THE
GAZETTE VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 11 JUNE 2, 2022
FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE COMMUNITY
WILTON MANORS
WILTON MANORS TWEAKS MARIJUANA POLICY By John Hayden America’s relationship with marijuana remains a muddled mess. Possession and use remain a crime at the federal level and in some states. Many states, including Florida, regulate it for medical use while other states allow people to buy it for recreational use as well. Beyond state laws, each county and city seems to be deciding how they want to treat violators. Currently, the State’s Attorney for Broward County isn’t investigating or prosecuting any arrests for under 20 grams of marijuana. At its meeting on May 10, the Wilton Manors City Commission voted on updating several parts of the city’s code, including how to treat marijuana infractions. Debate focused on whether to deal with it at all and, if so, to what extent. In the end commissioners voted to continue enforcement but scale back the penalties. Previously, getting busted with
However this policy can be used as a gateway to additional searches of offenders. If someone is stopped and found to have unlicensed marijuana on them, police could conduct a further search of the person or their vehicle.
Image from SFGN/WMG image library.
small amounts (under 20 grams) subjected violators to fines based on a graduated scale that reached into the hundreds of dollars for repeat offenders. Now it will be a $25 fine for each violation, as well as confiscation of the contraband. Wilton Manors police officers will perform a field test on suspected marijuana and positive tests result in a civil infraction. Chief Gary Blocker told SFGN that it won’t result in a criminal history nor will it be forwarded to state or county authorities. However, the
citation will be on record and it could turn up in background checks if someone specifically searches their history in Wilton Manors. It’s important to note this does not affect people with their Florida-issued medical marijuana cards. However, you must be prepared to show it if requested. A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ‘GATEWAY’ Opponents of marijuana often call it a “gateway” drug, inferring that it leads to abuse
www.WMGAZETTE.com
of harder, addictive drugs. However this policy can be used as a gateway to additional searches of offenders. If someone is stopped and found to have unlicensed marijuana on them, police could conduct a further search of the person or their vehicle. Completely abandoning any enforcement would remove this tool from law enforcement. The updated marijuana policy comes as multiple retailers of CBD products and the Delta 8 strain have opened up within the city.
6 . 2 . 20 22 •
23
OPINION
WILTON MANORS
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305
Webmaster • Kimberly Swan webmaster@sfgn.com
Editorial
Graphic Designer • Greg Bistolfi artwork@sfgn.com Oakland Park Editor • Christiana Lilly Wilton Manors Editor • John McDonald
Correspondents
Sal Torre • James Oaksun
Staff Photographers
J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires
Sales & Marketing For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, contact 954-530-4970
Image created with photo from Pixabay.
more? A recent response from the Assistant City manager when addressing the frustrations of some residents was that “they just don’t understand how government works,” demonstrates the blinders that are in place. When New York City did the un-imaginable and closed off much of Broadway around Times Square to vehicular traffic it was not done with the blessing of enthusiastic city managers but came with cries of immediate disaster, gridlock, of no this cannot be done. Willingness to embrace such visionary policies came from those in the Bloomberg Administration who were outsiders of government, outsiders of bureaucracy, and willing to try something bold and new. Such a decision created the greatest transformation of the Manhattan streetscape in living history. Guess if we left that decision to those who “understand government” we would still see the same urban planning that prioritized vehicular roadways over pedestrians and public space instead of the dramatic changes that transformed an entire city. Since city management by nature is not the driving engine for innovative and creative change, that responsibility falls into the lap
of our elected officials — our mayor and city commissioners. These individuals are the ones that most embrace bold new ideas coming out of advisory boards, business groups, neighborhood associations, community nonprofits and regional planning organizations. Our elected officials should then give city management the direction and the tools necessary to take on these new and innovative ideas and make them a reality. The responsibility also falls to us, the residents of our wonderful Island City. We must engage our elected officials and hold them accountable. Upcoming elections later this year offer a great opportunity to listen, to learn and to support those who we believe will lead our city in the right direction. Proven leaders should be re-elected and when necessary, we should be ready and willing to elect new individuals seeking an opportunity to serve. Wilton Manors two new City Commissioners, Mike Bracchi and Chris Caputo, have brought much needed change and new direction to our commission. Caputo continuously seeks to engage many in our community and a willingness to bring new solutions to the table. Bracchi is not afraid to take a stand when faced with the familiar roadblocks of, “Well, this is how we did it in the past.” Encouraging those who dream of a better tomorrow, willing to break from the past, seeking to remove the blinders of “understanding government” and ready to embrace new ways that will lead us into the future is the only way that we will continue to make life just better here.
www.WMGAZETTE.com • 6 . 2.2022
June 2, 2022 • Volume 9 • Issue 11
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com
Since city management by nature is not the driving engine for innovative and creative change, that responsibility falls into the lap of our elected officials — our mayor and city commissioners.
