What Really Happens Behind the Scenes

Residents of North Bay Village, North Beach and Surfside have asked "What the heck is going on? The Causeway is all torn up and someone decided to put 2 lanes going west and 1 lane going east? Why did the village never let us know about this and how long will it last?"  

Well, shut up.  There are more important issues facing the village - specifically whether or not the mayor got her note cards and why rootin' tootin' straight shootin' Frank Rollason is sick of it and what Eddie Lim thinks.  

Below is the actual, real life email exchange that happened on the subject.  Spoiler Alert, the mayor and her rootin' tootin' straight shootin' bestie went out for long talk over dinner at Balans on Biscayne on Monday and by Tuesday were besties again .  How they got to Balans with all the traffic is a mystery but love has it ways.  

1.)  The Mayor Complains about the Village staff not getting her note cards:
-----Original Message-----
From: Connie Leon-Kreps
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 12:26 PM
To: Frank Rollason
Cc: Yvonne Hamilton; Jenorgen Guillen; jcrosland@bmolaw.com
Subject: It is simple only note cards! not that complicated

Frank,

As you recall, I had on 5/22/2105 requested that all coordination of my
affairs be transferred to the clerk's office.

This was as a result of numerous and consistent issues with getting my
tasks and affairs attended to, completed and or followed up by the
executive assistant for almost a year.

On 5/14/2015 when I realized due to a personal condition that I could
not attend the funeral of Representative Geller's mother, I went into
city hall and requested from you and Evelyn note cards within a week if
possible (which by the way I had been asking for some time), you and
Evelyn gave me the impression that I was not to worry that you would
handle. I expected them within a week. On 5/22/2105 when I inquired,
since I had not heard back as to the status. You gave me yet another
excuse as to why Evelyn had not ordered them other than she was not in,
were getting quotes to order for the entire commission.

Yvonne and Jen were able to prepare a note card for me to send to the
representative (without asking) on the same day of 5/22/2015.
Today 6/2/2015 still I do not have the note cards and again I am told
Evelyn was delegated the task.

Frank, it is only note cards!  it is not that complicated.

The mother of a commissioner from Harbor Island passed away and it would
be nice if the village mayor would send a condolence note.

I am not sure what it is to be accomplished here in the interference and
blocking of my ability to perform my duties as the Mayor.

Again, I will ask you to provide met with the printers' information as I
had previously and I will take it from here and order the cards myself
or please let the Clerks; office help me.


Connie Leon-Kreps, Mayor
North Bay Village
1666 Kennedy Causeway, Ste 300
North Bay Village FL 33141
Tel: 305-756-7171
Mob. 786 877-1163
Fax: 305-756-7722 cleonkreps@nbvillage.com www.nbvillage.com

"The future depends on what we do in the present" Mahatma Gandhi

2.)  The Village Manager escalates the situation by putting all the commissioners and several new staffers on the to/cc lines and replies to Her Honor:

On Jun 2, 2015, at 3:21 PM, Frank Rollason wrote:

Mayor, I encourage you to bring my inefficiencies in addressing your
issues and my blocking your ability to perform your duties as the Mayor
to the Commission for appropriate action.  You asked for a meeting with
Jim Crosland and we had that meeting and since that time you have done
nothing but nit-pick at every single item the Administration has to deal
with.  You, quite frankly, do not like how the current Administration
handles anything.  So, let's get it out in the open with the full
Commission and you can explain to them how poorly the Administration is
performing for your purposes as Mayor. 

On the issue of the note cards,I do not make excuses, I tell you exactly where we are at. 
We shoppedaround for prices because that is what we should do.  And, as you
recall, on May 22nd, you sent an e-mail instructing the Administration
to "disregard - I will get my own cards," so, we stopped the rush and
looked for better prices.  Now you say, "Where are my cards?"   There
are 5 Commissioners on this Commission and I do not single out one more
than the other when it comes to such things as greeting cards or
thank-you cards.  If we are buying for the Mayor, we are buying for all
5.  Evelyn spoke with the printer today and was told the cards would be
ready for pick-up Thursday afternoon and it is our intent to do just
that.  It is unfortunate that 2 parents of sitting commissioners in
neighboring communities have just passed away, but I would certainly
think that Yvonne could provide two more cards on an emergency basis
until we pick up the cards this Thursday afternoon. 

