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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2017-09-26 AttorneyClient In The Matter Of Kent Harrison Robbins CASE 17235AP_PetitionForCertiorari1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 5 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 1 BAL HARBOUR VILLAGE ATTORNEY1/CLIENT SESSION OP~GINAL IN THE MATTER OF KEN T HARR I SON ROBBINS v . BAL HARBOUR VILLAGE, ET AL CASE NUMBER : 17-235 -AP (Petition for Certiorari) BAL HARBOUR VILLAGE HALL 655 96th STREET BAL HARBOUR, FLORIDA 33154 TUESDAY , SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 6:17 p .m. -6:40 p .m. Taken before Mary G. Stephenson , FPR , Notary Public for the State of Flor ida Veritext Legal Solutions 800-726-7007 305-3 76-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 APPEARANCES : COUNCILMEMBERS: GABRIEL GROISMAN , MAYOR (Appearance via telephone) SETH E. SALVER, ASSISTANT MAYOR DAVID ALBAUM, COUNCILMAN PATRICIA COHEN, COUNCILWOMAN JEFFREY FREIMARK , COUNCILMAN VILLAGE MANAGER: JORGE M. GONZALEZ VILLAGE ATTORNEY : WEISS SEROTA HELFMAN COLE & BIERMAN , P.L. BY: JOSEPH SEROTA, ESQ . SUSAN TREVARTHEN, ESQ . VILLAGE CLERK : DW I GHT S. DANIE Page 2 (Pres ent during public session only .} Ve rit ext Legal So luti ons 800 -726 -7007 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 3 Thereupon, the following proceedings were had: L_ 800-726-7007 MR. GONZALEZ: Can you for the record state that you are in the car by yourself? MAYOR GROISMAN: Yes. ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER: For the record, I am calling the meeting to order. Please call the roll. MR. DANIE: Yes. Roll cal l . Mayor Groisman. MAYOR GROISMAN: Here. I am appearing by telephone. For the record, I am in my car driving home from work, driving to the village hall from work by myself. MR . DANIE : Assistant Mayor Salver. ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER: Here . MR. DANIE: Councilman Albaum . COUNCILMAN ALBAUM: Here. MR. DANIE: Councilwoman Cohen. COUNCILWOMAN COHEN: Here. MR . DANIE : Councilman Freimark. COUNCILMAN FREIMARK: Here. MR. DANI E : We have a quorum . (Thereupon, Mr. Danie left the room.) ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER : The time is now 6:10 . We are about to have four attorney/client Veritext Legal Solutions 305:-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 3 14 15 16 1 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 4 sessions in accordance with F lorida Statute 286.011(8) regarding the l itigat i on matters styled as follows: Kent Harrison Robbins versus Bal Harbour Village, et al , 1 7 -235-AP, petit ion for certiorari. Each session is estimated to las t 1 5 minutes and the following people will be in attendance: Those members of the village council named in t he roll call, the village manager, Jorge Gonzalez, v il lage atto rneys , Susan Trevarthen and Joseph Serota . Each attorney/client session wil l be recorded by a certified court reporter and , at the conclusion of each litigat ion discussed , the t ranscrip t of that litiga tion will be made part of the public record. All those individuals who I have not named should leave the room at this t ime. MR. SEROTA : Gabe , this is Joe Serota . How are you? MAYOR GROISMAN : Joe, I'm sorry , you and everybody. I just was in a deposition that was