WMG
Wilton Manors Gazette
Volume 3 • Issue 11 June 1, 2016
Politics
Community
Resnick Gets Mayoral Challenger
Wilton Manors Annual Volunteer Luncheon
Green, Rolli file for commission race
Photos By David Roth
By Michael d’Oliveira
Mayor Gary Resnick & Paul Rolli Photo: Facebook
In his bid for a fifth term this November, Mayor Gary Resnick will face a familiar opponent. Boyd Corbin, who ran against Resnick in 2014, has announced he will try for the mayor’s office again. His campaign platform includes promises to end the “constant sex” at Colohatchee Park and stop the move towards reducing Wilton Drive from four lanes to two. He also wants to build a 300-space parking garage on the city hall parking lot. The deadline to file is June 24 at noon. Candidates must file with the city clerk’s office. Asked what he’d do with another term as mayor, Resnick declined to comment and said he thought it was too early to talk about the race. Doug Blevins, who also ran for mayor in 2014, may run again but has not made a final decision. In the race for the two open commission seats held by Commissioners Julie Carson and Tom Green, Green and Paul Rolli have filed. In vying for a “third and last” term, Green said he just wants four more years “so that I can spend some time watching
what happens with Wilton Drive since I helped locate the money from the MPO.” He also wants to see Northeast 26 Street improved and the implementation of the green building code. “It’s going to talk a while to see some of that happen. That’s kind of my thing now. The green stuff and transportation.” Rolli, currently the president of the Central Area Neighborhood Association, said he wants to protect neighborhoods, keep developing the city’s economic corridors and maintain the city’s current fiscal status. “I believe in the city.” In February, Carson said she would most likely not run but did not definitively rule out the possibility. Now, she said she may try and keep her seat because she wants to have a strong female presence on the dais. “I would like to see a strong woman continue on the commission but I have not seen one that has indicated she is willing to do that. But it’s very early.” For more Wilton Manors stories check out the latest edition of The Wilton Manors Gazette on Wednesday.
Saturday, May 14, 2016 the City of Wilton Manors hosted a special luncheon to recognize nearly 100 volunteers who donate their time to contribute to the development and the overall greatness of the City. Volunteers in attendance ranged from committee members, business association organizers, historical society participants, pride advocates and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) leaders. Congratulations to Paul Rolli who was awarded the Individual Community Spirit Award and to Shawn Bombard and Nick Berry, owners of Nick’s Courtyard Café, for winning the Business Community Spirit Award. WMG Below: Jamie Costa (CERT Area Captain) & Carol Currier (Historical Society & Taste of the Island Board Member)
Above: David Zastron, Gloria Silvestry, Jeffery Ferraro & Isaac Brooks III
WMG
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Opinion
WMG
Memorial Day
June 1, 2016 • Volume 3 • Issue 11
By Sal Torre
2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
As we take time to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer season, two topics are swirling in my head as I sit down to write my article. The first topic is Memorial Day itself, a day to remember and honor all Americans who gave their lives serving this country while in military service. The second topic has to do with the beginning of the summer season, which means vacation time to many. Unfortunately for residents of Wilton Manors’ neighborhoods, it means living with the problem of vacation rentals and the constant daily and weekly disruptions they create. As we remember our fallen service personnel, we should not forget the actions taken by our political leaders who have the burden of putting our troops into action. Many of us look at the disastrous decisions by the Bush Administration that lead to the invasion of Iraqi as a complete failure, at a cost of so many lives lost, both for our troops and for the Iraqi people. The then New York State Senator, Hillary Clinton, could have helped turn the tide against the mad march to war but instead chose, in what seemed by many at the time a more popular and politically advantageous choice, to vote for the war authorization. That decision denied Hillary the nomination back in 2008 and proved to be a very bad choice for our nation. In another war, the war on HIV/AIDS, the LGBT Community remembers all too well how Nancy and Ronnie Reagan ignored the AIDS crisis and turned their backs on old friends like Rock Hudson, with their unofficial policy that HIV/AIDS only affected homosexuals and IV drug users, not good God-fearing Americans. Once again, Hillary Clinton failed to get it right. On news of Nancy Reagan’s death, Hillary stated that the Reagan’s started a national conversation on AIDS when nobody wanted to talk about it. I think Larry Kramer’s statement rings more true, “The Reagans murdered more gay people than anyone in the history of the world.” Perhaps the DNC Chair and champion of the South Florida LGBT Community, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, picked a flawed candidate in her rush to nominate and elect the first female President of the United States. Given the current political climate, perhaps Schultz should have looked to Senator Elizabeth Warren instead. However, we are all flawed individuals and must make decisions
