TO BE NOTIFIED OF ANY IMPORTANT MEETINGS CONCERNING THE CITY OF HOLLYWOOD;
http://www.hollywoodfl.org/NotifyMe/
 

HOLLYWOOD BEACH
WISH LIST

We plan to meet with Mayor Bober and all
the commissioners.

Please list the items you are most
concerned with so that
we can represent you when we meet with them.

Place comments here

RESENT DUE TO NO ACTION    September 11, 2008 

Division of Legislative Information Services
111 West Madison Street
Tallahassee, FL  32399-1400 

RE:  SPRINKLER REFITTING  

To Whom It May Concern: 

I am a member of my condominium board and am aware there is presently a law on the books that will require buildings over 7 stories to do sprinkler refitting by 2012.  As you know,  the cost of this refitting will be in the millions of dollars for most buildings. 

As you are all to aware, many, no I venture to say, most buildings are in the midst of multiple foreclosures causing the remaining residents in good standing undue hardships by not only having to meet their mortgage, maintenance and special assessments to maintain the building, but additional special assessments to make up the shortfall operating expenses from the foreclosed units. 

In light of the weak resale and dismal mortgage markets we are experiencing, I was hoping to hear that the great minds that govern the state of Florida would help their constituents and put a moratorium on the massive expense of sprinkler refitting so that obstacle can be removed from the bulging budgets at this time. 

This is of immediate importance because budgeting for refitting will take years to implement and the required engineering reports need to get started in the very near future. 

Hoping to hear from you shortly, 

CHARNA GLASSER
SECRETARY
ALLINGTON TOWERS NORTH

Is Florida the Sunset State?

Homeowners Notch Win in Long-Running Battle Over Eminent Domain
Pamela A. MacLean
The National Law Journal
August 11, 2008
 

A New Jersey appellate court handed a victory to homeowners in a long-running eminent domain dispute with the city of Long Branch, N.J., finding no actual blight in an area set for condemnation and redevelopment.
The case by a group of long-term residents of the coastal strip drew the attention of land use specialists and landowner rights advocates from around the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 decision allowing cities to use eminent domain to take "blighted" land from one private owner to give to another for development.
In the 86-page unanimous decision, the Superior Court of New Jersey's appellate division held that the city failed to find actual blight in the 25-acre parcel of beachfront it hoped to take over from landowners and convert to a 185-unit condominium development.
It did give the city a second shot by sending the case back to the lower court to allow for an effort to show blight in the area. City of Long Branch v. Anzalone, No. A-0067-06T2.
"They should have dismissed the case outright," said William Ward of Carlin & Ward in Florham Park, N.J., attorney for the Anzalone family, which owns a small bungalow in the redevelopment zone.
The ruling follows the New Jersey Supreme Court decision last year that a municipality can't condemn property as blighted by saying it is "not fully productive" and thus needs development. Gallenthin Realty Development Inc. v. Paulsboro, 191 N.J. 344 (2007).
At its core, the Anzalone case is about defining blight under New Jersey law.
Ward said he would ask the trial judge to dismiss the case and predicted Long Branch officials would not be able to produce evidence of blight.
He also doubted the New Jersey Supreme Court would be interested in the case. "They have already opined on it in Gallenthin," he said.
"There is an implicit message in this opinion to the New Jersey legislature to address these [eminent domain] issues," he said. "They have been talking about it for three years and have not done anything. I hope this provides some impetus for them to take action," he said.
The attorney for Long Branch, Paul V. Fernicola of Bowe & Fernicola in Red Bank, N.J., did not return calls seeking comment.
 

Hollywood Philharmonic members waiting for paychecks, criticize president
By Ihosvani Rodriguez | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
9:36 PM EDT, September 1, 2008

Hollywood - In April, the city's two redevelopment agencies gave the Greater Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra $35,000 in tax funds to perform on the Fourth of July.

Almost four months later, musicians say the orchestra's president, Bill Sherwood, has yet to pay them.

"How do they expect to keep hiring accomplished musicians if they don't get paid?" asked bassoonist T. Geoffrey Hale, who was promised $125 for the performances. "It's not that much, but it's the principle of it that's aggravating."

