Latest news with #BayfrontParkManagementTrust
Axios
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Accusations fly as Miami officials discuss the "weaponization" of government
A Miami city commission meeting organized to discuss the "weaponization of city government" ended in finger-pointing and shouting. The big picture: Feuding and political posturing among commissioners overshadowed the pleas of restaurant owners seeking reprieve from code enforcement raids that disrupt — or even shut down — their businesses during peak hours. Driving the news: The thrust of Friday's meeting was a list of accusations against Commissioner Joe Carollo, the veteran Miami politician seen as a candidate for Miami mayor, including claims that he is using code enforcement to go after a political opponent. "One person has set our city back many years," Commissioner Damian Pardo said at the meeting. Friction point: Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela accused Carollo of sending code enforcement to his private properties after Gabela spearheaded an audit of the city's Bayfront Park Management Trust. Gabela says the probe will uncover wrongdoing by Carollo, the former chairman of the Trust. Carollo — who has denied wrongdoing — told the city manager that there were "direct, in-your-face violations" at Gabela's properties. Zoom in: During the meeting, Carollo set up a PowerPoint presentation showing publicly accessible satellite images of Gabela's properties with boats and cars parked in the lot. Carollo also accused Gabela of threatening to fire the city manager if he sent code enforcement to the properties. Gabela denied the claim. "He thinks he can do whatever he wants in this city," Carollo said. Reality check: Carollo was hit with a $63.5 million legal judgment in 2023 after a jury found him liable for violating the free speech rights of the owners of the nightclub Ball & Chain. The jury found that Carollo pushed police and code enforcement to target their properties after they supported one of Carollo's political opponents. The city also agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle a related lawsuit. What they're saying: Gabela, who said he has no open code violations against him, alluded to the legal cases against Carollo but was instructed by the city's legal team to refrain from discussing details, citing active litigation. "This is 2.0 Ball & Chain, what they're doing to me," Gabela previously told Local 10. Gabela's wife recently addressed the commission to accuse Carollo of sending staff to watch her. Meanwhile, Carollo told Axios the city needs to reform its building and code enforcement departments to address concerns made by restaurant owners. "There's a lot of things that need to be reformed. But I don't control that. If I did, I guarantee you they would be done in a much more appropriate way." What's next: Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to elect a new commissioner in District 4 after the death of Manolo Reyes in April.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo loses control of Bayfront Park agency embroiled in lawsuit
The Miami City Commission voted Thursday to remove Commissioner Joe Carollo as chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a city agency at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by two former Trust employees who accused the commissioner of using agency funds to benefit himself, his wife and friends. Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela will replace him as the elected official overseeing the board, which manages downtown's Maurice Ferré Park and Bayfront Park. The agency generates revenue from hosting events like the Ultra Music Festival. Commissioners Damian Pardo and Manolo Reyes joined Gabela in voting for Carollo's removal. Carollo and Commissioner Christine King voted against it. The vote ends Carollo's eight-year reign as chairman of the Trust. In recent years, his chairmanship has fanned the flames of conflict between himself and downtown residents who say Carollo has used his power in the agency like a cudgel to clutter precious greenspace with tacky and unnecessary installations. But the commissioner and his supporters argue he's used it as a vehicle to greatly improve the two premier downtown parks. On the eve of Carollo's removal, he held a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly renovated Mildred and Claude Pepper Fountain, which is equipped with lights and music. But Carollo's final public appearance as chairman of the Trust on Wednesday night was tainted when a process server delivered court papers from the latest lawsuit to Carollo. Shortly after that hiccup, the ceremony began. Carollo was flanked by his wife, Commissioner King, Mayor Francis Suarez and Trust board members. He touted the fountain's 'state of the art equipment' and said the water can shoot over 100 feet in the air and that videos can be displayed in it. 'With the amount of speakers that we have, we could have a party where everyone in Bayfront Park can hear it,' Carollo said. 'Don't worry, we would never do that. We're respectful of the neighbors.' After cutting the ribbon, the fountain played its inaugural song: 'Time to Say Goodbye,' or 'Con te partirò,' made famous by Andrea Bocelli. The full moon hovered in the background over Biscayne Bay. The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Jose Suarez, the former executive director of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, and Jose Canto, the agency's former finance director. The employees accused Carollo of retaliation, saying they were forced out of the agency in December. They alleged that Carollo, as well as Trust board member Javier Baños, who is also Carollo's personal accountant, 'set out to undermine and force the departures of Suarez and Canto after Suarez and Canto began questioning the Trust's lack of proper accounting practices.' Carollo has denied the allegations, calling them 'outrageous.' Canto said he 'emphatically' denies the lawsuit's claims. The lawsuit says Suarez and Canto made 'unsettling discoveries' as they set out to right the ship in an agency that they alleged lacked a proper accounting system, didn't have requirements for expenses to be supported by a contract or invoice policy, nor a policy or procedure to ensure vendors were selected through a competitive bidding process. Specifically, the plaintiffs accused Carollo of paying a TV station owned by 'close personal friends' to broadcast the Trust's annual New Year's Eve event, storing cash parking payments in an easily accessible 'money room' that was prone to theft, and supporting the purchase of a 'suspicious' mobile veterinary truck. Suarez and Canto said they believe Carollo should be removed as Trust chair. At a press conference the day after the lawsuit was filed, Suarez, who previously worked as Carollo's chief of staff, said the Bayfront Park Management Trust is in 'what I would call a state of turmoil.'
