Water shut off in Timberlake

As part of the SW 51st Street Water Main Tie-in Project, water will be SHUT OFF TONIGHT at 8:00PM until 4:00AM, Friday, February 21st. The areas of shut off are as follows:  SW 92nd Avenue, from 50th Place to 51st Street  AND SW 51st Place, from 92nd Terrace to 51st Street.   Residents of these areas have all been notified.  My apologies for the late notice but I received it just this afternoon... Keeping you informed, John Commissioner John Sims www.keepsims.com

West Parking/Storage Lot Notice

The installation of the new security fence at the West RV lot will begin on Monday, February 24.  Below is a letter that will be mailed this week to persons leasing spaces in the West RV lot to notify them they will need to remove their items from the lot for two weeks during the installation.
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February 7, 2014

West RV Lot Lessee

The City of Cooper City is preparing for the installation of security fencing at the West Vehicle Storage Compound.  We are sending this courtesy letter to notify you, as the lessee of a spot in the Storage Compound, that your property (ie: vehicle, boat, trailer, camper etc) must be removed from the Vehicle Storage Compound by 5:00 P.M. Sunday, February 23, 2014.  Should your vehicle not be removed by this date, the City will have your vehicle towed by our towing contractor.  It will then be up to you, the owner, to pay for any and all expenses associated with the towing, storage and recovery of your vehicle.  In addition to the removal of your real property, all debris must be removed from your spot and surrounding area.  Any and all items left behind will be permanently removed and disposed of by the City.  We anticipate this project to be completed by 9:00 A.M. Saturday, March 8, 2014, at which time you can re-enter the storage compound.  There will be absolutely no public access to the storage compound during this work period.

The City has notified Code Enforcement of the project and the need for all vehicles to be stored elsewhere.  During the week of February 23 thru March 8, 2014, you will be allowed to store your recreational/commercial vehicle at your residence.  Please keep this letter as acknowledgement by the City of permission to park your recreational/commercial vehicle at your residence.  Should you have any questions please contact the Public Works Department at 954-434-2300.

Keeping you informed,

John

Commissioner John Sims

Cooper City Calendar of Events

Cooper City Calendar of Events

JANUARY 2

4th Father/Son Adventure

FEBRUARY

14th Say I Do .. . Again

21st Cooper City Cabaret

MARCH

1st Community Garage Sale

7th Community Book Swap

9th 5K Richardson Run/Walk

21st No School Camp Day

24th-28th Spring Break Camp

APRIL

17th Teen Twilight Egg Hunt

18th No School Camp Day

19th Cooper City Egg-stravaganza!

26th Cooper City Founder's Day

MAY

10th Mother/Daughter Tea

23rd No School Camp Day

JUNE

9th Summer Camp Begins

14th Touch-A-Truck

JULY

18th Food Truck Rolling Into Cooper City

Cooper City Recreation Department- 954.434.4300 Ext. 233 www.CooperCityFL.org

Commentary on the Cooper City Budget Regarding Meals on Wheels and the new 'Soccer Park'

In last month's Davie & the Ranches Magazine, Commissioner's Mallozzi & Curran wrote op-ed articles for regarding the expenses, budget and recreational facilities in Cooper City. Commissioner Mallozzi rightfully noted the sad and abrupt loss of the much needed Meals on Wheels program which is designed to supplement fixed income senior's and to keep them healthy and alive, allowing them to survive within their extremely limited means of doing so. 

Commissioner Curran's article boastfully commented on the city commission earmarking $1.6 million dollars for the new so-called 'Soccer Park' on the West side of Stirling Road and Flamingo Road, among other expenses not designed to do anything except make us 'look good' in his opinion. Needless to say, I found it incredibly but typically absurd that Commissioner Mallozzi would lament the City's loss of the Meals on Wheels program, supposedly for lack of funds (The City will profit to the tune of $13M this year, or more), while Commissioner Curran spreads the self aggrandized joy of a $1.6 million dollar seemingly unnecessary expenditure for a 'Soccer Park' that really is not needed in my opinion. In addition, there have been no meaningful discussions, nor are there any specific facts whatsoever to support this expenditure! 

