Questions multiply...

Is it possible that pool management doesnt know the difference between daily pool admissions (mostly locals and some private parties) and monthly swim team pool rentals (high schools, polo team, MDAC)? How is it that SOMETIMES the possible rents (only the fronts of the checks are shown) are noted in the daily logs, but only on a sporadic basis? Can it be that other payments will be MIRACULOUSLY found at some point down the road in another account and paraded before the Council? How convenient that would be! Of course it wouldnt BEGIN to address the unauthorized handshake deal to rent our pool for PENNIES on the dollar! Or the imaginary Optimist connection that ISNT NOW and NEVER WAS. or the legality of the sweetheart handshake deal! or the actual numbers of Springs kids involved in MDAC! or the lack of controls at the pool regarding admissions! Or the new Recreation Directors rumored hitting on the young ladies at the pool! Or the lack of specific itemized records of how many swimmers from each swim team is utilizing our facility, and when! Or the meet revenues and where THAT money goes and how much has been received over the years from various meets- GMAC, districts, MDAC, Sun Devils, etc. Or the taping incident! or when, if ever, the City Manager was authorized to rent the pool for whatever he wanted! Or why he didnt follow the Councils direction! Or when did he receive approval by the Mayor and Council to charge whatever he wanted, if ever! Or does he have ANY idea NOW how much other pools charge for swim practices and meets (if not, why not?)? If he does know, what has he found to be the standard rates charged at other pools, and why are we NOT charging the standard rates?

MDAC profits at our expense

Shouldnt every citizen have a say in whether we want our money to go to cover expenses incurred by a private business based in Doral that has only a handful of Springs kids and doesnt even pay enough to cover the expenses of keeping the pool open for their group? Why should WE take a BIG loss so that THEY can profit? The City Council APPROVED the City Manager renting our pool for PENNIES on the dollar??? Without any contract? on a handshake? NOW that the Council knows all this is happening, what are they DOING about it? No oversight, supervision, or accountability has been required of the City Manager in YEARS! Why would they START now? Gym will continue to bleed the city of needed tax dollars and resources until we are bled dry. And the City Council will act surprised. They ALL need to go. Start with the City Manager.

Santa meet as a diversion?

What does the Santa Claus meet have to do with paying the rent for the use of our pool? or not? How are the facts and figures presented here in any way changed by who won the Santa Claus meet? Why would Springs taxpayer care about the Santa Claus meet when we are in a recession, people are out of work, foreclosures are at a multi-year highs, and the City Manager is giving away use of city facilities for PENNIES on the dollar? Wouldnt an ETHICAL business want to clear up any doubts about the rents they might still owe, and put the Springs taxpayers minds at ease, as a part of being a good neighbor and someone who might want to CONTINUE doing business with the City? The focus next time will be on pool operations, and NOT closing the pool, so THAT scare tactic wont be as effective then.

choose your symbols

Is there ANYBODY out there who, if their house was sold for less than 15% of its true value, would think they got a GREAT deal? If their house was sold for a little less than 40% of what its really worth, would ANYBODY thing they even got a GOOD deal? Of course not. They would be getting hosed, just like the residents are at the pool! We are not seeking to gouge anybody, but we dont want to BE gouged either! We need to bring a couple dozen HOSES to the next Council meeting! Or maybe some really large screws.

fire-sale benefits?

Well, it is certainly true that NOT paying the little amount of pool rent SHOULD, and WOULD have eventually raised a red flag. And it HAS. Even tho a review of public records does NOT indicate more than 5 payments out of the past 36 months, it IS possible that those ridiculously low payments have been made and the monies mislaid, or put into another account. It IS odd that sporadic payments would be reflected on the daily logs sometimes, and other places at other times. Perhaps it is just another sign of the chaos and disorganization in the City. Even if one accepts the POSSIBILTY that the $200 a month pittances were paid, its a lousy deal for Springs residents, as its 15% of the true market value. Even $500 a month is less than 40% of the true market value. Why would Springs residents accept that deeply-discounted rate to a private business while they are losing 200k a year? We are losing our butt in a recession economy, and can afford to give away our facilities at a fire-sale rate? especially to a private club with so few Springs kids? and at NO benefit to the swimmers- as it is money out of the residents pockets and into the pockets of the owners? An ethical business would have done the right thing and straightened this situation out a LONG time ago, not hiding behind a legal technicality. It is difficult to conceive that the hardworking, dedicated, and honest parents of MDAC swimmers are not embarrassed and ashamed by the highly unethical actions of the owners.

another sweetheart deal

What EXACTLY has MDAC done for the 6 residents out of the 100 swimmers on MDAC that are Springs residents? MDAC has held daily practices at our pool for 15% of the going rates, while the taxpayers lose at least 200k, for YEARS. How is that a benefit to MS taxpayers? On the outside possibility that they may have paid that paltry sum, how does that benefit MS taxpayers? To pay $2400 of a rental bill that SHOULD have been at least $15,600, while Springs taxpayer LOSE 200k a year, is a benefit to Miami Springs? It is but a pittance of what they SHOULD be charged, and they KNOW it! HOW do they know it? They know it because four years ago they were paying Miami Dade Junior College at least $1300 a month to rent 4 lanes there! So explain to us again how We, the taxpayers, benefit from having 6 Springs kids or less out of 100, practicing at OUR pool 6 days a week for almost 15% of the true value of that rental while it costs us 150-200k a year to keep open? We gain $2400, maybe, and lose 200k in the process. Does THAT sound like good business to ANYBODY (except MDAC)? And that doesnt begin to address the revenues NOT taken for meets. MDAC is taking advantage of a secret, sweetheart backroom handshake deal with the City Manager that was NEVER authorized by the Council! And has NO legal standing! Contact the Mayor and the Council if you think that will help, but there ARE serious doubts about them doing ANYTHING! In fact, they are at least partially responsible for this, yet ANOTHER City Manager sweetheart deal and fiasco for the taxpaying residents! A result of little and NO oversight and supervision by the Council! AGAIN!

midle school monies missing?

