Another Beach employee loses job to Mayor Philip Levine

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Another Miami Beach city employee, the four or fifth so far by Ladra’s count, has lost his job due to the change in administration.

Acting Planning Director Richard Lorber sent an email Thursday afternoon to his friends and contacts informing them that it would be his last day at City Hall. He also clearly implied it was not his decision and that he was forced out by Mayor Philip Levine.

“The new Mayor and Commission have indicated that they wanted to go in a ‘different direction,’ and, unfortunately, it means that my continued employment with the City is not to be,” Lorber wrote.

City Manager Jimmy Morales, who is the only one who can fire Lorber, did not return Ladra’s calls. But sources close to City Hall told me that Morales had recommended about two months ago that Lorber get the director’s job permanently.

So what change in “direction” reversed that 180 degrees? Or is this more political retaliation? It wouldn’t be the first time for Levine, who fired a commissioner’s aid on his first day in office because he had supported the opposition.

Actually, it might be more related with Levine’s plans for the Miami Beach Convention Center and rumors that the new administration wants to change the planning and zoning board — to make it more development friendly. Appointments for the board were on the agenda at the last meeting in December, but were postponed until next week, when Levine will also ask commissioners to scrap the whole Convention Center plan so far and start over.

The agenda for next week’s meeting also has an item from Levine about the renovation of the Miami Beach Convention Center. The previous mayor and commission had approved an ambitious redevelopment that included surrounding properties and incorporated a hotel. Apparently, Levine wants to go back to the drawing board. And, sources say, he wants no hotel in the mix.

“During my campaign for Mayor, there was a lot of discussion and debate about the scale, design, and overall program of the mixed-use MBCC Project, yet there was never any dispute about the need to renovate the Convention Center itself, as well as the Center’s essential and significant role in the City’s — and Miami-Dade County’s — economy,” Levine wrote in a commission memo that is part of the agenda package.

“While realizing the imperative to renovate the Convention Center, I have always had significant concerns with tying that process into the larger private development of City owned land, as contemplated…for the development of the 52 acre Miami Beach Convention Center District,” he said. “Additionally, recent legal events have created the possibility of a further delay to the renovation of the Convention Center (which has already been in the planning stages since 2007).

“For these reasons, I believe the City Commission needs to reconsider the current program in a way which prioritizes and expedites the renovation of the MBCC in keeping with the desires of the community.”

The city has not finalized the terms of the agreement or executed the nonbinding letter of intent, the memo says. “Nor have the parties commenced negotiations on a term sheet, development agreement, or any of the 99 year leases for the hotel and retail components.”

In other words, they can start over.

The memo also reminds commissioners that voters overwhelmingly approved a Charter amendment which would require a 60% super-majority voter approval before any sale or lease or conveyance of any city-owned property within the Convention Center “campus” that exceeds 10 years.

Basically, the thinking is that the voters are not going to approve the current plan, so why waste time and further delay the necessary renovations?

Separating the development of the public from the private uses “would expedite the renovation of the Convention Center itself, since neither a lease nor a referendum would be required if the project were to remain a stand-alone building wholly controlled by the City. Decoupling the projects, therefore, will significantly accelerate the renovation of the MBCC. It also eliminates any risk that a referendum on the hotel and retail components would delay or terminate the renovation.”

Levine recommends that the city rescind the request for proposals, reject all proposals received and issue a new request for qualifications and bids. And avoid going out to a public referendum.

“Due to the immediate availability of funding for the public components of the Convention Center renovation project, and the desire to expedite the project and not allow a referendum to dictate the schedule, phasing, and ultimate design of the Center itself, I request that the City Commission approve this motion, as recommended,” he said.

Of course he does. He’s the boss.

A few of the old administration’s supporters say it’s just desserts for lobbyist Victor Diaz and the Tishman group people who won the contest with their proposal and then, reportedly, did not lift a finger to help the incumbents win in November.

But maybe Lorber wasn’t in line with the new plan. Ladra is working on getting more details.

Meanwhile, he gave out his new personal email and his cellphone on the email he sent Thursday afternoon — and asked for anyone to holla “if you know of any opportunities for a seasoned professional urban planner.”

Maybe they should open a job referral office at City Hall.