Betsy Perez may have lost the commission election in Miami Beach, but she’s got two nice board appointments, 
thanks to Godpapi Mayor Phillip Levine.
Maybe she can steer more money her hubby’s way on the Cultural Affairs Board (She and Rudy Perez own a production company that put on the mayor’s centennial concert last year). And Perez could still help shape the direction of the North Beach neighborhood, where residents just beat back a heavily-funded ballot measure that would have allowed highrises to replace historic little hotels on the quaint Ocean Terrace strip.
Read related story: Voters say No! to well-financed North Beach upzone question
She is a member of the North Beach Master Plan Steering Committee, which had snubbed the very preservationists that pushed the no vote for upzoning that would allow developers to build a 20-story tower on a block with one- and two-story buildings. Only former Commissioner Nancy Liebman — who had endorsed Levine in the same election — had advocated against the measure — was against the upzoning. The rest of the committee members — Margueritte Ramos, Daniel Veitia and Carolina Jones — had publicly advocated for it.
The North Beach Alliance wrote an email to its members Sunday blasting the snub.
“While these are valued local voices, they are a highly selective (mis)representation of the 
North Beach community as a whole. The problem is two fold,” the neighbors wrote, adding that in addition to being publicly for the upzoning on Ocean Terrace, the individuals were also single family home owners.
“This committee includes no representation from the multi-family districts which are the largest and most populous in North Beach and will be most directly affected by the Master Plan,” the email stated. “The Mayor’s appointments send a clear message, intentional or not, about the voters he privileges and those he disregards. This divisive decision was made despite the North Beach Neighbors Alliance’s formal requests for fair representation in letters to the City management team and the Mayor, which never received the courtesy of a response.
But late Monday, Levine — who seemed to go almost out of his way to leave out the activists — announced that he had added two members (late Monday) that would represent the North Beach coalition that fought the referendum: Kirk Paskal and Brad Bonessi. He either got some push back on the issue or he realized it was the right thing to do. Maybe both?
Apparently, newly-elected Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, whose victory over Perez (59 to 41 percent) came with the preservationists’ help, had a little 
chat with Levine, about not alienating those activists — who have proven they can rally votes — months before city officials float a referendum they need the voters to pass for a convention center hotel (more on that later).
“I don’t think anyone explained it to him. If he alienated those preservationists, they would have turned on him,” she said, adding that Levine has been open-minded and welcoming to her.
“He was very understanding right away. He wanted to see a more balanced committee.”
The 7-member committee will work with Dover, Kohl & Partners— heading a “team of consultants” — to develop a comprehensive plan for the North Beach neighborhood. So this might get expensive.
Could this mark a change for Levine’s raze and burn attitude? Or is this a minor deviation from his SOP?
We don’t have to wait long to find out.
A seat on the historic preservation board is up — David Weider, who challenged the mayor but lost — is termed out. Rosen Gonzalez wants the commission to appoint Jack Finglass, an architect with historic preservation and urban development experience. Mayor Levine wants to give the post to Stevan Pardo, an attorney and former partner at Greenberg Traurig specializing in construction litigation.
Let’s see who gets chosen at next week’s city commission meeting.
Philip Levine hastily adds preservationists to NoBe committee added by Ladra on
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