Hollywood police officials said they received a complaint, but it's a civil matter, not a criminal one.
The philharmonic's Sherwood, who is married to City Commissioner Linda Sherwood, said this week he hasn't had time to do the group's payroll because he has been taking care of his wife, who had a blockage in her bowel and then developed an infection.

"This is something I am working on as we speak," Bill Sherwood said, referring to the payroll. "I've been attending to my wife 24 hours a day for weeks and I simply haven't had time."

Sherwood acknowledged getting paid in April for two July 4 performances, one downtown, a second on the beach. He said the time it took to round up musicians' tax forms contributed to the delay.

But Hale and others say this isn't the first time they've had problems. In 2006, musicians complained their checks bounced even though the orchestra received a total of $106,000 from Hollywood that year. Sherwood said those checks bounced because he hadn't received the city funds on time. The musicians finally were paid.

Critics say the ongoing orchestra payroll glitch is the latest example of how tax funds, especially money that should be dedicated to improving downtown, are misdirected.

"We can't even get lights in our alleys," said neighborhood activist Andre Brown. City officials have defended spending redevelopment funds on the arts, saying culture helps attract visitors. Officials said they have not determined how much funding the 50-year-orchestra will get next fiscal year.

The popular orchestra, a non-profit comprised of about 50 musicians, receives most of its funding from the city. The philharmonic has been paid $82,7000 so far this fiscal year for 10 performances since November, according to city records.

The Sherwoods' personal finances became an issue during Linda Sherwood's campaign. The couple filed for bankruptcy in 2000. Among the creditors was the City of Hollywood, which loaned the couple $21,000 in 1994 through a home-improvement program. The loan was discharged through the bankruptcy and the city was never repaid.

Ihosvani Rodriguez can be reached at ijrodriguez@sunsentinel.com   or 954-385-7908.
 

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING (HOLLYWOOD POLITICS)

excerpted from Cahoots, Cap's Corner

Lots of false claims out there but if there is anything that tells it like it really is, it's that sign outside our prestigious City Hall. "Welcome to Hollywood City Hall, Like Nowhere Else." If you've followed Hollywood politics over the years, you know that sign is the truth, unlike the tall tales that get told INSIDE City Hall. With a new Commission elected in January, people were hoping for a new vision. Sure they were saddled by some previous baggage but come on! Looks like business as usual, as stinky sweetheart deals for a new beach firehouse and the downtown Arts Park Village fiasco swirl amid the threat of city job and service cutbacks and increased property taxes.

The one I like best is the new firehouse. The city is going to spend millions they don't have for a new location to improve emergency "response time" by 45 seconds. Right, it's all about their concern for our safety. Response time is suddenly an issue on Hollywood Beach? Can't you just smell the money cookig? Hard to believe it's being served up without Mara, Keith and Cathy in the kitchen.

I remember years back when beach residents met with an attorney experienced in annexing new municipalities. The purpose was to explore seceding from the city of Hollywood and establishing a separate town of Hollywwood Beach because the folks downtown "just don't get it." The lawyer said to remember the process including "thowing out the idiots in office and electing your own idiots." Looks like we pulled that off without having to leave the city.
 

FLorida Attorneys Saving Homes.
 
Pro Bono Foreclosure Prevention Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Dionne L. Meyers, Esq.
FLASH Coordinator
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
2425 Torreya Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850/385-7900 ext. 1828
dionne@floridalegal.org
 
 
FLORIDA ATTORNEYS TEAM UP WITH NATIONAL LENDERS TO STOP FORECLOSURE IN FLORIDA

Tallahassee (June 26, 2008) -- In a massive effort to assist Floridians in their fight against the foreclosure crisis that has Florida ranked at number two in the nation, The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Foundation, Florida Legal Services, Inc. and the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section (RPPTL) of the Florida Bar, approximately 10,000 strong are ready to do battle to save Florida's homeowners.  As of June 6, 2008, it is estimated that 77,000 Floridians are in foreclosure. A recent report indicated that 11.6 percent of Florida property owners were more than 30 days past due on a mortgage payment or in foreclosure, suggesting more trouble ahead.

