Our Mayor
acts like a dictator and tramples over proper procedure, she calls it:”rolling
up your sleeves, positive thinking and doing was best for the Village!” Further
insulting everybody and says: If you don’t agree at least don’t create a
problem or be negative. Meaning if you disagree
with her you are a negative, problem creating individual. To make matters worse Vice Mayor Eddie Lim and
At Large Commissioner Jorge Gonzalez appear to support the mayor on her strong
arm tactics. It is becoming more and more nauseating to attend these meetings.
Today’s special commission meeting was to make
public that Mr. Frank K Rollason miraculously called the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Commissioner
at Large to offer his services as an Interim Village Manager , leaving for the last moment the Commissioner
for North Bay Island and totally
ignoring the Commissioner for Treasure island. This all happened within forty eight hours? Is
this the same commission that could not appoint members to a board because Vice
Mayor Eddie Lim was absent? Treasure Island Commissioner Wendy Duval who was unable
to attend today’s meeting, did that matter?
Copy of Email from Commissioner Duval addressing
the matter:
From:
Wendy Duvall
Sent: Thu 7/11/2013 11:05 AM
To: Yvonne Hamilton
Cc: Connie Leon-Kreps; Eddie Lim; Richard Chervony; Jorge Gonzalez; Jenice
Rosado; Nina Boniske
Subject: Re: Special Village Commission
Hi Yvonne,
I would have liked to have been included in this meeting as I had no idea we
were looking at appointing an outside interim City Manager.
Even though this is an interim position wouldn't this have called for
interviews from the commission and possibly including other candidates? How
much will this interim cost us? I didn't see numbers in the backup. Has a
background check been conducted? Do we have references?
I will be leaving the hospital today and am not in a condition to be present
during the meeting. Is there a way that I can participate via telecom?
Please advice.
Thanks Yvonne!
Wendy Duvall
North Bay Village
Treasure Island Commissioner
Commissioner Richard Chervony felt
even stronger about the matter and addressed those present with the following:
“I am still dumbfounded not quite 48 hours
later, after receiving my first advisory notifying me of this meeting. The lightning speed that it has taken for a non-emergency
puts the recent tragedy at SHUCKERS to shame.
The Mayor’s attitude and actions mirror one mistake after the
other. You’d think she had learned with
Shuckers. Then the constituents wonder
why no one applies
Tonight’s SPECIAL CALL adds another black eye to
our history and redefines EMERGENCY!!!!!
The availability of an extremely qualified individual with an impeccable
resume and extensive knowledge of how a Village should work has put the Mayor
and the Vice Mayor to a speedily and hastily called meeting knowing that the we
have FOUR MEETINGS scheduled for this month and we most definitely have a
COMMISSIONER absent tonight as she underwent a planned procedure and motherhood
this past Monday. The possibility of
having this Commissioner oppose these actions may have prompted this hastily
called meeting and have further tainted the process.
This Village has a STRONG MANAGER type of
leadership not a STRONG MAYOR as ours believes. The problem that I see is
not in staff but rather in the Mayor’s leadership skills. The missteps
that have been taken with how meetings are run resulting in numerous violations
of rules of order, the incident at Shuckers, moving out of the Lexi and now
with the revolving door that she has created in our employees
under our direct control that dare to go against her wishes continue to make
North Bay Village the laughing stock of South Florida.
Three months ago when the dais released the
Manager of his duties, it was an overwhelming unanimous choice to appoint Ms.
Rosado to the post. It was less than a
month ago at the last Commission Meeting where Ms. Rosado got glowing reviews
from All the Commissioner on this dais. Her herculean efforts at solving
the Lexi issue and finding us a place to call home and yet keep the Village
running have been overlooked. All over a
silly spat and not bending to one member of the dais. It is unfortunate that our Mayor continues to
strong arm employees into performing as she wishes otherwise you get the
boot.
Our Vice Mayor has shown he repeatedly follows
her requests rather than have her wrath be enacted on him again. She acts more as a mother figure than as a
leader or a Mayor, reprimanding and scolding her chickees when they go out of
turn and perform in a manner against her wishes. Spineless may be a better definition.
It further surprises me tremendously that a capable and extremely qualified
candidate for this job with the vast amount of knowledge of Public work as you
have Mr. Rollason has deemed a non process as the way to re-enter the political
fray. This job has not been posted as it
is not vacant; this job is not in need of filling as we have chosen an
individual who has fulfilled all our expectations and then some. Just last month I proposed assistance in the
job and was rebuked fiercely by the other four members who comprise the
dais. Mr. Rollason, I don’t recall seeing
your application to be considered Village Manager as one of the 25 submitted
for our consideration.
The abuse of overstepping and creating a
situation such as this, where no other candidate is even considered is totally
an abuse of power. There are numerous
qualified and good candidates that would have applied for the position of
Interim Village Manager if it had been posted and opened for public
consideration. In my eyes, Mr. Rollason
you have just tainted yourself and the selection process. It smells foul and should be investigated by
the State Attorney’s Office for possible Sunshine Law Violations.
I personally found out that there is only one candidate being considered
by this dais at 9:30 PM on Tuesday evening when I received my Agenda for this
meeting. To me this process is foul, when two Commissioners, the Mayor
and the Vice Mayor who has been absent the last three weeks, sign one piece of
paper requesting a Special Commission Meeting for the Appointment of an Interim
Village Manager. The impression that I have gotten from this hasty
process and the materials submitted is that these individuals have met with the
candidate privately and that this may have created sunshine violations.
In brief this process has been very tainted.
Mr. Rollason, my vote is no reflection of the personal
qualifications of you as the candidate, as I consider you extremely capable
and am willing to work with you for the betterment of our
community. Mr. Rollason I can't promise you that the other members of
this dais will give you a fair shot. I can only speak for myself and of
the flowing reviews that I have been able to obtain in a short period of times
from your peers and coworkers. I just wish this process had taken an open
and transparent approach. I further wish that a full dais was sitting in on
such an important vote and not hobbled by the medical absence of one of its
members.”
*************************************************
Mr. Frank K Rollason is extremely qualify and
may indeed be able to help us. You can visit North Bay Village Official Website
and see his impressive resume. Everyone agreed that he is more than qualify for
the job. The concept is correct the process was not, therefore flawed; did it meet
all the components Moral? Ethical? Legal? Transparent? You be the judge.
Finally,
I salute Ms Jenice Rosado the exiting Village Manager who without question did
an exceptional job. Ms Rosado was an inspiration to all and a true leader.
Honestly
Opinionating
PUTTING NORTH BAY VILLAGE FIRST
Mario Garcia
July 11, 2013