based on many factors throughout our own lives, some will be good and some will be bad. If the choice for our next President is between Clinton and Trump, I will be first in line to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton; that will be the best decision. Moving on to summertime and the problem of vacation rentals. In the same week that city emails were ablaze with complaints of a party rental here on the Westside, news out of the city commission meeting was that Jeffrey Hill, owner of numerous vacation rental properties here in Wilton Manors, decided to sue the city once again to prevent the city and residents from protecting their quality of life in our single family residential zoned neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the state restricts local municipalities from banning vacation home rentals, but many cities throughout our region are looking to code enforcement and zoning restrictions to help control the loud noises, resident complaints, parking nightmares and late-night parties. This time, I think Jeffrey is in for a big disappointment. Pure and simple--if you want to operate a lodging business, please do so in the areas of the city that are zoned for such businesses. Make no mistake, vacation home rentals are businesses operating in areas not zoned for any such activity. There is a distinction between a homeowner wishing to rent their home seasonally for three, four or five months… and owners looking to rent on a much shorter weekly or daily time frame. These short-term rentals bring a transient element into our neighborhoods and endless headaches for residents who live next to or near one of these properties. Is requiring Jeffrey Hill to pay a licensing fee, just like any other business that operates within the city, asking too much? Owners operate these vacation home rentals to make a profit, at the expense of other tax-paying homeowners who thought they were buying homes in areas zoned for residential use only which prohibit the operation of a business or commercial enterprise. As the summer begins, we definitely will be hearing more on these two topics swirling around my head this holiday weekend. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out comes the beginning of the fall season. Enjoy the summer Wilton Manorites……’cause all seasons are just better here! WMG
Politics
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Correspondents
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SAVE Praises City Commission for PSA Support By Michael d’Oliveira After multiple episodes of criticism over not covering transgender surgery as part of its employee healthcare plan, city commissioners were praised last week for promoting the rights of transgender families and individuals. At the city commission meeting on May 24, SAVE [Safeguarding American Values for Everyone] praised commissioners for recognizing its public service announcement – “Family Is Everything” featuring Florida Republican Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen, her husband, Dexter, and her son, Rodrigo. The praise came the same night the city raised the Pride flag permanently for the first time. “You’re the first city to recognize us for this
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com
effort,” said Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE. On its website, SAVE describes itself “as South Florida’s leading organization dedicated to protecting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, against discrimination.” “We were born out of the need to fight Anita Bryant,” Lima said. “Family is everything. Our son is transgender. We loved him as Amanda and now as Rodrigo . . . Every transgender person is part of someone’s family and should be treated with compassion and protected from discrimination,” Ros-Lehtinen said in the video. It can be viewed at save.lgbt. SAVE also endorsed Ros-Lehtinen for
re-election because of her stance on LGBT issues, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and her support of marriage equality. According to the Washington Blade, an LGBT newspaper in DC, she was the first GOP member of Congress to back marriage equality. Lima added that the ad is part of his organization’s push to get the Florida Competitive Workforce Act passed. The act has failed to pass numerous times in the state legislature, including earlier this year. If passed, it would add LGBT individuals to the list of groups included in the state’s anti-discrimination law. Lima said efforts were underway to bring the bill back to the legislature. WMG
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The New World Versus the Old
Real Estate Geek
