiles. The average Nile croc is 16 feet long and weighs about 500 pounds. But they can also grow much larger — more than 2,000 pounds, according to the San Diego Zoo Library. They live on average about 45 years.

Adult American crocodiles can grow between 7 and 14 feet long and weigh between 150 and 450 pounds, according to the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife.

Carli Segelson, another FWC spokeswoman, said the croc they are looking for is much younger and much smaller — about 3 to 4 feet long. Pino said crocodiles and alligators grow about a foot per year until they reach full maturity.

The last time the Nile crocodile was seen was before Hurricane Isaac passed by South Florida in late August, Segelson said.

“It may or may not even still be alive,” Segelson said.

Mazzotti said he and his team have been tracking the croc since March. But obtaining the proper permitting to go after the animal took months.
\
“Then Hurricane Isaac came, and poof, it disappeared,” Mazzotti said. American crocodiles prefer to live in salt and brackish water. The Nile croc lives in fresh water, but Segelson said they are also found in brackish water.

The Nile crocodiles were not released, but somehow managed to get out of their enclosure, Pino said. He did not identify the owner.

“It’s safe to say that whenever you have captive wildlife escape, someone has to be held responsible for them,” Pino said. “The person was not maintaining proper caging requirements.”

Owning wild exotic animals like Nile crocodiles is not illegal if the owner has the proper permits, Pino said. So far, wildlife officials are not concerned the crocodile they are looking for will breed with a native croc. 

For one, Segelson said there is no known cases of hybridization between the two species, and also, the croc is still at least two years too young to breed.

“It is highly unlikely that an American crocodile would be able to breed with the Nile crocodile,” Segelson said.
Anyone with information about the escaped croc is asked to call 1-888-404-3922.

http://itouchmap.com/?d=293835&s=FL&f=canal

http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=45&with_photo_id=17769916&order=date_desc&user=2371921

http://reptiles-snakes.knoji.com/maneating-crocodiles-dangerous-but-misunderstood-reptiles-that-survived-the-age-of-the-dinosaurs/

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Homestead Ahead Of The Curve; In Inmate Use For Public Works Also Cheap Labor

Miami New Times

By Jon Tayler Thu., Nov. 15 2012 

It's a common scene in prison movies set in the deep South: A line of inmates, chained together and decked out in bright orange jumpsuits, dutifully picking up trash or digging a ditch by the side of a dusty road as a shotgun-toting sheriff watches over them through tinted aviator sunglasses.

The chain gang, a big part of corporal punishment for prisoners in the first half of the 20th century, is a relic of a bygone era. But using inmates as cheap extra labor is a practice growing in popularity across the country and in Florida. Now, you can add Miami-Dade county to the list of places where criminal offenders could get a chance to put themselves to good use.

On November 8, the Miami-Dade County Commission passed a resolution to prepare a plan for the use of inmate labor in public works projects. If the plan is adopted, it would be the first time in over 20 years that prisoners would be working for the county. It also makes Miami-Dade the latest county in the Sunshine State to try to cut costs by taking advantage of some free labor through its prisons.

Details on the county's specific plans are scarce. Neither of the resolution's sponsors, Jose Diaz or Sally Heyman, returned multiple phone calls from Riptide seeking comment. In an email, Gayle Love, a spokesperson for the county's Public Works and Waste Management Department, wrote that the "use of inmates would have to be studied further before committing to any particular process or project."

The basic details, however, call for a plan in which a select group of inmates would do menial, unskilled work -- mostly maintenance, landscaping, and clean-up. Those eligible for the work program would likely be chosen from a pool of low-risk offenders -- those with misdemeanor convictions, on probation, or in pre-trial detention. Through contracts the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department has with other government offices, inmates could also do work in waste management, transit, at the medical examiner's office, or in animal control.
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2011/06/city-of-homestead-outsourcing-jobs-to.html 

What complicates matters is whether Miami's particular prisoners can be trusted outside their cells. The Department of Corrections noted in the November 8 meeting that roughly 90 percent of the county's 5,200 inmates haven't been sentenced, and as such, the department can't vouch for their level of risk. On top of that, of the prisoners who would be eligible for working, the department estimates that some 40 to 50 percent wouldn't be medically cleared to do grunt work.