The Statewide effort called FLASH (Florida Attorneys Saving Homes) will launch a toll-free telephone hotline (866-607-2187) and will begin taking calls this week from 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. The caller, who fears that he/she will soon be unable to make his/her mortgage payments or those who have already missed payment(s) but have not yet had any foreclosure action filed with the court are urged to call the hotline. After calling the hotline, the caller will then answer a few initial questions to ensure accurate placement with a pro bono attorney. That attorney will in turn negotiate with the Lender(s) on behalf of the homeowner with the hope of creating a relationship where the Lender and the homeowner can together create a loan that allows the homeowner to remain in the home thus avoiding foreclosure -- a win-win situation for all involved.

Kent Spuhler of Florida Legal Services is hopeful that this project will serve two functions: (1) keep Floridians in their homes and (2) expose areas where there may be difficulty accessing the Lenders and in turn, fix it.

"The concept for the project began with the announcement from the banking industry of their HOPE NOW and Project Lifeline Projects," said Kent Spuhler, Executive Director of Florida Legal Services, Inc.

"We felt homeowners having trouble with their mortgage would have better success negotiating with their lender if they had the assistance of an attorney." Spuhler adds, "We believe this is the first project of its kind that pairs homeowners with volunteer attorneys before the foreclosure is started in an effort to hold back the flood of foreclosures."

Sandra Fascell Diamond, Chair of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section (RPPTL) stated, "CFO Alex Sink asked for the help of the Florida Bar to address the avalanche of foreclosures facing Florida homeowners. The Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section is pleased to have the opportunity to assist with the coordination of the efforts of volunteer attorneys in this task. We hope to help individual owners and their families find a way to keep their homes."
 
Lawyers interested in volunteering should visit the Pro Bono website at: http://www.floridaprobono.org

For more information:
http://floridalegal.org/foreclosure/release62608.htm
http://floridalegal.org/foreclosure/FLASH62608.pdf

State Emergency Housing Funds Now Available
 

The State of Florida now has funds available for emergency housing assistance for one month's overdue rent or mortgage payment. The eligibility guidelines for Emergency Financial Assistance for Housing Program (EFAHP) http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/homelessness/efahp.shtml are on located at http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/homelessness/ . The household must have at least one child or caretaker to receive up to $400.00 and they must have proof of the housing emergency i.e. copies of the eviction notice, default letter from the mortgage company etc. The other requirements are listed on the website.

The most unique thing about the program is that it can be used for security deposits for new tenants. (See the introduction to the Vendor Agreement and section (4).)

The toll free number is 1-877-891-6445
 

Hollywood Selected for Having the Best Tasting Drinking Water

HOLLYWOOD, FL - Today, the City of Hollywood's Department of Public Utilities received high acclaim once again for having the best tasting drinking water in Region VI of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, which includes all of Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The City won this award for the first time in 2004.

In a blind taste test competition, Hollywood's water was selected by judges as having the best taste, aroma and appearance.  The judges were water professionals from the Broward and Palm Beach County Health Departments and the South Florida Water Management District.  

"Hollywood is proud of the hard work and efforts by our employees to provide our residents and customers with safe and healthy drinking water," said Albert Perez, Director of the Department of Public Utilities. "As an added bonus, we are excited to be recognized for having the best tasting water in the Region."

This is the second award the Department has won in four months. In December, Hollywood's Water Treatment Plant received the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 2007 Plant Operations Excellence Award for outstanding daily operations and maintenance programs.

Winning the Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest for Region VI allows the City to enter the statewide taste test competition in Tallahassee on April 3, 2008.

HOLLYWOOD WINS LANDMARK DECISION

ON BEACHFRONT DEVELOPMENT

Hollywood, FL - The 21-member Florida Building Commission has given final approval to the City of Hollywood's petition that would allow beachfront construction east of the coastal construction control line at the same elevation as the recently improved historic Hollywood Beach Broadwalk.  The Commission voted overwhelmingly in support of the City's petition at its meeting today in Tampa, Florida.

"This is a tremendous victory for the City of Hollywood," says City Manager Cameron Benson, who attended the meeting with Planning Manager Andria Wingett.  "It means we can preserve our signature Broadwalk and move forward with redevelopment projects that will enhance Hollywood's central beach."

The Commission's approval allows new projects along the beach to be built in a way that is consistent with the pedestrian friendly, accessible feel of the historic Broadwalk.  Without this key approval, any new shops, snack bars, pools, cabanas, gyms or bathrooms planned for the beach would have been required to be built either 9 feet above or 50 feet away from the existing Broadwalk.  

