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‘Vote of confidence’
By Bari Auerbach
Being “re-elected unopposed” seems to be a trend in Sunny Isles Beach – and now, the vote of confidence tradition is continuing as no one filed to run against incumbent Vice Mayor Lewis J. Thaler or George “Bud” Scholl - candidate for the seat being vacated by Commissioner Danny Iglesias due to term limits.
The deadline was Sept. 13 for candidates to qualify to run in the Nov. 6 election for seat 1 (currently held by Thaler) representing the northern residential area of the city; and seat 3 (being vacated by Iglesias) representing the southern residential area of the city.
‘Job well done’
Iglesias was first elected shortly after Sunny Isles Beach incorporated in 1997 and was re-elected unopposed in 2003 (when Thaler was first elected).
Since the 2000 Census, the population of Sunny Isles Beach has grown to exceed 16,000 - yet in 2003, not one resident chose to run against Iglesias – and in 2005, no one ran against Mayor Norman Edelcup or Commissioner Roslyn Brezin either – so they were also automatically re-elected unopposed. In ’05, only one candidate chose to run against Commissioner Gerry Goodman, who won a second term for seat 2, representing the central area of the city.
After being re-elected, Edelcup and Brezin agreed the lack of opposing candidates materializing by the Sept. 15, 2005 qualifying deadline was a strong indicator residents were “satisfied with the job the City Commission has been doing.”
‘Dedicated to public service’
Also thinking along the lines of “voter satisfaction,” Vice Mayor Thaler was recently quoted in a Herald article: “'Obviously, I hope that other candidates don't run against me, but if they do, it will be up to the people in Sunny Isles Beach to re-elect me if they think I did a good job...Myself and the Commission have been able to reduce the amount of buildings that could have been built in the city by buying properties that will be converted to new parks, and to reduce growth by controlling the height of new construction.''
Thaler, a retired textile plant owner, who will now be embarking on his second term, was elected to his first four-year term in 2003 when he defeated incumbent Commissioner Lila Kauffman. The 22% turnout for the general election resulted in 1,005 votes for Thaler and 542 for Kauffman. Of 6,834 registered voters, 1,547 showed up to cast their votes. But turnout for future elections may now be higher since as of August, 2007, the number of registered voters in Sunny Isles Beach increased to nearly 8,000, according to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.
George “Bud” Scholl, filling the Commission seat being vacated by Iglesias, is an entrepreneur and long-time civic activist whose goals include “concentrating on the west side of the city and maintaining consistency in future development.”
A 17-year Sunny Isles Beach resident, Scholl has volunteered his time to serve as chair of the city’s Long Range Planning and Inter-Governmental Affairs committee of the Mayor’s Advisory Council; he was a member of the City Attorney selection committee; and he served as chair of the Charter Revision committee in 2003.
Coincidentally, Scholl, who is filling the seat being vacated by Iglesias due to term limits, played a role in opening the door for Iglesias to serve on the Commission again if he ever chooses to run for the mayoral seat.
When Scholl served on the Charter Revision committee, he helped draft one of the charter revision ballot questions relating to term limits. The question was passed by voters and could make it possible for Iglesias to run for mayor in 2009 even though he is term limited out as a commissioner.
Charter Amendment Question Two: PASSED
(2) Limitations on Lengths of Service. The City Charter currently provides that a person may serve on the Commission or as a Mayor or combination of Mayor and Commissioner for two (2) consecutive terms. It is proposed by the Charter Revision Commission that the Charter be amended to provide that no Mayor may serve as a Mayor for more than two (2) elected four-year terms during his/her lifetime, and no Commissioner may serve as a Commissioner for more than two (2) elected four-year terms during his/her lifetime.
The whole number of votes cast was 520, of which number: Yes: 272 votes were received; No: 248 votes were received.
While discussing the term limits question in 2003, Scholl said, “I’m a big believer in the need for seasoned leadership. A commissioner with a term limit of eight years should be able to run for mayor [and serve another eight years in that office].”
