South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Commissioner drama gets Seinfeld-esque at meeting
FORT LAUDERDALE — It wasn’t a Seinfeld episode, but it sounded just like one.
The main characters: Fort Lauderdale Commissioners Steve Glassman and John Herbst, both from New York.
The stage: The dais at City Hall on a Tuesday afternoon, at the end of the commission’s afternoon conference meeting.
The conflict: Glassman needling Herbst over how many hours the city attorney’s office has spent drafting opinions for him on whether a commissioner can accept invites from lobbyists and organizations to pricey and not-so-pricey events without breaking the county’s ethics laws.
Important to note: Commissioners take ethics training yearly and Herbst took his two weeks ago.
The dialogue: “Take the [ethics] training,” Glassman says.
“I took the training,” Herbst replies.
Glassman, in an annoyed tone: “Don’t go [to the event]. Or go and bring a check.”
Herbst, in an equally annoyed tone: “Please don’t tell me what to do.”
“I’m telling you what to do,” Glassman snaps.
“Well please mind your own business, thank you,” Herbst fires back.
Even Mayor Dean Trantalis had a small role, when Glassman asked him: “In my five years on this dais, has this ever become such a drama?”
“It hasn’t,” the mayor replied dryly as the clock ticked past 6 p.m. “But you’re cutting into my dinnertime.”
The entire exchange between Glassman, who represents District 2, and Herbst, who represents District 1, went on for more than five minutes. One observer later described the verbal sparring match as a cat fight.
Now some are wondering if it’s a sign of things to come.
“I just don’t think we need to see so many man hours in the attorney’s office working on churning out these memorandums to us about a brunch or a lunch or a breakfast,” Glassman said during the flare up.
In recent weeks, Herbst questioned the city attorney about a Pier Sixty-Six topping-off ceremony that came with a lunch valued at $19.99. He also inquired if it was legal to attend an NHL All-Star Weekend event that included brunch tickets valued at $120 apiece and an all-youcan-eat dinner valued at an estimated $150.
To end the debate, Glassman told Herbst there was a simple remedy to his questions.
“You know what? The easiest thing is, you write a check,” Glassman said. “That’s the easiest thing to do.”
Herbst told Glassman he intends to keep on asking the city attorney to make a ruling on whether it’s legal and ethical to attend any event he’s not sure about.
“I will continue to go to the city attorney’s office every single time I have a question,” Herbst said.
“Every single time. That’s great,” Glassman responded.
Herbst ’s comeback: “Every single time.”
The backstory: Herbst was Fort Lauderdale’s city auditor until Glassman, Trantalis and a third commissioner voted to fire him in February. Soon after, Herbst announced he was running for an open city commission seat in November.
“They fired me. I ran for office. I won.” Herbst told the Sun Sentinel Wednesday. “I’m not making any of this personal. But if these guys are going to start flinging mud at me, I am going to fling it back. I will not back down from a fight.”
Glassman accused Herbst of holding a grudge and trying to play gotcha.
“Everyone is waiting on him to turn the page,” Glassman said.