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Red Light Cameras: A Cash Cow Trap more than Safety Device
Showing posts with label City of Homestead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City of Homestead. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Friday, 24 May 2013
Tip for the Webmaster: The folders should be listed in descending order versus the current ascending order. While it's admirable that we can go back to 1913 and review City Council Agendas electronically, chances are our citizens are not reviewing those minutes. Descending order is more efficient and intuitive.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers."
-President John F. Kennedy
The city and its businesses will celebrate this weekend with the Troops in Downtown Homestead.
More information on Link Below
http://fl-homestead.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=325
-President John F. Kennedy
The city and its businesses will celebrate this weekend with the Troops in Downtown Homestead.
More information on Link Below
http://fl-homestead.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=325
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
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.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Oscar Hentschel Executive Director at Homestead Housing Authority
By Christina Veiga
cveiga@MiamiHerald.com
The former deputy director of the Homestead Housing Authority has sued the agency for sexual harassment, retaliation and negligence.
The suit, filed in federal court Oct. 26, claims that Executive Director Oscar Hentschel sexually harassed former employee Monica Rusconi, that she was fired because she filed a complaint about the harassment and that the housing authority board was negligent for not removing Hentschel after the complaint was filed.
According to the complaint, Hentschel “routinely” called women a derogatory word that also means a female dog, and that he made comments about “female bodies and sexual activity.”
Rusconi and her attorney, Jeffrey Goodz, declined to comment. So did Hentschel and board attorney Gilberto Pastoriza.
Rusconi had worked as the second-in-command at the housing authority for 11 years before Hentschel was hired to lead the agency in March 2011.
Months after his arrival, two women filed sexual harassment complaints against Hentschel.
Despite calls from Mayor Steve Bateman to temporarily remove the director while the complaints could be investigated, board members kept Hentschel in his position.
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2011/11/bateman-pens-his-dear-oscar-letter.html
They hired an independent investigator to look into the claims and considered moving Rusconi’s office away from Hentschel.
Rusconi “was advised to just stay in her office to avoid Hentschel,” the lawsuit states.
One woman later dropped her complaint against Hentschel and told the human resources investigator she had been forced to file it by Rusconi because Rusconi did not get along with the executive director.
Rusconi herself filed two complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. The commission, according to the lawsuit, did nothing. Two months after Rusconi made the formal accusations — which she told board members of in an email — Rusconi was fired.
Her lawsuit claims that Hentschel and the housing authority the federal and state civil rights acts and state employment laws.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
The suit, filed in federal court Oct. 26, claims that Executive Director Oscar Hentschel sexually harassed former employee Monica Rusconi, that she was fired because she filed a complaint about the harassment and that the housing authority board was negligent for not removing Hentschel after the complaint was filed.
According to the complaint, Hentschel “routinely” called women a derogatory word that also means a female dog, and that he made comments about “female bodies and sexual activity.”
Rusconi and her attorney, Jeffrey Goodz, declined to comment. So did Hentschel and board attorney Gilberto Pastoriza.
Rusconi had worked as the second-in-command at the housing authority for 11 years before Hentschel was hired to lead the agency in March 2011.
Months after his arrival, two women filed sexual harassment complaints against Hentschel.
Despite calls from Mayor Steve Bateman to temporarily remove the director while the complaints could be investigated, board members kept Hentschel in his position.
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2011/11/bateman-pens-his-dear-oscar-letter.html
They hired an independent investigator to look into the claims and considered moving Rusconi’s office away from Hentschel.
Rusconi “was advised to just stay in her office to avoid Hentschel,” the lawsuit states.
One woman later dropped her complaint against Hentschel and told the human resources investigator she had been forced to file it by Rusconi because Rusconi did not get along with the executive director.
Rusconi herself filed two complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. The commission, according to the lawsuit, did nothing. Two months after Rusconi made the formal accusations — which she told board members of in an email — Rusconi was fired.
Her lawsuit claims that Hentschel and the housing authority the federal and state civil rights acts and state employment laws.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/01/3078121/homestead-housing-authority-hit.html#storylink=cpy
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2011/11/twenty-four-hours-was-all-it-took-for.html
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
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.
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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  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday, 20 October 2012
What Might Have Been?
Remember When?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/23/2765638/bird-bowl-steps-up-to-buy-run.html
Forget Those Enter Buttons Bird Bowl Decided To Exit Homestead, No Family Fun On The Horizon
Citing costs, sources in Homestead have verified that Bird Bowl has withdrawn it's intention to operate the South Dixie Highway facility. We have also learned that the facility has been vandalized for scrap metal, wiring and other salvageable materials. Too bad, the community suffers as another activity designed for family and social entertainment goes down to economic viability.