Fast forward to August 2007 and Scholl was once again speaking out about a pivotal issue relating to a law suit spawned by proposed redevelopment of the Publix property and developers’ intent to include submerged land in density calculations.
Voicing his opinion, Scholl said, “It’s very surprising to me that Publix, operating in this community for 30 to 40 years, thinks they can ‘abstract’ our ordinances...I find it very hypocritical that they intend to ‘disadvantage’ the community they [plan to] continue to do business in.
“Clearly, you’re fighting a legal front at the city level - but I think we can also fight it from a community front. I’d like to put Publix on notice that if they don’t back off of this stand, I for one, will organize the community leaders and attempt to boycott Publix...I think it’s the only way we’re going to make them understand what they’re doing is ridiculous - and the only way we’re going to make them understand that is to [make them] suffer economically...I urge [the Commission] to hold the line on this issue and formally put Publix on notice that this won’t be tolerated.”
‘Comm. Iglesias’ quotes of note’
As Commissioner Iglesias’ term comes to an end, his dedication to public service will surely be honored and commended.
Iglesias, an engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation, was among the first elected officials to serve on the inaugural Commission after the City of Sunny Isles Beach incorporated in 1997. He received 987 votes while opponents Norman S. Edelcup (currently Mayor) got 470 votes and Harold W. Hershoff got 77. Elsie Goodman, who withdrew from the race, still got 119 votes. In 2003, Iglesias was re-elected unopposed.
Over the years, Iglesias played an integral role in supporting the city’s transformation from “old motel row” to “Florida’s Riviera.” The following quotes highlight just some of his most memorable comments and contributions focused on promoting progress...
Election Day 1997
“I'm so happy,'' Iglesias said. ``I can't wait to start working.''
October 2002
A time capsule placed in the ground during an event celebrating the foundation pouring of Trump Palace contains “moment in time memories” that will be shared in the year 2047, when the capsule is opened coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Sunny Isles Beach. A message inside the capsule written by Iglesias states:
“I may not be around when this [time capsule] is opened, but I believe our vision will be strong and alive. I worked along with Mayor David Samson to incorporate this city so we could rule our own destiny. In just five years, we have the best police force, proven by one of our officers winning the nation’s ‘Top Cop Award.’
“ I have used my engineering background to work hard with city staff to provide a zoning code that has led to the redevelopment of this city with the emergence of a beautiful skyline on the east side of Collins Avenue – replacing the old motels. We have built new parks, which this area never had before, and we’re working on more. I hope on the city’s 50th anniversary, families can still enjoy these parks and that the beauty of Sunny Isles Beach, along with our most valued asset - our citizens - continue to flourish.”
November 2002
Iglesias and many area developers attended a resort and real estate development exposition coordinated by Mitropa U.S. at the historic Karoly Palace in Budapest.
“This was the first expo of its kind in Hungary featuring exclusive South Florida properties and resorts,” Iglesias said. “It captured a great deal of media attention and I was interviewed by the international press. Basically, I wanted to help spread the word on a ‘global basis’ that in the wake of 9/11, the United States is still the most secure and profitable nation in the world. And in Sunny Isles Beach, the renaissance taking place is no longer ‘a best kept secret.’ With multi-million dollar oceanfront properties on the rise and famous developers like Donald Trump entering into joint ventures, ‘all eyes are on our city.’”
December 2002
Reiterating the need for parks in the city, Iglesias pointed out, “Sunny Isles Beach is getting younger and younger…Going to work in the morning, there was a time when all you would see is a couple of kids waiting for the school bus - today there are dozens…The city should continue to acquire whatever land we can for parks…we already have four existing parks in our city because of our decisions to purchase land.”
May 2003
Highlighting the city’s progressive initiatives, Iglesias emphasized, “In five years, we have acquired parks...We increased the beach access, provided beautiful landscaping on Collins Avenue as well as other city streets and provided a major stormwater improvement to Golden Shores. We redeveloped the beachfront properties, bringing first-class hotels where old motels used to be…and most important, we have the world’s best police force that has won national awards – all this has been accomplished in [less than] five years.”
