Coleman wants the Hollywood grants job turned into a city position so city officials can monitor the individual's performance. "There should be more accountability," says Coleman. "I don't have any idea what Connell does."
And Linda Wilson, who serves on the city's budget-advisory board, feels the job should pay on a percentage basis, like Fort Lauderdale's. "That gives that person some incentive," she says.
Former state representative Fred Lippman, a member of Connell's inner circle
Related Content
More About
Two groups in Hollywood aren't concerned about whether Connell is doing the job but whether he is allowing politics to enter into the process. Steve Welsch, president of the North Beach Defense Fund, says he called Connell in 1994 to talk to him about his group's obtaining a grant to acquire some beachfront land for preservation. The city wanted a high-rise on the site. Connell agreed to a meeting, says Welsch, but Welsch got a call from George Keller, who was then director of development administration for the city, canceling the appointment. High-rise twin towers are currently being built on the site.
Brently O'Hare has similar concerns. She is heading up a committee exploring the possibility of the city acquiring a historic home once owned by Joseph Young, the founder of Hollywood. O'Hare says Temchuk -- who sat in on the committee meetings -- was very discouraging about the group's chances of getting money to buy the mansion. "She said they are not giving away money for acquisition," says O'Hare. "We were talked out of applying for an acquisition grant." Because Coleman hatched the idea to buy the house -- and Giulianti and Coleman are arch rivals and both running for mayor -- O'Hare feels Connell may have been trying to kill the project. Connell is a supporter of Giulianti's.
O'Hare says she also had trouble getting in touch with Temchuk. "I would call to the office all the time, and she was never there," she says. "I thought, 'Wow, what a great job she has.'"
One day O'Hare was sitting at a city commission meeting next to a man named Tony Campos. Campos is the former security director for George Bush and a Bush family friend who had just gotten a grant to establish a railroad museum at the Hollywood Tri-Rail station. Campos offered to assist O'Hare and the Young committee in getting a grant. Campos was enthusiastic about the group's chance of getting a grant and helped them write the application. Still, as is customary, the application wound up on Temchuk's desk for a final review.
"Supposedly she made changes," says O'Hare, adding that her group changed the application back to the way it was. "That was the big secret: Don't tell her we're changing it back." Campos says the changes to the application centered around whether the house should be a museum -- Temchuk was against it.
After New Times began asking questions about the Young house grant, O'Hare says she received a call from Connell, whom she has never met or heard from before then.
"He said, 'I'm pulling Bonnie off the project,'" she says. "That's all he said."
Connell would not say why he removed Temchuk from the committee.
Connell's contract came up for renewal at the September 8 commission meeting. It was on the consent agenda -- a laundry list of housekeeping issues that are voted on in one fell swoop, with little discussion. That is, unless commissioners pull an item for discussion or questions.
As promised Coleman pulled Connell's contract for discussion -- almost apologetically.
"It might be the chances of Maurie Connell winning this contract are excellent," he said. "I have a standard policy -- I try to get as many contracts put out for bid as possible. If a contract has gone on for a period of time -- and this one has gone on for 18 years -- it might be healthy and good government to put it out for bid."
Commissioner Cathy Anderson was quick to come to Connell's defense, as were two members of the audience. One of them was Henry Harbison, who is also running for mayor of Hollywood.
"I've been a resident of this city for 32 years, and if there's any man in this city I have the highest respect for, it's Connell," he said. "Maurie Connell is beyond reproach. I proudly endorse Maurie Connell and what he has done for the city."
When later questioned about why he stood up for Connell, Harbison said he had dealings with Connell when he was a Broward school board member in the '70s.
"He's a forthright gentleman," he said.
But has he gotten grants lately?
"That I really don't know," he said. "But I think so."
Contact Julie Kay at her e-mail address: Julie_Kay@newtimesbpb.com