While I find spending money for the new Soccer Park versus "sorry, we have no money for feeding hungry old folks" deplorable and unconscionable  I regard it as a symptom of a much larger disease that has infiltrated the current Cooper City commission, spending other people's money on 'feel good' items rather than absolute necessities under the guise of "We are cleaning up Cooper City so it doesn't look like West Hollywood"...

Many residents, including myself, want to know why we are spending millions of taxpayer dollars without any "due diligence" having been done regarding the absolute need for a 'Soccer Park', one which will more than likely not be able to be used by the public and their kids...just like at the 'other park' located just East on Stirling Road.

As a final comment, our City Commission has several members who speak of their religious faith and even practice it in government owned facilities, but fail to understand that Jesus' command to feed the hungry comes way before spending taxpayer dollars on seemingly unnecessary recreational facilities, especially one which has no data to support its construction.

To paraphrase a more secular source, pride tends to be at the bottom of all our mistakes. In this case, the self-aggrandizement of a Soccer Park supersedes any interest by the Commission in the Meals program...and oh yes Commissioner Curran, I disagree on one other subject…Kids + Sports does not equal success, Kids + Reading, Writing and Arithmetic makes success!

OPEN LETTER REGARDING THE ISSUE BETWEEN MAYOR GREG ROSS AND THE PEMBROKE PINES POLICE

OPEN LETTER REGARDING THE ISSUE BETWEEN MAYOR GREG ROSS AND THE PEMBROKE PINES POLICE

COOPER CITY, FL --August 9, 2013

To Whom It May Concern;

Regrettably and most unfortunately, negative publicity has again been brought to the City of Cooper City and in turn to our residents. The alleged actions of our newly elected Mayor, as recently reported by the media regarding an alleged confrontational situation that occurred between the Mayor and law enforcement officers of the Pembroke Pines Police Department, has again cast a cloud of disparagement upon our great city. 

I am appalled that the Cooper City Mayor allegedly espoused his political position to attempt to influence a police officer. It is not an issue of exculpatory evidence and as such, I as a senior Cooper City Commissioner on behalf of my constituents, do not condone any actions or interference, personal or otherwise, of any police officer during a traffic stop. I am appalled by any elected official, commission member, city staff member or resident, who personally chooses to engage in interference, intimidation, ridicule, political pressure or any other form of verbal or other assault upon the integrity and honesty of any law enforcement personnel in any jurisdiction, or interference during the official performance of their duties whatsoever.  

The task of performing much needed law enforcement in today’s environment is especially difficult due to the risks to the officers and our citizens when potential violence occurs, seemingly so often. The extreme challenges essential for law enforcement officers to fully accomplish their duties must be viewed by the citizenry as a required function of society, and must be fully supported while being executed in a professional manner. We ‘The People’ who place our safety and security their hands, must not intervene regardless of any profession or political office one may hold, especially in such a manner that disrupts their life safety and critical tasks at hand. 

It is my firm belief that all of the residents of our communities are very thankful and very supportive of all law enforcement personnel regardless of their function or jurisdiction. Given the multitude of cities that surround us, the name of the jurisdiction on the sleeve patch is not important, but rather what is most important is that they are on the job every day and night providing the essential safety and security that we all require and insist upon. We all believe in the end that government’s number one function to the citizenry is indeed the safety of our communities and our families. 

I am extremely grateful that those who continue to serve in the line of duty and perform their daily and extremely hazardous duties in a professional manner, will continue to do so in spite of the efforts of a few to be disruptive, and in spite those who intentionally disregard the lawful processes required of our law enforcement officers. They do so in complete disregard of the oath that they have sworn to uphold and defend. 

Further, as a long serving city commissioner, I am extremely concerned with political corruption; appearances of impropriety, unethical behavior and of course any wrongdoing of our elected public servants. I most strongly condemn any action(s) by any elected official, commission member or member of city staff who decides take it upon themselves to ridicule, impugn or condemn any police officer, to engage in any unethical behavior, suggest, infer or to solicit any special favors or special benefit which may benefit themselves, or expect special treatment on behalf of others from any law enforcement officer during the performance of their official duties. 

Anyone who has concerns regarding this issue may feel free to contact me to express your views and concerns.

/s/ Commissioner John Sims

City of Cooper City, FL

What does the Proposed Budget do?

