Waterman 3 Rule Policy

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Mayor Waterman said that she has a 3 Rule Policy before ejecting someone from a meeting--She asks them to refrain from certain behavior. If she has to ask them the third time, she implements her ejection policy. No one ever heard of this policy until the end of the meeting on Tuesday night. This did NOT happen with Mark Parrilla. He whispered and she threw him out.

The situation involving Cesar Figueroa is a totally different situation entirely. He had received his assessment notice on stormwater. He has a business in the North Park. For weeks, he tried to get information from the city on how it calculated the charges as it went up from a charge for 2 units to 8, all this time being professional and cordial. The cost was astronomical and he continued to get no satisfaction and basically what he felt was a run-around from the City.

He was leaving for New York in a few days after the September 13 meeting and needed to straighten out this bill. The City, according to him, did not want to give him the formula that calculated his tax. Through a threat of a lawsuit, his bill was finally re-billed. He says that to this day, it is still not correct. He was really rip roaring mad and had kept his cool until that night at City Hall when he got to speak during public commentary. His issue was coming up on the Agenda after he was ejected.

I do not condone his behavior but I do understand why he was so mad. Just because he is extended family does not mean that I automatically take sides. However, when Waterman removed him from the chamber, all he did was say "thank you" on her warning to him. It was those little words, the fact that he dare speak again, that instigated his removal.

They had charged him for an easement that was not his property but property that belonged to South Florida Water Management. He had to go through hoops and prove that the City was incorrect rather than the other way around and the City working with him. However, he is still being charged much more than he has ever been charged and has told the City that he will not pay more than 3 units. The City still has not satisfied this business owner. They, once again, will play hardball and end up putting a lien on his property.

Two days after the September 13 meeting, he sent an e-mail to the Finance Department telling them that he was a "Mother F**ker" accusing them of over-charging him and thinking that he was not going to notice or do anything about it. He had totally "had it" at that point.

On Tuesday night, Mayor Waterman said that he had sent threatening letters to the City Staff--that he was a very "rowdy gentleman." How did she even have knowledge of his e-mails? Staff supported her action. The fact of the matter is, Cesar sent one e-mail to someone in Finance using the F word and signed his e-mail, F U, the real American, the Algonquin, Cesar Figueroa, two days after this commission meeting when he was thrown out by the Mayor.

When speaking with Cesar, he said, "We are turning into a Fascist State here. I should know. I moved here from Cuba and they are acting the same."

There are reasons why people are mad, Mayor.