Derailing Marty Evans
One of proponents of tracks coming into Miami Beach, “activist” Marty Evans, has now become more of a problem for his pro-track crowd than its opponents.
As with many city hall loiterers promoting tracks, Evans is looking to make a few bucks should the city commission vote for tracks. But Evans couldn’t wait for the gravy train to be
approved.
Even before the commission vote, Evans tried to get a cut of the $160,000 fee the City of Miami Beach is paying the transit consultant, HDR, (Charlie
Hales) for services related to the BayLink. Pro-track Evans approached HDR and Hales looking for money. Evans’ hook: He claimed to be knowledgeable of Miami Beach government.
That self-serving, loose cannon move prompted Hales to send a memo to City Manager Jorge Gonzalez to inform him that Evans had approached him for
employment as a lobbyist.
That triggered another memo from Procurement Director Gus Lopez to Gonzalez’s chief of staff Ramiro Inguanzo and city media spokeswoman Nannette
Rodriguez. Lopez said in his memo that he told Hales to be careful with Evans and will be monitoring his actions.
That triggered yet another memo from Inguanzo to Lopez and Rodriguez. Inguanzo wrote that Evans is someone we should be careful with. It’s a bit scary,
Inguanzo wrote.
Oh, those civic-minded people.
Fire Department Bashing
Although the South Pointe Streetscape Phase II Project was just a discussion item on the Historic Preservation Board agenda, one board member was so
unhappy with the plan the Capitol Improvement Projects Office (CIP) was presenting, he lashed out at several city departments.
According to representatives from the CIP office, the streetscape had been designed with their professional engineering recommendations as well as input from the Fire
and Parking Departments.
I don’t care about any of that, yelled Randall Robinson. “If it was up to the Fire Department, we wouldn’t have a historic district,” he said.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Fire Chief Floyd Jordan. “I don’t know why he would say that.”
Even with Robinson’s lashing, reps from CIP were confident the Miami Beach City Commission would approve Phase II of the Streetscape. “It’s a good plan,” they say.
“It’s a plan that the South Pointe community has participated in and they like it.”
Dry Pool
In less contentious action, the HPB approved 6-0 (Robinson absent) a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for portions of the Lily Hotel at 835
Collins Avenue involving the demolition of a rear accessory structure and construction of a new addition to an existing structure. These portions include the design of the façade and the
roof plan of the new addition, as well as the landscape plan for the project.
The board added a condition that would prohibit liquor sales and live entertainment around the new rooftop pool area. Allan Leiberman, the hotel’s
owner, agreed to the condition.
Blessing North Beach
The board also gave its 6-1 blessing (Judith Berson-Levinson dissenting) to the proposed North Beach Resort Historic District. The board’s action
triggers the city’s “zoning in progress” that puts all demolition on hold within the designated area that runs from 63rd Street to 71st Street along Collins
Avenue.
The proposed designation will still require approvals by the Planning Board and the City Commission in order to set in place the permanent historic
district. The planning board and commission are expected to consider the issue before the end of the year.
Parkland News
A late breaking Murmur: this week the state handed over control of 11 contiguous lots in North Beach’s Altos Del Mar to the City of Miami Beach. That’s
right kids: Altos Del Mar is now a city park in every which way.
NBV Hell
Now that it’s political season in Miami Beach, potential candidates might want to double-check their political ads—lest they are “fined” thousands of
dollars for neglecting to write a preposition.
That’s what happened to Gabrielle Nash-Tessler, an activist, a near constant candidate for North Bay Village commissioner, and a veteran of that
city’s rough and tumble world of politics. Last year, when Nash-Tessler was running against George Kane, she distributed a 24-page ad entitled “Neighborhood News.”
On page 24 was a disclaimer that said: “Pd. Pol. Ad by Gabrielle Nash Tessler Campaign Fund.” The flyer, according to the Florida Elections Commission, did not
contain the word “for” between her name and the office she was running. That’s a violation of Section 106.143(5) of Florida Statutes, the FEC ruled. Thus Nash-Tessler
was ordered to pay $1,500 within 30 days (after August 13). If she doesn’t pony up the cash by then, she’ll owe $3,000, the FEC said.
“It is ridiculous,” said Nash-Tessler. “They fine me a ridiculous amount of money because I forgot the word ‘for.’ Ridiculous.”
George Manne, a former commissioner, an ally of Kane and a political enemy of Nash-Tessler, made the complaint.
Randall Hilliard, a political consultant who has done work for Kane and Mayor Al Dorne, found the charge fitting. “It couldn’t happen to a
nicer lady,” said Hilliard, who proudly produced a flyer attacking Nash-Tessler in the November 2000 election. “Is it [the charge] the serious? No. But you know what, this is a
woman who has been shoving proctoscopes up everyone’s asses. ‘Ooo, you got to do it right. You got to do it right.’ Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.”
With a future NBV election year coming in 2004 will Nash-Tessler run again? Not likely, said the activist. On April 28 at 7 p.m. the 80-year-old Nash-Tessler
tripped over a crack in the sidewalk in front of city hall. She broke a bone in her knee and spent three weeks in the hospital. Since then she walks with a limp and,
during the time in the hospital, she’s had time to reflect. “I’m not running for office anymore. I’m not [going] to city hall anymore.” Instead she’s devoting her energy to
writing her life story.
When told of Nash-Tessler’s injury, Hilliard was not sympathetic. “She’s not sick enough,” Hilliard said. “This woman is one of the most contemptible human
beings that ever slithered across the face of the earth.”
