Reviewing the City Charter ? ...Maybe !
What does this Thursday's Fort Lauderdale Charter Review Board meeting and a train wreck have in common?
Hopefully nothing, say most members of this highly important City Advisory Board. But many members are concerned about the prospect for success, considering the Board's membership, the wide range of issues that it could face, and the question of whether the Commission will even take their recommendations they might reach seriously.
The Board is charged with reviewing the Charter, a document that spells out all the rules for the structure of running the City. Thursday, it could discuss, among other items, moving the City's Elections to November to coincide with the country's Presidential Elections. This would increase the length of the Commissioners' and Mayors' terms from three to four years. Other items being mentioned in the community include adding at-large Commissioners to the dais, adding a Commissioner to represent the Beach, changing to a Strong Mayor form of government, and allowing the Mayor and Commissioners to directly hire and/or fire the Police and Fire Chiefs.
The Board will finally meet Thursday, after meetings were postponed due to members' schedules. The Mayor and Commissioners each have one appointee. The Charter Board, like most of the City's Boards, is advisory in scope, as it's conclusions and recommendations can be accepted or rejected by the City Commission.
Here is the type AAA roster of the Board -
Dan Lewis - is one of the County's most well known Political Consultants. He was a Commissioner in Miramar and a former Fort Lauderdale Mayoral candidate. He says he is "not optimistic" about the Board's chance of success. He says the Commission will "do whatever it wants to do, regardless of any work done by the Committee". Lewis, considered a probable Chair or Vice Chair of the committee, due to his stature and experience, says he intends on reintroducing the recommendations that the Commission ignored the last time the Board met. The previous Board sent the Commission a list of 19 suggestions, and at least three items were adopted: a City Code of Ethics, an independent Auditor, and the ability of City Commissioners to appoint there own assistants.
Judy Stern - Probably the County's most infamous political strategist, is widely expected to lock horns with Lewis. The two have history together - not at all good. Their relationship has been called a "political blood feud" , as evidenced by Judy's comment on Dan... "Dan is a Madman". and Dan's comment on Judy ..."Judy is trying to sell out the City". Hopefully, this history will not portend the fireworks that could be coming.
Chris Fertig - one half of the City's power team of Chris and Mary Fertig, became famous when the duo wrestled the Broward County School Board into treating the eastern schools in Broward County better. He says he has "high hopes" that the Board can reach a consensus on some important issues. He thinks he can help keep the focus on progress. But when asked if he thinks the Commission will take their recommendations seriously, Fertig replied, "only if they agree with them!". Fertig had floated the idea of a shift to a Strong Mayor form of government during the Board's last effort, but said it was DOA. He doesn't know if it will reemerge this time around.
Susan Tramer - a former City of Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Director, and Broward County Planning Council Director, is known as a reflective and bright policy wonk, and could be one of the calming influences on the Committee. She is married to Downtown Development Authority attorney John Milledge.
Dr. Ron Wright - a former Broward County Medical Examiner, Forensic Pathologist and Attorney, has recently returned from India where he was testifying in a murder trial. The Board's recent postponment was to accomodate Dr. Wright. He says he hopes the Board's strong set of personalities won't stall progress. He also said that the Board's expected effort to endorse a November Municipal Election is "probably the right thing to do". Asked to comment on the chances of the Board having a successful term, he said he hoped so, but that he didn't know if he would be "holding his breath".
I'm taking the Doctors' advice and continuing to breathe! ....
Hopefully nothing, say most members of this highly important City Advisory Board. But many members are concerned about the prospect for success, considering the Board's membership, the wide range of issues that it could face, and the question of whether the Commission will even take their recommendations they might reach seriously.
The Board is charged with reviewing the Charter, a document that spells out all the rules for the structure of running the City. Thursday, it could discuss, among other items, moving the City's Elections to November to coincide with the country's Presidential Elections. This would increase the length of the Commissioners' and Mayors' terms from three to four years. Other items being mentioned in the community include adding at-large Commissioners to the dais, adding a Commissioner to represent the Beach, changing to a Strong Mayor form of government, and allowing the Mayor and Commissioners to directly hire and/or fire the Police and Fire Chiefs.
The Board will finally meet Thursday, after meetings were postponed due to members' schedules. The Mayor and Commissioners each have one appointee. The Charter Board, like most of the City's Boards, is advisory in scope, as it's conclusions and recommendations can be accepted or rejected by the City Commission.
Here is the type AAA roster of the Board -
Dan Lewis - is one of the County's most well known Political Consultants. He was a Commissioner in Miramar and a former Fort Lauderdale Mayoral candidate. He says he is "not optimistic" about the Board's chance of success. He says the Commission will "do whatever it wants to do, regardless of any work done by the Committee". Lewis, considered a probable Chair or Vice Chair of the committee, due to his stature and experience, says he intends on reintroducing the recommendations that the Commission ignored the last time the Board met. The previous Board sent the Commission a list of 19 suggestions, and at least three items were adopted: a City Code of Ethics, an independent Auditor, and the ability of City Commissioners to appoint there own assistants.