Springs Middle IS mentioned maybe 12-15 times, when the swim teams are itemized at all. NO real mention of Doral middle in recent memory, altho will double check. If they were paying $2 per day per swimmer in CASH that would mean a LOT of cash is unaccounted for over the years! Do they have receipts? Better yet, do they have cancelled checks? How many years have the middle schools been practicing at our pool? Perhaps a FOI request for middle school payments is in order too? Those could be matched up with the receipts and/or cancelled checks, right?

more lost revenues?

8 Dec 07 2 adults paid, 46 kids identified. Total revenues claimed and paid that day $5. None of the kids identified as swim team kids. Glad kids spent the day swimming. Concerned that they paid to swim and the monies disappeared.

lost revenues

29 Dec 07 58 total patrons documented- 13 adults, 45 kids. total number charged- one adult, 15 kids. Total revenues for the day= $25. None of the patrons were designated as swim team participants. Wonder if this is another Whooops moment at the pool, where they FORGOT to charge for the additional patrons, OR a pattern of daily under-reporting revenues ? If all the revenues arent reported, the city gets cheated out of needed revenues. Worse, if all the patrons paid and the difference in what was reported and the actual use was just pocketed! Either way, the residents lose revenues due to, poor management and controls in the first place, and theft in the second case. Either, or both, should be grounds for dismissal, if not prosecution.

various rates

The review revealed that the GOOD, to EXCELLENT, documentation of the swim teams who use our pool on a daily basis, started 6-11-08, and continued until very recently. There are apparently various rates for different pool rentals- 3-12-08 pool rental $180; 5-3-08 pool party rental 1-5pm $97; 5-10-08 pool rental $ 77.50; 5-19-08 and 5-26-08 rental $123.40 each; 5-31-08 rentals $172.60 and $ 130.00. Anybody know what these various rates may be for? Did somebody out there say they rented the pool last Summer for $240? What was the date on that check? When was it cashed? More pieces to the puzzle..

real representation

Unfortunately, if you go to MOST of the Council, including the Mayor, nothing will be done to the City manager either. Only Mr Dotson has stood up to the City Manager and asked the hard questions that need to be asked. Contact Mr Dotson if you want something done about city business practices. He helped the guy at the pool who was taped illegally and he will help ANY citizen who has been treated badly by city officials. Have your homework done tho, and present only the facts, as Mr Dotson doesnt work with half-truths, rumors, or personal vendettas.

MDAC claims

Just curious, but how much education is usually required to attand a Council meeting? Is MDAC actually saying that the City didnt BILL them every month for pool usage? Are they ACTUALLY saying they thought that six months a year their daily practices were FREE, and that they were only obligated to pay for every SEVENTH month?? Every seventh month they were only required to pay for ONE? Thats hard to believe as they had just finished paying at least $1300 a month for 4 lanes at the Jr College!! They went from $1300 a month to FREE. Pretty good deal for MDAC as they just pocketed the $1300 a month for the past 30-odd months! Not very good for Springs taxpayers as they just footed the bill for MDAC to practice FREE! MDAC DOESNT pay, except a paltry $200 every seventh month, and the taxpayers pay ALL YEAR ROUND, to the tune of HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars! MDAC claims innocence, but they KNOW what a STEAL even $200 a month is! MDAC gets richer and the taxpayers get poorer! All with the City Managers approval.

commentary

It is difficult to justify commenting on a person for their height, eye color, etc. as those are the result of the cards Mother Nature has dealt them, and they had no choice in the matter. It is totally another matter to comment on their job performance, job skills (or lack of same), decisions made or not made, management style, or interpersonal skills (or not). It is much easier to justify commenting on a public official when they CHOOSE to be arrogant, petty, vindictive, dishonest, misleading, mendacious, manipulative, obscure, vain, overbearing, secretive, obtuse, egotistical, irresponsible, and/or corrupt. THOSE are CHOICES they make, and they have to live with the consequences.

Xmas is a time of wonders

Exactly HOW would a handshake deal be enforced? How would ANYBODY know if the terms were being accurately fulfilled? Are there any witnesses to these handshake agreements? What are the legal ramifications? How many of these handshake deals does the City have? Six? A dozen? More ? Does the Mayor or any of the Council know exactly what these deals are? If not, why not? If they DO know about these backroom handshake deals, why havent they let the rest of us in on the secrets? Do these secret handshake deals meet the Government in the Sunshine requirements? if not, why not? are they somehow exempt? Wonder how many secret handshake deals the County has? the State of Fla? Most of the business agreements with the city are dicussed during the Council meetings? when were these agreements discussed? Did the Mayor and Council approve these agreements? Xmas is a time of wonder- and I was just wondering too!

A Xmas wish

Happy Holidays!! There is a sign-in sheet when you go to lift weights. You have to fill out a sheet with complete information when you want a FOI request. Why not at the pool? It is curious that the Mayor and the Council, now that they know there is NO contracts or use agreements, only a handshake deal with MDAC, they are not DEMANDING contracts be put into place immediately!!? Does it mean they believe that handshake deals are sufficient? Does the Mayor or the Council even KNOW what the handshake deals ARE? Has it ever been discussed? After knowing the Optimist connection was a pure fabrication, how can they trust the City Manager's word on ANYTHING? He SAYS that Columbus and Reagan HS have paid $1500 each for the past 2 seasons, but there is NO proof of that being true, and he offers NO proof ? He SAYS that MDAC has paid a paltry $200 a month to practice at our pool but a review only finds 5 months accounted for out of the last 36 months! Perhaps he cannot find the records because several of them appear to be missing. In that case all he has to do is request MDAC to provide THEIR cancelled checks, deposit slips, and bank statements! Simple, no ?! Or perhaps the City Manager thinks that 5 payments of $200 out of the past 36 months is sufficient rent for the use of our pool, since he said he had NO IDEA what other pools charge for their pools ? If THAT is the case then he is just INCREDIBLY INCOMPETENT and should be allowed to "pursue other oppurtunities" elsewhere. Any way you slice it, the pool is just ANOTHER fiasco the City Manager is involved in that costs the residents a LOT of money. As this is Xmas and a time for being kind - set him free...Let him go, start with a clean slate, somewhere else. We simply cant afford him any more.

cant or wont produce records?

