This appears to be an ongoing story coming in drips and drabs. I never knew how the bond money that you stupid voters approved was allocated (I never vote yes on bonds). This is a revelation to me that County Commissioners have so much control over the money and they have $137.7 million between them to spend on housing projects. Here is more on the Lynda Bell affordable housing project named after her mother in Cutler Bay (also see 2 posts yesterday):
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| Found This Budget in Resolution 582-12 Cutler Bay Center. (when at link hit on clerk's official copy to see the whole 70 page agreement.) |
The maximum that a one bedroom apartments will rent for is $750 and the two bedroom will rent for $850.
I like the way they call it "elderly" housing in the resolution. I didn't know 55 years old was elderly. Let's be clear, I was only looking at Lynda's deal. The other County Commissioners are also doing similar things with bond money. I want to see how they all pick their developers.
20 comments:
Election year hijinks.
Are you kidding? 1 million in soft costs for this? I'm on the wrong side of real estate development which I've been doing for 20+ years! Who knew, Government oversight or knowledge of the industry is zero or so out of reality at the County level they can get away with this. Try sending these figures to a real bank, not the bank of the taxpayer, and they'd be laughed out, unless it was US Century, then it would be free because of the US taxpayers if one were to default. What a con game this is and just startling to look at the false number with about 40-50% padding on both the construction & soft side. Unbelievable. I need to start bidding county jobs so I can retire earlier than I expected!
If you want to become a county contractor: hire the right lobbyist, mAke the right contributions, support the right charities, suck up to the right community 'leaders' from the business sector. Support charter schools and get your foto taken with Jeb or Marquito.
I'm not even 50 though getting close. In less than a dozen years I'll be considered a senior? Is that based on the 1950's retirement age or what? I wish I could retire at 55 living in Dade. That won't happen because the cost of living between property taxes with insurance even more and politicians spending our money like drunk sailors, except I have more respect for sailors & they have a lot more fun onshore doing less damage to the taxpayers!
Anon #3 - sounds about right! What a con on the taxpayers by the commission. Why are we paying so many internal auditors to basically rubber stamp stuff like this? Does anyone in County Hall live in the real world of the people who pay the bills?
It's good to know these things:
from miami-dade website:
80% of median income for a single person ( eff. 11/2012 ) is $36,650
so hey kids, if you are 55 ( what we will now call elderly ! ) and making $36,650 or less, and want to live in one of these brand new shiny thingys - you qualify!
55 - that is the definition of Elderly under the Older Americans Act - a federal law. To qualify for free congregate or home delivered meals, one must be 60 or at least 55 and married to someone 60 or older. It is the standard under the federal law and used throughout the country. The local agency that implements the law is the Area Agency on Aging for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties (AAA).
Depressing. I am now elderly.
This deal does stink. Isn't the guy who got the contract a furniture company owner?
Lynda Bell is telling every citizen in Miami Dade County what has been, is and will be happening in this county. All thirteen commissioners are in suspect of misuse and abuse of us. Let's make national news and recall all of them.
If I enter the affordable housing in Cutler Bay at 55 and happen to live too 80 years old I will be homeless and put on the street. I have heard that Mrs. Bell has tried to put some senior citizens out of their homes in Homestead. Does anyone know about this and can shed light on this? If it is true she is building a home for them and if they live long enough will be evicted again.
It appears to me after reading the clerks copy all the commissioners approved a project called Cutler Bay Centre. So when did this project change its name to Mrs. Bell's mothers name. Did the other commissioners know the name would be changed? If they did not know they need to get ahead of this story fast. Its makes them look really bad.
It is so hard to say how disgusted I am. When Bell moved her office to Palmetto Bay she bragged about what a great deal she got for the county and the people she serves. The rent rate was better, the new furniture was such a deal, etc., etc. Well, instead of keeping the county's money in the county, hundreds of thousands of our money goes out the door every year to the private businessman, and now he gets $millions of dollars to build a namesake building for her to impress the "elderly" voters. How much of the soft dollars will actually trickle back to her?
Here we read and write, someone get some nerve and run against her. Enough already!
And by the way, THE COUNTY DOESN'T OWN THE BUILDING!!!!!!!!
We all know the county doesn't own the building thanks to the Mayor's office because Lynda's office told the Miami Herald the county WOULD OWN THE building.
Where have you been? Didn't you read the blog before this one....this has been under discussion.
In the ground breaking photo for this "project" there was someone named Rene Sierra. Is this person any relation to Lynda's bff and former Homested Council person Nazy Sierra? This is getting even more interesting because Siltek so how is that working on putting the local's back to work RTL Bell? I want 10 million bucks. Let me call Ron Book, being totally unqualified, and have him "create" a corporate persona for my business to get government (my own) tax dollars for projects which may or may not ever be built using imaginary numbers no one ever audits!
".....because Siltek so how is that working on putting the local's back to work RTL Bell?"
Sorry about the above, my smart phone wrote my mumbling. I meant to write Siltek is a Broward company, who's track record is unclear....
And, that's according to their website. I'd like to see their finished projects & their relationship to Nazy!
This housing project is a poster child of how our local government administrators, elected officials and departments are failing the voters and residents. Where is the oversight of a more than $10 million project. Who has any responsibility to make sure bond funds are allocated in a fair and transparent manor? There appears to be way too much power in the local commissioners and too little oversight of our tax dollars and bond projects.
I am so glad the question is being asked about this Rene Sierra. Is this Nazy Sierra's husband? I have heard Nazy is running for councilwoman in Homestead. She was councilwoman with Mayor Lynda Bell. Maybe someone can let us know. Who is Rene Sierra on the picture with Mrs. Bell at the groundbreaking ceremony?
Whut? There ain't gonna be no double-wides?
to the Anon above. I found that question interesting too so I did a little research myself.
Based on Siltek's Group's website, the company was founded by Ana Silveira-Sierra who is President of the company and Rene Sierra who is its Vice President.
http://www.prlog.org/11839712-siltek-group-inc-is-now-nwboc-certified-as-woman-owned-business.html
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