Remember When?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/23/2765638/bird-bowl-steps-up-to-buy-run.html
Citing costs, sources in Homestead have verified that Bird Bowl has withdrawn it's intention to operate the South Dixie Highway facility. We have also learned that the facility has been vandalized for scrap metal, wiring and other salvageable materials. Too bad, the community suffers as another activity designed for family and social entertainment goes down to economic viability.
Late Breaking Related Content:
Miami-Dade commissioner gets apology after calling out county's economic development agency
The chairman of Miami-Dade's top economic development agency apologized to County Commissioner Lynda Bell on Wednesday, a day after Bell publicly called out Beacon Council leaders from the dais.
"I feel very bad, personally, about any bad feelings you have about the meeting we had Monday," Joe Pallot, chairman of the Beacon Council's board of directors, said at a meeting of the commission's economic development and social services committee. "We really do want to work with you."
"I appreciate the apology," Bell said. "I think it may have come from the wrong person, but I do appreciate it."
Piped in Nero: "I echo anything my chairman may have said."
On Tuesday, Bell had said Pallot and Beacon Council President and CEO Frank Nero treated her and her staff "very rudely and disrespectfully" in a private meeting Monday, held in part to discuss Bell's proposal to renegotiate the 27-year-old Beacon Council's open-ended contract with the county.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/10/miami-dade-commissioner-gets-an-apology-after-calling-out-countys-economic-development-agency.html#storylink=cpy
By Patricia Mazzei
pmazzei@MiamiHerald.com
Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell turned up the heat Tuesday on a simmering political feud with the county’s economic development agency, the Beacon Council.
Bell proposed renegotiating the county’s open-ended contract with the Beacon Council — a move that agency leaders fear could threaten the 27-year-old council’s existence, or at least create uncertainty in its plans to expand and recruit businesses to Miami-Dade.
Friction between the Beacon Council and Bell became public in recent weeks, after Bell sent a letter to the editor raising concerns about the agency to a community newspaper that had published an editorial questioning the Beacon Council’s effectiveness — particularly in South Miami-Dade, where Bell’s district is located. The editorial prompted the Beacon Council’s lawyer to send the paper a letter demanding a retraction.
The Beacon Council has a big-picture focus, its leaders say, intended to attract businesses to grow the county’s economy as a whole. At least some commissioners, however, counter that the agency doesn’t do enough to help small businesses in their districts. More than half of the agency’s annual budget comes from $3.7 million in county funds.
The tension was evident Tuesday when Bell briefly presented her plan to have the commission more closely oversee the Beacon Council.
“I report to the people and to the taxpayers, not the Beacon Council or its board,” Bell said. “Many in my community, and many in yours on the dais, have been crying out for help.”
She ultimately deferred her measure at the meeting of the internal management and fiscal responsibility committee — but only after several other commissioners praised her proposal and vowed to support it. Bell pledged to bring back the legislation after meeting with members of the Beacon Council’s board of directors.
She sat down with the council board’s chairman, Joe Pallot, and with the Beacon Council’s president and chief executive officer, Frank Nero, on Monday in what Bell described as a contentious meeting.
“I was treated very rudely and disrespectfully, insulted — as was my chief of staff,” Bell said.
Nero and Pallot, who did not attend Tuesday’s committee, said in an interview before the meeting that they were concerned by Bell’s proposal, which they said they learned about only shortly before sitting down with the commissioner.
“My fear is that if our contract — and by extension our existence, our structure — is opened up, we’re going to chill all of the wonderful efforts of One Community One Goal,” Pallot said, referring to the five-year plan for the county’s economy. One of the people chairing that initiative is Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Pallot quickly added that he doesn’t think Bell wants to do away with the Beacon Council. But he said the agency and the commission could make some of the changes Bell proposed without renegotiating the entire contract.
The key proposal in Bell’s measure would delete the automatic renewal to the Beacon Council’s contract. Bell and other commissioners said they would prefer a contract set for a certain number of years with an option to renew.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/16/3052984/miami-dade-commissioner-takes.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2012/10/17/miami-dade-commissioners-want-more.html?page=all
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/121018/story3.shtml
http://southdadematters.com/2012/10/10/bell-to-beacon-council-its-miller-time
http://www.communitynewspapers.com/pinecrest/commissioner-bell-responds-to-beacon-council-questions/
Friday, 19 October 2012
A nonprofit law firm that represents poor people says the Homestead Housing Authority isn’t following federal rules.
By Christina Veiga
cveiga@MiamiHerald.com
The Homestead Housing Authority didn’t follow federal regulations when making changes to the way the agency administers rental assistance, according to a letter from a group of lawyers who represent low-income residents.
The letter stems from a September vote by the authority’s board of commissioners to change its annual and administrative plans, which govern how Homestead gives out vouchers under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 voucher program. The federal government funds the program and the Homestead Housing Authority administers it.
Legal Services of Greater Miami is now asking Homestead to follow the federal guidelines that lay out how changes can be made to the authority’s plans.
