Name: Panagiota Lazarou-Amanna, aka Toula Amanna
Campaign website: N/A
Date and place of birth: 10/21/1961 Athens, Greece
In your opinion, is your city generally on the right track or wrong track, and why or why not?
At this time, Davie is at a vital crossroads. When it comes to budgets and money matters, they’re on the right track, clearly they are doing good fiscally, they have a great bond rating and in a superb way. They’ve done a great job in managing budgets and finances. It is also structurally very nicely built compared to other municipalities and they have an incredible and very strong, Police and Fire services. Davie has an incredibly active community involvement in what they do.
The only thing that could take them off track is the future land use decisions when it comes to the development around the downtown area around Davie Road, the planning of the infrastructure to support that development, and also certain decisions when it comes to allocating the right budgets for the infrastructure, to support the roads that are aging, and some of them are also privatized which makes it difficult to gain access and correct also among the budgetary concerns as Davie is a 100-year old Municipality.
The concern is also to keep the Old Fashioned Rural Cowboy Town Character, Coupled with the Modernization of life and technology. We have to guard against unchecked growth when the infrastructure is not there to support it in certain areas. And we must also guard not to have the taxpayers foot the bill for unchecked growth that needs the added infrastructure to support it. On the positive side, the storm water management, the drainage, the traffic mitigation have been done very, very nicely and to the point where a lot of areas do not even require to have flood insurance because they did a lot of flood mitigation. Due to the very, very heavy duty capital investment in the improvement of those, uh, canals and the infrastructure and the swales so that it does not retain water and there’s no concerns for the stormwater master plan to be continuing to improve.
List in order of importance the three most important issues in the city and briefly explain what you would do about each.
There is controversy to stay transparent when it comes to development and the methods used to assemble land and develop it. There is concern that it is not fair or efficient when it comes to the municipal procurement processes and the developments. The consent agendas that have controversial items are voted on en masse without discussion among the council members and they are brushed over very fast to discourage attention. I would bring greater transparency and clear direction.
No one seems to take responsibility to speak to the people directly, none of the council members and they do not seem to be in charge. I have asked for direct discussions in extremely serious issues that have gotten us in litigation to resolve with discussion and face to face especially regarding my properties. that were sold to the town of Davie at a fraction of what they have paid others, and everybody redirected me to either the Town Administrator or the town Attorney or, worse yet, the downtown Fort Lauderdale attorney representing them. After 27 in the Town that I love, I am in litigation with them because I did not sell them the restaurant Equipment for “100 dollars per square foot of Grass “ as they called it and we thoroughly discussed that issue for months to the point where they knew that the companies whose assets they bought did not own any of the equipment. It’s like no member of the council or the Town Administrator, Rick Lemack or the CRA Director Philip Holste and the Town Attorney Allan Weinthal seem to step up and tell everyone that when we were meeting in person it was clear to me that I had to empty the restaurants because they were going to demolish them. Then for some unknown reason they changed their mind and wanted the equipment after I had already sold it and removed it getting them ready for the demolition that has been scheduled already a few months ago. No one wants to sit down and have a face to face meeting across from each other. No discussions are encouraged above the 3 minutes at the Council meetings and none afterwards. The lack of communication is really alarming after 20 years of me being one of the most giving and open sincere member of the Community.
The other concern is the way of life in regards to affordability: redefining the Live Local act in two layers is not giving us true affordability and they are removing buildings from the tax base by declaring a two bedroom apartment affordable, LIVE LOCAL ACT housing at $3,900 a month rent for a two bedroom apartment. The small to medium sized businesses are not making ends meet and they are met with blockades on the roads to part forcibly with their properties as they face uniquely rising operational costs and unnecessary regulatory hurdles. It’s becoming difficult, in essence, to get grants as we used to, permits in order to be able to renovate and expand their properties in order to sustain jobs. So in general we see that a lot of jobs are leaving us for the neighboring cities and the younger people do not have a viable , walkable downtown in order to keep them local after hours. They are leaving for cities like Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Pompano Beach. I would restart those programs they used to have 15 years ago to help local businesses create jobs and find financing via SBA and local Banks and I would demand that each developer would also build apartments and homes people can buy, not just rent . Similarly, I would find a way to reward the large Banks that would also fund first mortgages both residential and Commercial and alleviate the trend towards Equity Participation agreements with developers only.