If Miami does put its prisoners to work, it'll join a number of other Florida counties that have gone that way. Brevard County ran into controversy in 2010 when it slashed public works jobs and started using more inmate labor. Back in May, the city of Bradenton extended its deal with the state to use Hardee County inmates to assist its public works department. Up in Tallahassee, Gov. Rick Scott was all set to expand the state's inmate labor program to grow crops to feed the prisons, a move he claimed would save Florida nearly $1 billion. The State Legislature voted down an increase in funding in November 2011, but the program still exists today.

For the time being in south Florida, prisoners will stay indoors, away from shovels and pickaxes; there's no timetable for the county commission's plans to become reality.
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2011/10/question-for-homestead-citizens-moms.html 

Though don't be surprised if you're driving down the highway in the near future and a man in an orange jumpsuit and some broken manacles tries to flag you down for a ride out of town.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/11/county_commission_approves_pla.php

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Priorities! Not City Hall Contamination

The Mayor appeared for an interview on October 5, 2012, just two days after a New City Hall Discussion Special Called Meeting took place, some priority agenda.


While six council members being advised by City Manager George Gretsas tried to come to the best solution for the City Hall contamination, it appears as if Mayor Bateman was trying to secure a Superintendent's position with the South Florida Water Management District. 

Get Out of Dodge! 

To leave somewhere immediately, to evacuate or scram. "Get the hell out of Dodge" is a reference to Dodge City, Kansas, which was a favorite location for westerns in the early to mid 20th century. Most memorably, the phrase was made famous by the TV show "Gunsmoke," in which villians were often commanded to "get the hell out of Dodge." The phrase took on its current meaning in the 1960s and 70s when teenagers began to use it in its current form. Awesome. We're done here, so lets get the hell out of dodge!

His NO vote to build the New City Hall spoke volumes about his concerns for the safety of staff. 

There are unconfirmed rumors that multiple lawsuits are being prepared against the city on the contamination issue. The legal eagles who read this blog would obviously know if the possibility of a class action lawsuit is a reality.

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We'll Bet You Didn't Know Steve Bateman Applied for SFWMD Budget Director in 2009

"Staff has advised that Mr. Bateman applied for the Director -Budget Office (137BR) that was posted on 9/3/2009." 

From the SFWMD Public Records Office.

 

Would he have been able to serve as Mayor of Homestead if he had secured the position?

 

How does this jive with the Bateman talking points of being a successful businessman? 

 

Thanks to a blog contributor for the tip. 

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Mayor Steve Bateman and Former City Manager Sergio "Constantino" Purrinos Tried for the Same Position @ SFWMD in September/October 2012

The list is courtesy of the SFWMD Public Records Office. All candidates are listed and eight of those made it to final interviews, Mayor Steve Bateman was one of the eight. Michael Worley was the successful candidate for the position of Superintendent.

Why is he trying to get a job if he is a successful businessman?  

Bateman and Purrinos after the same job, maybe they should have let them go at it like rock 'em, sock 'em robots. So ironic they end up in the same place.

Does the Mayor just want to get out of Dodge now, so to speak?

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Councilman Williams' Haberdasher Skills Are Required By State Senator Dwight Bullard

Jimmie, always the trendsetter, needs to help a fellow politician out.

Wow, it's time Senator Bullard, call Jimmie, he can hook you up with clothing commensurate with your newly elected position. His biography shows sales experience at Men's Wearhouse. We have all seen this look before, mostly in Florida City.

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Race Weekend Attendance In Pictures, TGIS, Still Not Selling Out But HMS Is Adding 12,000 More Seats

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race View Of The Stands

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race View Of The Stands

NASCAR Sprint Cup Race View Of The Stands, Thank God It's Sunday

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Isn't This Guy Suing Homestead, Like Twice? So Why Is He A State Of The City Dinner Sponsor? Did He Also Contract The Video/Audio Production For The Event?

http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2012/05/despite-impending-lawsuits-by-la-ley.html

The two cases have recent filings according to the dockets. 

