2006 0706 Special City Commission Meeting

Home Browse Search

Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting July 6, 2006 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida he doesn't know what the answer is but that there is a dangerous situation out there, we know about it, and we have to do due process but he doesn't feel it is morally right. Commissioner Iglesias said whatever it is, they need to move fast and settle it, tear it down or fix it up, because he wants this Commission to do whatever it can do legally to move this process forward because we have a time bomb ticking, not just at LaPlaya but all over the City. Vice Mayor Brezin said if in fact as it was presented to us, this does present a danger to even those who are living there, she can respect their plight in that they have an investment in this property, however, it is our responsibility to protect the citizens of this community, even protect those who don't feel like they are in danger. She said if it is proven to the Commission that it is in fact a dangerous situation, and there again, our hands are tied, the Commission was elected to follow the legal procedure, and we don't want to see anyone in this City hurt, and we have always acted on behalf of our constituents. Commissioner Goodman said the health and welfare of the citizens is very important, and that we have to be guided by our Building Department and by our professionals who tell us which buildings are safe and those that are unsafe. Commissioner Thaler said the major issue is safety, and the second is the legality of what has transpired. He said he believes that we as a City should do everything to expedite the taking down ofthe building but it should be done by due process in the legality of what the attorney has related. He said that Mr. Parker should do and push as fast as he can to get that building down and to work on getting the other unsafe buildings down as fast as possible so that we do not have a major catastrophe. He said that the City should follow the law and try to accelerate it wherever we can. Mayor Edelcup said his feelings echo the Commissions in that he is feeling very frustrated in this situation because we have to follow the law, and what is morally right happens to be legally wrong. He said he wished that lives of people would take precedence over the property rights of individuals and we would feel more comfortable if we could exercise that authority, unfortunately, the law does not permit us to do that. Mayor Edelcup said what we have here is very frustrating where the City and its residents have become victims of warring parties who are owners of a particular building that have made life in this City untenable for almost everybody. He said he wished we could push the power of government and he hopes our Building and Zoning Officials will make sure we are doing whatever we can do legally and as expeditiously as we can to bring a situation that is tantamount to the matchbox that Julius Trump mentioned, it is a time bomb waiting to happen. He said we have a lot of faith and trust in our Building Official who started the ball rolling, and he would hope that the warring parties would realize that the time is of the essence and the appeal process can take years because of those parties failure in reaching an agreement. He said he believes that the entire Commission feels uniform in its desire to make this thing happen as quickly as it can, under the law, and hopefully encourage those people that are responsible for the maintenance ofthese properties to look at themselves in the mirror and determine are they really doing the right thing for their neighbors or are they just out there fighting over money. He said this shouldn't be a money issue, it should be a issue of protecting the lives ofthe people ofthis City and stop holding this City and its residents hostage to a money game and that is what this has turned into and it has made a mockery of trying to do the right thing in this City. 4