running la te . There was no way to finish earlier . MR . SEROTA: We are going to start with -- I'm sorry for not being prompt . ~ L__ ____ _ Veritext Lega l Solutions 800-726-7007 305-376-8800 1 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 2 1 22 23 24 25 800-726-7007 Page 5 we are hoping t o do each of these fairly quickly, but we have to open and close each one . The first one is a petition for certiorari . That means that it 's in the appe l late division of the circuit court . This is b r ought by Kent Robbins, Harrison Robb i ns against the v il lage . You may k n ow that the bas i c claims that he is bringing is that he was denied intervenor s t atus. Tha t i s one argument he h as , t hat he shou l d have been declared i ntervenor. Then the second argument he has is that the approved p l ans don 't comp l y with the code regardi n g a truck load i ng f acil i ty . To t h e extent you want, we can get into more detail about wha t exact l y he says . So f ar, he has filed h is comp l aint . Excuse me , the petition. There have been some de l ays because he had asked to amend and the court hasn 't ruled on his motion to amend yet. We have not objected to his just havi ng a l itt l e bit more time, but we have objected t o some of the requests tha t he has made rela t ing to the record. In any case , the case is pending. We haven 't f il ed o u r response, although we are ready to . Veritext Legal Solutions 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 11 1 2 1 3 1 4 15 1 6 1 7 1 8 19 20 2 1 22 23 24 2 5 800-726-70 07 Page 6 T h e Shops have provided us with a draft response t hat they would file . So we are sort of working -- MS . T REVARTHEN : We have an ag r eement for a joint defen se, so that is prote cti on. COU NCILWOMAN COHE N : The Shops joined us? MR . SEROTA : No . Th ey fi l ed separate , b ut the joint defense , as Susan says , and Gabe , I 'm sure , does this all the time , it allows us to keep an attorney/client privi l ege . So i f we t alk to the Shops and the Shop s talk t o us , t hat gives us that ab ility to d o th at , and it is st ill p r ot e cted by atto r n e y/cl i ent privi l ege . MS . TREVARTHEN : And we are both r espondents to the same pet i t i on . So we a r e in the same posit i on in the litig at i o n. MR . GO NZALEZ : Were they served as well or was there MR. SEROTA: This is a petition. No . MS . TREVA RT HEN : Yes , t h ey were . Yes , they were . So we are like codefendan t s , but because i t 's a petit i on , they are called coresp ondents . MR . SEROTA : That is really the status of the matter . There is not a lot happe n ing . These are his claims if you guys ha v e any V e ritext Legal S ol uti ons 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 12 1 3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 800-726-7007 Page 7 questions about the claims . The r e is an issue, a legal issue regarding the l evel o f review. That is, for example , whether he i s an intervenor, whether it is an abuse of discretion review or whe t her we just have to show that we complied with the l aw. So there 's a lot of different issues that wi l l be addressed on appeal. MS. TREVARTHEN: You may recal l that this is the petit i o n in which there was the mo t ion pract i ce and ori ginally Mr . Robbins filed a motion t o compel t h e produc t ion of the