24
GAZETTE Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
By Sal Torre Recent grumbling over the Wilton Next Report and the direction of economic development here in Wilton Manors has brought about numerous conversations in the past few weeks. One similarity in these discussions is the concern about whether or not the Economic Development Manager is up to the task or failing to deliver. When the City of Wilton Manors hired our current Economic Development manager, I immediately felt sorry for the person. All eyes would quickly focus on this new manager as if he was some magician ready to pull tricks out of his hat for all to be in awe and struck with wonderment. Our need at times for instant gratification does not allow the time to wait out the laying of a strong foundation to build upon. Not everything is posed to produce quick results, but rather needs time to develop, time to build upon, and time to show signs of success. To make matters worse this new position was placed under the supervision of the City Manager’s Office rather than the Community Development Services Department. Instead of being amongst colleagues and a supervisor already dealing with prospective businesses for the city, who are aware of the upcoming zoning changes for the city and who deal with related issues on a daily basis, the person was place under the thumb of the City Manager’s office and the tight reins of the Assistant City manager. Rather than releasing this new director to spread their wings and soar, their wings were clipped early on, kept close to city management, and not allowed to veer off path. Unfortunately, this path was likely laid out by the Assistant City Manager Pamela Landi, otherwise known as “PameNO” Landi. Now I do not want it to appear that I am blasting the Assistant City Manager. The title of “Pame-NO” was not placed there by me, but by many in the community. Perhaps the Assistant City manager is just doing their job very well, to be the hatchet person for the city manager, the person who says “NO” to the many who come requesting this or that. Or is it something
THE
2•
JUNE 2, 2022
Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. MEMBER
MEMBER
Associated Press MEMBER
MEMBER
Copyright © 2022 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
HAVE YOU JOINED THE GAZETTE’S FACEBOOK GROUP? Come join the discussion. The Gazette welcomes feedback. Email Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com with comments, suggestions, etc.
Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette
COMMUNITY
WILTON MANORS
COMMISSIONERS PROPOSE PLANS THAT WILL AFFECT FUTURE OF BUSINESSES
BSO MEETS WITH PRIDE CENTER TO BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP
WITH LGBT COMMUNITY
By John Hayden
By John Hayden Members of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) will be the first to admit that law enforcement has a checkered history with the LGBT community. But they also will tell you they’re using that shaky history to build a stronger future in Broward County. On May 19, Sheriff Gregory Tony met with the community at The Pride Center. Tony, along with more than a dozen other members of the department, were there to address community concerns and lay out plans for community relations. Part of the plan is the LGBTQ+ Liaison Committee. The group is made up of nine members from a variety of departments within the community. Before the meeting, committee member Paul Auerbach told SFGN that the goal of the evening was to let the community see who is standing up for them and learn how to serve better. Tony pointed out that there are many cities and villages throughout Broward County, and that working together is critical. “One of the things I wanted to do was invest in all of our cities, not just BSO. We’re just imaginary lines from jurisdiction. None of these lines really matter. We all live in one county. We all suffer the same.” Part of his plan has been inviting members of all county area police departments to training in order to better connect with citizens. Tony said sometimes problems start because officers don’t understand, at first, the social situation they are responding to. “If it’s a gay couple, a lesbian couple, the misnomers in communications. We understand, although it may be done innocently, there is an impact. Our goal is to mitigate that impact through education.” Everyone representing BSO was there voluntarily. One of them is 18-year force veteran Karla Sobenes-Desme. She said being a member of the committee is personally important. “I’m part of the committee. My family is part of the LGBT community and this is very important to me. We can actually help the
COMMUNITY
WILTON MANORS
The Pride Center. Photo via Facebook.
community, with law enforcement, and try to have some sort of openness.” She is well aware of the often-fraught relations between law enforcement and LGBT people. “Historically, law enforcement has been very tactical when it comes to the community. I’m very interested and that’s why I decided to join. That’s why I’m here. Everytime we do an event I come voluntarily. It’s in my heart. I want to be a part of it. I want to be the change that I would like to see.”