Miami Herald
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo loses control of Bayfront Park agency embroiled in lawsuit
The Miami City Commission voted Thursday to remove Commissioner Joe Carollo as chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a city agency at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by two former Trust employees who accused the commissioner of using agency funds to benefit himself, his wife and friends. Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela will replace him as the elected official overseeing the board, which manages downtown's Maurice Ferré Park and Bayfront Park. The agency generates revenue from hosting events like the Ultra Music Festival. Commissioners Damian Pardo and Manolo Reyes joined Gabela in voting for Carollo's removal. Carollo and Commissioner Christine King voted against it. The vote ends Carollo's eight-year reign as chairman of the Trust. In recent years, his chairmanship has fanned the flames of conflict between himself and downtown residents who say Carollo has used his power in the agency like a cudgel to clutter precious greenspace with tacky and unnecessary installations. But the commissioner and his supporters argue he's used it as a vehicle to greatly improve the two premier downtown parks. On the eve of Carollo's removal, he held a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly renovated Mildred and Claude Pepper Fountain, which is equipped with lights and music. But Carollo's final public appearance as chairman of the Trust on Wednesday night was tainted when a process server delivered court papers from the latest lawsuit to Carollo. Shortly after that hiccup, the ceremony began. Carollo was flanked by his wife, Commissioner King, Mayor Francis Suarez and Trust board members at the ceremony. He touted the fountain's 'state of the art equipment' and said the water can shoot over 100 feet in the air and that videos can be displayed in it. 'With the amount of speakers that we have, we could have a party where everyone in Bayfront Park can hear it,' Carollo said. 'Don't worry, we would never do that. We're respectful of the neighbors.' After cutting the ribbon, the fountain played its inaugural song: 'Time to Say Goodbye,' or 'Con te partirò,' made famous by Andrea Bocelli. The full moon hovered in the background over Biscayne Bay. Lawsuit allegations The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Jose Suarez, the former executive director of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, and Jose Canto, the agency's former finance director. The employees accused Carollo of retaliation, saying they were forced out of the agency in December. They alleged that Carollo, as well as Trust board member Javier Baños, who is also Carollo's personal accountant, 'set out to undermine and force the departures of Suarez and Canto after Suarez and Canto began questioning the Trust's lack of proper accounting practices.' Carollo has denied the allegations, calling them 'outrageous.' Canto said he 'emphatically' denies the lawsuit's claims. The lawsuit says Suarez and Canto made 'unsettling discoveries' as they set out to right the ship in an agency that they alleged lacked a proper accounting system, didn't have requirements for expenses to be supported by a contract or invoice policy, nor a policy or procedure to ensure vendors were selected through a competitive bidding process. Specifically, the plaintiffs accused Carollo of paying a TV station owned by 'close personal friends' to broadcast the Trust's annual New Year's Eve event, storing cash parking payments in an easily accessible 'money room' that was prone to theft, and supporting the purchase of a 'suspicious' mobile veterinary truck. Suarez and Canto said they believe Carollo should be removed as Trust chair. At a press conference the day after the lawsuit was filed, Suarez, who previously worked as Carollo's chief of staff, said the Bayfront Park Management Trust is in 'what I would call a state of turmoil.'
