Coral Gables Commissioners sided with the city manager instead of the police chief on Tuesday when they supported a “separation agreement” that allows a police major who spied on a resident at a public meeting last year to retire from the department with her full pension in November rather than be fired outright.

And, in the process, they swept something under the rug that could have implicated the city manager’s office in more widespread spying on activist residents, selected employees and maybe even commissioners.

Because Maj. Theresa Molina –caught taking cellphone pictures of a resident’s text messages during a city commission meeting in September — wasn’t taking those pictures for herself. Let there be no mistake about that. Yet the investigation and Tuesday’s discussion did not go in the direction that it should have — which is up and into the city manager’s office.

That is why Molina has been, basically, protected from any real punishent this whole time, rewarded with the maximum pension benefits and, literally, paid — to keep her mouth shut. To keep the inquiry from moving up.

Read related story: Coral Gables cover up on police ‘spy’ protects managers

Molina has been suspended with pay since, earning her six figure salary the whole time she is, supposedly, sitting at home catching up on the Food Network shows (more than $90,000 on suspension). The decision by the commission Tuesday to support the city manager’s recommendation means Molina gets to stay on through November to reach the minimum threshhold necessary to apply the rule of 70 that allows her to retire with $500 more a month.

So, basically, rather than discipline her for spying on Maria Cruz (photographed left), who, by the way, was texting commissioners Vince Lago and Frank Quesada so she could be recognized and speak about the police shortages, City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark has rewarded Molina. Make no mistake about that. Molina was rewarded for her work, being a good spy — which is precisely what she was doing on September 28 last year and what should have been, what should still be, investigated.

It wasn’t a mistake. Molina didn’t suspect a Sunshine Law violation. It was a public meeting. Maria Cruz is not an elected official. She’s an active old lady resident with a legitimiate gripe about police shortages. Which is precisely why Molina was spying on her. Part of the investigation that did not get discussed Tuesday was the testimony from Maj. Raul Pedroso and Molina herself, which seem to contradict everything Swanson-Rivenbark said on the dais.

Pedroso, for example, indicates that there had been prior conversations between Molina, himself and Assistant City Manager Frank Fernandez, the director of public safety, about suspicious conversations and texting taking place in secret between some commissioners and some residents or employees of the police department. Apparently, from Pedroso’s testimony to the Internal Affairs investigator, these three sore losers have been talking about this “conspiracy” since Police Chief Ed Hudak was named interim chief instead of one of them.

“Maj. Molina, she was witness [to] what, what we have suspected,” Pedroso said in his sworn statement. “Which that these are the types of communications that are happening, that don’t appear to be the way that’s intended to in an open government.”

So, basically, they suspected that Maria Cruz was communicating with commissioners and Molina was getting proof for them.

Read related story: Gables Police major suspended for spying on resident

Ladra finds it curious that the mayor and certain commissioners had the time to bring up the sins of policemen past — which Swanson wisely listed on her report so she could change the narrative (it is a classic crisis management tactic and it worked somewhat) and justify her slap on Molina’s wrist — but they didn’t talk about the testimony that seems to indicate that what happened September 28 was not an isolated incident of rudeness but, rather, officially sanctioned government spying.

Molina didn’t take one photograph. She took six. Maybe as many as eight, because two were erased. Too blurry, she said in her sworn statement. She took the photographs from behind Maria Cruz’s shoulder, without her knowledge, in a sneaky and undercover fashion. She admits to going into investigative mode. She had to zoom in on them to see what was being said. She said she could read the messages were for Lago and she knew it was about the police shortages and about Maria Cruz wanting to speak but said she thought the resident was circumventing the rules. Maria Cruz was actually alerted by another witness in the commission chambers who thought the major was acting suspiciously. Molina, in her testimony, said she was just gathering evidence to report something she believed was a violation of the Sunshine Law.

But Molina didn’t then go and tell the police chief that a Sunshine Law had been violated. She didn’t take it to the city attorney who was right there. No, instead, Molina immediately showed the photos to Fernandez. Did he tell her to erase them because she had violated someone’s rights? No, he told her to show them to the city manager. And Swanson-Rivenbark says she told the major right away that what she had done was wrong.  “When she spoke to me as we went to the ribbon cutting for the NSA vehicles… I immediately said to her ‘It’s her right to text the commissioners.’”

And yet, Molina says in her own testimony that she didn’t realize she had done anything wrong until City Attorney Craig Leen told her once the commission meeting resumed after the NSA photo opp that residents could text commissioners any time they wanted. Wait, didn’t Cathy tell her just five minutes earlier or not? Probably not.