“Historically, law enforcement has been very tactical when it comes to the community. I’m very interested and that’s why I decided to join. That’s why I’m here. Everytime we do an event I come voluntarily. It’s in my heart. I want to be a part of it. I want to be the change that I would like to see.”
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Tony also addressed concerns about 911 emergency response. He said work is underway to take them from being the lowest paid 911 operators in South Florida to being the highest paid. That should help recruiting talent going forward. He also wants to better address calls that deal with people facing mental health issues, saying arresting them can’t always be the answer. “We don’t want to be a community where the only solution to deal with someone who suffers with mental health is to take them to jail. We do everyone a disservice with that mindset.” While the meeting was held in Wilton Manors, the heart of Broward County’s LGBT community, BSO knows they need to reach beyond the invisible borders to other communities from Lauderdale By-the-Sea to Weston and everywhere in between.
Photo via Facebook.
Wilton Manors has spent a considerable delayed implementing a report, WiltonNext, amount of time and money to lay out a plan that laid out ideas for future development. The for the city’s future. At their meeting on report angered many westside residents. May 24, city commissioners discussed how existing businesses will be affected by proposed HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION EXPANSION developments. Commissioner Gary The commission also Resnick said he had been looked into the possible contacted by several impact from a proposed businesses that are being expansion of the property notified that their leases will homestead exemption. It not be renewed, in order to appears likely that a measure make way for new, mixedwill be on the ballot this use development. He cited November, which will give proposals for the plaza on an additional $50,000 26th Street where Holy exemption for teachers Mackerel is and the Shoppes and first responders and of Wilton Manors. more. Homes valued at “These are viable more than $150,000 would businesses, some of which be eligible. have been there a very, The city’s finance very long time,” Resnick director said it’s said. “We’re searching for impossible to get an exact businesses to come into the figure because census and city, and here are twenty, other available data doesn’t thirty businesses that will break down ownership, have to close and move.” home value, and career. He acknowledged that the However, they did do Gary Resnick city has chosen to pursue several estimates. There WILTON MANORS COMMISIONER residential space over are about 2,156 properties businesses, but wants to that could be affected. see if accommodations can If ten percent qualify, the city be made for organizations that have already would lose about $61,000. That figure jumps to invested in making Wilton Manors their home. $711,000 if one-third qualifies. Other commissioners pointed out that, at its The next Wilton Manors City Commission core, this is a landlord-tenant issue. meeting is scheduled for June 14 at 7 p.m. This comes after the commission indefinitely
“These are viable businesses, some of which have been there a very, very long time ... We’re searching for businesses to come into the city, and here are twenty, thirty businesses that will have to close and move.”
www.WMGAZETTE.com
www.WMGAZETTE.com 3 •
JUNE 2, 2022
6 . 2 . 20 22 •
25
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
WILTON MANORS
RISING POLICE COSTS MAY SINK STONEWALL PRIDE Wilton Manors Police Department. Image via Facebook.
The first Stonewall was a riot. The police costs for this year’s event are enough to cause one, too. The combined bill for police services and equipment has risen from about $50k to a shocking $92k this year. While WMEG, the non-profit behind Stonewall Pride, was told to expect increased costs this year, neither they nor I expected learn the bill increased by over 80% this past week. Each year, Wilton Manors Police Chief Blocker must determine what resources are necessary to protect attendees of any event occurring in the city. He does this in coordination with Broward County. There are three factors that have caused costs to rise over 80% this year. Unfortunately, the determined required number of officers, hours, and equipment continues to grow year after year and this year is no exception. In addition, the cost per hour of a police officer has gone up this year and Broward County is no longer providing approximately $25k in resources at no cost to Stonewall as they have in the past. It should be stated that the city of Wilton Manors does not benefit from the cost of police services rising year after year. That is because the officers working the event are not paid directly by the city of Wilton Manors, but instead a regional agency that coordinates and manages qualified officers who can elect to work events like Stonewall Pride. The officers you see working the event are almost always working overtime, outside of their traditional shift work, and many are not from Wilton Manors. Their participation is voluntary, and with staff shortages and COVID-related complications, finding enough available officers to cover the event is a challenge itself. We are grateful for their willingness to serve
Their participation is voluntary, and with staff shortages and COVID-related complications, finding enough available officers to cover the event is a challenge itself. We are grateful for their willingness to serve and protect us at Stonewall Pride.
