Steven Bateman: No Sense or No Nonsense Mayor? You Decide

1. The Mayor has short fuse, so he apologized, but on this issue he is correct   $30M for a new City Hall at the Washington Ave and Civic Court site is unaffordable.  It's been a bad idea all along that has not gotten better with age.



2. Though he owes thousands in fees to the City he hires Debt Collectors to go after residents that owe money to the City.  The irony doesn't go unnoticed as reflected by the Huffington Post article.  When you get recognized by the big time bloggers you must be famous or infamous, you be the judge.

3.  Notwithstanding #2 all debts may be forgiven by a City Manager.  Instead of paying the past due electric bill to the city you may make a political campaign contribution. You can read all about in our archives or head out to the Miami New Times.   Good news travels fast but bad news as with gossip and innuendo travels much faster.


Reference Links:
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2013/05/homestead_mayor_steve_bateman_1.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/steve-bateman-homestead-debt-collectors_n_1647572.html

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/10/steve_bateman_really_knows_how.php

Read More

Should Homestead Consider Selling The Power Plant?

Consider the following: 

The Board is political and have demonstrated an inability to explain why non-city residents are charged with paying into city reserves without benefit of those reserves.

The rates are substantially higher than FPL, as a matter of fact it's not even competitive.

The burden of employee salaries, benefits and pension would be absorbed by the new company, the subsequent relief would reduce the HES customer burden.

The political leaders would then be forced to work with the City Manager in cutting the multitude of wasteful efforts not only in HES but throughout the City, such as all of the celebrations and self aggrandizement lunches, dinners, picnics in the name of Homestead Energy Services.

To get the ball rolling this will require contacting the politicians and asking the City Manager for research, possible ballot initiative/referendum on this idea.

Over the next few days we will publish business and residential rates of comparative utility services throughout Florida. It's time for Homestead residents to stop paying non-competitive rates and wasteful programs and perhaps provide consistent standard uniforms to HES crews, such as the ones in the photo, embarrassing the Director and Mayor.

Read More

Hypothetical "Strong Mayor" Steve Bateman Business Acumen, Still Fishing For The Big One?

According to sunbiz.org records just three of Steve Bateman's thirteen ventures are still viable. Those three remaining businesses are marked with an asterisk. ZAC Construction, shown as one of two income sources, appears to be dissolved. 

Questions have recently arisen about Two Brothers due to the lack of permit pulls on record over the past few years. EB Southern Investments is the most recent endeavour and that is the Cash for Gold/Pawnshop on U.S.1. Golden Land Holdings is a rental property management company according to financial disclosures.

So when challenging the City Manager is the Mayor backing up his opinion based upon business success or does he just enjoy hearing himself talk? 10 of 13 failures is the record of Mayor Bateman, give him credit for trying, just don't give him any praise for proficiency. Fishing, yeah that's the ticket.

BATEMAN ENTERPRISES OF HOMESTEAD, INC.   F38177 TWO BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION, INC. F38178* E B SOUTHERN INVESTMENTS, LLC L11000137310* ZAC CONSTRUCTION, INC. P09000005001 TBR CONSTRUCTION, INC. P93000001512 T B C PAINTING CONTRACTORS, INC. P94000087451 S & H COASTAL INVESTMENTS, INC. P95000043383 A.M.F. PUBLICATIONS, INC. S02022 . CUSTOM PATIO AND SCREENS, INC. 505250 GOLDEN LAND HOLDINGS, LLC L08000063675* GOLDEN BOYS ENTERPRISE,LLC L08000074784 S and H COASTAL INVESTMENTS, INC. P95000043383 HIDAS INVESTMENTS, INC. P95000040790
Mayor Steve Bateman did have a stake in an outfit called Homestead KIA Holdings but resigned in 2010.
Remember our story of the Florida City Shack where dozens of LLCs were parked? Meet the original Homestead KIA Holdings members. http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2012/04/dozens-of-corporations-and-llcs.html

Read More

Homestead Will Relocate City Hall To Portofino Plaza Despite Mayor Bateman's Trailers Scheme

What Might Have Been?

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

Homestead’s City Hall will temporarily move to Portofino Plaza, council members decided Monday.
Council members decided to move the seat of government after an environmental review found the current city hall to be contaminated with radon, a radioactive, cancer-causing gas, as well as mold and asbestos. 