Merry Xmas !! it is not clear if the City CANT, or WONT, provide the necessary records requested. It MAY be that they are in such a state of disarray and chaos that they couldnt FIND the records IF they ever existed. OR it could be that the incriminating records have been conveniently lost, and could miraculously arise at a later date! Or perhaps they are taking this holiday season to order another gallon of white-out and are ADJUSTING the records accordingly. The holidays are a time for INFINITE possibility ! The taxpayers pay the salaries of city officials, and have to answer to the taxpayers. EACH and EVERY taxpayer has a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Is there any doubt or question about THAT? So when ANY business uses OUR facilities and doesnt pay the rent, we have a RIGHT to know WHY NOT! If they SAY they have paid the rent but the revenues are NOT reflected anywhere, then SOMEBODY should have records to confirm their claims. If they cant or wont produce the records, either the city or the business, then the citizens have EVERY right to doubt and question whether those revenues were collected, or not. So yes, MDAC, does not have to answer to the residents DIRECTLY, its not a legal requirement, but indirectly they DO. Does the City of Miami Springs want to do business with ANY entity that cant or wont produce records to prove payments have been made, or who hides behind a legal technicality to avoid doing the right thing? Be it a dozen, a hundred, or a thousand residents, each and every one has a RIGHT to know whether the City is being paid for the services THEY pay for! Any questions?

the clincher

The latest pathetic excuse for NOT providing a roster takes the cake!! There previously WAS some hope that it could ALL be a misunderstanding, or something like that that, on MDAC's part. This latest child predator excuse makes NO sense and is seen as a last desperate attempt to prevent the resolution of these issues. First, would a child predator only ask for the six or so (of the 100 swimmers at MDAC)? Second, would they do it openly, and repeatedly, in a public forum? Thirdly, it has already been stated that the kids are not needed to verify their participation or not- their PARENTS would be the ones to do that! Are you also concerned about PARENT ABUSE? Ridiculous. Absurd. Preposterous. It seems to be last gasp effort to excuse and divert attention away from NOT providing the simple information requested! Honest people would NOT resist like this, because they would have nothing to hide. Dishonest people will continue to hide behind whatever ridiculous explanations they can dream up. This is unfortunate because there are surely many hardworking, honest and dedicated parents associated with MDAC, as there are in most swim clubs. This must be very sad for them.

A Green Scorecard

How a Green Scorecard Can Stimulate the Economy
Richard Conniff
Updated: 12/17/2008 12:36:05 PM

Note: Yale Environment 360 is a publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Visit them at www.e360.yale.edu.

And so our eight-year interlude from reality draws to a close, and the job of cleaning up begins. The trouble is, we’re not just cleaning up after a failed presidency. We’re cleaning up after a two-century binge.

Barack Obama has won an historic victory, and with it the right to take office under the most difficult circumstances since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Maybe more difficult, because while both FDR and Obama had financial meltdowns to deal with, Obama also faces the meltdown meltdown — the rapid disintegration of the planet's climate system that threatens to challenge the very foundations of our civilization.

Do you think that sounds melodramatic? Let me give it to you from the abstract of a scientific paper written earlier this year by one of the people who now work for Mr. Obama, NASA scientist James Hansen. "If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleo-climate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 [in the atmosphere] will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm [parts per million] to at most 350 ppm." In other words, if we keep increasing carbon any longer, the earth itself will make our efforts moot.

Hansen's calculation is a scientifically grounded way of saying: Everything must change at once. To meet his target, before enough feedback loops kick in to irrevocably warm the planet, Hansen says fossil-fuel combustion, particularly coal, must cease around the planet by about 2030, and that it must happen sooner in the industrialized nations. As the climate observer, and tireless blogger, Joe Romm observed when Hansen's paper was published, it means that "we need to go straight to the government-led WWII-style effort for the whole planet that is sustained for decades." (Well, back to FDR, what do you know.).

Anyway, here are some of the pieces of what Obama must push for:


Massive government investment in green energy. For this to have any hope of being politically viable, it will need to be seen as the single huge stimulus effort that might lift us out of our financial swamp. (That's almost certainly true, by the way — name another emergent technology capable of re-floating the economy for the long run). We have at least some of the technologies we'd need — wind, the newly promising desert solar arrays, and the ever-useful insulation (the installation of which would at least create a lot of jobs — you're not going to send your house to China for a layer of fiberglass). You might also push for nuclear, but it takes a long time and it's probably too expensive to make a rational list. Still, no holds barred.

A stiff cap on carbon, which will help drive the process. Again, to have any chance of passing politically, it will need to come with the feature proposed in recent years by Peter Barnes, and that Obama has semi-endorsed: a "cap and share" approach that would return the revenue raised directly to consumers. That is, Exxon would pay for the permit to pour carbon into the atmosphere, a cost that would rise steadily as the cap was lowered. But instead of the money going into government coffers, every American would get a check each year for their share of the proceeds. They'd be made whole against the rising cost of energy, while the shock that the price signal would send would be preserved. Current versions of cap-and-trade are too weak and too riddled with loopholes — getting a clean, tough bill through Congress needs to be a preoccupation of President Obama.