LA LEY SPORTS COMPLEX vs CITY OF HOMESTEAD FL * Click on BOOK/PAGE of a particular docket to see the image if it is available * Case Number (LOCAL):  2012-18207-CA-01 Dockets Retrieved:  23 Filing Date:  05/08/2012 Case Number (STATE):  13-2012-CA-018207-0000-01 Judicial Section:  23

LA LEY SPORTS COMPLEX vs CITY OF HOMESTEAD FL * Click on BOOK/PAGE of a particular docket to see the image if it is available * Case Number (LOCAL):  2012-18206-CA-01 Dockets Retrieved:  22 Filing Date:  05/08/2012 Case Number (STATE):  13-2012-CA-018206-0000-01 Judicial Section:  22

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Do These State Of The City Sponsors Have Any Common Link?

Say where are the Abbos?

They were there, maybe they gave at the office.

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Panera Bread, What's The Verdict?

Panera Bread Homestead, has been open for a few weeks, what is your opinion? Let your fellow readers know by your comments.

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Board of County Commissioners 12/13/12 Zoning Hearing on Turkey Point

The below link contains the files for the application, including letters, graphics and impact analysis.

http://www.miamidade.gov/business/track/zoning_show.asp?proc_num=Z2012000090

9,219 acre project, water reuse for the two approved reactors to be discussed. 

http://www.eco-voice.org/node/13321

FPL intends to use some 90 million gallons a day of treated wastewater from Miami-Dade County as the primary source of cooling water for its controversial $12 billion to $18 billion expansion project at the sprawling plant, which sits along south Biscayne Bay a few miles from the park headquarters.

But the utility also wants to drill a series of “radial wells’’ — named because they include up to a dozen shafts radiating out 900 feet from a central well, a design evoking bicycle spokes — that would be capable of drawing up to 125 million gallons a day of water through the porous limestone beneath the bay.

A report by the South Florida Water Management District noted “some concerns” the wells could potentially turn already too-salty coastal waters saltier, compromise Everglades restoration projects to restore fresh water flows to the bay and worsen salt-water intrusion that has already marched inland in South Miami-Dade and threatened drinking water supplies.

But the district’s analysis, based on computer modeling supplied by FPL, also recommended approval of the wells – under the condition that the utility operate them no more than the “equivalent of 60 days” over a 12-month period and monitor impacts on sea grass. The proposal faces several more hurdles before final state approval.

Mark Lewis, superintendent of Biscayne National Park, urged the district’s governing board to postpone the vote, saying the district had not consulted with park scientists as it had in past studies of Turkey Point’s impacts on surrounding shallow waters, which are thick with sea grass beds and mangroves that serve as nurseries for an array of marine life.

According to FPL’s computer modeling, 97 percent of the water collected by the wells would be salty bay water but Lewis called that work “suspect,” saying the geologic zone where sea water meets the Biscayne Aquifer, source of much of Miami-Dade’s drinking water, is not well understood. FPL and water managers, for instance, are still working to assess the role Turkey Point’s existing cooling canal system has played in pushing salty water inland.

“We’re betting the bank that the modeling works when all of our scientists say the modeling isn’t designed for this and isn’t really good in this region,” Lewis said.

Environmentalists echoed Lewis, saying the complicated report on a well system untested in South Florida’s porous limestone geology had been available for only a week. They also called a proposed monitoring plan toothless because it included no specific measures for FPL to scale back the wells or pursue another back-up source, such as the deep Floridan aquifer, if the wells prove more damaging than modeling predicts.

“The question is who is on the hook to deal with the impacts,” said Kahlil Kettering, a Biscayne Bay analyst for the National Parks Conservation Association.

Laura Reynolds, executive director of the Tropical Audubon Society, questioned whether the wells were intended solely as a back-up, saying the 60-day language would potentially allow continuous low-level operation in a bay starved for freshwater.

Peter Robbins, a spokesman for FPL, said the wells were “absolutely a back-up system’’ and the utility preferred to treated wastewater over salt water but needed the short-term back-up because of potential uncertainties over the quality or quantity of wastewater. He downplayed potential impacts to the Biscayne 
Aquifer, saying the modeling was “tremendously conservative’’ and based on a scenario using wells as a full-time supply rather than the 60-day limit FPL has agreed to..

