There are some strange things going on at North Miami Beach City Hall. As you know, the former City Manager Lyndon Bonner was given his walking papers at the end of his contract in September. Instead of looking for a new City Manager, the Council decided to shuffle the deck and rehire/promote the Current Assistant/One Time Interim City Manager Roslyn Weisblum. This is the same Ms. Weisblum who immediately handed out raises the minute she was handed the interim position to temporarily replace the former-former-and-fired City Manager Kelvin Baker. Obviously, she was the perfect candidate to fill the new vacancy, right? Uh, huh.
As current (and future ex, I’m sure) City Manager, Ms. Weisblum has made some changes. For starters, she fired the CRA Director Dan Wick. I don’t know the reasons why she canned him, nor do I care, since I think a CRA is another one of those questionable ponzi schemes that we should abolish altogether, but that’s for another day, another blog.
Good old Ros decided that we didn’t need another CRA Director because it would cost too much money, which was probably the only good decision she’s made so far. Then she blew that political capital by creating a position called “CRA Coordinator” and figured that the job was worth at least eighty thousand bucks. Boy, that sounds familiar. Where did I hear about this before? Oh, yeah! That’s EXACTLY what happened in North Miami! You’ll remember that our sister city’s mayor Andre Pierre created just such a position for his crony, Lesly Prudent, to replace its then CRA Director Tony Crapp. Smells like nepotism to me!
So who did Ros pick to fill our newly created “CRA Coordinator” job? Glad you asked.
A woman by the name of Rasha Soray-Cameau just happened to be available. Her resume is fairly impressive. She received a Masters in Business Administration from Florida International University in 2007. Ms. Soray-Cameau claims she worked for the Human Services Coalition from 1997 to 2004, and cites her job description as “oversight of staff, finance, contract management, human resources, day to day operations, negotiations with auditors, contractors and [illegible].” From 2004 to 2009, she worked for the City of Miami/NET, where she was again in charge of “oversight of staff, community programs, met with constituent [sic] to deal with issues” and the like. In 2009 she was transferred to the City of Miami/Little Haiti Cultural Center, where her job description was to “develop programs for cultural center, oversight of faculty, staff, events, grants management.”
When asked to explain in her own words why she’s qualified for the position, she wrote simply, “I believe that my past work experiences dealing with constituent issues, economic development and issues [illegible] management and budgeting make me qualified for the position mentioned.”
Sounds qualified to me!
The fact is that I have no idea what qualifications are required to run a city’s CRA, or Community Redevelopment Agency. Then again, I don’t have to know. I didn’t apply for the job. Considering that the word “CRA” does not appear on Rasha Soray-Cameau’s application, other than in the blank space after “Position Applied For,” I’m wondering why she thinks she’s qualified to run one. But, more importantly, why does the City Manager think she’s qualified?
I’m also wondering why someone who thinks she’s qualified to be a CRA Coordinator believes that this position has anything to do with constituent issues. Last time I checked, the management of a city, or its CRA, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS!
Unless, of course, the person seeking to fill this position just happens to be Politically Connected. Like Lesly Prudent, for example, whose political radio show helped Andre Pierre win his election as mayor of North Miami. Just who’s political career is this new hire advancing? I’m just saying.
Whether or not Rasha Soray-Cameau is qualified for the job, she sure is Politically Connected. Her list of Facebook friends is quite telling. For starters, she’s friends with two women with the last name “Martelly” – Rosa and Midge, and a man by the name of Ralph Martelly. As you know, “Martelly” just happens to be the last name of the president of Haiti, so I’m wondering if any of them are related to him.
Speaking of President Martelly, you’ll remember the hoopla during his visit stateside in July, when the City of North Miami shelled out $8,800.00 for police protection so that he could attend a gala at the Renaissance Ballroom given by Francois Adrien, owner of “Pikliz.com, a popular Haitian website.”
In a coincidence of all coincidences, one Francois J. Adrien just happens to be one of Rasha Soray-Cameau’s Facebook friends! The fact that Francois J. Adrien lists http://www.pikliz.com on his Facebook page leads me to believe he’s the same Francois Adrian, owner of pikliz.com, who hangs with the Haitian Prez. How cozy.
For Ms. Soray-Cameau, it sure doesn’t get more Politically Connected than that!
On December 2, 2012, ten days ago, I sent an email to North Miami Beach City Manager Roslyn Weisblum asking her questions about this new “CRA Coordinator” position, including the job description, whether or not it was advertised, and copies of all the other applicants’ resumes. So far, just like ignored public records requests in North Miami, I have received no response.
What I do know, however, is that in the month or so that Ms. Soray-Cameau has been an employee of our city, she’s done little more than sit at the receptionist’s desk in the City Manager’s office and answer the phones. Considering her resume, I’m sure she’s highly qualified to do just that.
Then again, so am I. If I had known that this position offered a salary of EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, I would have applied myself!
Then again, I’m not Politically Connected.
But since no receptionist, no matter how well she can answer a phone, is worth EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, one just has to wonder what the hell is going on around here.
Enquiring minds want to know!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Those raises Ms. Weisblum “handed out” were rescinded by the council. And thus ended Ms. Weisblum’s decision-making career. That is the exact reason she was recycled, to be a puppet. The real question is, who on the dais instructed her to fire Dan Wick, and hire the politically connected $80,000 receptionist? Because I can assure you Roz didn’t come up with that on her own.