Once the president has done all that tough stuff at home, he'll need to do it all over again, globally. The world is meeting in Copenhagen in December of 2009 to come up with a successor to the Kyoto treaty, the modest first international effort that George W. Bush walked away from weeks after taking office. If Hansen and others are even close to right, this will represent the last legitimate shot the world has at putting itself on a new carbon regime in time to make any difference.
It will be incredibly difficult, mostly because we begin from such unequal places. China has lots of coal and it would like to burn it, because it's the cheapest way to pull rural Chinese out of dire poverty (something the country's leaders would quite like to do because otherwise they won't be the country's leaders much longer). If we want them to use, say, windmills instead, we're going to need to “share some wealth,” north to south, to make it happen. The Chinese opened the bidding last week, with a suggestion that one percent of the U.S. annual GDP would be a good amount to send their way. That's going to be quite a political ask — it means that Americans would be working roughly one hour every two weeks just to help the global South build up their clean alternatives. What we're talking about is a carbon version of the Marshall Plan, and it would mean Obama needs to be not just FDR but Truman and Ike as well.


What it all boils down to is: The bills are coming due. And not just, or even mainly, the bills from a failed Bush presidency, but the bills from 200 years of burning fossil fuel. Twenty years ago when we started worrying about global warming, we thought we'd have a generation to pay those bills off. But we were wrong — the planet was more finely balanced than we'd realized. The melting Arctic is the call from the repo man.

Any hope of succeeding will require Obama to grasp, deep in his guts, the fact that climate, energy, food, and the economy are now hopelessly intertwined, and that trying to solve any one of these problems without taking on the others simply makes all of them worse. More, he needs to understand, again viscerally, the single stark fact of our time: No matter how many votes, no matter how much lobbying, no matter how much pressure you apply, you can't amend the laws of physics and chemistry. They aren't like the laws that politicians are used to dealing with. They will be obeyed, like it or not. 350 is now the most important number on the planet, the red line that defines reality reality.

It doesn't define political reality, however. The political reality goes like this: George W. Bush was so terrible on this issue that the bar has been set incredibly low — Obama will get all the political points he needs with fairly minimal effort. Doing what actually needs to be done will be politically…unpopular isn't even the word. It might well wreck his political future, because it would involve — directly or indirectly — raising the cost of continuing to live as we do right now.

My guess, from the outside, is that all Obama's instincts are centrist. Certainly in energy policy he's offered nothing all that bold or interesting, though his sophistication and engagement have grown during the campaign, which is a good sign. A better sign is simply that, by every testimony, he's one of the smartest men ever to assume high political office in this country. Not just smarter than Bush. Really smart. Smart enough, if he sits down to really understand the scale of the problem he faces, that he might decide to take the gambles that the situation requires. He said, not long ago, "under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket" — which is a sign of someone who is aware there may be a reality to come to grips with.

First signs to watch for: Does he go to Poland next month for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and in so doing electrify the international talks over carbon? Are people like green-jobs advocate Van Jones on the short list of those he's listening to on energy policy? Can he see clear to making this — after dealing with the short-term financial emergency — his first legislative priority, even before health care?

Obama, and the rest of us, have a lot more to fear than fear itself. We've got carbon, and right now that's the most frightening stuff on earth.


Richard Conniff is a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow and a National Magazine Award-winning writer, whose articles have appeared in Time, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic. His upcoming book, Swimming With Piranhas at Feeding Time -- My Life Doing Dumb Things With Animals, is due out from W.W. Norton in May. He is the author of six other books, including The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide and Spineless Wonders: Strange Tales of the Invertebrate World. Conniff has also written for Yale e360 about carbon offsets and the greenhouse gas NF3.


More From Yale E360

Obama Ready To Move On Clean-Energy Economy
A Detroit Bailout Must Include a Green Makeover
Obama's Big Climate Challenge

Green facts

25 percent: The increase in volume of household garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

90 percent: Less energy used by LED bulbs, compared to standard incandescent lights.

25 to 30 million: Number of Christmas trees sold in the United States each year.

reality bites

Apparently the merger of the Ecology Board and the Parks and Parkways Board did not go very well, for anybody. In theory, if a citizen has a complaint, they should be able to go up the chain of command until they are heard and the problem addressed. In actuality, the Mayor and Council have not directed the City Manager to do ANYTHING for years, that the City Manager hasnt already approved. They basically await his direction and respond to his agenda. He facilitates their agendas and they respond in kind. You scratch my back and I will scratch yours politics. Shameless self-promotion all around.

Merry Xmas

Its amusing how the people who complain about the posters here and say they must have NO life as a result of these posts, DO IT BY POSTING THEMSELVES ! Does THAT say anything about the sorry state of THEIR lives? If they make a stupid blanket statement about people who post, and they ARE one of the posters, it must apply to them too, right? Stupidity NEVER takes a holiday! Merry Xmas ! Even to those who make no sense, as they provide a chuckle for the rest of us!

factual discussion

What "false information' has been posted here? What "malicious lies"? If you, or anybody else, has different numbers that you can confirm lets see them! This IS a forum and this IS a dicussion group! There can be NO discussion or debate however, without any credible opposing arguments that are based on facts. Where ARE your numbers? cancelled checks? bank statements? deposit slips? If you have NONE, and it doesnt appear you DO, then we really dont have any basis for debate or discussion.

ZERO credibility

A personal review of the past three years of daily logs by the resident only shows FIVE months of $200 pool rentals paid, out of 36! Gym says that MDAC has started paying $500 a month since October, but there is NO record of any of those payments being made in ANY of the daily logs reviewed. Gym also said there was an Optimist connection and THAT turned out to be a total FABRICATION, so taking Gym's word on ANYTHING is a highly questionable situation, at best! His credibility is ZERO since the Optimist falsehood! Only a cancelled check can substantiate any of those rental claims, and/or a bank statement or deposit slip. And THOSE are NOT made available- wonder why not?