And Molina didn’t know it was wrong to photograph the communication of someone who is not under investigation? Are you kidding me? It’s unlikely the city would accept that as a legitimate excuse from a 23 veteran who once was considered for police chief — if it weren’t also convenient. Because this allows the city manager and her right hand man to move past this ugly little chapter without anyone having to know how involved they were in the spying.

Read related story: City uses legal muscle to gag Coral Gables activist

And also so they can keep it up. In recent days, Ladra has heard of other possible incidents in which Fernandez and his cronies have been reportedly reading other people’s emails and eavesdropping on conversations. He allegedly asked staff in Information Technology if they can find out who got blind copied on a critical email sent by Maria Cruz, who said Tuesday that she felt like she was in Castro’s Cuba again.

“Fidel Castro took over Cuba when I was 12 years old. Twelve. And I saw many injustices. Ms. Molina’s actions toward me took me back 60 years,” Cruz told commissioners when she begged them to terminate the major.

“Please, please send a clear message to anyone that in Coral Gables, no police offcer is above the law.”

The problem in this situation, however, is that those above the police officer are complicit.

Normally, the Miaim-Dade Republican’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner is headlined by a GOP politician. Recent years have seen heavyweights like Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez Cantera, presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio and vice presidential then-nominee Mike Pence last year.

This year, the group will have a poitician’s handler as the keynote speaker. Well, not a handler. The handler: Kellyanne Conway, former campaign manager turned White House whisperer to President Donald Trump. Conway, whose official title is counselor to the president, will be regailing local Republicans with her alternative facts at the June 27 dinner, which is the group’s main annual fundraiser.

And of course her presence is expected to sell tickets. But the “save the date” notices have a disclaimer so that we don’t confuse Conway with a dancing monkey: “Ms. Conway is a special guest for this event.  Her participation in the event is not a solicitation of funds.”

The dinner is still at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport and Convention Center, but it’s in a bigger room, said Miami-Dade GOP Chairman Nelson Diaz. The old room maxed out at 450 or 470 people and tickets to the dinners with Rubio and Pence sold out quick. This new room can accomodate more than 2,000 if needed.

Diaz loves Conway, who he says is a model for her courage, but he feels they are not in danger of selling out. Still, you never know. Conway is interesting enough that people might go who aren’t necessarily Republican. Ladra is tempted. Or will she have the same Trump effect that Pence and Congressman Trey Gowdy had last year? The local GOP tried to get The Donald himself, but Gowdy was the original surrogate tapped by the then presidential candidate to be the keynote speaker last year. Pence was a surprise bonus. But some anti-Trump Republicans — notably Congress members Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Carlos Curbelo — stayed away because of the toxic campaign. Might they stay away from the toxic campaigner?

Ladra says nana nina. Why? The difference between last year and this year is two words: White House.

Which leads us to wonder… how does our county GOP always get the big ticket?

“We always get great speakers, but it’s a lot of work,” Diaz told Ladra, adding that they had been in talks with Conway and her peeps since February or early March. That’s a very fast turnaround for the White House, where it can take up to six months to get a response for such a request.

“We have friends in the White House,” Diaz told Ladra. “We have friends everywhere. That’s part of the secret sauce.”

Speaking of secrets, this won’t be the first time that the Secret Service is also a guest, which can make logistics more difficult. “You can’t do this. You can’t do that,” Diaz said. And, no, he can’t go into details.

No word yet on whether Conway, who we imagine has just a tad less security than Pence, will stay for dinner or dine privately in another room like Pence did with his wife and his small army of bodyguards.

Tickets to the 69th annual Lincoln Day Dinner will be on sale in the nexts day or so online at www.miamidadegop.org.

Laughable traffic study should be thrown out

Anti-development activists against recent upzoning in Coral Gables lost in last month’s elections when every single one of their candidates got beat in their respective races, including former Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick who lost the mayoral bid to former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli by 187 votes.

Now, they may lose again on Tuesday, when commissioners are set to take the final vote on a controversial development near the historic Coral Gables Elementary School that wants variances to more than double the allowed density.

It will be the first real test for the new commission on the issue that defined the election. 

Read related story: Mike Mena (read: developers) win Gables race, as expected

The 33 Alhambra project will raze a number of two-story apartment buildings along Navarre and Minorca avenues, Galian Street and Alhambra Circle and replace them with a mixed-use complex with retail and residential rental units in 10 floors. It got approved 4-1 at first reading in December. Want to guess who was the sole dissenter? The answer is Slesnick, who isn’t there anymore. That might be why the lawyer for the developer asked to table the second hearing last January, after more than 60 people showed up to speak against it. Attorney Zeke Guilford asked for time to see if the developer could make some compromises to address community concerns, but it’s obvious they were just stalling until after the election. It’s not a coincidence it’s coming up at the second meeting since. Because the compromise they’ve come back with is hardly really a compromise.

