Broward

Commission Meeting Deemed ‘Fiasco’

Technical difficulties produced a confusing meeting

By Jonathan Del Marcus

Utter confusion overtook a Broward County Commission discussion of a controversial agenda item regarding potential development of open spaces, including golf courses. The March 25 meeting became chaotic when three commissioners who had left the meeting to fly to Tallahassee called in on their cell phones to participate live.

The three Broward commissioners — Ilene Lieberman, Kristin Jacobs and Josephus Eggelletion — had their say, but unrelenting technical problems waylaid the discussion to the point of fiasco.

When the absent commissioners called in to the meeting, static and background noise heard through the speakers in the commission chambers often masked the speakers’ voices. Confusion erupted during attempts to vote on a motion or the resolution. Mayor Lois Wexler was visibly distraught, while many in the audience reacted with various expressions and gestures of disbelief.

“This is an important item,” complained Bill Ciani of Fort Lauderdale. “We pay these commissioners to be here and vote. This was a fiasco.” Ciani lives near Coral Ridge Golf Course and serves as vice president of the Coral Ridge Homeowners Association.

The commissioners debated whether to adopt a resolution to amend the Broward County Land Use Plan to develop more stringent environmental protections for open spaces and golf courses that could be developed. According to the amendment, requirements for what may be exchanged or mitigated in return for development of open spaces will be decided on a case-by-case basis, staffers said.

“We want to preserve these open green spaces from being rezoned and not let builders use them to build residential buildings,” Ciani said.

The voting proved just as confusing as the discussion. The first motion to pass the amendment failed. Another run at the motion failed as well. After discussing an attempt by Commissioner Ken Keechl to defer the matter to a meeting in early April, one commissioner decided to change her “no” vote to “yes.”

“This is darn good sport, but I don’t know what you guys just did,” attorney Donald Hall told the commission after Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin switched her vote, resulting in the adoption of the resolution to transmit the proposed amendment.

The measure will be sent to Tallahassee for state approval, but the Broward Commission must vote on the measure again to finalize it.

“At the end of the day, we’re doing what the public wants,” remarked Commissioner Jacobs, in a rare lull between phone static. “We know that in the absence of this amendment, development will continue unabated.”

Jason Ulbrich, who lives in Fort Lauderdale on the American Golf Course, also came to show support for more protection of open space.

“I’m happy to see they got the last vote they needed,” Ulbrich said. But, he added, “I think most taxpayers would be appalled at what they just saw.”