Truth takes no holiday

What "garbage" has been posted here? What insults have been posted here? Facts and figures have been posted here, and conclusions drawn from them, that is true. They are only garbage if you have NO different facts or figures to contradict them, or disprove them, as is the case here. Insults are not particularly helpful in resolving the differences of opinion, that is true, and are to be minimized in the interests of resolving the issues. Those lying, deceiving, and misleading the residents and wasting their tax monies are the ones with the SORRY LIFE. Truth, like crooks, takes no holiday. We would like to forgive those who try to deceive us and steal our money, but they have shown NO signs of repentance, regret, or changes of heart, so we will continue to pursue the truth until it is exposed for ALL to see.

MDAC roster issues addressed

While MDAC is NOT compelled to reveal a roster of the Springs kids involved on their team, yet, you might think that, in the interests of being a good neighbor and maintaining good working relationships with the taxpaying residents of Miami Springs, they might just volunteer to provide the list. Volunteering would also go a long way toward clearing up this situation and resolving the now highly questionable and suspicious situation. A list of the kids names are NOT necessary, of course, as it is the PARENTS of these kids that would have to verify their attendance and participation in MDAC anyway, thus addressing and defusing the "Child Predator" defense (which was unbelievable and preposterous in the first place). To allow for seasonality only the parents names of the Springs kids are requested for the past 2-3 years, along with their contact information. A verifiable list of names is necessary because a list of names is NOT always accurate, as you know. So what do you say, MDAC? It is the right and honorable thing to do, no?

YES, or NO

IF MDAC didnt lie at the last Council meeting then perhaps they just didnt tell all the truth either. Either they were wrong or the website is wrong. Which is it? Perhaps the website is just out of date. If thats the case it should be updated. If they truly have paid the tiny $200 a month pool rent every month then it should be NO problem to prove it wasnt a fabrication. I WAS there, and spoke. To say somebody has paid all the rent asked of them is NOT saying they have paid all the rents they are obligated to pay. If they pay SOME months, as it appears, then they admit that rents are due on a monthly basis. Is MDAC saying they thought that pool rents were due some months but not all of them? or even MOST of them? Without splitting hairs or trying to avoid the question, the question is an easy one - Did MDAC pay $200 a month for every month they have been practicing at the Springs pool? If so, are they currently up to date now? Are there cancelled checks and/or bank statements to confirm those possible payments? Those are YES and NO questions. YES, or NO?

Rip Tides Appear Solid

Memo says, "For the upcoming water polo camp we will receive $1350. This is a five-day camp and does not interfere with any other pool activities, including the swim team." Receipt for last years water polo camp was for $2000. whats the difference between this years and last years, except $650? Cost per student is $300 for the whole week. Receipt for 11-7-05 is for $200 for October rental. Receipt for 1-6-06 is for Rip Tide water polo practice and is for $160, ck #1080. Receipt for 5-3-06 is for $600, ck #1122. Next receipt is for $800, on 8-17-06, ck # 1178. the last receipt is for $500, written 11-28-06, ck # 1211. It seems the Rip Tides actually pay $200 a month in pool rentals. This is a group of 20 guys, right? and a nonprofit? arent the nonprofits supposed to pay LESS than for-profits? especially less than those with MANY more swimmers? There is good documentation of pool rentals paid regularly, for this year at least. Rip Tides do not appear to be the problem. There is NO apparent payments to this point in the review for either Columbus or Reagan HS's for the past two years, nor the supposed $500 pool rentals for October or November, 2008. Wet Dolfins paid $375 1-16-07 for 25 hours of one lane rental, ck #1133.

doubters remain

There is a BIG difference between SAYING you paid something and PROVING it. For instance, the City Manager SAID there was an Optimist connection with the concessions at the pool BUT that didnt turn out to be true. It was a complete and total FABRICATION. Fabrications happen, like for instance when the MDAC website claims the team has multiple places to practice, and the coach says its only one. That may only qualify as only a half-fabrication because he apparently FORGOT to mention that we are the only pool local heated pool during the Winter and that during the warmer months they DO practice at many other sites. Another possible fabrication could involve the pool rent payments. A Springs resident has reviewed daily logs back to 2006 and only found FIVE months payments documented- yet MDAC says they have paid them ALL. Someone is fabricating a story again. If you can, prove the resident in error. Once you are known for fabricating its hard for honest people to believe you. Ask our City Manager. We HOPE that MDAC will tell the truth, no matter what it is, and back it up with credible sources- cancelled checks, bank statements, deposit slips, etc., like we HOPE the City Manager will do. Until that happens, can you blame us for having our doubts?

skimming?

Note at the bottom of the daily log dated 6-20-08: Water polo does not pay. What should we do? Note 5-23-08 at the bottom: Water polo is not-for-profit group. Apparently this information is accurate. Does this mean that all the other groups pay a cash admission? Like the Doral coach said he paid $2 a swimmer per day? That would amount to a nice chunk of cash every day that is NOT accounted for in the logs. Is it possible that is a part fo the handshake deal between the City Manager and MDAC? Has the handshake agreement EVER been revealed, as to what EXACTLY it entails? Were there any witnesses to the handshake deal? Is it possible that MDAC pays $2 each swimmer every day in cash, or weekly, and THATS why they dont think they owe anymore rent? Could THAT be why Gym gave them such a HUGE discount? That would be skimming, right? That would be a felony, right? Skimming IS grand theft, right?

