There are areas in the United States of America that will be undergoing elections in November 2009. One of the areas is the Third District of The City of Miami. I have had the pleasure of interviewing one of the candidates for Commissioner of the City of Miami Third District Beba Sardi~na Mann.

 

The following interview was conducted via E Mail

 

1. You are running for Commissioner in the City of Miami 3rd District, What were the reasons that lead you to run for office?

 

 As a resident and community activist, I am tired that we are ignored.  That is my main motivation.

 

As a resident, I found it much too hard to get the City to address the issues my neighbors and I wrestled with every day, receiving nothing but lip service. For years it seemed that special interests were in charge of the City.

 

Then, appointed to the Planning Advisory Board by Commissioner Regalado, I learned first hand that even advisory boards were being ignored.   Residents would come before my board to plead for our support in stemming the tide of un-controlled development. We would give them that support by voting on their behalf in our recommendations to the City Commission, where, for the past 8 years, 3 Commissioners have banded together with the Mayor to over-rule any dissent, and allow the developers to go forward with their plans.

 

Development is crucial to a City’s health, and to the quality of Life its residents enjoy. If planned properly, it is a very beneficial force. But un-controlled development causes more problems than it solves, and these problems fall on the shoulders of the people that not only didn’t ask for them, and can least afford them, but in many cases voted against them.

 

2. What can you offer that other politicians cannot or will not offer?

 

That is a very good question that is hard to answer for others.

 

I can promise that I will not be ignoring my constituents in favor of outside interests, and will be guided by what I think are a very good summary of principles and guidelines: our Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan.

 

I can promise that our tax dollars will be spent far more efficiently, with far more transparency.

 

And I can promise that serving this District will be my only job.  Being a commissioner and taking an oath to serving the people is exactly that.  Public service should not be a part-time job when the taxpayers are paying you a salary.  It is a seven day, 24 hour job.

 

 

3. In your campaign brochure, you talk about a return to basics when it comes to spending. What would you do in order to return to basics?

 

That will start with a review of our budget, and new look at the level of services we will need in the coming years.

 

A commissioner’s job involves ruling on city-wide issues as well as promoting District issues, and my time on the Planning Advisory Board gave me a familiarity with the most important document we have at the City level – the Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan – ‘The Comp Plan’, which is our City’s ‘What, and Why’ manual. The Mayor’s Administration provides the ‘How’.

 

Required by Tallahassee, it describes in detail what the City’s philosophy and plan is regarding all issues concerning land use, i.e. growth management, and it must be updated via an EAR process every seven years. This process involves input from all the Commissioners, the Mayor’s Administration, as well as the Planning Advisory Board, in its capacity as guardian of the Residents’ stake in the success of the Comp Plan to reach its stated goal of mapping out development in a way that is sustainable while maximizing the Residents Quality of Life.

 

Beyond following the MCNP, the job of a Commissioner is to respond to new situations that arise during the course of his tenure, mindful of the impact his solutions will have. That’s my definition of the basics.

 

4. You are one of the few politicians that has accepted to be interviewed. If you are elected, will you remain accessible to the media including the internet?

 

Absolutely.  I believe in transparency in government

 

5. I have visited Miami several times and have lived here for more than two decades. Recently, there has been a construction boom followed by empty lots in areas where construction should have begun. We have also seen the Orange Bowl Stadium torn down to make room for another stadium that has yet to be built. We have also seen the Miami Arena constructed and then torn down.What will be your priorities concerning buildings, zonings, and other services related to building in order to avoid empty lots, incomplete projects, and zoning laws that affect people?

 

You’ve touched a very important point.  Right now, the market is dictating.  Anyone seeking a zoning change during this time is only doing so to position themselves for when the market turns again.

 

If I were to be elected, I would like to have a better safeguard for the residents so that neighborhoods are not made to look blighted.  If someone is granted a zoning change, or variance, and demolishes the structure, they should be ready to start building within six months of the final approval of the application.  Otherwise, the zoning reverts to its original zoning.   In other words, they should have their finances in place before they seek zoning changes.  We should not have families displaced and businesses closed to sit on a vacant lot to avoid paying higher property taxes and cheating the community.

 

6. You talk about creating jobs. If elected, how will you encourage employment?

 

I would push to give small businesses tax incentives and encourage small businesses to become more Internet savvy.  I would hold workshops for them to learn how take advantage of the Business Development infrastructure that exists today.

 

7. You talk about a commission that will be responsive to the need of the people. How will you initiate this procedure?

 

As a member of a homeowner association, and also involved with a large umbrella of 18 homeowner association, Miami Neighborhoods United (“MNU”), I would like to see more neighborhoods in District 3 become organized.  I would meet with the directors of the various associations to hear the needs of that neighborhood on a monthly basis until their problems are resolved.  I would also keep them involved throughout the process. In today’s Internet world, there is no reason why each Association could not be more directly in contact and working with both the Commissioner’s staff, and the related NET office.

 

 Thank You for the interview.