By James Oaksun Many full time residents of WilMa recall the recent issues involving Uber, the peer-to-peer transportation provider. The local taxi monopoly, irritated that their government grant had been violated, persuaded the county commission to essentially ban Uber from operating. This provoked a consumer backlash that resulted in Uber’s reinstatement, with some restrictions. What does this have to do with real estate? Well, tourism is a vital component of the South Florida economy. Visitors expect Uber, and the substandard monopoly taxi system here left more people with poor impressions of the Florida experience. But the “gig economy” – of which Uber is but one example – is making inroads in real estate also. Real estate can be, under certain circumstances, an attractive investment, and many people own investment properties in WilMa and throughout South Florida. It has become very popular for property owners here to rent their homes and condos on a short-term basis through services such as Airbnb and VRBO.com. You can understand the appeal of this from the perspective of both owner and visitor. An owner is able to make some money from a property otherwise left empty, and a visitor can get something that approximates the comforts of home as opposed to a sterile hotel environment, have more privacy, and probably save money also. And improvements in technology ease the transaction. Enter the government. Of course hotel owners are unhappy
with the competition. They are required to obtain licenses from the city and state, and also to collect various taxes from guests. Yes short-term landlords are supposed to do the same, but as a friend of mine once said in describing one of his businesses, “it’s not much of a business but it’s a cash business.” (What the government doesn’t know… well, consult your accountant.) Last week the real estate industry publication “Real Deal” reported on a study (funded by the hotel industry) that claimed Airbnb operators in Miami-Dade had evaded paying $16 million in occupancy taxes in the 201415 season. Hoteliers claim this places them at a competitive disadvantage and they want government to “do something” to “level the playing field” (i.e., protect their interests as the market shifts to other mechanisms). Owners of nearby properties who are permanent residents sometimes have issues with these arrangements, as well. It doesn’t take more than a couple “bad apples” to get aggrieved homeowners to make the lives of city commissioners “difficult.” As a result, many cities are in the process of passing enhanced regulations of these short term rental situations. How do you balance the rights of an individual property
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owner with the interests of the community? Shouldn’t you be able to do with your own property as you see fit? And what about the tax system? Has technology and life outpaced government revenue collection? Should we be looking at revising how the government funds itself, instead of complicating popular services that the market demands? WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors office of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).
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Photos
Wilton Manors Raises Permanent Pride Flag Photos by J.R. Davis
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Community
Photo: John McDonald.
Men Busted For Sex At Park
I have a lot going on - I don’t need to be mocked, misgendered, or marginalized, and I don’t have time to hunt out news that matters to me.
By John McDonald
Wilton Manors police arrested two men for lewd behavior at Colohatchee Park. The park, located in the city’s eastern boundaries, has become a much discussed topic at city and political meetings. It has been described by one mayoral candidate as a “sex park.” On May 12, an undercover detective for the Wilton Manors Police Department arrested two men for fondling each other in plain view on the park’s boardwalk. In the officer’s report, the men, ages 47 and 53, admitted to committing a lewd act on each other and also stated they intentionally came to the park to meet each other. The detective arrested the men, took them to the Wilton Manors Police Station where they were further questioned and then transferred to the main Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The men face charges of exposing sexual organs and lewd behavior. SFGN is not releasing the names of the men out of respect for their families. Colohatchee Park, an 8.5 acre
I’m 26 and transitioning.
community park with an additional seven acres of mangrove preserves, is a popular attraction for nature lovers, outdoors enthusiasts and dog owners. The park contains a wooded walkway over water and mangroves that leads to an open area with covered picnic spaces, volleyball courts, playground and restrooms. Reports of men hooking up and cruising at the park became routine over the last years with one local activist, Michael Rajner, telling reporters he discovered what appeared to be semen on the park’s boardwalk while walking his dog. Boyd Corbin, who campaigned for Wilton Manors Mayor in 2014 and plans to seek the position again this fall, said he intends to stop what he called “constant sex” at the park.
That’s why I read EDGE on my Android tablet. I’m being true to my future - and that’s where it will be.
The person depicted here is a model. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.
