2012-0419 Regular City Commission Meeting

Home Browse Search

Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting April l9, 2012 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 10E. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Approving the Purchase of Air Cards from Verizon Wireless to Provide Wireless Broadband Access for the Police Department, in an Amount Not to Exceed $35,000.00 Annually, Attached Hereto As Exhibit "A"; Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution; Providing for an Effective Date. Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Police Captain Michael Grandinetti reported. Public Speakers: None Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Thaler seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2012 -1891 was adopted by a voice vote of 5 -0 in favor. Mayor Edelcup asked Chief Maas to explain what Forfeiture money is so that people realize what an outstanding effort our Police Department does in saving taxpayers a tremendous amount of money for new equipment. Chief Maas said one of the benefits we have is to detach one of our regularly assigned detectives to a Task Force and in this case the DEA. The DEA works in investigations generally related to narcotics and narcotics trafficking internationally, nationally and locally. When there is property or cash seized, that money is shared amongst the agencies who participated in that investigation. We have one of the finest and most proactive investigators who has been doing this for almost 13 years for the City, and due to his diligence and tremendous abilities as an undercover, he has been able to be a part of these investigations that have seized substantial amounts of money. That money is utilized in fighting narcotics activity and also for approved Police equipment. This is a direct opportunity to reduce the burden of spending on the general public through taxes because this is money that has been secured from criminal intent and enterprise and so it reduces the encumbrances on the community to pay for taxes, and in this case every cent of this entire three quarters of a million dollars has been awarded to this agency. City Manager Cohen clarified that we do invest in the salary of the officer that is tasked out but the important thing is that we get more than our monies worth back, not only in the actual results of the investigations and a safer community but in the financial awards that we are then able to use for expenditures such as you have approved this evening. Chief Maas said that he received a phone call last week from the Special Agent in charge of DEA, advising us that the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department has just been awarded $2,473,000.37 on one particular case, and again, our undercover was the lead, and so this money will again be re- enhanced back through that one single long -term investigation. City Attorney Ottinot noted that Deputy City Attorney Fernando Amuchastegui has worked closely with the Police Department with the $400,000 seizure and he noted his good work with the Chief and Sergeant Diaz as well. Chief Maas said it is a long legal process, and our attorneys have worked diligently in making sure that we get our fair share.