I am tired of thesniping and squabbling over minor inconsequential items.  Several weeks
ago, I offered to meet with you on a weekly basis to "keep you in the
loop" in a face to face forum - I received no reply.  Some time ago, you
noted that when you go to events or travel or receive special guest that
you have nothing nice to give them as the Mayor from North Bay Village.
A week or so ago, I place two crystal pieces on your desk for you to
take to the NALEO Conference and did not here so much as a peep that
they are nice or you would like more or anything of the sort.  All we
here is negative, negative, negative and I am tired of it.  I am tired
of you rebuking staff members in public in a very unprofessional manner
- certainly uncalled for.  So, I would say, please air it out in front
of your peers at a full Commission meeting and let the chips fall where
they may.  I am not sure how or why we have drifted apart, but it is
quite apparent that we are reaching that irreconcilable point in our
relationship as Mayor and Manager.  I agreed to take this position with
only one caveat - that you and the other elected officials set the
policies and I run the Administration.  I constantly find that as I make
decisions which are clearly within my authority as the Manager, you take
offense to those actions and continually make comments to the rank and
file employees who eventually come to me as ask what is going on?  It
has to stop.  So, I would suggest you bring it to the Commission and
have a discussion on whether or not you want to continue to retain me in
this position or is it time for me to move on.  This is not a threat.  I
need this job like a hole in my head.  I came here for the challenge and
to help NBV get back on its feet.  Little did I know at the time how bad
the situations were, but it has been fun and satisfying to help get
things back on track.  It is a total team effort to make things better.
The elected officials cannot do it alone and the Administration cannot
do it alone - we need to be a team.  And if the Captain of the elected
official's team is dissatisfied with the Captain of the Administrative
Team then something has to give.  You decide on how you want to handle,
but this has to stop, Frank.

Frank Rollason, Village Manager
North Bay Village
1666 Kennedy Causeway, Ste 300
Tel: 305-756-7171 Ext 21
Fax: 305-756-7722
Mobile: 305-299-7300 frollason@nbvillage.com www.nbvillage.com




3.) Eddie Lim responds:-----Original Message-----
From: Eddie Lim
Sent: Wed 6/3/2015 2:51 PM
To: Frank Rollason
Cc: Connie Leon-Kreps; Yvonne Hamilton; Jenorgen Guillen; jcrosland@bmolaw.com; Jorge Gonzalez; Richard Chervony; Wendy Duvall; rswitkes@switkeslaw.com; Jenice Rosado; Evelyn Herbello; Brian Collins; Bert Wrains
Subject: Re: It is simple only note cards! not that complicated

Here is my interim response to this.

I am very upset and deeply saddened our Village Manager has been driven to his wits ends to write his email.

I've told the Mayor before and I am repeating my advice to her. LEAVE THE VILLAGE MANAGER ALONE to do his job !! He's not hired to only serve YOU ! Forget the little unimportant things ! It's all about priority.

Frank and his team has A LOT of much more important and time sensitive tasks to handle then worry about your damn cards !

Madam Mayor are you losing it ? Has your head grown so big you think Frank only caters to your mundane and insignificant requests ?

Folks if Frank resigns on account of the Mayor constant nit picking and uncalled for interference, I will hold the Mayor directly responsible. The Mayor will have to answer to the Commission, to all residents and to our county commissioner and to our state representative. At which time I WILL CALL for you to step down as Mayor because by then you are no longer relevant.

Eddie P. Lim
Commissioner, Harbor Island
North Bay Village FL 33141
786-877-1694
Sent from my iPhone

So anyway, it seems like it's all sorted now and the course to true love never runs smooth and all that.  Oh, by the way, the commission bailed on the budget workshop twice in a row now.  It's all about the note cards.  

Kevin Vericker 

June 13, 2015