The 6 “C”’s of leadership are; Character, Commitment, Competence, Confidence, Conviction and Courage. The essence of good Government is that they are prepared to make difficult decisions to achieve long-term prosperity. What we have is a government that is out of control regarding the recent expenditures of taxpayer dollars, especially in the legal department, not to mention the lack of response by the city commission and the county to residents regarding the Palm Avenue project.  

Believe me when I tell you that all of us have heard just how poorly these issues have been managed, and how poorly the Mayor and the city attorney conducted themselves in the last few meetings. Their bizarre behavior is not associated with proper leadership and ethical, open government actions.

As far as our upcoming budget, (public workshops of which have already taken place as you read this) a 'balanced budget' is simply not my idea of true prosperity. Costs of Police & Fire are up, along with costs associated with our utilities infrastructure and employee benefits.

We must make deep cuts regarding waste and unnecessary spending in the proposed upcoming budget in order to put even more tax dollars back into the pockets of our families and businesses. We must drastically reduce the extreme operating costs of our local government and substantially increase its level of customer service.

I feel that our city must change their ‘spend it or lose it’ attitude and must immediately tighten their belt like all of us have had to do in the recent past. The question that all of us should be asking is “What does this proposed budget specifically do?” We just don’t know. There is a severe lack of backup material, in addition to a lack of real discussion and fiscal responsibility in the process.

 

As I see it, there are two steps that need to be taken regarding our commission. It is imperative that public officials be independent, impartial and that public office not be used for personal or political gain. As public officials, we are in a position of Public Trust and as such, we have a duty to provide transparent and honest services while in office and to do our absolute best to assure absolute public confidence in the government. This simply has not been the case in our city. The public’s trust is imperative and is determined by civic values such as open government, integrity and professionalism.

No one person or party can claim to have all of the answers. In the end we all must work together, residents and this administration alike, and the people must get what they have long demanded government to do. At the end of the day what we're doing is simply our job...public service. In this process, we've got to ensure that our tax dollars are spent very wisely and only on the bare necessities.

As long as we remember that we serve The People, and we work together to do what is right, not just talk about it, putting aside our petty personal and political differences, all of these goals that all of us share and dream of can be achieved as a house divided cannot stand. In public service it is always important to remember that we serve our boss, “We The People”.

Cooper City faces many challenges, and just as I have always maintained, my primary focus remains on reducing the burden of government on you and on small businesses, fighting the fraud and waste at all levels of government that waste your taxpayer dollars, continuing to lead our city in a positive direction, and to grow the entrepreneurial spirit that will improve our local economy which in turn, will create more local jobs. If there is anything I can help with or if you have any issues that need resolved, please feel free to contact me, your ‘Go To’ commissioner at 954-445-6997.

BSO on the case in Cooper City!

Yesterday, Cooper City detectives arrested a subject who was responsible for committing several nighttime burglaries over the past few months.

 

Because of the partnership between residents and law enforcement, the subject was identified and arrested with property being recovered.

 

If you see something, say something. For emergencies call 911 and non-emergencies call 954.435.2000

Wanted: Dissent in Cooper City

Reposted with permission from : http://coopercityinsider.blogspot.com/ on 3/22/2013

Dissent Is An American Necessity
Once again the principle of free speech and the right of citizens to question the actions of their government are being tested. The general feeling seems to be that dissent is dangerous, that critical commentary erodes our unity and diminishes our resolve, that debates over the loss of constitutional rights is somehow a negative to the betterment of the nation. Perhaps such feelings are natural.

The state of our economy. the tensions of unemployment  as well as the outrageous larceny of some corporate leaders, indifference of political leaders and the stresses of high costs gas and other necessities can create levels of distress that can be unbearable. The tendency is to close down, circle the wagons, and lash out at all who may question. But real security doesn’t come from stifling debate or muting voices of dissent. In fact, dissent may be what we need most.

Dissent is the antidote for what social-psychologists call “group-think,” the tendency to rush to judgment. (Clearly demonstrated by the recent decisions disguised as thoughtful discussions). Group-think can become a kind of herd mentality. Dissent is a guard against this mentality, a check on the unbridled stampede toward the cliff.