Do you support or oppose Amendment 3, and why?
I support Amendment 3 because I believe that in the Town of Davie and most Municipalities the impact will be minimal, as it is limited, we will still have to pay for services and schools. Homeowners need relief and besides, it can always be revised . In the case of the Town of Davie there is already a great budget surplus to help overcome the waves. I believe it will be redone every year until it functions perfectly and the adjustments work..
If you are elected and Amendment 3 passes, you will have to reduce services or raise other fees. Can you cite a specific city program or service that is wasteful or unnecessary?
I would look at all the properties that the municipality owns and find ways to make them money producing. For example the vast park areas, which are the largest in Broward Country could also be reinvented to accommodate facilities that people would pay to use such as recreational park activities, I want very much to bring the Blue Lagoon technology that allows us to create a beach of 10 to 12 acres where people would be able to swim and put canoes in. It has been done in many occasions and in Orlando in areas where people cannot have access to water. That specific technology which was rejected by Lake Nonna for example there would have created a clean beach area of more than 8 Acres. The Rodeo Arena : I would model it after other areas in te Country, Midwest and in Central Florida where it would function as a covered building also similar to the Charlie Dodge center and the other European Arenas that can be converted for different venues. I would not leave it just for Rodeos, but I would create a climatized Concert and activity space that we do not currently have and it would function rain or shine.
How would you assess your city’s ability to manage growth, development and related issues such as traffic, noise, pollution and demands on city infrastructure?
We have enough space and I know that only the schools create some traffic and noise in the Davie Road area but I do not see any of the issues facing other Miunicipalities, besides the Town Administration has done a great job with the Roads and infrastructure already. The only important aspect of this is that every chance I would get if a Road was renovated and water and sewer would be added , I would also bury the Electric wires underground. FPL is more than willing to support such efforts in collaboration.
What single factor most distinguishes you from your opponent and why?
Ms. Susan Starkey is truly amazing, knows the issues and is very well spoken but the silence on difficult issues is really a deterrent as people know she is voting on very important issues along with everyone else and her opinion is almost always in alignment with the way the Administration is telling everyone to vote and nobody disagrees with each other. They have obviously discussed the Consent agenda and they all agree. Right now we see that the development approvals have been set aside in anticipation of the elections and I expect all of them to hit at once afterwards.
I would present all issues, pros and cons and I would not silently and in a hurry vote at numbers on the agenda that no one listens to what they are.
I study a subject a lot. Ms. Starkey promised upon the United Ranches annexation twenty years ago to help us with the sinkholes in the streets. We voted for the annexation but nothing happened until I started asking them and knocking on doors for people to sign the paperwork and get it done. Mr. Lemack will tell you I was frequently asking and asking until finally he took the initiative and got it done.
Our next step is water. Many neighborhoods are next to sources of water which has now become a bigger issue since so many of the wells are failing. But the municipalities like Cooper City seem to be angry and do not want to allow us to share even if we pay for more. I would step up and meet with them and discuss and I want to find out what is their grievance, we really do not know yet why we have not been able to connect. Ms. Starkey is very careful with her words and chooses to be politically correct at all times and I am not so guarded , as everyone knows. I also would be more lenient with people that want to improve their properties and not be so tough on people that have serious issues of mobility and therefore they modify their homes without a permit, they did not know, they said and they were punished severely as they were deemed insincere. The Council recently voted on an ordinance that people have to march into Town Hall and tell the public that their property is in default with the Bank or vacant and in financial trouble and also pay a fee. That is wrong and they all voted for it. Was it sincere when they all declared it was to keep the lawn mowed? We all wonder if the sincerity demanded is reciprocated .
Public records: Thousands of dollars to have access to public records? The pricing is wrong. Flock Camera locations for example, Municipality is charging to tell people the location?? That should be readily available and free.