The proposed Marriott Ocean Village project sparked the City's request to the Florida Building Commission.  Plans for the 349 room hotel to be built at Johnson Street can now go forward with ground level shops and restaurant seating that are readily accessible and visible to beachgoers.

"Today's decision could benefit redevelopment efforts in other parts of Broward, Miami-Dade and Collier counties", says Attorney Robert Fine of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. who represented Hollywood before the Commission.  "It could apply to any area with the same specific coastal conditions that exist in Hollywood."

The Marriott Ocean Village project is currently in the site plan approval process.  The $80 million project includes 80,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space along with public parking.

For more information, contact Raelin Storey, Public Affairs and Marketing Director at 954-921-3098.

Hollywood CRA Launches Trolley Service for Hotel Guests
 

All aboard the HOT Express!  Visitors staying on Hollywood Beach will be able to catch a scenic ride to and from the Historic Downtown District and the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk aboard a state-of-the-art circulator trolley service scheduled to launch on Thursday, December 13, 2007 and operate through April 27, 2008.

The HOT Express Beach & Downtown Circulator Trolley, which is being offered by the Beach and Downtown Districts of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the Hollywood Office of Tourism (HOT), is designed to provide convenient and inexpensive transportation for hotel guests and residents eager to explore the Central Beach Business District and the Historic Downtown. The HOT Express will run four days a week: Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday, 12 noon to 1 a.m.; and Sunday, 12 noon to 9 p.m. The roundtrip fare is $1 for adults and accompanied children under 12 ride free.

The service features air-conditioned trolleys that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to accommodate all riders, including those in wheelchairs. The 28-passenger trolleys also are equipped with DVD players and feature a "hospitality greeter" who informs riders about dining, entertainment, attractions, special events and historical points of interest in Hollywood.

Two trolleys will depart along the same route approximately every half-hour. Beach locations are the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Resort, the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, the Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center, the Ramada Hollywood Beach Resort, the Broadwalk at Johnson and Michigan streets, Cleveland Street at State Road A1A, the Hollywood Beach Marriott, and Villas of Positano. Downtown locations are Anniversary Park, Harrison Street near Dixie Highway and the southeastern quadrant of the ArtsPark. Shuttle schedules and maps will be available at hotels and A1A.

CRA Beach District Executive Director Gil Martinez said the scenic trolley service is designed to enhance the visitor experience, foster redevelopment interest in Hollywood Beach, and direct new business to the Central Beach Business District and Historic Downtown District. In addition to stimulating economic development in Hollywood, the trolley adds an element of fun to the visitor experience.

"We know our visitors will enjoy the experience, and that will help us showcase all that Hollywood Beach and Downtown Hollywood have to offer," Martinez said.
For more information on the HOT Express, call 954-980-9777 or visit www.VisitHollywood.org.
 

Check with your attorneys re: compliance with generator law.

Law is tower of confusion Florida Trend online daily alerts
It requires backup generators and fuel to run elevators in high-rises.
By BILL VARIAN
Published July 5, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAMPA - Residential condo owners are feeling the same hits from skyrocketing insurance and tax bills as other people who own property.

Now they may face another claim on their wallets if they live in buildings 75 feet or taller: A requirement that those buildings have a backup generator capable of running an elevator and access to enough fuel to power them.

The cost: anywhere from $45, 000 to $75, 000 per building, according to some estimates.

The law, passed in 2006, requires that the generators be in place by the end of the year and that condo managers at least have contracts with a fuel supplier to keep them running. But with the deadline looming, even state officials acknowledge there is confusion over whether the law applies to all condos and residential buildings or just to new ones.

Existing language in the statute that was changed by the 2006 legislation exempts buildings built or under construction on or before Oct. 1, 1997, which appears to be an oversight, say those who followed passage of the bill. It also gives no state agency the power of enforcing the new requirement and carries no penalties for noncompliance.

That leaves lawyer Richard A. Zacur, who represents several condo associations in high-rise buildings in Pinellas County, wondering what advice to give.

"It's one of those things where you don't know what to tell your clients, " Zacur said. "If you tell them the wrong thing and they spend a bunch of money, they're not going to be happy."