Judy Stern - Probably the County's most infamous political strategist, is widely expected to lock horns with Lewis. The two have history together - not at all good. Their relationship has been called a "political blood feud" , as evidenced by Judy's comment on Dan... "Dan is a Madman". and Dan's comment on Judy ..."Judy is trying to sell out the City". Hopefully, this history will not portend the fireworks that could be coming.
Chris Fertig - one half of the City's power team of Chris and Mary Fertig, became famous when the duo wrestled the Broward County School Board into treating the eastern schools in Broward County better. He says he has "high hopes" that the Board can reach a consensus on some important issues. He thinks he can help keep the focus on progress. But when asked if he thinks the Commission will take their recommendations seriously, Fertig replied, "only if they agree with them!". Fertig had floated the idea of a shift to a Strong Mayor form of government during the Board's last effort, but said it was DOA. He doesn't know if it will reemerge this time around.
Susan Tramer - a former City of Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Director, and Broward County Planning Council Director, is known as a reflective and bright policy wonk, and could be one of the calming influences on the Committee. She is married to Downtown Development Authority attorney John Milledge.
Dr. Ron Wright - a former Broward County Medical Examiner, Forensic Pathologist and Attorney, has recently returned from India where he was testifying in a murder trial. The Board's recent postponment was to accomodate Dr. Wright. He says he hopes the Board's strong set of personalities won't stall progress. He also said that the Board's expected effort to endorse a November Municipal Election is "probably the right thing to do". Asked to comment on the chances of the Board having a successful term, he said he hoped so, but that he didn't know if he would be "holding his breath".
I'm taking the Doctors' advice and continuing to breathe! ....
“Reviewing the City Charter ? …Maybe!
You blog entry was remarkably accurate except for a few important details;
First, under your Dan Lewis paragraph about me you state “The previous Board sent the Commission a list of 19 suggestions, and at least three items were adopted: a City Code of Ethics, an independent Auditor, and the ability of City Commissioners to appoint their own assistants”.
Actually, The then sitting commission decided to undermine the strong recommendation for an independent city auditor – and placed on the ballot a much weaker substitute (it still passed by 77.58%). They also placed on the ballot the committee’s recommendation to preserve our park and open spaces by requiring a unanimous commission vote to dispose or sell our cities park or open spaces (passed by 74.59%). But instead of placing on the ballot the charter requirement mandating a strong ethics policy prohibiting even the appearance of impropriety – the commission placed on the ballot the charter change to allow them the ability to hire their own assistants (passed 54.15%).
Notably left off the ballot;
• Require the City Commission to create a code of ethics for the City, its officers and employees.
• Change the residency requirement for city commissioners from six months in a district to six months anywhere within the City of Fort Lauderdale, including any newly annexed area.
• Require competitive bidding for the sale of City-owned real-estate and for the lease of City-owned real estate in excess of one year.
• Delete Section 8.11 of the Charter (sale of airport land without competitive bidding).
• Delete Section 8.12 of the Charter (lease of shops in Central Business District Parking Garage without competitive bidding).
• Amend Article III to allow the mayor, any member of the city commission, or the city manager to put items on the agenda.
• Allow the City Commission to set its own rules and regulations for meetings.
• Require that candidates for the position of city attorney have five years experience practicing law in the State of Florida (instead of the current two years).
• Plus a number of house-cleaning charter amendments designed to bring the Fort Lauderdale City Charter up to current legal standards
The last charter revision committee worked very hard, conducted many public hearings and performed a comprehensive charter review under often difficult circumstances. The response from the City Commission to actually make good public policy was, in sort embarrassing – and it made a mockery of the efforts of the advisory board.
Unfortunately, there is good reason to be cynical.
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Great story- very informative,and leaves one wondering if the mayor and his sidekicks actually care what the voters want. The list of characters on the board are impressive,yes, although they should have included"Average Joe" on the board !!!!
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Is this meeting open to the public? Will it be televised?
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Once again - the meeting was set, advertised and the agenda released and cancelled at the last minutes...do you think that someone doesn't want this to happen? It sure looks that way to me. Yes Marge it is a public meeting and you should go and see since they are going to make suggestions on changes to how our city runs.....and the public is entitled to speak as well. Now if we could just get them to meet and get a date and make it stick - it would be novel!
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News Alert! - now one of the appointed members of the Charter Review Board has declined to serve and another has been added in her place - Susan Tramer has opted out and Greg Durden, P.A. has been added....was this done in the sunshine? I don't remember hearing it but it was included in the backup for the upcoming commission meeting on Tuesday, April 2 - or is this another April Fools joke on the public and a reason to further delay the meeting.....makes you wonder!
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