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Politics
Real Estate
Property Values Increase Again This is the fifth year in a row
By Michael d’Oliveira The taxable value of properties in Wilton Manors has gone up for the fifth year in a row. That’s according to preliminary report by the Broward Property Appraiser’s Office. The official number will be released July 1. The 8.93 percent increase resulted in a jump of citywide taxable property value from $1,085,596,166 in 2015 to $1,182,590,907 in 2016. “That’s a $100 million property value increase. That’s meaningful for people in many ways,” said Commissioner Tom Green. He added that the city would soon be discussing the impact of the increased value will have on the budget and millage rate. The city could increase its budget depending on a number of factors, such as the level it sets its millage rate at. “We’ll talk about that more as we get into the budget.” On June 21, the proposed budget will be distributed to commissioners, city departments and the Budget Review Advisory Committee. The first budget workshop will be held July 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the commission
City Sued Over Vacation Rental Regulations
City Attorney warned commissioners this could happen
By Michael d’Oliveira
chambers. The next Budget Review Advisory Committee meeting will be held July 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Emergency Operations Conference Room in city hall. Wilton Manors’ taxable value has increased every year since 2012. The last year of decline was 2011 when the drop was 2.9 percent. At that time, the city’s total taxable value was $856,127,054. Parkland had the highest increase at 10.84 percent. Fort Lauderdale saw a 9.57 percent increase and Oakland Park saw an 8.55 percent increase. WMG For a full list of budget meetings, visit WiltonManors.com/documentcenter/view/1727.
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As commissioners were debating new regulations on vacation rentals earlier this year, one concern was voiced more than once: would the regulations hold up in court if the city were sued? The answer to that question may be coming soon. Last week, Jeffrey Hill, Roger France, One Wilton Manors, LLC, Wilton Flats, LLC, and Graf Hill, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the city seeking relief from the new regulations. The regulations were unanimously approved Jan. 26 and include registering with the city as a vacation rental, providing the city with the contact information of the person responsible for overseeing the property, waste disposal, occupancy and parking limits and compliance with inspections. The city defines a vacation rental as and residential unit or group of residential units that is rented to guests more than three times a year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised as a place available for rent on a regular basis. “The serious restrictions on the short term vacation rentals is unreasonable and unfairly singles out petitioners and others who rent properties on a short term basis. The discrimination has no foundation in reason and is an arbitrary exercise of power having no substantial relation to the public health, safety and welfare. Such treatment violates petitioners’ guarantee of equal protection
and is an unreasonable restriction on the lawful use of the properties,” reads part of the lawsuit. The lawsuit goes on to claim that the city is discriminating against persons who rent properties for less than 30 days and was passed “in order to eliminate short term rentals and affect their duration within the city. The ordinance was drafted to discourage persons from renting properties for 30 days or less and to require personal information from those renters that is not required of renters for durations of more than 30 days.” The cost of registering a vacation rental was also included in the lawsuit and labeled as excessive. In the lawsuit, one of the petitioners claimed the regulations would require the expenditure of $13,500 a year to register all their properties. The city requires each unit be registered for $750. During discussion on the regulations, despite calls from concerned residents wanting restrictions on the number of vacation rentals allowed, commissioners repeatedly said they could not and were not trying to prevent vacation rentals from operating within the city. At the time of the approval of the regulations, City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said, based on some recent court decisions, that the city could enact some regulations as long as it doesn’t get too restrictive. “The more regulations that are imposed . . . that is where the potential for litigation exists,” said Ezrol. WMG
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LIFESAVER useacondom.com
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Business
Business
Green Wants City Hall Parking Lot Redevelopment Revived
Wilton Manors’ New York Grilled Cheese Expands
By Michael d’Oliveira
New location opened in Boca with more to come By Michael d’Oliveira