Maybe it’s even a bait and switch. Maybe the plan was always for 146 units, which is still more than twice the 56 allowed under current zoning guidelines. By giving the inflated 184 originally in the plans, this may seem like a relief to some. But not to all. 

Residents have signed a petition saying it’s still too big. They are expected to show up. And that’s why the city is having this item at 5 p.m. time certain instead of during the day, to facilitate the working class families that live around there who are upset about the disingenuous “compromise” and who want to balk publicly at the traffic study that says the project will only bring 58 new car trips during the morning. Laughable.

Read related story: In Coral Gables election, only a sweep will change the course

Ladra suspects that this new commission — what? With a land use attorney on it and all — is poised to approve this project, even thought it will dwarf the two story historic elementary school and cast a shadow as well as a traffic nightmare on that whole neighborhood and even though they will hear from dozens of residents who will beg them to reconsider.

But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. They did the right thing by moving this discussion to 5 p.m. Perhaps they will do the right thing and force the developer to downsize even further. Certainly twice the number of units normallly allowed should still be a win, no? Instead of trying to maximize their profits with efficiencies and one bedrooms, maybe they could increase the number of two-bedroom units in what is a desireable neighborhood for young families and bring the size down? 

At the very least Coral Gables Commissioners should demand a valid traffic study that might give them more gravitas when they approve this, as well as grounds for some impact fees to pay for more police officers, since there’s such a shortage.

Because taking this traffic study at face value will show us that developers really did win in last month’s elections. 

Even before the next campaign report is due next week, Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco passed the half million dollar mark in his quest to become the city’s next mayor. Last month’s campaign finance report shows $41,575 brought in April for a total warchest of $500,942.

But almost 10 percent of that comes from a real estate investor who supported higher zoning in North Beach and may want to gentrify several blocks of South Beach around Flamingo Park.

Adam Walker, who has given Grieco at least $40,400 bundled through his company, Boardwalk Properties, and 40 other related firms, bought 15 aging, low- and moderate-rent Art Deco apartment buildings in South Beach for $59 million last year and immediately raised rents 50 percent to force working people out and cater to a more affluent clientele.

Read related story: Dan Gelber raises mayoral money fast, and spends it fast

“It’s true that instead of having taxi drivers and sous chefs, you’ll end up with younger attorneys, people who work in the Design District, people who work downtown,” Walker told the Miami Herald . “These are people who drive Porsches and are drawn to Miami Beach but don’t want to live in high rises.”

In a February, 2016, letter to the editor of the Miami Herald, Grieco — who is running for mayor against former Sen. Den Gelber, who has raised $361,519 and much of it from outside the city — defended workforce housing, saying that he and Commissioner Joy Malakoff had made efforts to preserve and increase it. But he told Ladra recently that what Walker did was invest in improvements to restore, even save Art Deco buildings that have long been neglected.

Meanwhile, Walker has been known to neglect his own properties. State records show that buildings his mulitple companies owns have, collectively, received dozens of violations since 2012 for such things as holes in the ceiling, holes in the wall, discarded appliances outside, cockroaches, and a failure to display balcony inpsections more than once, just for starters.

Miami-Dade Court records also show he’s filed paperwork to evict tenants 112 times since 2014. Grieco better hope they’re not still city voters.

“He supports me for the same reason anybody else supports me, because he likes what I am doing for Miami Beach,” Grieco told Ladra, questioning why I would even bring this up (because it’s the biggest case of bundling by far).

“He’s doing a good thing saving those buildings. He’s making a big investment,” Grieco said about Walker.

Yes, and the $40,000 given to the mayoral campaign can also be seen as an investment. In what?

“Good government,” Grieco said.

Did you have a nice, loooong weekend? Well, just because it’s a shorter week doesn’t meant there’s not a lot going on.

The cities of Miami and Coral Gables have some controversial items this week sure to pack their respective city halls while South Miami has a dejavu on affordable housing and the county has another one of those “we love soccer” meetings about a proposed stadium in Overtown. We also have yet another march downtown. This one is family friendly!

No, it’s not a typo. I got no notice from the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club meeting in Miami Beach. Maye they are skipping this week?

And since when did Saturday become a day to do political stuff? No, really. Please stop that.

Got an event for the calendar on a normal day of the week? Get me the 411 on your 305 government and club meetings, campaign fundraisers and political powwows and get in the calendar. It’s easy. Send an email to edevalle@gmail.com or invite me on Facebook or hit me up on twitter like some of these people did.