Miami Herald
05-02-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami commissioner to call for Carollo's removal from city agency caught up in lawsuit
Miami City Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela plans to call for the removal of Joe Carollo as chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a downtown city agency at the center of a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed by two former employees who made accusations about financial improprieties and accounting issues at the agency. At the next Miami City Commission meeting on Feb. 13, Gabela said he will ask his colleagues to vote on removing Carollo as chairman of the Trust — a post Carollo has held since 2017. The agency, which maintains downtown's Bayfront and Maurice Ferré parks, generates revenue from hosting large-scale events like the Ultra Music Festival. The chairperson role is held by one of Miami's five city commissioners. READ MORE: Former employees sue Joe Carollo, say he used Miami city agency for personal gain Gabela said that he is calling for a 'vote of no confidence' and that Carollo should 'relinquish' the chairmanship 'because of all the controversy that's been happening.' 'And if Carollo wants to go to battle with me because of that, we'll go to battle,' Gabela said. Gabela said he would be open to becoming Trust chairman if Carollo is voted out. That would mark yet another major leadership change at the Bayfront Park Management Trust in the past two months. In December, the agency's executive director, Jose Suarez, and its finance director, Jose Canto, departed from the agency. READ MORE: Joe Carollo taps former Doral city manager to lead downtown Miami city agency The pair filed a federal lawsuit last month against the Trust, Carollo and a Trust board member who is also Carollo's personal accountant, alleging that they were pushed out of the agency after raising concerns when they made 'unsettling discoveries' and set out to fix 'accounting issues' in the agency. Some of those alleged discoveries included the absence of an adequate accounting or auditing system; no policy or procedure to ensure vendors were selected through a competitive bidding process; and no requirement for expenses paid by the Trust to be supported by a contract or invoice. Carollo has denied the lawsuit's allegations, accusing the plaintiffs' attorney Jeff Gutchess of filing the lawsuit as leverage to force the city's hand to settle a different lawsuit involving the operators of the Ball & Chain nightclub, who are also represented by Gutchess. Gabela's reason for wanting to remove Carollo as the agency's chairman extends beyond the lawsuit's allegations. He pointed to comments Carollo made at a City Commission meeting in June that, 'I think there should be a new chairman when we bring this up again in the first meeting of January.' Gabela said that if Carollo is 'a man of [his] word,' he should bow out. Carollo is termed out of his District 3 seat at the end of the year. Gabela said it will ensure a smoother transition for whichever commissioner takes over the agency if they can step in months before Carollo's term ends rather than in late 2025. 'It wouldn't be fair to the new person coming in for Carollo to turn it over in November,' Gabela said. He also took umbrage at the fact that the city recently hired Shutts & Bowen, the law firm that employs former City Attorney Victoria Méndez, to defend Carollo in the lawsuit. 'Somebody has to hold his feet to the fire,' Gabela said of Carollo. Meanwhile, Carollo has a competing proposal that he plans to introduce at the same meeting next week. His proposal would 'abolish' the Bayfront Park Management Trust altogether and instead create a unit within the Parks Department to oversee Maurice Ferré Park and Bayfront Park. Carollo said his proposal is unrelated to the lawsuit. Speaking about the lawsuit at Monday's Bayfront Park Management Trust meeting, Carollo said the plaintiffs are 'cowards' for making what he described as bogus claims. 'I am not a coward,' Carollo added. 'I might be accused of a lot of things. But one that I never have been, never will be, is a coward.'
Axios
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Bayfront Park fountain renovation complete after nearly 20 years
After a two-decade dry spell, the Bayfront Park fountain is back from the dead. Why it matters: The renovation of the downtown landmark comes amid a renewed push to restore the city's other historic sites, like Miami Marine Stadium. Catch up quick: The Mildred and Claude Pepper Fountain first opened in 1990 but the city quickly reduced its hours due to cost concerns and, by 1999, had begun running it at half power, the Miami Herald reports. The city later shut it down and, by 2007, the fountain became a takeoff zone for a private hot air balloon business. The fountain, designed by acclaimed sculptor Isamu Noguchi, used to be a watery oasis on hot summer days but became an eyesore in recent years. The latest: The Bayfront Park Management Trust, a city agency that operates the park, has spent nearly $5.5 million renovating the fountain, interim executive director Barbara Hernandez tells Axios. After construction began in July, the fountain made its grand debut during the park's annual New Year's Eve celebration. The original design has been preserved, but the fountain now features over 500 lights, 800 water jets and a central water screen that projects images and videos, per the Trust. Yes, but: Hernandez says the fountain is "still in the testing stage" and that the Trust is "working on a schedule for show times." It's still been running on most nights, she added. What we're watching: Will the city be able to operate the fountain year-round or will cost concerns once again be an issue? Hernandez says the trust is still calculating the cost of maintaining the fountain, which a city contractor has estimated at $20,000 to $30,000 a month. What they're saying: Mayor Francis Suarez praised the fountain project earlier this month during his State of the City address. "Seeing that fountain light up, other than the births of my children and my marriage, is one of the happiest moments of my life."