In a city known mainly for small businesses, New York Grilled Cheese has taken the first step in becoming bigger. The popular restaurant, which serves grilled cheese incarnations, waffle fries and a signature side of tomato soup, has over 41,000 likes on Facebook. It opened on Wilton Drive near the end of 2013 and a second location in Boca Raton on April 12 of this year. “We realized that we really needed to open up another location to serve the overflow. We hoped to alleviate traffic in our Wilton Manors location, but what happened was they both got crazy. One kind of promoted the other,” said Leor Barack, founder and coowner of New York Grilled Cheese. Barak said the line for the Boca location was so long on opening day that some people left and went to the Wilton Manors location. “We were stampeded the first day we opened.” The Boca opening was on National Grilled Cheese Day, but it was frozen yogurt that led to New York Grilled Cheese’s founding. That and desperation. “The whole idea really came from desperation. I moved down from Canada with all my savings and thought this yogurt business would make enough money.” Barak had opened “Nuts About Yogurt” but business wasn’t as sweet as the product he was selling. “Little did we realize, we opened up at the tail end of that [yogurt] fad, less than a
mile radius of three competitors. We were struggling. I was living paycheck to paycheck. So I said why don’t we try this [grilled cheese]? We sink with the ship or we do nothing.” So, down to a last few dollars from his father, Barak dedicated half his yogurt business to grilled cheese. The idea came from customers wanting to eat something with their yogurt. Many would go in search of a restaurant and plan to return after for desert. “Of course, they would never come back.” Eventually, grilled cheese sales eclipsed yogurt sales and Barak removed and sold the machines to make more dining room space. “We got pennies on the dollar but it was worth it.” Now, with Boca up and running, its grand opening planned for some time in July, Barak sees more expansion to come. Delray Beach and Pembroke Pines are two possible locations. But with the original Broward location and the new one in Palm Beach, Barak said Miami-Dade is the next obvious location. But the company won’t forget its gay roots, he promised. There are gender neutral bathrooms, “there before it became popular,” said Barak, and female impersonator Daisy Deadpedals is the face of the company, appearing in its commercials – one will run exclusively in the Boca market through Comcast. “She’s the mom. This is not your mother’s grilled cheese.” WMG
The Wilton Manors location is located at 2207 Wilton Drive. The Boca Raton location is 493 N. Federal Hwy. Visit NewYorkGrilledCheese.com for more information.
Multiple attempts by developers to build on the city hall parking lot have failed, but Commissioner Tom Green wants to try again. At the city commission meeting on May 24, Green brought the issue up. He said he was tired looking at the retention pond on the property and thinks it could be valuable to the city if the entire lot were redeveloped. “I would like to get this back into discussion. Let’s get this back in the public consciousness.” Green said he would like to see a mixed-use development built on the property and include retail space, residential units, a plaza or open space and possibly a parking garage. He added that the tennis courts would remain intact. The plaza, he said, would be a space for residents and visitors to meet. Commissioner Julie Carson said she agreed with Green wanting to redevelop the property and said the city could “develop it the way we want.” In 2013, one firm proposed a mixeduse development to include between 120 and 280 residential units, 13,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, a rooftop pool and garden, 1.2-acre plaza and
between 300 and 620 parking spaces in a fourstory parking garage. Another developer wanted to build a hotel but, after a closer look, decided he didn’t want to risk investing time and money in a proposal that might not be approved by the commission. The hotel would have been between seven and nine stories high with 80 to 100 rooms. A 440-space parking garage, two acres of open space and commercial space for at least one restaurant was also planned. Previous concerns about redeveloping the property, expressed by residents, have included the impact it would have on neighboring Hagen Park and the creation of a canyon effect on Wilton Drive – too many high buildings next to each other. Mayor Gary Resnick said the issue needs to be discussed further at a public meeting outside of the commission so the city can “flesh it out further.” WMG
Community
Island City Canoe Race Photo by Chris Cooper Line-up before the start of the race.
On Saturday, May 21, 2016 24 teams vied for a first place finish at the 25th Annual Island City Canoe Race. The annual canoe race, that also marks the City of Wilton Manors’ birthday (69 years), kicked off at the Colohatchee Boat Ramp and concluded at Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve
where participants were rewarded with refreshments provided by Leisure Services Department and the Wilton Manors Historical Society. Congratulations to all who participated. 1st Place teams: Coed (Blazing Paddles 1:11:46), Mens (Islanders 1:12:38), Women’s (Blazing Paddles Wenches 1:25:43). WMG
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