Juan Portuondo, a Miami businessman who serves on the governing board, said both FPL and the county had vested interests in making treated sewage work. Under state law, Miami-Dade has to find a way to reuse some 117 million gallons a day of sewage by 2025 that it now pumps up out to the Atlantic, he said. “It’s the best solution for both.’’

Board members briefly discussed postponing the vote but unanimously approved it after hearing the agency faced a Monday deadline for filing recommendations to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Other agencies, including Miami-Dade County, which also has questioned the wells, will file similar recommendations. An administrative judge is expected to issue a recommendation sometime next year. Final approval will go to Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet.

FPL hopes to secure its license from federal regulators for the two new reactors by June 2014. If the utility goes ahead with the project, the new reactors would be scheduled to go online in 2022 and 2023.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/12/v-print/2893242/fpls-nuke-cooling-plan-clears.html#storylink=cpy

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MD Holdings II aka Michael Latterner-Wayne Rosen Loan Could Have "Material Adverse Effect" on U.S. Century Bank Merger Agreement

MD Holdings II

LATTERNER, MICHAEL 13 S.W. 7TH STREET MIAMI FL 33130 US

ROSEN, WAYNE 277 GALEON COURT CORAL GABLES FL 33143 US

South Florida Business Journal by Brian Bandell, Senior Reporter

Date: Monday, November 12, 2012
U.S. Century Bank’s merger agreement specifies two large land loans that could have a “material adverse effect” on the bank large enough to impact its pending acquisition by C1 Bank.

Avoiding severe losses on those loans in Homestead and rural St. Lucie County – two of the markets hardest hit by the real estate downturn – aren’t the only obstacles for U.S. Century Bank to completing this merger, but they illustrate the lending strategy that landed the bank in the “undercapitalized” condition it’s in today.
Both loans were already on the bank’s books in August 2009 when U.S. Department of the Treasury deemed the bank worthy of the largest Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) investment of any Florida bank.

U.S. Century Bank and St. Petersburg-based C1 Bank asked Treasury to give them a 90 percent discount to redeem the $50.2 million in TARP funds from taxpayers. Treasury rejected that offer and the banks countered by offering another $1.3 million to bring the TARP discount to 87 percent. It’s not clear whether Treasury will accept the new offer.

Yet, if U.S. Century Bank fails, taxpayer would see no return on their TARP investment. Loan charge offs, especially from volatile land loans, could hurt the bank’s prospects for surviving to close the deal and salvaging something for taxpayers and its shareholders.

The “material adverse event” section of U.S. Century Bank’s merger agreement and proxy statement, both obtained by the Business Journal from confidential sources describe how the bank could suffer a serious blow if it was required to take another $15 million in loan loss reserves. Only two borrowers are mentioned by name: Indian Sunburst Associates and MD Holdings II.

The larger loan is to MD Holdings II on 76.2 acres of farmland at 11760 S.W. 248^th Street in Homestead. 

The borrower, managed by Michael Latterner, obtained a $43.5 million mortgage from U.S. Century Bank in 2007, although the loan was modified at $25.6 million in January 2011. While there is no foreclosure action on file for that property, the housing market in Homestead has been slower to return than in urban parts of the county.

The site obtained approval in 2009 for 581 market-rate housing units and 83 workforce housing units.

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Turkey Point Layoffs

 

 

 

 

South Florida Business Journal

Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 1:10pm EST
Bechtel Power Corp. has warned the state of Florida of 277 possible layoffs at Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point Nuclear Plant in Florida City.

The Frederick, Md.-based company filed a Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification notice with the state on Tuesday.

The Bechtel employees have been working on contracts with FPL to expand two nuclear units at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant. One of the units is completed.

The projects have employed about 5,000 workers over the past several years.
FPL spokesman Peter Robbins said the remaining work is on schedule and due to be completed in spring of 2013.

All work by Bechtel is expected to be completed by May 26, according to the WARN.

“Construction project work by its very nature has a defined completion date," Bechtel Manager of Operations Brian Reilly said in a statement. "As a project nears completion, the skill sets of specific people are no longer required. We provide our people with assistance with this transition and, quite often, we are able to find positions for people on other Bechtel projects.”