record in the manner tha t h e p r eferred . The cou rt did ru l e o n that saying tha t he was not e n ti tled to the motion t o compel. As Joe said, what is open ended is t he court had given additional time to amend . Mr. Robb i ns didn 't amend within the time that was provided. So t h at time ran , and a t this point i t 's a l ittle bit unc l ear what the s t atus of t hat petition is . MR. GONZALEZ : How does that get resolved? MS. TREVARTHEN: He asked f or addi t iona l time . I t was d u e b y a certain date , and I t hink Veritext Legal Solutions 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 12 1 3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 800-726-7007 Page 8 eight days later he asked for additional time to amend . At that point , our response was , you know, there was a deadl ine and i t wasn't met, so it shouldn 't be granted, but at this point, the court is still considering that motion. It holds all the deadlines, but we are not quite sure exactly where that i s going to go. MR. GONZALEZ: When will you find out? MS . TREVARTH EN: When t he court acts. MR. GONZALEZ : There is no MR. SEROTA: The appellate division is a difficult place to l i t iga t e. When I say i t's a difficult place , no t that they are bad judges or anything, but it's not adminis t ered very well . So you don't know if you are going to get a decision --we could get a decision tomorrow. I mean, we wo ul dn't be surprised to ge t a decision tomorrow. MR. GONZ ALEZ: Or? MR . SEROTA : Or it could be weeks from now. MR. GONZALEZ : Nex t year. MR. SEROTA: I don 't know about next year, but it could be wee ks. I mean , we have had circumstances with motion practice. Veritext Legal Solutions 305 -376 -8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 800 -72 6-700 7 Page 9 In fact, we had one, ac t ually, in the Imbesi case where we were waiting in the appellate division last year for a rela t ively straightforward ruling . I ended up having to call the court administrator , and then the court administrator contacted the judge in charge and we finally got , ac t ually , we got a very favorable ruling, but it took that kind of effort . The point is we don 't really know timewise what the status is. We are prepared with the response . The Shops is prepared with the response. As soon as we do know , we can act fairly qu i ckly, but until we know what we are replying to , we can 't file a response . ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER: If the court doesn 't grant the Robbins motion , then is this dead? MR. SEROTA: No, no, no. What he has filed is ASSISTANT MAYOR SA LVER: I t still has to be adjudicated? MR . GONZALEZ: So it 's just a question of whether does he get the extensi on to amend or just Ve r itext Lega l So lu tions 305 -37 6-88 00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 800 -726-7007 Page 10 you live with what you have. MR . SEROTA: Exactly. MS . TREVARTHEN: Then that would establ ish the time frame for us to respond to that initial petition. As Joe said, do we have any questions or just finishing on that one? COUNCILWOMAN COHEN : While you were talking , I had a question and then it fled . MR. SEROTA: My mother always used to say , it couldn't have been that important. I would say, mom , it was really important . MS. TREVARTHEN : You have a lot on your mind . We all do