For this reason, as President Eisenhower once reminded us, we should never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion. A democratic society depends on dissent because, at its best, dissent is an act of courage, a real test of patriotism. The ancient Greeks understood this. They used the term, “parrhesia” to refer to speech based on moral principle, voiced by a speaker with the courage to speak the truth in the face of powerful opposition. Such dissent, they believed, represented one of the highest ideals toward which a citizen could aspire.

The American Founders also understood the importance of dissent, which is why they crafted the First Amendment. As the nation evolved, dissent became an important feature in all government institutions and processes, from Congress to the Supreme Court. Even in the executive branch -- the one most feared by the Founders because of its resemblance to monarchy and its tendency toward imperialism – even here our best presidents have welcomed and honored dissent.

Today we see government officials, powerful public figures, even our friends and neighbors asking us to be silent. Once again we are told that protest is bad, that dissent is divisive and un-American. That for the betterment and solidarity of the community we must become silent. But it is not. We must not be misled from a central truth: Free and passionate debate is essential to self-governance.

To dissent, to break from the herd, to question and offer in many cases an alternative position, is to celebrate American democracy with a ferocity that no one should attempt to suppress...unless we let them.

Cooper City Redistricting

In the previous election, voters approved redistricting utilizing total population, which included revisions to the Charter in order to create districts with resident counts being as close to twenty-five percent of the total city’s population as possible and no more than a ten percent population disparity between districts. This ‘apportionment’ clause has always been in our Charter but has been willfully ignored and politically manipulated by some on the commission for quite some time, and in my opinion the district disparity issue should have been resolved many years ago.

Of course, any attempts to adhere to the Charter mandates would have quite possibly exposed questionable practices and lack of adherence to the Charter by former commission members and city attorney. Although Monterra is expected to be complete by the Spring of 2014, the city will be estimating the projected population, adjusting the district maps accordingly based on current and future building Certificates of Occupancy (CO’s) rather than actual number of residents, in addition to using a district population average scheme. The contention is that this will reduce any future districting changes, but it also does not count everyone on a real time data basis.

An additional error using CO’s also becomes apparent when you take the total number of residents and do the math, which comes out to anywhere between 2.85 and 3.06 persons per household depending on which formula you use, an error of up to five hundred residents per district. In addition, the ‘district population average’ scheme was never discussed or approved at the Charter Review Board meetings or at the city commission meetings while implementing the enacting Ordinance.

The Charter states that no district shall have a population variance of greater than ten percent from any other district. The ‘Plain Language Rule’ in law dictates that laws must be interpreted using the ordinary and plain meaning of the words used unless a law defines specific terms. In other words, the law is to be read word for word and we should not divert from its ordinary, plain meaning. This rule applies to our city ordinances and our city Charter which is our Constitution that we have sworn an oath to uphold. To avoid ambiguity, legislatures often include definitions in the law which defines important terms used. Some laws omit definitions entirely or fail to define a particular term, such as our Charter and it’s implementing Ordinance. This is part of the problem that we face in the push to change the Charter, a push that was originally and possibly still politically motivated.

The Charter Review Board and city attorney failed to define key phrases and meanings within the Charter changes, therefore key provisions and clear mandates are open to interpretation by the city attorney whose participation has been questionable within the entire Charter review process. One very questionable issue is the Charter’s ‘ten percent rule’. If you utilize the current data set offered by the vendor who performed the population analysis, you’ll quickly see that no two city districts currently deviate by more than 9.1 percent. If you look at the same data utilizing statistical analysis, the deviation is only 8.62 percent using the same numbers.

This is part of the problem, in addition to FAU utilizing a ‘District Population Average’ formula, one which was never previously discussed. In fact, the vendor admitted their numbers presented in the presentation were “incorrect”. Also, the vendor does not include Estada as a part of Monterra and the residency numbers! The question becomes, should we redistrict? Yes, it’s required by the Charter. What do we want to do then? Change districts completely or simply bring districts into parity? If you change districts substantially you may be gerrymandering and may find yourself in a lawsuit. If we change them to bring them as equal as possible, we need to concentrate on districts three and four because of size and discontinuity.

I am very sure of no need for drastic redistricting based on the 2012 base map data. As far as I am concerned, it’s just a question of not dividing residential communities in order to make all four districts nearly equal without favoring or disfavoring any incumbent, which is against the law.