and protect us at Stonewall Pride. To be clear, the safety of every visitor and resident is and must be priority number one when it comes to any event or activity occurring in the city. You can’t put a price on the safety of our residents or visitors. You can, however, put a price tag to the value of Stonewall Pride. In a study from 2017, independent consultants determined the economic impact of the event to be $4,157,000. Adjusted for inflation and the growth of the event, an argument could easily be made that the economic impact is well over $6 million today.
A PATH FORWARD FOR STONEWALL Frankly, there are very few options that will keep Stonewall Pride viable in the city of Wilton Manors for years to come. One option, which will almost certainly need to happen, is raising the entry donation from $5 to $10. Having spoken with Mr. Sterling, who leads WMEG, I know that this isn’t the ideal option. It’s his goal to have the event be accessible to as many people as possible, and that means making it affordable. Unfortunately, some visitors will mistake this for greed, not understanding that security costs have nearly doubled this year. A second option is for WMEG to file a lawsuit arguing that the police charges are a violation of their first amendment rights. While Jeff Sterling has made it very clear he wants to be a good partner, not a plaintiff, this may regrettably be his only recourse if no other viable option exists. Stonewall Pride, much like the original Stonewall Riot, is a free speech gathering designed to protest the anti-gay legislation like “Don’t Say Gay.” The First Amendment limits the kinds of permit fees and other financial burdens that government can impose on protesters. While I am certainly not a lawyer, Pritchard v. Mackie seems to affirm that there is a needed exception for groups that cannot afford the cost of necessary protection. Lastly, the government can NOT charge protesters more when additional police are needed to protect them — i.e. requiring additional protection because the event is a “high risk” event in a post-PULSE world. Any lawsuit would be long, with an unclear outcome, and cause great damage between the relationships of all involved.
A POLITICAL SOLUTION MAY BE NECESSARY I want to affirm my respect for Blocker and his team. They are well qualified, competent professionals with a demonstrated commitment to putting public safety first. Each year, however, their security proposal comes at an ever-increasing cost without regard to budget constraints. If my only priority was to ensure public safety, I would surely ask for every conceivable resource and as many personnel hours as possible. Our U.S. Military leadership continues to argue for more money to be spent on defenses but are ultimately limited by the budget provided to them. Blocker continues to push for new equipment and additional staff that would better protect our community, while demonstrating fiscal responsibility and managing to a budget provided to him by the commission. While every form of protection we receive from the government is managed to a budget, the costs for protecting an event have no similar requirement. There are two political solutions that could help ensure the financial viability of events like Stonewall Pride and Wicked Manors in the future: 1. The city commission begins to exercise some oversight and provide guidelines for public safety resource requirements for special events. This is inarguably a challenging process, as we are public servants not police professionals. We make difficult decisions as
www.WMGAZETTE.com 26
• 6 . 2.2022
44 •
JUNE 2, 2022
it relates to the police department, and there may be difficult decision we need to learn to make around public safety requirements for special events. This would provide a check and balance, preventing costs from skyrocketing further out of control. 2. The city commission could elect to increase the financial support it provides to strategic events like Stonewall Pride and Wicked Manors. Knowing that Stonewall Pride in 2017 generated over $4 million in economic impact, there is case to be made for our city investing more in our flagship events produced by good partners. Strategic events like Stonewall Pride and Wicked Manors, beyond just their economic impact, are often catalysts for visitors to become residents. They attract like-minded people to become residents in our community. I believe we must do anything we can to ensure public safety AND fiscal viability of these events. The road ahead for Stonewall Pride may appear treacherous, but I am confident we will come together as a community to find a solution. In these difficult times, when Women’s rights and LGBT rights are facing unparalleled attacks, Pride events are as important as ever. If you have an idea or comment on how to address the issue, please email me at ccaputo@wiltonmanors.com or text me at 954.557.2801.
— CHRIS CAPUTO
WILTON MANORS CITY COMMISSIONER