after the hurricane. COUNCILWOMAN COHEN: He is not attacking, he is not cha l lengi ng --he 's chal lenging the decision. So in what way does that affect going forward with the decision if it is being challenged with the building of their project if i t is being challenged by more than one person? MR. SEROTA: There is no legal impediment. There might be a business impediment. MS . TREVARTHEN : Let me respond to that because there is really more going on than just the litigation here. Ve ritext Legal Solutions 305 -376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 20 2 1 22 23 24 25 800 -726-7007 Page 1 1 You will recall that when you voted on this project , it had a contingent -- COUNCILWOMAN COHEN : Comprehensive plan. MS. TREVARTHEN: Yes. It had a contingent effective date. That effective date depended on first t he final approval of our year based comp plan amendments which would then allow the small scale amendment to the church property to become effective. Th en at that point, wha tever delays may be due to ongo ing l itigation would come into play, but right now where we are is you have the decision to transmit your year based plan amendments back in Ju l y. We h ave received comments from many of the review agencies. I spoke with your vil l age planner recent l y, and that is moving forwa rd. We would have to actually go t hou gh the adoption vote , and then at that point , we would trigger the actual effective date. COUNCILWOMAN COHEN: So we sort of put the cart before the horse the wa y we d i d t h ings. MS. TREVARTHEN: We concu rrently processed with a contingent effective date, yes. ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER: Any further Veritext Legal Solutions 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 1 3 1 4 15 16 1 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 800-726-7007 Page 12 comments before we close this session? MS. TREVARTHEN: Gabe, did you have any th ing? MAYOR GROISMAN: No. Thank you. ASSISTANT MAYOR SALVER: I wil l now reopen the meeting . The attorney/client session has now been terminated. The meeting is now open. MS. TREVARTHEN : Actua l ly, we can just go st ra ight into the second one . (Thereupon, t he proceed ings were concluded at 6:20 p.rn .) Veritext Legal Soluti ons 305-376-8800 1 2 3 4 Page 13 C E R T I F I C A T E 5 I , Mary G . Stephenson , FPR , State of Florida at 6 Large, certify t h at I was au thor i zed to and did 7 stenographically report the foregoing proceedings and 8 that the transcript i s a true and comp l ete record of my 9 s t enog r aphic no t es . 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 Dated t hi s 29 t h day of September , 2017 . Mary G. S t eph enson , FPR Veritext Legal Solutions 800-726-7007 305 -376-8800 [& -decision J & agencies 11 :16 bringing 5:8 & 2:13 agreement 6:4 brought 5:5 -------1 al 1:14 4:4 1 building 10:19 1 .