The 277 employees are to be laid off between Jan. 6 and May 26. The workers include 77 field engineers, 49 superintendents, 44 design engineers and 22 welding field engineers.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2012/11/14/bechtel-power-corp-warns-of-277.html

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Faddis Case Thrown Out, Judge Decides She Lied Multiple Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A case against Homestead brought by former Deputy City Manager Johanna Faddis was dismissed after a judge decided Faddis lied under oath.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3100909/judge-dismisses-ex-homestead-administrators.html#storylink=cpy

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

Former Homestead Deputy City Manager Johanna Faddis lied in a lawsuit against the city, and for that her case was thrown out, according to a judge’s order.

Faddis had sued the city for releasing text messages sent to her by her then-boss, former City Manager Mike Shehadeh. Though the messages seemed romantic, with Shehadeh telling Faddis he couldn’t get the married woman off his mind, both denied ever being in a relationship.

In her suit, Faddis claimed the city acted negligently, invaded her privacy, intentionally inflicted emotional distress and defamed her by releasing the messages, which were sent and received on city-issued cell phones.

As the suit moved forward, Faddis’ attorney, Kelsay Patterson, then claimed the messages should have been exempt from Florida’s public records law because they were sexually harassing. Former City Manager Sergio Purriños signed an affidavit that Faddis had reported to him that she had been sexually harassed, but that she had promised not to pursue the matter as long as the city kept it quiet.

That would have triggered an exemption to Florida’s public records laws, Faddis’ attorney argued.
But, in a previous lawsuit, brought by Shehadeh against the city for wrongful termination, Faddis had testified that he had never sexually harassed her. For that reason, in part, the city settled Shehadeh’s case for $250,000.

“Plain and simple, Faddis lied under oath multiple times. It is also clear that her testimony changed in order to suit her strategic needs in this litigation,” Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jorge E. Cueto wrote in his dismissal of the case.

The city can now ask to recoup its costs for fighting the case, and the City Council could direct its legal team to try to recover attorney’s fees as well, said Joseph Serota, a lawyer for the city.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3100909/judge-dismisses-ex-homestead-administrators.html#storylink=cpy

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Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman's Wife Bought Wayne Rosen's 2004 Mercedes S430

Dr. Jeanne Jacobs, Wayne Rosen, Frank May, Father McReanor and Jose Fuentes at the State of the City

Photo courtesy of blog contributor

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman’s wife bought a used Mercedes-Benz from a local developer with political ties, but the developer says he sold the car for what it appraised for at a local CarMax.

With only 42,000 miles on it, the 2004 model S430 was worth between $13,600 and $22,000, according to a guidebook that insurance agencies use to determine car values.
State records show the Batemans paid $13,000 for their Benz.

The seller of the gold-colored luxury car, according to state records, was the company Shores Development. 

Wayne Rosen, one of the developers behind the sprawling Keys Gate community in Homestead, is the president of the company, according to state records.

The developer, who donated at least $3,000 to the mayor’s last campaign through several of his companies, said the sale was conducted above-board. Rosen said he took the car to a local CarMax to have it appraised when the mayor’s wife said she was interested in buying the vehicle, which Rosen said sat in a garage unused.

A representative at CarMax near International Mall confirmed by telephone that the dealership valued the Mercedes at $13,000.

A CARFAX report showed the mileage at the time of sale. The report also noted that no deficiencies — such as a car accident or flood damage, which would make the car worth less — had been reported to the service. CARFAX is a for-profit company that tracks vehicle history information using a car’s identification number. Rosen said the car had a battery problem, and wouldn’t always start.

“There’s nothing inappropriate, and anybody that would have paid me the appraised value could have bought that car. That's why I went to CarMax to see what that value would be, and they paid that value,” Rosen said.

Bateman refused to comment on the substance of the transaction.

“It just blows me away how it gets turned around. I prefer not to comment,” he said.

It’s against Florida ethics laws for an elected official to “directly or indirectly” accept a gift worth more than $100 from a lobbyist, political committee or committee of continuous existence.

A lobbyist is defined in the law as “anyone who, for compensation, seeks...to influence governmental decision-making.” Rosen registered as a lobbyist for one of his companies in February 2012, about a month after the car was sold.