Zacur has contacted several state agencies without success in finding an answer. The St. Petersburg Times undertook the same exercise and got similarly unclear guidance.

"It looks like there are some elements to the enforcement that need to be tightened up with this, " said Mike Stone, a spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Jim Richmond, deputy general counsel for the Department of Community Affairs, which includes the Florida Building Commission, agreed that the intent of the legislation is unclear. He said a bill to extend the deadline for compliance this year died before getting a full hearing.

"I can certainly confirm that there's been a great deal of confusion, " Richmond said. "Unfortunately, the bill did not really assign any agency to enforce the requirement or even clarify the intent."

The generator requirement was part of a larger bill dealing with emergency preparedness pushed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush in the wake of the active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. Storms then left elderly or infirm residents trapped in their apartments for days after power outages.

Language requiring backup generators for residential towers - those generally seven stories or taller - require that building managers have enough fuel to keep an elevator and hallway lighting running for several hours in each of the five days following a natural disaster. Rather than install a fuel tank for propane, building managers can enter a contract with a fuel provider to comply.

But the language is now imbedded in a section of state law regarding building construction standards that exempts older buildings.

That was not the intent of the many legislators who sponsored the bill, said Travis Moore, a government affairs consultant for Communities Associations Institute, a statewide group that provides educational training and support to condo associations. He suspects that the Legislature will ultimately fix the glitch and put some agency in charge of enforcing it.

He recommends that condo associations seek to comply with the requirement.

"We're advising all of our clients, just for the safety of it, that all high-rises need to be addressing it, " Moore said. "Even though they may not legally be required to comply, it may be something they want to just for public safety."

It is not clear how many condos in the Tampa Bay region would be affected by the requirement. Sean Costis, a lawyer in Zacur's law firm, said as many as 80 percent of the high-rise condos in the region are 10 or more years old.

Some of those may already have backup generators. That was the case at Monte Carlo Towers, built in 1982 on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, said Sharron Dube, its licensed community association manager. Her association simply had to get an agreement signed with a fuel supplier.

"Most high-rises already have a backup generator and a supply of fuel, " Dube said. "Some of them just not to the level required by law.

Zacur said that is not so for all condominiums, including some of his clients. He said many associations would prefer to have the opportunity to let owners vote on whether to install a generator, given the cost.

Asked what he would advise owners of high-rise residential buildings, Richmond, the attorney with the Department of Community Affairs, demurred.

"I'd pretty much tell them to consult with their attorney and get an opinion they're entitled to rely on, " he said.

Fast Facts:

Backup power

The law: Multifamily residential buildings, including condominiums, must have backup generators capable of running at least one elevator and emergency lighting in common areas for several hours in each of the five days following a natural disaster. That includes arranging for fuel to power the generator.

Cost: By some estimates, from $45, 000 to $75, 000, depending on the size of the building.
 

Sexual Predator Ordinance

You may be unaware that convicted sexual offenders, no longer on probation or under court supervision, may live anywhere in Hollywood—even directly across from a school. Hollywood currently has over 151 sex offenders residing within its city limits, from which 23 have been labeled as sexual predators. Of these, 77 offenders and 6 predators are no longer under any form of court supervision.

It is absolutely imperative that you forward this email to every Hollywood parent or resident on your email list. It is also critical that you attend the Hollywood City Commission meeting on July 3, 2007 at 5:30 p.m., at Hollywood City Hall, in order to voice your opinion. Some residents will attend the meeting to oppose this measure—which, of course, is their right. However, those residents who believe Hollywood needs a law of this kind must attend in support. Thank you.