----------1 albaum 2:5 3:16,17 business 10:22 15 4:6 allow 11:7 C Page 14 compel 7:12,15 complaint 5:16 complete 13:8 complied 7:6 comply 5:12 17-235 1:15 4 :4 allows 6:9 I c 13:1,1 _ _, comprehensive 2 amend 5:18 ,19 -------- 2017 1:1913:11 7:17,18 8:2 9:25 26 I: 19 amendment 11 :8 amendments 11 :7 11 :14 286.011 4:2 29th 33154 13 : 11 3 1:19 6 ap 1:15 4:4 appeal 7 :8 655 1:18 appearance 2:4 appearances 2:2 appearing 3: 10 appellate 5:4 8 :12 6:10 6:17 6:20 6:40 3:25 1:20 9:2 approval 11 :6 approved 5:12 --------< argument 5:9,11 12:12 1:20 8 -------1 asked 5:18 7:24 8:1 call 3:7,8 4:9 9 :5 called 6:22 calling 3:6 car 3:3,11 cart 11 :22 1 case 1:15 5:23 ,23 9:2 certain 7 :25 certified 4: 13 certify 13 :6 certiorari 1: 15 4:5 5:3 8 4 :2 9 chaUenged 10: 19 10:20 challenging IO: 16 10:16 assistant 2:5 3 :5,14 charge 9 :7 3:15,24 9:17,22 church 11 :S ll:25 12 :5 circuit 5:5 I attacking 10:15 . circumstances 8 :25 _a_b_ili-.ty--6:_1_2 __ ----j attendance 4 :8 claims 5:7 6:25 7:1 abuse 7:5 attorney l:8 2 =12 clerk 2:16 act 9:14 3 :25 4 :12 6 :lO,l3 client 1:8 3:25 4:12 acts 8:10 12 :6 6:10,13 12:6 actual 1 1:20 attorneys 4 :IO close 5:2 12 :1 dd·t· I 7 17 24 authorized 13:6 code 5·.12 a 11ona : , 8: 1 b j codefendants 6:21 addressed 7:7 back 11:14 cohen 2:63:18,19 adjudicated 9:23 bad 8:14 6:6 10:8,15 11 :3,21 administered 8:15 bal 1:6,14,18,19 4:3 cole 2 :13 96th 1:18 a administrator 9:6 based 11 :6, 13 come 11: 11 9:6 basic 5:7 comments 11:15 adoption 11:19 bierman 2:13 12:1 I affect 10 :17 bit 5:20 7:21 comp 11 :6 I Veritext Legal Solutions 800-726-7007 11:3 concluded 12: 11 conclusion 4:14 concurrently 11 :23 considering 8:6 contacted 9:7 contingent 11 :2,4 11 :24 corespondents 6:22 1 council 4 :8 councilman 2:5,6 3 : 16, 17,20,2 1 councilmembers 2:3 councilwoman 2:6 3:18,19 6:6 10:8,15 11 :3,21 court 4 :13 5 :5 ,18 7:13,17 8:5,10 9:5 9 :6,17 d danie 2: 17 3 :8, 14 3: 16, 18,20,22,23 · date 7:25 11 :5,5,20 11:24 dated 13 :11 david 2:5 day 13:11 days 8:1 dead 9:19 deadline 8:4 deadlines 8:7 decision 8: 17, 17, I 8 10:17,1811:13 305-376-8800 [declared -mind] Page 15 facility 5:13 grant 9:18 july 11 :1 4 fact 9:1 granted 8 :5 k fairly 5:1 9:14 groisman 2:4 3:4,9 keep 6:9 declared 5: I 0 defense 6:5,8 delays 5: 17 11 : 10 denied 5:8 depended 11 :5 deposition 4 :22 detail 5:15 different 7:7 difficult 8:13,14 discretion 7: 5 discussed 4: 14 division 5:4 8:12 far 5:16 3:10 4:21 12:4 favorable 9.·8 guys 6·25 kent 1: 13 4:3 5:5 ~ 9 :3 draft 6:1 driving 3:11 ,12 due 7:25 11: 11 dwie:ht 2:17 e I-"'---"'----· -------1 kind 9:9 I file 6:2 9:15 h filed 5:l6,24 6 :7 f-----------1 know 5:7 8:3,16,23 7:ll 9 :20 hall 1:183 :12 9:10,14,15 i final 11 :6 happening 6:24 I fi II 9 7 harbour 1 :6, 14, 18 large 13 ._6 may : 1:194:4 find 8:9 late 4:23 harrison l: 13 4:3 finish 4:23 5 :6 law 7:6 finishing 10:7 helfman 2 :13 leave 4:18 first 5:3 11:6 holds 8 :6 left 3:23 fled 10:9 home 3 :l2 legal 7:2 10:21 florida 1:19,24 4:1 hoping 5 :l level 7:3 13:5 ' horse 11:22 litigate 8:13 following 3:1 4:7 1 hurricane l0: 14 litigation 4:2,14,15 --------follows 4:3 1 6:1610:25 11:11 e 2:5 13:1,1 1 earlier 4 :23 foregoing 13:7 1------------1 little 5:20 7:21 forward 10:18 imbesi 9:2 live 10:1 effective 11 :5,5,9 11:17 impediment 10:21 loading 5:13 11 :20,24 10 22 effort 9 :9 four 3 :25 : lot 6:24 7:7 10:13 eight 8:l fpr 1:23 13:5,15 important 10:11,12 ended ?:l 6 9 :5 frame 10:4 individuals 4:17 ---;-2 :l0 entl.tled 7 _.14 freimark 2:6 3:20 initial 10:4 manager 2:9 4:9 esq 2 :14,14 3:21 intervenor 5:8,10 manner 7 :13 further 11 :25 7:4 establish 10:3 ,.----------JI . 