possibilities

IF MDAC has paid all the pool practice rents of $200 a month since they have been there and they can prove it with cancelled checks, etc., then the responsibility switches to the City Manager to show where those monies went. It IS possible that MDAC DID pay those missing rents, and the City Manager just FORGOT to record them! Whoops! Or pocketed them- whoops! In any case, they are NOT accounted for in the daily logs, except those five months noted previously, and ALL the rents and meet revenues need to be accounted for-from MDAC, Columbus, Reagan, and nonprofit polo team. Polo team is not only the best renter we have, they are the ONLY consistent payer we have! Again, it IS possible MDAC paid the rents and they just got LOST in transit, somehow. Once their payments are verified and confirmed the picture will get considerably clearer. And thanks for the note and fax, whoever you are.

log reviews

Hooray !!! Another check for pool rent from MDAC of $200 has been found! Dated 6/26/08. That makes a grand total of FIVE months rent accounted for in the past THIRTY SIX months! That is ALMOST 15% of the rents due! Several dozen more daily logs reviewed today. Acording to the City manager MSSH parents donated the $1100 concessions revenue towards MSSH pool rental, which is nice. No sign, however, of any bills or invoices to GMAC for pool rentals tho, or monies paid to us from that meet. GMAC does usually pay the going rate for their meets, right? They dont expect free rents too, do they? Documentation again ranges from EXCELLENT to nonexistent. LOTS of team swimmers using our pool lately- 84 documented 10/14/08, 117 on 10/13/08, 100 on 10/20/08. A large majority are MDAC on each of those days. NO swim teams of any type were mentioned on Feb, March, April, May 2008. 29 Dec 07 13 adults and 45 kids documented= total of 58 patrons. Admission fees collected $25 for one adult and 15 kids. several logs are missing: Jan 2008 had only 3 daily logs listed- 1/7/08, 1/9/08, and 1/19/08. Pool was only open THREE DAYS during this past January? Only 9 logs were found for Feb 08, and 11 for March 08. We are open SIX days a week during those months, right? Six days times at least four weeks would be at least 24 days a month we are open, right? Where ARE those other logs?

subsidies legal?

IF it is the City Attorneys legal opinion that handshakes are a legally defensible and enforceable means of doing City business, what legal steps would he suggest to the Mayor and Council to enforce said handshake agreement with MDAC into payments of pool rents that are, recent research has indicated, almost TWO YEARS in arrears? is there not something in the City charter about NOT allowing the subsidizing of private enterprises? Wonder what his legal opinion would be regarding the ridiculously low pool rental payments on the pool? (that are only occasionally paid). If FREE RENT isnt a subsidy to a for-profit business, what is?

handshakes legally binding?

How in the world can the city Attorney approve a handshake deal as a legally sound method of doing City business? how would the terms of that handshake be enforced? Who were the witnesses? What terms did and agreements, and under what conditions, did they witness? Were the witnesses of legal age? of sound mind? in possession of sound hearing? able to comprehend what was transpiring? was the City Attorney present at any of these handshake agreements? If so, what did HE witness? Was he consulted before these agreements were made? If so, did he offer a legal opinion of the said agreements before they were consumated? if so, where IS those legal opinions? Now that he KNOWS there ARE no contracts OR use agreements in place, only handshake agreements, what is his legal opinion of the status of these aforementioned handshake agreements? Is he going to recommend to the Mayor and Council that formal contracts be put into place, or is he comfortable legally that the handshakes are defensible and enforceable, if needed? Is he going to wait for the Mayor and the Council to ask him his legal opinion first? Why would he wait, now that he is aware of a potential problem? Isnt a large part of his job to anticipate potential legal problems and proactively advise and warn the Council BEFORE something adverse happens? Why is he NOT doing that in this case?

TWO YEARS of FREE pool rent?

What would be the best way to find out how many swimmers there were three years ago in MDAC? Two years ago? last year? Gym gave them this HUGE discount to build up their numbers, supposedly- even tho it would have had ZERO effect on the swimmers as THEY received NO DISCOUNT on their monthly dues. The only ones who benefitted were the owners of MDAC. And NOW we find they havent even bothered to that paltry sum 90% of the time! Research indicates they havent made ONE payment for almost the last TWO YEARS!

simple solutions needed now

IF MDAC truly HAS paid whatever it was asked to pay to practice at our pool and host meets, they should have NO problem providing the cancelled chacks and receipts from the City they received upon payment. If their claim of 15 to 30 Springs residents are true they should have NO problem proving that too, by providing a verifiable roster for the past three years! That is what honest people do! Those TWO requests would be simple to prove, right, for people who are honest, no?

Senior moment strikes!

the GMAC question is a good one because, even if MSSH parents applied that money to their pool rentals (whether it really went thru the Optimists or not), the GMAC should have been billed for THEIR use of the pool. Gym says the bill is $750 a day, and there SHOULD be an invoice to that effect. Subsequent payments, if any, should also be noted. There was a GMAC note but what it entailed doesnt come to mind right now, as resident is claiming Senior moment! Will have to review the notes and daily logs.

addendum

The 12-10-08 FOI requested to see the revenues from MDAC, Columbus, Reagan HS's for meets, practices, etc. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.

mid-course adjustments

The water Polo/Aquatic revenue numbers seem to have ben ADJUSTED. The FY 2005-06 numbers were $ 1250; the FY 2006-07 numbers have been adjusted UPWARD to $ 8740, up from $4800. FY 2007-08 dropped back to $ 2150 and the same amiount is projected for this year. Wonder how they account for the 500+% jump in revenues last year, and the subsequent drop the next two years? is it possible that we had a one-time supernova burst in swimming and swimmers one year- that dies out the next year? Nah. Isnt it more likely we got an accurate count of real admissions for one year? Anybody buy that FIVE TIMES more people went to our pool ONE YEAR? and then went someplace else? or stopped swimming at all? Anybody buying that our revenues are REALLY $2150 for last year and this one? Nah, didnt think so. Hard to believe ANY numbers they put up there, right? Pathetic. Preposterous. Implausible, if not impossible to ponder. Incredibly incompetent. Unbelievably inept; believably corrupt. City Manager claims Columbus and Reagan HS paid $1500 a season each for the past two seasons. IF that were true, and its a BIG IF, then how does he get $2150 as the total revenues from Aquatics? Numbers make NO SENSE, and neither does he. WHERE is that money?

