NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The clock is ticking for North Miami Beach commissioners who have been refusing to attend meetings, leaving city business at a standstill.
Among that stalled business is ousting the city manager and city attorney.
Two of the missing commissioners showed up Wednesday at a suddenly scheduled workshop, but answering questions was not on their agenda.
North Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Joseph left quickly and would later say he had no time to speak.
Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond told Local 10 News’ Glenna Milberg that an appointment needed to be set in order for them to have a conversation.
“I don’t know what you’re here for,” Fleurimond told Milberg.
When she offered to tell him why she was there in order for him to decide whether or not he wanted to discuss the issue, Fleurimond shook his head and said, “no.”
The commissioner, while at a public workshop, insisted a public question needed an appointment to be heard and potentially answered.
“It’s not right, the way you’re doing it,” he said. “Can you stop following me?”
The question in question is regarding Joseph and Fleurimond’s absence at city commission meetings, which can’t take place without a quorum of five.
Last month’s city commission meeting ended before it started because of the no-shows.
Commissioner Jay Chernoff, while at a city event, did not need an appointment to be asked a question.
“We want to move the government forward,” he said.
Chernoff explained that North Miami Beach City Manager Arthur Sorey III, who is also avoiding Local 10 News, and city attorney Hans Ottinot, are about to be let go.
“Hans is going to get fired,” Chernoff said. “We will formally do it when we have five (commissioners for a quorum).”
But that city attorney is a reason the commission hasn’t had five seated members.
He hired an unofficial private investigator, privately funded, to question where the mayor lives, stalling city business while that is fought in court.
“I did not attend at the advice of my city attorney,” Fleurimond said on a Zoom call. “I do plan on following the advice of our City Attorney.”
The question remains whether that outgoing city attorney will advise the no-show commissioners to stay away and prevent a quorum again.
In the meantime, residents of North Miami Beach say the city is becoming fractured.
“My community is very divided, everyone is picking sides in my community,” said North Miami Beach resident Wrendly Mesidor. “In the end, we end up suffering.”
The city charter says if a commissioner misses meetings for four months, he or she is out.
For Commissioner Michael Joseph, that’s this weekend.