City to investigate release of public records

The cost to Tamarac taxpayers will be as much as $50,000 for the city to hire a private investigator to figure out who gave public records to a reporter, according to records released Friday.

City leaders are scheduled to approve hiring the law firm of Kim Vaughan Lerner on Wednesday to conduct a “forensic” search to try to find who gave the South Florida Sun Sentinel a memo that is a public record in Florida.

The city memo in dispute had outlined several budget amendments that would benefit the city commissioners themselves, including new retirement, full

health benefits, and stipends for technology and education.

Although city leaders didn’t express outrage with the pending request to grant themselves more money, they were furious about the information being made public. Commissioner Debra Placko chastised whoever gave out the information, saying at last week’s meeting, “Shame on you for being despicable.”

Those budget amendments, which have since been scrapped from being placed on a city agenda, came within months of other forms of spending that leaders passed for themselves to do their part-time job. That included a $25,000 personal initiative fund and a $15,000 local travel fund, on top of their salary, car and phone allowances, and out-of-town travel money.

The law firm was chosen directly by the city’s recently selected attorney, Hans Ottinot. The attorney could not be reached for comment by email about his selection process, although the website for the Caribbean Bar Association shows Ottinot is a member, as are three members of the Kim Vaughan Lerner law firm, including Robert Vaughan, who is a partner.

Ottinot wrote in a memo that the firm is “well known for conducting investigations in the public and private sectors.”

The memo was circulating at City Hall in preparation for the upcoming meeting, and City Manager Michael Cernech told commissioners that dozens of staffers had access to it.

The investigation will expand beyond city staff after Commissioner Marlon

Bolton said he wanted the investigation to include his fellow city commissioners as well.

According to city paperwork, the investigator will be “interviewing elected officials and city staff and consulting with IT staff in the review of emails, phone records, or electronic devices.”

The request to hire an investigator came at the request of Commissioner Mike Gelin. According to documents, the Lerner firm will “conduct a name clearing investigation into whether city protocols were followed regarding the drafting and release of certain documents related to a proposed budget amendment.”

The vote to hire the investigator was 4-1, with Mayor Michelle Gomez being the only ‘no.’

According to the Lerner website, the Fort Lauderdale firm handles business litigation whose “goal is to provide responsive, cost-efficient, and results-oriented legal counsel for business problems.”

A secretary for Robert Vaughan, who is a partner in the firm, said he was not available Friday for comment.

TAMARAC CITY HALL The cost to Tamarac taxpayers to hire a private investigator to sleuth City Hall will be as much as $50,000, according to records made public Friday afternoon.