It’s also illegal, according to Florida ethics laws, for an elected official to be given a “preferential rate or terms” on a transaction, such as for a hotel stay.

Officials can receive gifts from non-lobbyists, but they have to be reported if the gift is worth more than $100. Records show that Bateman has not submitted any gift reports to the city, county or state since the Mercedes was bought.

Joe Centorino, head of the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and the Public Trust, would not comment specifically in regards to Bateman, but explained the county’s rules about gifts.

“When you become a public official, then the rules change with regard to a lot of things,” he said.

Centorino added: “If it’s a discount that’s available generally to the public — for instance, you go to the store and there’s a sale — that’s not a gift...But if it’s a particular discount given to that individual, period, and it’s not available to other people, then it falls into the definition of a gift.”

Bateman has voted on issues involving Rosen’s companies after Donna Bateman bought his car in January 2012, according to state and city records.

As mayor, Steve Bateman voted to extend the date of a contract that allows Rosen’s company, Shores Development, access to fill dirt that the city owned and that Shores Development paid $3.6 million for in 2004. Bateman also voted to extend a site plan approval for a charter school tied to Rosen, and to change the allowed uses on land that Rosen owns.

Law professor and ethics observer Bob Jarvis, of Nova Southeastern University, said elected officials should avoid transactions like the one that landed Rosen’s Benz in the Bateman’s driveway, if only because they can create an appearance of something fishy.

“It’s just very, very hard to believe that there isn’t something nefarious going on here,” he said. “The mayor should have said, ‘Don’t buy it because it puts me into a very untenable situation.’ It makes it appear that you can buy favor with the mayor’s relatives.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3100785/homestead-mayors-wife-bought-developers.html#storylink=cpy

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Judge in Faddis v. Homestead Dismisses and Reserves Jurisdiction for Sanctions and Court Costs

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MIAMI DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA

CASE NO. 11-27981CA 30

JOHANNA FADDIS,

v.

THE CITY OF HOMESTEAD, JUDY WALDMAN,

ELVIS MALDONADO, STEPHEN SHELLEY,

JIMMIE L. WILLIAMS, III, WENDY LOBOS,

JOHN BURGESS & PATRICK FRANKLIN, D/B/A,

FRANKLIN INVESTIGATIONS, INC.,

Defendants.

/

FINAL JUDGMENT FOR DEFENDANTS

STRIKING THE PLEADINGS OF PLAINTIFF

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1.“On the spectrum of sanctionable conduct, perjury is perhaps the most egregious. Indeed, few crimes… strike more viciously against the integrity of our system of justice than the crime of perjury.” See Empire World Towers, LLC v. CDR Créances, S.A.S., 89 So.3d 1034, 1038 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012).

2. In this case, Faddis’ clear change in testimony could not be reasonably explained, even by her. Plain and simple, Faddis lied under oath multiple times. It is also clear that her testimony changed in order to suit her strategic needs in this litigation.

3. A court is warranted in striking the pleadings of a party who engages in perjury when that perjury permeates the proceeding and concerns a person’s claim. Babe Elias Builders Inc. v. Pernick, 765 So. 2d 119, 120-121 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000). In this case, Faddis’ perjury, with regard to whether or not she was sexually harassed, permeates this proceeding and is directly related to one, if not, the principle claim being made by Faddis.

4. Under the unique, undisputed and egregious facts of this case, the Court finds that the most severe sanctions are warranted. The Court is well aware that justice is ordinarily served by letting a jury decide issues of a case. However, where a party ignores her sacred oath to tell the truth and changes her testimony to suit her changing legal position, and moreover, acknowledges in deposition a willingness to do so, she forfeits her right to use these proceedings to seek relief from the Court. Such conduct and unabashed attitude strike at the very core of judicial proceedings and undermine the Court’s and jury’s long-established truth-seeking function.

Accordingly, this Court hereby enters this Final Judgment Striking the Pleadings of Faddis, who shall take nothing from this action. Final Judgment is entered for the Defendants, who shall go hence without day. The Court reserves jurisdiction for the award of costs and other including attorneys’ fees against Faddis and Patterson as the Court may do using its inherent authority.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami-Dade County, Florida, on 11/14/12.

_______________________________

JORGE E. CUETO

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

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