The city has an obligation to allow the residents to be fully involved in the redistricting process. As such, multiple Public Meetings will be held at City Hall on advertised dates so everyone who can attends will have an opportunity to be a part of the process. Also, you can view all of the redistricting material at www.coopercityfl.org and click on the box labeled ‘election redistricting project’ in addition to watching the commission meeting videos on the issue under the link entitled ‘Government’ at the top of the page. Simply click on ‘View Meeting Videos’ and select the meeting or workshop you wish to view. Now is the time to make your voice fully heard to ensure transparent, ethical, honest and open government in Cooper City.

Response to Threats Against Cooper City Staff and Commission

October 19, 2012

RE: Written threats against Cooper City staff and commission members

To Whom It May Concern, 

During a recent review of the Cooper City attorney’s invoices and fees (they are outrageously substantial and are roaring completely out of control, with the city attorney given a recent hefty pay raise) I encountered an invoice from the city attorney substantially charging the city and taxpayers for review of an ‘anonymous letter’ threatening and alleging some sort of attack against the city and one or more city official(s), which was apparently in the possession of the Mayor and was being reviewed by the city attorney at her request. The city attorney never responded to the Mayor but was paid very handsomely. 

Given the times we all live in, I was initially shocked that this alleged written threat had never been brought to the staff or the commission’s full attention. Furthermore, as I thought of the possible implications of such a serious threat, the more concerned I became. Several questions began to arise in my opinion that I found almost incomprehensible, yet realistic and somewhat frightening. 

Why was this potential and serious alleged threat to the city, city official(s) and presumably city employee(s), not brought to the immediate attention of the city manager, chief law enforcement officer and the rest of the members of the city commission? Why was there no investigation of such a potential damaging letter and its inherent imminent threat? Why was there no initial warning of a possible threat to all persons who might be the target of such a threat? I thought immediately of many of our city employees are working outdoors who are most susceptible to possible dangers from person or persons who might seek to harm them.

I have now asked the city manager to investigate this letter, if it actually exists, and to report to the city commission on what occurred and allow the commissioners to ask questions of why no awareness was made regarding this threat. This request was made weeks ago and no response has been provided as of today. This is a serious breach of duty in my opinion. 

Most of all, I am appalled that Mayor Debby Eisinger showed so little concern for those of the city staff and her fellow commissioners that she did not take immediate action to protect them against a potential and serious threat. While in retrospect it may now turn out to have been merely a false or meaningless threat or childish attempts to scare someone, I can’t comprehend that the Mayor would simply dismiss any alleged threat based upon her selfish and personal interpretation of the alleged letter. The comments by the city attorney did not indicate that he recommended any action, nor did he advise anyone else of the threat. In fact, his response to me was that he never even responded to the Mayor’s concerns which I find incomprehensible. This of course follows the City Attorney’s long and contentious track record of not responding to commissioner’s questions, requests and demands which is a very serious issue in his line of work. 

I am clearly relieved that this threatening letter has not yet result in any harm or damage to anyone…yet. That notwithstanding, I am quite disturbed that Mayor Debby Eisinger, and for that matter the City Manager and City Attorney, lack the responsibility if not the ‘common sense’ to take the minimal steps of advising the law enforcement officials as well as the city staff and commission members to ensure the safety of all of the potential persons placed at risk by this perceived threat. 

I can only hope that my fellow commissioners will join with me and immediately demand that an action plan for any such further occurrences of this nature be developed and be available for implementation should this ever happen again. I also hope that my fellow commissioners will join with me in severely reprimanding the Mayor and City Attorney for this type of blatant irresponsibility and unconscionable behavior.  

The safety of all persons within our city, especially those who proudly and diligently serve our city need to know that their safety and welfare are foremost in our minds, hearts, and actions whenever a threat, no matter how insignificant it might turn out to be, will be treated with the upmost of urgency and seriousness, more so with the current turmoil in the world in addition to the political hatred that most of America has for incompetence, irresponsibility and lack of action to resolve problems in government at all levels.