An Oct. 4 letter from Legal Services claims that the housing authority:
• Did not advertise all of the proposed changes for 45 days before the changes were voted on, which is required by federal regulations. Housing Authority Executive Director Oscar Hentschel said that Homestead’s new administrative plan didn’t need to be noticed. Federal rules only mention the annual plan, which Hentschel and Legal Services both said was noticed.
• Does not have a resident advisory board, which is required by federal regulations. Hentschel admitted the housing authority doesn’t have a resident advisory board and said there are no plans to create one. The board tried to recruit a tenant to become a member of the commission, but none came forward, he said. Federal rules state that public housing authorities “must establish one or more resident advisory boards.”
• Does not have a policy to address or implement federal requirements under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which provides protections to women who are victims of domestic violence. Hentschel said that the authority does advise tenants of their rights under VAWA.
Gloria Shanahan, a spokeswoman with HUD, wrote in an email: “We will look into this matter to ensure they have followed the proper procedures. If we find that the regulations were not followed, we may require a new process that complies with the regulations. The implementation of the changes to the administration plan may then be delayed until the flaws in the process are corrected.”
Legal Services asks Homestead in its letter to “correct the procedure to allow full public comment before making any permanent changes.”
Hentschel said the housing authority is “in compliance” and already submitted the plans to the local HUD office. The changes will go into affect Nov. 1, he said.
Among the changes that will kick in: the authority will not take into consideration the ages and gender of family members when deciding how many bedrooms a family needs, according to the legal services letter.
“It creates scenarios where children and family members of entirely different generations would share a room,” according to the letter from legal services. “For instance, a teenaged son would share a room with a 4 year old daughter; an adult aunt may share a room with a young nephew; a grandfather with a granddaughter.”
The authority also won’t assign a room for family members who are away in the military for long periods of time, but their income will count toward the amount of rental assistance a family gets.
That “directly hurts those families who serve our country,” Legal Services lawyers wrote.
The letter also argues that the housing authority can’t deny housing to people solely because they have been arrested in the past — something which the authority currently takes into consideration. Legal Services lawyers point to a case in Chicago where a court decided an arrest alone is not enough to deny someone housing.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
The letter stems from a September vote by the authority’s board of commissioners to change its annual and administrative plans, which govern how Homestead gives out vouchers under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 voucher program. The federal government funds the program and the Homestead Housing Authority administers it.
Legal Services of Greater Miami is now asking Homestead to follow the federal guidelines that lay out how changes can be made to the authority’s plans.
An Oct. 4 letter from Legal Services claims that the housing authority:
• Did not advertise all of the proposed changes for 45 days before the changes were voted on, which is required by federal regulations. Housing Authority Executive Director Oscar Hentschel said that Homestead’s new administrative plan didn’t need to be noticed. Federal rules only mention the annual plan, which Hentschel and Legal Services both said was noticed.
• Does not have a resident advisory board, which is required by federal regulations. Hentschel admitted the housing authority doesn’t have a resident advisory board and said there are no plans to create one. The board tried to recruit a tenant to become a member of the commission, but none came forward, he said. Federal rules state that public housing authorities “must establish one or more resident advisory boards.”
• Does not have a policy to address or implement federal requirements under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which provides protections to women who are victims of domestic violence. Hentschel said that the authority does advise tenants of their rights under VAWA.
Gloria Shanahan, a spokeswoman with HUD, wrote in an email: “We will look into this matter to ensure they have followed the proper procedures. If we find that the regulations were not followed, we may require a new process that complies with the regulations. The implementation of the changes to the administration plan may then be delayed until the flaws in the process are corrected.”
Legal Services asks Homestead in its letter to “correct the procedure to allow full public comment before making any permanent changes.”
Hentschel said the housing authority is “in compliance” and already submitted the plans to the local HUD office. The changes will go into affect Nov. 1, he said.
Among the changes that will kick in: the authority will not take into consideration the ages and gender of family members when deciding how many bedrooms a family needs, according to the legal services letter.
“It creates scenarios where children and family members of entirely different generations would share a room,” according to the letter from legal services. “For instance, a teenaged son would share a room with a 4 year old daughter; an adult aunt may share a room with a young nephew; a grandfather with a granddaughter.”
The authority also won’t assign a room for family members who are away in the military for long periods of time, but their income will count toward the amount of rental assistance a family gets.
That “directly hurts those families who serve our country,” Legal Services lawyers wrote.
The letter also argues that the housing authority can’t deny housing to people solely because they have been arrested in the past — something which the authority currently takes into consideration. Legal Services lawyers point to a case in Chicago where a court decided an arrest alone is not enough to deny someone housing.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/19/3058052/lawyers-say-homestead-housing.html#storylink=cpy
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
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?
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Homestead residents can still comment on the budget at a hearing later this month
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.
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
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
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.
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