1675-7 New Hotels THE MIAMI HERALD
Copyright (c) 1995, The Miami Herald
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: NEIGHBORS MB PAGE: 3 LENGTH: 50 lines
SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: FRAN BRENNAN Herald Staff Writer
RESIGNATION SHOULDN'T SLOW BEACH PROJECTS •
Before the dust settles on City Manager Roger Carlton's resignation
letter, Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber wants to begin the transition to the
next administration.
Gelber has proposed appointing a committee to "examine the details
covering the departure" of Carlton and the search for his successor. Carlton,
who earns $131,250 a year, announced Wednesday he would resign the post he has
held for nearly three years. But he promised to remain available until June.
"It's not a firm figure," Gelber said. "If it turns out less time will be
necessary, his time will be less. Or if he has some new project that requires
him there sooner. Six months is just sort of a general figure we've used."
Gelber has recommended himself and Commissioners Nancy Liebman and Sy
Eisenberg to work out the nuances of Carlton's exit.
Carlton, 47, said he is leaving because he feels he has fulfilled the
goals the commission set when he was hired.
Among the projects still in the works, though, are negotiations for a
convention-quality hotel and a Lincoln Road movie theater, and a regional
search for a new police chief.
Commissioner Susan Gottlieb said she doesn't think Carlton's departure
will negatively affect the hotel negotiations because a qualified team is
already working out the details. But she said the resignation might put the
police chief selection on hold.
"I have always had questions about this process, " Gottlieb said of the
regional search and selection committee Carlton initiated. "Roger and I did
not agree about it. I'll wait until Wednesday (at the next commission
meeting) . I want to hear what the rest of my colleagues feel."
Liebman said she hadn't decided yet how that process should continue. The
city manager is ultimately responsible for choosing a police chief. Carlton's
selection committee is scheduled to meet for the first time Tuesday. "Will
we allow Roger to go forward and make the selection since he is not the person
who will have to work with that chief?" Liebman said. "On the other hand,
we've waited so long. Maybe we should let this committee go forward."
Liebman said this might be one of the issues the transition committee
decides. Another will certainly be how to conduct a search for the next
manager. Commissioners have different views on that.
Gottlieb favors a "quick and orderly transition" to the next
administration. "I'm not looking at this point in time to bring in someone
from outside the area," she said.
Liebman, on the other hand, wants to cast a wider net.
"We need to do another big search like they did last time, " she said.
"But all of the selection responsibility should be on the commission as
opposed to having a committee."
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