Employees will move to the plaza, at 650 NE Eighth Street, while a new City Hall is built in downtown Homestead.

The city will pay about $20,000 a month to rent the office space. The first five months of the 60-month lease — with an option to terminate the agreement with notice — will be rent free. The city is liable to pay taxes on the units its renting, and the landlord will build out the space at no cost to the city. The build out is expected to be done within 90 days of permits being issued, and the city is expected to move in sometime in 

December or January, according to a city spokeswoman.

All departments currently in city hall will be moved to the new location. Business hours will be the same.

Councilman Jimmie L. Williams III was absent for the vote to approve the lease agreement. 

Mayor Steve Bateman was the only member to vote against moving to Portofino, saying the city could move into temporary trailers at a fraction of the cost.

City manager George Gretsas said that, in hurricane-prone South Florida, trailers may not be practical. Plus, putting them on the current city hall grounds may just lead to more radon contamination because the gas seeps out of the ground, he said.

“You can’t put a price on people’s health. It’s time we move,” said Councilwoman Judy Waldman.
 
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/30/3074734/homestead-relocates-city-hall.html#storylink=cpy

Read More

Washington Avenue Temporary City Hall Site Dismissed

36 Washington Avenue, Homestead

The property pictured above has been dropped from consideration as a temporary solution to the ongoing contamination issues at City Hall. 


Several possibilities exist that will be evaluated once a remediation plan evaluation is considered and presented to council for their decision.

Could temporary office trailers be a consideration?

Read More

Homestead Tax Rate To Slightly Drop, Property Values Will Determine Higher or Lower Tax

Homestead residents can still comment on the budget at a hearing later this month

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/07/2989921/homestead-budget-has-no-tax-increase.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

George Gretsas, City Manager, pictured

Homestead City Council members on Tuesday tentatively approved a budget with slightly lower tax rate.

Under the proposed rate, residents would pay $6.24 per $1,000 of taxable property. That’s compared to a tax rate of $6.29 this year.

The tax rate and budget still need to be approved at a second public hearing before becoming final.

Under the new proposed rate, the owner of a median home assessed at $77,500 and taking the standard homestead exemption would pay $172 in property tax to the city.

Whether a particular homeowner pays more or less tax will depend on whether their home’s taxable value has increased. Since the tax cut is less than 1 percent, a homeowner whose property value goes up by 3 percent would pay a little more in tax to the city

Council members also gave the first OK for $38.8 million budget.

Homestead’s budget took another hit from tumbling home values. Home prices in the city decreased about 4 percent in 2011, according to the county property appraiser. Since 2008, Homestead has lost about 55 percent of its tax base, said City Manager George Gretsas.

“That would be a devastating impact on any community, but you’ve been able to hold the ship together,” he told council members.

Not only does Homestead face a shortfall, but costs are up, too. The city finds itself responsible for two facilities the police department was previously running using forfeiture money. The money, which is collected from criminals’ assets when the police help solve a crime, won’t be enough to run the Roby George and Phichol Williams parks this year. The Parks and Recreation department has more than $600,000 budgeted in the upcoming fiscal year for the facilities.

While the budget doesn’t tap into the city’s reserves, it does siphon off $2.25 million in profits from money-making funds such as electric services and solid waste. Homestead’s budget also counts on more than $9 million in “interfund transfers” this fiscal year. The reimbursements are for administrative work by city officials for the utility departments, Community Redevelopment Agency and Customer Services.

Gretsas repeated a familiar warning about the city’s finances: “There’s only so many years you can go,” with lower revenues, higher costs and a steady tax rate, he said.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/07/2989921/homestead-budget-has-no-tax-increase.html#storylink=cpy

Read More

Homestead Horror Show: Gomez and Morticia Return To Yesterday, Three Additional Years Subjecting Staff and Visitors to Radon, Asbestos, Mold and Dust Mites

New City Hall Project Current City Hall Contamination

THEN

Committee of the Whole 11/10/2009 Subject: City Hall Construction

''We need to put some type of freeze,'' said Mayor Steven Bateman, who suggested the measure.

 

 

NOW

Miami Herald 8/20/2012  Subject: City Hall Contamination

“We need to address this issue,” said Councilman Stephen Shelley.

Councilwoman Judy Waldman suggested moving staff immediately until the radon can be brought down to safe levels. 

“Right now, this building is sick,” she said, noting her own allergies seem to be aggravated whenever she’s in City Hall.

Read More