HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Commissioner Ken Russell-Letter to Commissioners RE Battersea Woods & Victoria MendezKEN RUSSELL
COMMISSIONER - DISTRICT 2
September 8, 2016
Esteemed colleagues:
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MIAMI, FLORIDA33133
(305) 250-5333
This is a difficult letter for me to write. I have lost my trust in our city attorney, Victoria Mendez, and I
will be discussing her actions with you during item PHA, the Battersea Woods re -platting issue.
Over the past two commission meetings, I have taken the unusual step of moving to defer the approval
of item PHA, a re -plat in Coconut Grove of a property labeled "Battersea Woods." I have made this
motion twice in a row in order to hear from my constituents who are concerned and infuriated by what
to them seems to be a zoning entitlement that violates our city code.
While the detailed interpretation of the code and the end decision of whether or not this re -plat
required a warrant are important, these are not the reasons that I am writing this letter today. Listed
below are the relevant issues with regard to my loss of trust in our attorney:
1. Mrs. Mendez intervened improperly in a zoning matter in order to overrule a determination of
the zoning administrator, an overreach of her position that is in opposition to our city code.
2. Mrs. Mendez ignored the opinion of experts both inside and outside her department when their
findings were not favorable to the request of a lobbyist friend. This includes re -assigning analysis
of the issue within her department after an assistant city attorney made a finding unfavorable to
the lobbyist.
3. Mrs. Mendez mischaracterized the events related to this issue when queried by our office.
4. Upon being asked to provide backup information to help us understand the issue, Mrs.
Mendez withheld dozens of vital documents. These documents conveniently included all
references to her involvement in the issue at the request of the lobbyist.
take no joy in writing this, as I am personally fond of and have had a good working relationship with
Victoria thus far. However, I believe the level of impropriety that I have been able to document warrants
the removal of Victoria Mendez from her position as city attorney, as well as an independent inquiry
into her department's policies for handling zoning matters and public records requests.
Additionally, I believe it is important to consider these facts as we move to once again consider this re -
plat.
I look forward to further discussion on this issue today. Submitted into the pu c
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on City Clerk
Ken Russell
Vice -Chairman
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