 

Respectfully,

 

John Sims

City Commissioner, Dist. 1

Cooper City, FL 

CC:       Cooper City Commission

BSO

             Cooper City Staff

Cooper City's Election Challenge

Dear Residents, Friends and Business Owners:

Cooper City has never faced a more serious ethical, financial and economic challenge. We need serious leaders capable of crafting and implementing workable plans that will help lift our community toward financial recovery, rid our city of politricks and create jobs.

In this campaign, I have spoken to a lot of residents about the city's contentious past under our current Mayor with more to go. I have spoken face-to-face with hundreds of people about what is important to them. They care about jobs and balancing budgets, keeping taxes low, their safety and putting families first.

They want officials who have proven themselves to be independent -- not just who say it, but who live it -- and who have the guts to vote their conscience on behalf of the residents and business owners, not voting just to go along and get along with their colleagues on the dais.

I have been that kind of leader and I need your help. That's why I ask for your support November 6th for Greg Ross for Mayor and Daniel 'Dan' Barrett for District 3 Commissioner.

I think the best days for Cooper City await us, but only if we stop focusing on what is unimportant and get back to work on the agenda that matters to We the People.

Warm regards,

John

Cooper City - Seniors vs. Crime

SENIORS VS. CRIME

By Noreen S. Gilman, Volunteer Seniors vs. Crime

Many residents are not aware that there is an organization devoted to assisting Floridians of ALL ages who believe they have been victimized by improper practices, scams or other economic crimes. It is called “Seniors vs. Crime” and it is a Special Project of the Florida Attorney General. Our organization is non-profit, and we never charge a fee for our services. Our mission is to assist the Florida Attorney General in preventing crimes against the elderly, to educate and to alert seniors about consumer frauds, con games, scams, identity theft and other criminal acts that target senior citizens. There are several offices around the state including North Miami Beach, Delray Beach, and the newest office in Cooper City.

Earlier this year many of our residents were defrauded from the theft of thousands of dollars of refunds due them from the IRS. Seniors vs. Crime assisted several of these victims to file the necessary forms to recover their money. Now that we are in the middle of hurricane season, we are prepared to assist residents in roofing problems, flooding, as well as other storm damage received during a Tropical Storm or Hurricane. We regularly receive alerts concerning possible storm damage and the repair of homes after a storm by fly-by-night contractors.

As part of our outreach to the community, we have also established a Speakers Bureau which has qualified individuals who will offer a presentation, without charge, on a variety of topics such as identity theft, the current scams and many more subjects of interest. To arrange for a speaker for your organization or group, or for more information if you feel you are a victim of an economic crime,  please call our office in Cooper City at 954.441.8339. 

Also, be aware...As an FYI - the city received two phone calls this afternoon from residents in Summertime Isles who advised that a person knocked on their door (one last night at 8:00 pm and the other today) and told the residents that they were from the City and needed to speak to them.  When the resident refused to open the door last night, the person became aggressive and frightened the resident.

In both cases, the residents were told to call BSO immediately to relay this information. PLEASE, take NOTHING for granted and call BSO and 911 if you see ANYTHING suspicious...

Keeping you informed,

John

Commissioner John Sims

Cooper City Charity Yard Sale - Saturday 9/22 !

CHARITY 

YARD SALE

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 (8AM – 4PM)

·         Tools, Electronics, Lamps, TV’s, DVD, etc….

·         Linens, towels, miscellaneous material

·         Camping, fishing, sporting good

·         Framed Art, pictures, frames, Candle’s, figurines, Collectibles (plates & more)

·         Men’s, Women’s & children clothing, Purses, Hats, Shoes, Belts, Scarf’s,

·         Toys (action figures, board games, stuffed animals)

·         Books, Jewelry, Carpet, Rugs,

·         Furniture, Glassware, Kitchenware, Dishes, glasses, etc.

·         Gardening supplies & plants

·         TOO MUCH TO LIST! 

50/50 Raffle ($1 each or 6 for $5) – winning ticket announced @ 4pm

Donations collected from Miramar to Parkland to benefit people in the community diagnosed with serious illnesses.  We are aiming to pay 3 months of utility bills (water) and give Publix gift cards to as many people as we can through this CHARITY YARD SALE. 

       4979 SW 90 Way – Cooper City – Florida - 33328

        Come by, shop and support a good cause!

****All proceeds are donated to recipients.