February 2004
Speaking on the merits of TDR’s (transfers of development rights), Iglesias said, “TDR’s can protect the west side of Collins Avenue from [over] development. One of the reasons [the city] pushed for TDR’s was to get parks; build ‘slower’ on the west side; and actually encourage those TDR’s [to be transferred to] more valuable land. In fact, to me, [the concept of ] TDR’s is such a good idea [because developers] could actually be ‘leaving money or building on the table’ since they would rather have a piece of property that’s worth $20 million [on the east side] versus $2 million [on the west side].”
April 2004
While discussing plans to create a vibrant Town Center district in the city, Iglesias said, “We’re looking at ‘incentivizing’ a dilapidated area which our Comprehensive Plan has approved [for high intensity found] in major cities that have Town Centers…If you were to take the maximum density allowed on Sunny Isles Boulevard, it would [still] have less apartments then one single building on North Bay Road.”
May 2004
Why was Commissioner Danny Iglesias holding up a “cardboard condo” at a Sunny Isles Beach City Commission meeting? To illustrate a concept of how “tall and skinny” buildings can help optimally preserve view corridors in the city’s Town Center district. Iglesias proceeded to demonstrate how adding an additional ten feet in height to a building could result in the width of the tower being decreased by 20 feet.
“The building closest to whatever is going to be developed [by the south side of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard] is Oceania – which is 323 feet, eight inches [high],” Iglesias noted. “[The Commission] is proposing a [maximum] height of 190 feet [for the south side of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard] which is about 60-70 percent less…I can live with 190 feet - but I’d rather have 200 [feet] and let the building tower width be less…Then we’ll have more views for people next door and a prettier building…To me, it’s a lot better to ‘go up’ - but remove width from the building [tower].”
July 2004
“We must think of what’s best for the city in years to come,” Iglesias said, speaking about the city’s code of ethics. “And that’s to encourage not discourage successful people who are willing to invest in our community, run for office, and if needed, avoid a conflict by abstaining from voting...I’ve been a government official for 24 years and I know how to avoid a conflict of interest.”
November 2004
Sharing Thanksgiving thoughts, Iglesias said, “I am thankful for the love of my family, good health and that the good lord allows us to live in this great city and free country.”
June 2005
In keeping with the goal to preserve view corridors along the east side of Collins Avenue, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission denied a variance request for Trump Towers I, II and III. . Commissioner Danny Iglesias concurred stating, “I don’t like this variance…I think what the Mayor and Commissioner Brezin are trying to tell Donald Trump is: ‘He’s fired!’ Sometimes a variance makes the building better – but the Mayor said it correctly…We have a series of standards for variances that we have to abide by -and unless there is a ‘hardship’ we can’t approve it. I would suggest you lower your pedestal and have no variances…then you can move forward.”
February 2005
On the environmentally conscious topic of “going green,” Iglesias noted, “The idea of the ordinance is to promote green space…One of the policies we adopted at FDOT that has been very well received is supporting tree preservation by encouraging the transplant of trees whenever feasible and cost effective.”
July 2006
Iglesias was pleased to announce that in an effort to enhance roadway configurations on Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard, FDOT approved the allocation of $3 million. FODT also agreed to provide “local fund reimbursement” so that improvements could coincide with construction work being done by the developer. “DOT shouldn’t stand for ‘do it over twice’,” he noted.
June 2007
Discussing proposed tax reform, Iglesias said, “Somewhere along the line, we have to do something because at the rate we’re going, Florida is going to become [a cost prohibitive place to live]. The [current] system is not fair.”
‘Timeless’
“Sunny Isles Beach has one of the most romantic claims to fame thanks to a loving couple who might be setting a new record for “the longest marriage known to mankind.” Alberto and Isolina Jorge, the grandparents of Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Danny Iglesias, recently celebrated the 76th anniversary of their wedding on Jan. 10, 1931 and received an honorary proclamation from the City stating: “The importance of a strong and united marriage and family cannot be overlooked in today’s society.”
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