7 2 2 mary 1:23 13 :5,15 estimated 4:6 g issue : ' matter 1:13 6:24 I ___ ...,,,,_ ___ issues 7:7 et 1:14 4:4 g 1:23 13:5,15 ________ ___. matters 4:2 i everybody 4:22 I gabe 4:19 6:8 12:2 ,_ __ _,c.j ___ --11 mayor 2:4,5 3:4,5,9 exactly 5:15 8:7 gabriel 2:4 jeffrey 2:6 3:10,14,15,24 4:21 m 10:2 given 7:17 joe 4:19,21 7:16 9:17,2211:25 12:4 I I example 7:3 gives 6:11 10:6 12:5 excuse 5:16 go 8:8 11:18 12:9 joined 6:6 mean 8:18,24 extension 9:25 going 4:25 8:8,16 joint 6:5,8 means 5:4 extent 5:14 10:17,24 jorge 2:10 4:9 meeting 3:6 12 :6,8 f gonzalez 2:10 3:2 joseph 2:14 4 :11 1 members 4:8 f 13 :l -----1 4:10 6:17 7:23 8:9 judge 9:7 met 8:4 8:11,20,22 9:24 judges 8:14 mind 10 :14 Veritext Legal Solutions 800-726-7007 305-376-8800 i I [minutes -tomorrow] minutes 4:7 prepared 9:12,13 1 report 13:7 mom 10:12 present 2 :18 reporter 4:13 mother 10:10 privilege 6:10,13 requests 5:21 motion 5:19 7:10 proceedings 3:1 resolved 7:23 7:11,148:6,259:18 12:1113:7 respond 10:4,23 movine 11: 17 processed 11 :23 respondents 6: 15 '-------'-"-----I n production 7:12 response 5:24 6:2 f--na_m_e_d-4-:9-,-17---1 project 10:19 11 :2 8:3 9:12,13,16 notary l:23 prompt 4:24 review 7:3,5 11:16 notes l3 :9 property 11:8 right 11:12 number l:l 5 protected 6:12 robbins 1:13 4:3 protection 6:5 5:6,6 7:11,18 9:18 ,__ ___ o ____ provided 6:1 7:19 roll 3:7,8 4:9 objected 5:20,21 public 1:24 2:18 room 3:23 4:18 ongoing 11 :11 4 :16 rule 7:13 open 5:2 7:16 12 :8 µp._u_t_l_l:_2_1 _______ ruled 5:19 order 3:6 q ruling 9:4,8 originally 7: 11 ..__ __ _____,,~ __ __, running 4 :23 question 9:24 l 0:9 Page 16 show 7:6 signature 13 : 14 small 11 :7 soon 9:13 sorry 4:21,24 sort 6:2 11:21 spoke 11:16 start 4:25 state 1 :24 3:2 13:5 status 5:9 6 :23 7 :2 1 9: 11 statute 4: 1 stenographic 13 :9 stenographically 13:7 stephenson 1 :23 13:5,15 straight 12:10 straightforward 1------"-p ___ -1 questions 7:110:6 s ,_s_2-:1_7 ____ -I 9 :4 p.l. 2:13 quickly 5:1 9:14 street 1:18 salver 2:5 3:5,14,15 p.m. 1:20,20 12:12 quite 8:7 part 4:15 quorum 3:22 patricia 2:6 r pending 5:23 people 4:7 person 10:20 petition I: 15 4:4 5:3,17 6:15,19,22 7:10,22 10:5 place 8:13,14 plan 11:3,7,13 planner 11:17 plans 5 :1 2 play 11:11 please 3:7 point 7:20 8:3,5 9:10 11:10,19 position 6: l 6 practice 7:11 8:25 preferred 7: 13 r 13:1 ran 7:20 ready 5:24 really 6:23 9:10 10:12,24 recall 7:9 11: 1 received 11: 15 record 3:2,5,11 4:16 5:22 7:12 13:8 recorded 4:13 regarding 4 :2 5:13 7:2 relating 5:22 relatively 9:3 reopen 12:5 replying 9:15 styled 4:2 3:24 9 :17,22 11 :25 12:5 sure 6:9 8:7 surprised 8:18 susan 2:1 4 4:10 6:8 saying 7:14 says 5:15 6:8 scale 11:8 second 5:1112:10 separate 6:7 septem ber 1: 19 13:11 serota 2 :13,14 4:11 4:19,19,25 6:7,19 6:23 8 :12,21,23 9:20 10 :2,10,2 1 served 6 :17 t t 13:1,1 taken 1:23 talk 6:10,11 talking 10:9 telephone 2:4 3:11 terminated 12:7 thank 12:4 things 11 :22 think 7:25 session 1:8 2:18 4:6 time 3:24 4:18 5:21 I 4:12 12 :1,6 6:9 7:17,18,20,25 sessions 4:1 8:1 10:4 seth 2:5 timewise 9: 10 shops 6:1,6,11,11 tomorrow 8:17,19 9:13 Veritext Legal Solutions 800-726-7007 305-376-8800 I I [transcript -year] transcript 4:15 13:8 transmit 11: 13 I trevarthen 2: 14 4:10 6:4,14,20 7:9 7:24 8:10 10:3,13 10:23 11:4,23 12:2 12:9 trigger 11 :20 truck 5:13 true 13:8 tuesday 1: 19 U I unclear 7:21 V ·-·-------<I V 1:13 versus 4:3 vilJage 1 :6, 14, 18 2:9,12,16 3:12 4:4 4:8,9,10 5:6 11 :16 vote 11:19 voted 11:1 f--------- w waiting 9:2 want 5:14 way 4:2310:17 11:22 weeks 8 :21,24 weiss 2:13 work 3: 12,13 working 6:3 y year 8:22,23 9:3 11:6,13 800-726-7007 Page 17 Veritext Legal Solutions 305-376-8800