New State Site Compares Insurance Rates http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_177123240.html

© CBS4.com Jun 26, 2007 7:22 pm US/Eastern For Info On Shop and Compare Rates, Click Here Art Barron Reporting (CBS4) MIAMI Gov. Crist unveiled a new website Tuesday in southwest Miami-Dade which will allow homeowners to shop and compare rates on home policies in all 67 Florida counties. ''This will empower consumers,'' Gov. Charlie Crist said at a news conference in Tallahassee, where he launched the website: www.ShopandCompareRates.com. The governor said the website's rate comparisons ''will make it transparent and abundantly clear'' the different costs for similar policies from different insurers. The website also has rates for Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run insurer. Because a variety of factors are used by insurance companies to price a homeowner's policy, the rates on the website won't be actual costs. But they're averages that can give homeowners an idea of possible costs, McCarty said. As the governor and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty unveiled the website, they admitted that the rate cuts promised by insurance reform legislation passed in January hadn't been as large as expected by regulators and lawmakers or promised by insurers. © MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. TOP OF PAGE

The Hollywood CRA and Hollywood Office of Tourism Invite You to Catch a Ride on the *HOT Express*

For more information on the Beach & Downtown Circulator/Shuttle Pilot Project, call 954-980-9777, (954) 924-2980 or visit www.visithollywood.org.
 

DOWNLOAD THE HOT Express Map here

CRA DOINGS

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the mayor and commissioners, wearing their hats as the Hollywood CRA Board, will consider the following items, among others:

Welcoming Sign on the Westin Diplomat Bridge

The Hollywood Beach CRA has identified what it calls "a need to inform pedestrians and motorists that they are in the City of Hollywood when they are in the area of the Westin Diplomat Hotel."  The CRA Board will choose a design for the desired welcoming signs -- one on each side of the bridge -- and authorize spending $150,000 for their fabrication and installation.

We ask WHY? Maybe our sense of style is not in line with the city’s, but this looks tacky to us. Take a look for yourself and let us know what you think. The three designs under consideration are pictured in this excerpt from Item No. 9 on the Jan. 16 CRA agenda.

Temporary Beach/Downtown Circulator/Shuttle Service

The Beach and Downtown CRAs plan to cooperate on a new shuttle service. The shuttle program will run from January 18 through April 9, 2007 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5 PM to 11 PM.

This shuttle -- to be provided by The Parking Pros --is to be "professionally run, supported with appropriate marketing communication tools, hospitality greeters, and entertainment and promotion features such as the Hollywood 360 DVD."  There will be four 29-passenger air-conditioned buses with DVD players.  Each bus will have one driver and one greeter.  The Parking Pros will provide one additional person, a "starter" to make sure the shuttles adhere to the established schedule of pickups and dropoffs. The cost:  $102,600 for the 36 days of service.  The Hollywood Office of Tourism will develop and print a shuttle schedule for distribution.

The Circulator/Shuttle Service is described as facilitating roundtrip transportation between the Beach and Downtown for guests who are staying at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, Hollywood Beach Marriott, and the Ramada Hollywood Beach Resort.  "There will be an additional shuttle pickup location at Johnson Street for small lodging operators who wish to promote this amenity to their guests." 

This program is intended, according to CRA staff, as a "proactive strategy to attract customers to the beach and downtown areas that would otherwise have been diverted to Aventura, Bal Harbour, Fort Lauderdale or South Beach."

The Balance Sheet supports public transportation in all its forms, as long as it provides an efficient, suitable, clean and regular service for city residents and visitors. But that isn’t what is being proposed. This “pilot” program has been developed to serve visitors to the Diplomat, Marriott and Ramada with a single stop on Johnson St.

Wouldn’t it make sense to include those of us who live here too?

Eight-Foot "Themed Topiaries" Downtown

Should the CRA proceed with a new program to install and maintain four new downtown themed topiaries? The proposal under consideration consists of four eight-foot high themed topiaries -- a woman with shopping bags in hands, a ballet dancer, a waiter, and a saxophone player -- with no price tag for the costs of installation and maintenance, and no mention of how the big topiaries might meld with the existing tree canopy on the median. 

What is this about and WHY?, we ask again.

A departing Max Mayfield is convinced that the Southeast is inviting disaster

By Carol J. Williams

Times Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2007

MIAMI - Frustrated with people and politicians who refuse to listen or learn, National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield ends his 34-year government career today in search of a new platform for getting out his unwelcome message: Hurricane Katrina was nothing compared with the big one yet to come.

Mayfield, 58, leaves his high-profile job with the National Weather Service more convinced than ever that U.S. residents of the Southeast are risking unprecedented tragedy by continuing to build vulnerable homes in the tropical storm zone and failing to plan escape routes.

He pointed to southern Florida's 7 million coastal residents.

