Strip Club Back?

First a correction on a previous post. In my last post on the Vogels helping themselve to a city paid for cell phone for seven years as part of the North Bay Village Friends and Family Plan I got one fact wrong. I wrote:

To help Marietta Vogel, a private citizen, former interim city manager Robert Daniels engaged the city attorneys to represent her before the Commission on Ethics at city expense.

I was wrong. The city attorneys were summoned by the Commission on Ethics with their questions on how the city responded to the cell phone complaints. I regret the error.

The Strip Club - Scott Greenwald, the strip club developer, last night requested that the city hold a special commission meeting to vote on his application to build before the end of February. The city did not reply but since the request has been made, it is likely to be honored.

A meeting may be called with three days notice. I urge you to call city manager Dennis Kelly (305) 756-7171 requesting ten days notice before a special commission meeting is held. Or, email the City Manager and commissioners. Their addresses are below and tell them we want adequate notice. This is not an emergency and it should be done right.

Email Dennis Kelly City Manager

Email Connie Kreps Mayor
Email Eddie Lim Vice Mayor
Email Richard Chervony Commissioner At Large
Email Paul Vogel North Bay Island Commissioner.

Kevin Vericker
February 15, 2011

Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Joe Centorino to North Bay Village Taxpayers - Drop Dead

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics found that:

1.) Marietta Vogel, wife of Paul Vogel, was issued a city cell phone that she kept for seven years, and that was paid for by the city.

2.) This was in addition to the cell phone issued to Commissioner Paul Vogel, which the city also paid for.

3.) Former City Managers Pushkin and Forte each blamed each other for this violation of city code.

4.l Nobody can remember if anyone ever asked for it.

The Commission on Ethics interviewed the Vogels, former city managers Robert Daniels, Bob Pushkin, and Jorge Forte, as well as the city attorneys. Nobody, including Mrs. Vogel, could clearly remember who gave her the phone. But Mrs Vogel. used it for seven years.

Eventually, the Commission on Ethics decided that it was wrong but it was done with the "best of intentions" since Vogel had been sick seven years ago and it was so Mrs. Vogel could summon him to vote as instructed when he was needed. The Commission on Ethics who presumably are paid for their work, did not note that most of the calls were between the two cell phones, which kind of puts the lie to the claim that Dr. Vogel couldn't use his.

I've embedded the letter below. Read it. This was not one week or one month, but seven years. The Vogels stole our money and aren't paying it back. And the Commission on Ethics thinks that's just fine. It's not. It's despicable and the Vogels should pay back the money and leave.

Kevin Vericker
February 9, 2012

Commission on Ethics Regarding Vogel Cell Phones