List in reverse chronological order colleges or universities attended with years of attendance and degrees.
Nova University, Masters Degree in Real Estate Development
Florida International University Masters Coursework in Information Systems, not finished
Florida International University Bachelor Computer Science
Pierce College, Athens, Greece, High School
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Manager and Owner of 17 companies mostly restaurants and Real Estate Holding companies since 1985 providing 275 jobs at its peak.
Spokesperson and Panelist for SBA with Obama Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet and for a short time, with SBA Administrator Linda McMann
Small Business/Second Tier expansion Companies with Chase Banks on programs tied to business people’s education focused on job creation
Board of Directors Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance for over a decade
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
Yes, I have the following still pending:
Chapter 11 at the Deerfield Beach Café at the Pier when I was ordered to pay 70,000 a month rent on a 63,000 a month sales . Case was later dismissed but I have a pending lawsuit for procurement corruption, statutes violation and illegal deprivation of property rights against the City Administration and Commission of Deerfield Beach, That was my first ever lawsuit in the 45 years of my career.
Foreclosure complaint against my 3 restaurants on Davie Road from which the Town of Davie came in and bought the three properties at $100 per sq ft.
Foreclosure complaint at the Fort Lauderdale property on Andrews Avenue wanted by Kushner Companies and coveted by a number of individuals. It is important to note that these properties all had excellent mortgages approved at a fixed rate of 5.15% or less by the SBA and banks such as Paradise Bank but inexplicably were shut down by boards of Directors in their Fort Lauderdale locations. Unable to refinance also at Suncoast Credit Union who attempted to take over the SBA 7A which was approved for 5 million in Fort Lauderdale.
Fraud Complaint by the Town of Davie against me after I stated that I would run for District 3 Council to make things better and to please resolve the issue of the $500,000 in escrow that the Town of Davie shorted me out and please speak to me so that we do not go in litigation. Town of Davie Complaint states that the contents that belonged to third parties and my other companies whose assets they did not buy were sold at a public auction while they were watching, because they expected the hoods, the ACs, the Walk in coolers to be there along with sinks, fixtures and other restaurant equipment. They changed their mind about demolition , they said, and they wanted a restaurant there such as Texas Roadhouse earning for the Town of Davie under 300,000 a year return on the taxpayer’s money of 13.5 million!
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
Traffic violation, speeding, I do not remember the date.
Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
I understand what people need and want directly having so many employees and for over four decades excellent viable businesses as I started with 20,000 borrowed money and I ended up until last year with 45 million worth of assets and I taught dozens of other people to do the same. I know business and I understand the numbers extremely well to know that I can help reconfigure the way we provide services for people in order to help them attain the American Dream: A house they own, not rent and I can provide the means and the way to go back to that standard, attracting better developers that actually are providing a lifestyle, not an expensive rental, a job that is nearby, not in Miami or Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale and a community that does not empty out at night as people go to other Cities for Dinner and Entertainment and a viable downtown.
I would bring transparency in the Consent Agenda.
I would not allow businessowners to be locked out of their property through “FDOT’s faulty Median Road Design” , I would improve infrastructure in private neighborhoods by engaging the people to also contribute in cleaning up the catch basins for example and organizing an inspection team that would suggest solutions individualized and dedicated to the neighborhood they are in in order to improve infrastructure and the availability of utilities for all and underground. I would go to the league of Cities and find new programs in conjunction with funds offered by the State and Federal Government for appropriations and the difference is that I would not compromise by allowing forces that are adversary to the residents of Davie to take over the entire Municipality and do terrible things to the Land owners and residents to the point where we now see the tactics that cause the public to show such terrible disrespect for the office the present council holds for the first time ever in the 30 years I have lived in the same house! I held in very high esteem the council members as I believed they were in charge and their word was the law. Now I think they have lost not just their word , they do not directly speak to people one to one but they have lost the respect and trust that the people had towards them. I have a proven track record of standing openly against corruption and facing the consequences of a system that up till now I was not aware as to how much it has infiltrated our lives and the lives of our children.