"We're eventually going to get a strong enough storm in a densely populated area to have a major disaster," he said. "I know people don't want to hear this, and I'm generally a very positive person, but we're setting ourselves up for this major disaster."

More than 1,300 deaths across the Gulf Coast were attributed to Hurricane Katrina, the worst human toll from a weather event in the United States since the 1920s.

But Mayfield warns that 10 times as many fatalities could occur in what he sees as an inevitable strike by a huge storm during the current highly active hurricane cycle, which is expected to last another 10 to 20 years.

His apocalyptic vision of thousands dead and millions homeless is a different side of the persona he established as head of the hurricane center.

Mayfield attained national celebrity status during the tempestuous 2004 and 2005 seasons, appearing on network television with hourly updates as hurricanes Charley, Ivan, Frances and Wilma bore down on the Caribbean and the Southeast. His calm demeanor and avuncular sincerity endeared him to millions of TV viewers seeking survival guidance.

And he argues that his dire predictions don't have to become reality.

The technology exists to build high-rise buildings capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and tropical storm surge more powerful than those experienced in the last few years. Much of Hong Kong's architecture has been built to survive typhoons, and hotels and apartments built in Kobe, Japan, after a 1995 earthquake devastated the city are touted as indestructible, he said.

What is lacking in the United States is the political will to make and impose hard decisions on building codes and land use in the face of resistance from the influential building industry and a public still willing to gamble that the big one will never hit, he said.

"It's good for the tax base" to allow developers to put up buildings on the coastline, Mayfield said in explaining politicians' reluctance to deter housing projects that expose residents to storm risks.

"I don't want the builders to get mad at me," he said, "but the building industry strongly opposes improvement in building codes."

Consumers also have yet to demand sturdier construction, Mayfield added.

A builder gets a better return on investment in upgraded carpet and appliances than for safety features above and beyond most states  minimal requirements, he said.

As a senior civil servant, Mayfield was prohibited from making job inquiries in the private sector while still in the government's employ.

But he said on Tuesday, his last day in office, that he hoped to launch a second career as a consultant in emergency planning and disaster response. He has particular interest in a potential public-private initiative to mine natural disaster scenes for their educational value.

He envisions a natural disaster assessment service like the National Transportation Safety Board, which probes the causes and consequences of aviation and other transport accidents.

"If the NTSB finds some structural problem is the cause of an air crash, you would never see that plane continue to be built with the same problems," he said.

With natural disasters, though, the same mistakes that put lives at risk are repeated year after year in unsafe construction and inadequate planning, he said.

Mayfield said he also was pondering collaboration with advocates of tougher building standards and land use rules.

"It's not just about the forecasting. Whatever I do, I want to help change the outcome," he said, conceding frustration with persistent public disregard of federal and local government campaigns to boost hurricane awareness and preparation.

Even after the devastating hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, he said, fewer than 50% of those living in storm-prone areas have a hurricane evacuation plan.

While he has been critical of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to Katrina's devastation of New Orleans, he warns against depending on the federal government after natural disasters. He was dismayed to see federal agencies handing out water and ice in South Florida after Hurricane Wilma hit in October 2005, when stores were open and tap water was usable.

"You don't want the federal government to be your first-responders," he said. "The government can't do everything for people and it shouldn't, or else you create a culture of dependence."

Mayfield praises the Florida state government for its well-oiled disaster-response program and steps toward improving building safety, in contrast with other states along the Gulf of Mexico that he says still have no statewide building standards.

Though Mayfield's name and face recognition are the envy of some presidential hopefuls, he laughs out loud at the notion of running for office.

"Oh, good gosh, no! That is just not my thing," he says.

At the hurricane center on the Florida International University campus, Mayfield will be succeeded by Bill Proenza, the National Weather Service's director for the Southern region. Home to 77 million, the region has "the most active and severe weather in the world," according to the weather service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Proenza, 62, began his meteorological career at the Miami office as an intern in 1963. As director of 50 regional offices and 1,000 employees in the Southern region for the last eight years, he has long experience collaborating with the hurricane center staff on forecasts and tracking.

"That's why I don't have any problem walking out the door," said Mayfield, declaring himself fearful that the mild 2006 hurricane season left those in the storm zone ever more complacent.