FOI redux

Yes, there was something in there about the Wet Dolfin Academy or something, and very possibly a receipt, altho some of it was in Spanish. Will check again tomorrow. The invoice question is a good one. Perhaps a FOI for the HS billing invoices and subsequent payments would be in order. A FOI for MDAC billing and subsequent payments might be even MORE interesting! A FOI from the resident dated 12-10-08 requested to see all "the revenues we have received from Miami Dade Aquatics Club, Columbus HS, and Reagan HS for practices and meets, etc." A current roster of names for those entities was also requested via FOI the same day. No word so far, but they DID make the records available for viewing and copying. Curious if that meets the requirements for an FOI- you think?

where has all the money gone? long time passing...

The question was so good, somehow it was missed. Of course these Rip Tide revenues need to be correlated with revenues reported for that time frame! Bank statements, deposit slips, and quarterly reports should do that nicely, altho any one of them COULD be forged, the chances of all 3 being forged is small! If the claimed revenues for 07-08 were $2150, and $4800 for the year before, that would NOT even account for the Rip Tide revenues that WERE probably actually collected over that period! NOT to mention the supposed $2400 a year from MDAC, the $750 a day pool rental fee for meets, the $1500 a season from Columbus and Reagan HS, GMAC meets, district meets, or private parties. Where is ALL this revenue reflected? Of course, if it REALLY wasnt collected, the question would have to be, WHY NOT? If it WAS collected and disappeared, the State Attorney WILL BE notified.

confirmation needed

Good question. The $6672 accounted for by receipts from Patti Bradley are from as far back as 2005. The dates and amounts were noted, no? The Rip Tides DID make a 6 month lump sum payment for the previous six months that was not included in the previous figure, but the confirmation of that payment hasnt been made yet. The resident only confirms possible payments once he has a copy of the log and the receipt in his hand. Time ran out today before a copy could be made. Tomorrow.

trust, but verify

Daily logs for the past ten days or so are not available now. The documentation has been EXCELLENT at times, and incomplete or entirely absent at other times. Is management somehow discouraging good documentation now? If they were, what would they be hiding? If the coach who said he paid $2 a swimmer per day to use our pool for practice is right, consistently under-estimating and under-documenting the numbers of actual swimmers six days a week could leave a significant amount of cash unaccounted for, no? Same with admissions, but on a lesser scale. We are pretty sure the Rip Tide monies made it into the city accounts, but of course need to verify those revenues anyway, just as a matter of good business principles. The same will be required of the City Manager for the MSSH, Columbus, Reagan HS and MDAC monies that were supposedly paid to the City over the past 2-3 years. Trust, but verify. It just gets more and more curious.

nonprofit Rip Tides only ones paying

Several dozen more logs were reviewed today and it appears that the only ones paying us on a regular basis is the Rip Tides nonprofit water polo club. 9 receipts were reviewed totaling $6672 were found, going back to 2005. Other than the four months of rent noted previously there were more NO MDAC pool practice rental or meet receipts found. NONE. No receipts were found for MSSH, the middle school, Columbus, or Reagan HS.

change is needed

The residents and taxpayers are paying OVER 300k per year to keep the pool open year-round. Yet somehow, the City Manager sees fit to give a 100-strong private swim team HUGE discounts to use our pool, in direct opposition to the stated Councils standard fees, and doesnt even bother to validate that those pittances are paid! The HUGE discounts come right out of the taxpayers pocket into the private swim teams pocket! $1100 a month, at least, for YEARS! There are NO CONTRACTS, contrary to the City Managers initial opinion, NO use agreements, and NO connection to the Optimist Club! Why has the Mayor and Council allowed this to go on for YEARS? How much longer will they turn a blind eye? How much longer will the residents ALLOW them to NOT supervise or oversee the City Manager? Change is needed, NOW.

comments

How many other handshake deals has the City Attorney approved? On what legal basis were those approved? What has he done regarding the legal status and proceedings in the taping incident? Where does that stand currently? What was his legal opinion of THAT situation and the basis behind that opinion? What steps need to be taken, or has he recommended be taken, to prevent any legal liabilities to the City in the future? Any? If he hasnt made ANY change suggestions for the future, does that mean he feels that taping peoples conversations without their knowledge or approval is legally and ethically okay? Is it his legal opinion that taping city employees without their knowledge or approval is okay? What changes in city policies has he recommended to avoid having this situation arise again? Any? If none, why not? What has he done to resolve and remedy the current situation? What legal suggestions to the Mayor and Council has he made regarding this situation, and others with the same potential legal liability? Any?

legal questions

It will be interesting to see what the City Attorney's position is on these handshake deals- does he approve of them? Did he approve of them in the past? If so, on what legal grounds? When did he know there were NO contracts and NO use agreements? Was he aware that there IS NOT now, and never HAS been, a relationship with the Optimists to avoid sales taxes on concession sales? How does this absence of contracts affect the City's liability exposure? Now that he knows there ARE no contracts, why did he NOT suggest to the Mayor and Council that contracts be put into place NOW, or as soon as possible? Has he ever offerred a legal opinion regarding the validity and enforcability of these handshake deals? If so, what WAS that legal opinion? On what legal basis was it formed? When did that happen? By doing nothing, or NOT suggesting any changes, he seems to be in tacit legal approval of the handshake process already in place, right?

page 4

By JOHN DORSCHNER
dorschner@MiamiHerald.com
« Previous Page 4 of 4
Still, environmentalists have concerns. The Southern Alliance says plastics and paper are too often burned for power when they should be recycled. Plastics and metals can lead to pollution, and he's not certain about the quality of emission controls at garbage plants, says Smith.

