Deerfield Beach City Commission Meeting May 3, 2011...District 2 showed up.

First, the Community Action Team would like to thank all the residents of District 2 that came out to last night’s City Commission meeting.  I am sure that the DIAS was shocked to see all of those faces in the crowd.  So, again we thank you.

Secondly, I would like to take this time and invite all District 2 residents Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Latino, Cabalasion, Spanish, Kryptonian and everything in between.  These meetings are to help us as a district, comprised of people who have routinely been left out, to get educated on the issues facing our community and discuss solutions.  Everyone is welcomed with open arms.  Our next meeting will be held at All My Children Daycare IV located at 355-377 NW 3^rd Court Deerfield Beach, FL at 7pm on May 16, 2011.

So, last night due to the absence of District 3 Commissioner Marty “Da Politician” Popelsky our City Commissioners decided to table (or put off for a later date) many of the 37 agenda items proposed for last night.  Namely the proposed Public Utility Tax, which was up for first read.  So this pushes that item back at least a month, before they can actually vote on it.  They approve the Special Election for July 19, 2011, the hiring of an additional 6 Firefighters to be funded for two years by a FEMA Safer Grant (but we will have to foot the bill for the third year, even if the Fire Department does go to the County), the Sea Turtles will get Eco-friendly lighting on the beach, and the structure of our the advisory boards was changed to 5 members and 5 alternates with each Commissioner appointing one member per board.  These were a few of the big items that made it to the floor last night.

I think the biggest thing that happened last night was the Holmes/Scarlett family came in to address the Commission in regard to the event on Easter, when Deerfield Beach BSO responded to a robbery call and they surrounded the wrong house.  According to BSO they handled the situation by the book.  After realizing that the address given by the caller was bogus, Chief Sudler stated that his deputies interrogated the caller and she identified the Scarlett house “Not once, but twice” so when the deputies saw the lights blinking at the Scarlett home they approached to check it out.  We all know what happened next, so I want expound upon it.  Carmita and Neville Scarlett, as well as their brother Eric Holmes of Sunrise, told their perspective of the events and they appealed to the Commission to look into this because “we have a problem that needs to be addressed”. 

Gloria Battle addressed the Commission in regard to her complaints to BSO about the drug problem in our community, Chief Sudler advised her to get in contact with him directly.

Reverend Ford, got up to “clarify not correct” the record that he saved the state issued monies that created the linear park on 10^th Street.  He indicated that he saw that the money was going to be sent back to the state and he went through the process of getting those monies used here in District 2 or as he called it the “Cinderella District”.  He stated that he pointed this out because he didn’t “want anybody thinking that the City had suddenly gotten nice to District 2.”

Ms. Angela Storr, brought up that Ms. Battle was standing up to speak on Item 28 and the Commission “closed the public hearing in her face.”  Mayor Noland, looked dumbfounded at this statement and City Clerk Ada Graham Johnson had to notify her that this situation did occur.  Noland nodded her head in apology…

I addressed the Commission and advised them that James Otis, politician in the American colonies in a speech regarding British levies on the colonies in 1756 stated that “taxation without representation is tyranny”.  I handed them some Great Value Tea Bags with the statement “District 2 Says NO”.  This was reference to the proposed Public Utility Tax, which they tabled earlier, and the fact that District 2 did not have an elected representative to be included on any of the discussions regarding any form of tax or proposal that had the potential to adversely affect our community.  I advised that District 2 seems to be under siege by a tyrannical City Manager who thinks it ok to fund City expenditures with monies derived from the lay-offs of our residents, who seems to think its ok to propose financial impositions on our districts residents while we don’t have the equal opportunity to be heard to on said issue via our duly elected Commissioner.  I went on to advise the Commission that District 2 is willing to show them that ready to change and get involved in our City government.  I stated to them that as a district we do not have many black owned businesses that we can solicit donations to fund our events and organizations, so I appealed to them that if we do come to the City for assistance look at the totality of our situation before making judgements.  I went on to “thank” Reverend Ford for allowing CAT to use his venue for our community meetings.  I advised the date and location (see above) for our next meeting and invited all District 2 residents to attend and opened it up for any others who may be interested.  I informed the Commission that at the last meeting Maximo Gordon had approached them about some of the problems that we are having with BSO in our District and it seemed to have fallen on “deaf ears” and that it was unfortunate that this event happened to Judge Holmes, but I was glad that now maybe some light could be shined on our problems and hoped that the Commission would now take us seriously.

Carol Berner, Commissioner Housing Authority, spoke to the fact that she had spoken to Chief Sudler and he had beefed up security in Stanley Terrace, a low-income housing section of District 2.  She applauded him for his efforts and advised that District 2 should talk to the Chief because he is willing to listen.

The meeting was adjourned.

I hope that at the next meeting and all future meetings, District 2 will have a bigger presence.  Also, I want every person in District 2 to know that if you want to begin seeing changes in the way we are perceived by our government it has to start with us.  

Get yourselves and your children involved and stay vigilante!