TUESDAY — May 30

9 a.m. — There is going to be a lot of upset residents at Coral Gables City Hall Tuesday. Not only is there going to be a 2 p.m. time-certain discussion item on the commission meeting agenda, thanks to Commissioner Vince Lago, about the police major who spied on resident Maria Cruz during a commission meeting in September — will Maj. Theresa Molina be fired or will she pass go and collect $100,000 and a really fat pension for the rest of her life — there may also be talk about the police shortages and a 5 p.m. time-certain second vote on the controversial 33 Alhambra development that seems to have made some cuts in units and parking, but which nearby residents still don’t want. If you want a seat, get there early. Or you’ll be watching on the TVs outside the commission chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way.

10 a.m. — After deferring it last week, Miaim City Commissioners will consider taking Watson Island back from a developer that promised 16 years ago to turn it into a hotel/retail destination with parking and a marina. Commissioner Ken Russell believes that the developer has missed a deadline earlier this month to start construction. Some city staffers say they did enough to meet that standard. It will certainly make for an interesting discussion as there are a group of Venetian Island residents opposed to the development. They and State Rep. David Richardson wants the process to start over. And maybe it should, considering it was made 16 years ago! The special meeting begins at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive.

6 p.m. — The city of South Miami may finally be moving along on the long-promised Madison Square affordable housing project along Southwest 59th Place at 64th Street, next to the St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church. The South Miami Community Redevelopment Agency will consider transmitting the proposal with a variance for four stories rather than the maximum two and another variance for reduced parking. This has been talked about for years but has been held up by one thing or another. In 2015, the original contractor cancelled its contract with the city over delays in getting the necessary variances. Will we see a dejavu on Tuesday? The project now has been divided into two, the East and the West parts. The CRA will also consider two unity of titles for the 15 properties involved. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in commission chambers at City Hall, 6130 Sunset Drive.

WEDNESDAY — May 31

2 p.m. — An update on the SMART mass transit plan for Miami-Dade is coming up at Wednesday’s Transportation Planning Organization’s Transportation and Mobility Committee meeting. County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz will ask the committee to amend the plan to extend the bus express rapid transit (BERT) corridor limits of the Florida Turnpike Express. There will also be presentations on the Miami River tunnel feasability study and on the Miami-Dade Quick Build Program. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. in Miami-Dade commission chambers at 111 NW First St.

6:30-8 p.m. — The city of Miami Beach will have a community meeting on the kayak launch project planned for the waterway north of 73rd Street and west of Dickens Avenue, which will take about two months to build and will not affect the community garden. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the North Shore Park and Youth Center, 501 72nd Street.

THURSDAY — June 1

8:30 a.m. — The Mayor’s North Beach Plan Steering Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Normandy Shores Golf Club, 2401 Biarritz Drive. Ladra doesn’t know where to get an agenda but this group is on a roll. Most recently, and at the behest of Commissioner Ricky Arriola, the committee has been pushing to get a version of Wynwood Yard, an outdoor venue in the popular Miami neighborhood with a lot of food truck events and where Shakira gave an impromptu concert the other day, on the city-owned lots across from North Shore Open Space Park. North Beach Yard would be similar to the original concept, but more retail-oriented. There may also be an organic farm for onsite restaurants to use and for locals to buy fresh produce from as well as an artists’ showcase. It would be interesting to see what the committee follows that up with.

6 p.m. — Soccer in Overtown? Some people love the idea. Others hate it. There will be a community discussion on Thursday about the sale of Miami-Dade county owned property in Overtown to David Beckham and partners so they can build the Major League Soccer stadium they have been talking about for years. Miami-Dade “officials” and staff are expected to be at the YWCA, 351 NW 5th St., but the notice on the county website doesn’t specifically say that Mayor Carlos Gimenez will be there. He was at the first one of these community meetings but there are at least two more next week.

SATURDAY — June 3

9 a.m.-1 p.m. — Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo and the town of Miami Lakes will host a family fun day picnic at Picnic Park West, 15151 NW 82nd Ave. There will be a farmer’s market, free rides, music, and raffles.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. — The March for Truth in downtown Miami Saturday has attracted a bunch of politician candidates. Tallahassee Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, perennial candidate (Senate 40 this time) Annette Taddeo, Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez and Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez — both of whom have announced plans to run for Congress next year since Ileana Ros Lehtinen is retiring — will be at the anti-Trump demonstration, organized by a coalition of groups that include Women’s March, Indivisible 305, Indivisible Miami and RiseUp Florida. They demand truth and transparency, including an impartial investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to President Donald Trump and so many of his friends and family. To get people to go, they are also briging food trucks, musical acts and face painting. No joke. Bring the whole family to the political march! Festivities begin at 11 a.m. at the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First St.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. — If you don’t know your Hurricane 101 yet, you must not be from around here. The Village of Palmetto Bay is offering a town hall on hurricane preparedness this Saturday at the municipal center, 9705 E. Hibiscus St. And here Ladra thought for sure Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn would be at the march.