I’m not saying that some of those raises may not have been justified, but she knew from the start that the budget crisis was upon us. Don’t forget this was immediately after the news about the Marty King $2 million plus theft just broke, and the residents were rightfully up in arms about the wasting of their tax dollars. Whether or not those employees deserved their raises, the timing sucked. If I remember correctly, there was such a rash of complaints by residents that Ros really had no choice but to rescind the raises. It just looked really, really bad, and made her look really incompetent – as if she had no clue what was going on around her.
The fact that she got the job as city manager after Bonner left, shows poor judgement on behalf of the council. She would not have been my choice if it had been up to me.
Let’s start over. I’ll pose the question again without reference Ms. Weisblum’s one and only independent decision as then-interim city manager.
The real question is, who on the dais instructed her to fire Dan Wick, and hire the politically connected $80,000 receptionist?
To speak to Anonymous, no internal applicants applied, because this position was never advertised, internally or externally. In other words, the job was obviously slated for the politically connected (to Haiti/Haitian community) Rasha Soray-Cameau, probably before Dan Wick got his pink slip.
So again, the real question is, who was behind that scheme? Roslyn WEISBLUM? I don’t think so!
If I could get an answer out of Ros, I’d be able to tell you. Or, at least figure it out. I don’t know who on that council is behind this hire, if any, but I know for sure who isn’t. Neither Beth Spiegel nor Barbara Kramer have anything to do with it. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Honestly, I don’t know much about Roslyn Weisblum. Other than a passing hello when I happen to see her, I do not know her personally and I have never had a conversation with her. I only know what I have seen in terms of the actions she’s taken, as interim and now as CM. I am not impressed.
What I do know is that when Keven Klopp was the CM, he also ran (or was supposed to run) the CRA. From what I can tell, and because of the paltry resources our CRA has access to, it’s certainly not a full time job. A CM or an assistant CM could take over the reins and probably not miss a beat. I realize that Ros is no Keven Klopp, but can this city afford to pay $80k plus bennies for a basically do-nothing job? Especially when there are valuable employees who deserve raises and who probably could have taken this position in a heartbeat.
Something is most definitely rotten in Denmark, and I’m not letting this one go.
Who lobbied hardest to reinstate an administrative presence (phone-answerer) in the office of the mayor and council?
Roz will not answer you, because she will not give up the real source of her actions. She’s no dummy. She knows she’s a puppet. A well-paid puppet, with a timeline. She will continue to pull the puppet strings as long as she gets paid. She’s gilding her parachute, plain and simple. She’s no Keven Klopp, that much is certain. The Age of Reason in NMB ended when Mr. Klopp was fired.
Things are most definitely rotten in Denmark. Or, more accurately, rotting. Apparently, as you pointed out, the city (council) can indeed afford to pay someone $80,000 plus bennies for a do-nothing job. And no “valuable” employees were considered for the position.
I can’t argue with that. And, remember who was responsible for Keven Klopp’s firing – none other than EX-mayor Myron Rosner! This city will NEVER have another CM like him and we can thank the idiots who backed Rosner because they hated Ray Marin. They got exactly what they voted for. The rest of us were just collateral damage. (PS, I don’t know the answer to your first question. Who???)
application signed on 10/24 and job offer mailed on 10/31? what government job hires exactly one week after application? I wonder how many internal applicants applied.
In response to my follow up email, the City Clerk emailed me late this afternoon. She wrote:
“Stephanie, I have requested the documents for your Public Records Request. I have yet to get a written response, I have the application and the job offer for the position, HR gave the City Manager’s office two job descriptions (to reference) and they are not sure which one she used, the position was not advertised to my knowledge as I have not been able to find an advertisement. I am sorry that I have not been able to get a more concrete answer to your request.
Please feel free to contact my office if we can be of further assistance.”
Apparently, information from the office of the City Manager is still not forthcoming!
I just responded to the Clerk:
“Pamela, I appreciate all the trouble you are going through to obtain this information for me. I find it hard to believe that the city manager is refusing to comply with my request and that you have not received any responses, either.
When you are able to obtain same, I would like copies of the “two job descriptions” that HR referenced.
Thanks again for your assistance and I am sorry for any problems this is causing you. I’m copying Mac Serda, who seems to be the only person in the city manager’s office who has a clue. Not bothering with Ms. Weisblum since she apparently is too busy to concern herself with those residents/taxpayers who pay her considerable salary.”
I’m just saying.
what happened to the facebook link?
I fixed it. Check it out and let me know if it works now.
It says “content not available”
That sucks. Maybe she has her page set so that it can only be seen by people who are already on Facebook. I’ll try logging out of Facebook and see if I can access it. If not, I’ll figure something else out.
Okay, that’s the problem. She has set her Facebook page to only people who are already on FB. I don’t know how to get around that, but I guess you’ll have to take my word for it that she has a FB page LOL!
Are you referring to the Council member who coos “Haitians are easy to handle”, and communicates to Frantz Pierre through her daughter? The same one who perpetually haunts the halls, and corners the market on City Manager time, then disposes of them when they don’t show her enough reverence.
You mean the Yellow Gargoyle aka Miss Piggy?