Even so, Smith says his clean-air group has ''made a calculated decision to go neutral'' on garbage-energy, because environmental groups are allied with waste companies like Covanta in pressing the state to adopt a requirement that a certain percentage of power come from renewables.

''We have much more in common than we have differences,'' says Karnas. Burning garbage is ``better than burning a pound of coal.''

THE LIMITATIONS

Since biomass tends to be bulky, location is an issue. ''The rule of thumb is that if the distance is greater than 50 to 60 miles, then transportation cost becomes prohibitive,'' says Jarek Nowak of the Florida Division of Forestry.

That's why biomass plants tend to be smallish -- ranging from under a megawatt to 50 or so. Compare that with FPL's oil and gas generators at Port Everglades, which total 1,200 megawatts.

Most wood-waste energy in Florida comes from forests in the north. One company there is Buckeye Technologies, which produces wood fiber used in such things as hot dogs and cosmetics. It uses the power of its 40MW plant to handle their own manufacturing needs, then sells what's left to the grid.

''We use every bit of the waste material for power,'' says Michele Curtis, Buckeye's wood supply manager. ``The limbs and branches, the sawdust.''

Buckeye and other timber users worry that a state renewable energy requirement might provide such high subsidies for burning wood that, like corn and ethanol, it could drive up costs of all wood products.

''It's not a level playing field when government puts incentives out there,'' says Curtis. ''We are a believer . . . in green energy,'' but to keep timber prices steady, it wants limits set on the amount of wood used for energy.

IS GRASS

ALWAYS GREENER?

Some companies say the best way to biomass is to grow nonfood crops, such as switchgrass or arundo donax, a large grass that can easily grow 30 feet high in Florida's warm climate.

For the past two years, Progress Energy has been talking to companies that want to fuel a plant by growing arundo donax on up to 20,000 acres somewhere in Central Florida. The talks haven't gone far. One reason: Many environmentalists don't like arundo donax.

Shirley Denton, past president of the Florida Native Plant Society, said her group is ''definitely not comfortable'' with the grass, which has ''been demonstrated to be a highly invasive species'' in other places, including California. She fears the grass in Florida could become another dominating non-native plant, like melaleuca, which has overrun wide areas.

In December, Innovative Energy Group of Florida, a subsidiary of a Dubai company, said it had encountered ''significant challenges'' of finding land in Florida for arundo donax, according to a story on Greenwire.

Biomass Gas & Electric, which has plans for three plants in Florida that would use arundo donax, says it has received a permit for the grass from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, ''but there have been requests for a hearing,'' says BG&E spokesman McDermott.

FPL, which is building three solar generators, has reservations about the grasses. 'If by `biomass,' you mean generation produced from an energy crop such as switchgrass,'' says Villafaña, ``then we are concerned about the significant impact and pressure on land and animal habitat, both locally and elsewhere, and the environmental impact from incremental emissions of . . . contaminants that are produced by the entire biomass production/process cycle. . . .

''While clearly a renewable resource, we do not view this form of biomass as a clean resource, since the net impact on the environment is negative as compared to alternative forms of energy such as solar, nuclear and wind,'' Villafaña wrote in an e-mail.

Bonitz of the Southern Alliance's response: 'FPL's attitude toward biomass is sad, because data show that Florida has plentiful renewable biomass resources that can help replace coal, petroleum, and natural gas for electricity. We do not need to wait on `energy-crops' to begin freeing ourselves from our addiction to fossil fuels.''

THE POTENTIAL

HUGE OR LIMITED?

The Navigant report estimates that biomass in Florida has the potential to produce somewhere between 6,000 and 15,550 megawatts more than exist now. That's the equivalent of three to seven times the amount of electricity of the two nuclear units FPL is planning.

One potential source: At least 15 million acres of forest in Florida -- the vast majority of that in the northern part of the state. But not all of that should be used for biomass, say experts, because it could jack up timber prices.

For garbage, the Navigant report says only 11 percent of Florida's municipal waste is now turned into energy. If it all was, it could add up to another 4,000 megawatts of power -- the equivalent of four nuclear generators.

Navigant dismisses another biomass possibility -- animal waste. Poultry litter and horse manure can add up to 880 million to 1.6 billion pounds annually, but it's low-energy that could produce perhaps 90 megawatts -- at a far higher cost than other biomass.

The study commissioned by the PSC doesn't offer much hope for more plants like Florida Crystals', concluding that ''crop residues represent a modest resource in Florida, especially compared to other states with large cereal crops,'' such as Iowa.

Navigant estimates Florida crop residue could produce no more than 800 megawatts. Florida Crystals believes that figure is unfairly low.

Regardless of the numbers, biomass supporters vow to push on, ''We're part of the low-hanging fruit,'' says Treshler of Covanta. ``It's cheap power, and our waste is indigenous".

herald- page 3

By JOHN DORSCHNER
dorschner@MiamiHerald.com
« Previous Page 3 of 4 Next »
The Navigant study reported most types of biomass power's present costs are one-tenth to one-third of solar power's. Even in 2020, assuming major technical improvements for solar, the study found that in one likely scenario, solar will be a viable power source at about 23 cents/kWh, while much of biomass will be at 0.82 to 12 cents/kWh.

Still, Florida biomass producers complain they're not getting paid fairly. Florida Crystals and Covanta Energy, which converts garbage to power, say they often get only 6 or 7 cents/kWh from utilities. FPL reports that so far in 2008 it has paid about 4 cents/kWh for electricity produced by biomass resources -- about a third of what its customers pay the utility.

These rates are generally based on ''avoided cost of electricity,'' meaning a wholesale price that a utility says it avoids by buying alternative power.

''The utilities can low-ball us, and there's nothing that we can do about it,'' says Florida Crystals spokesman Gaston Cantens.

FPL spokesman Mayco Villafaña says if the utility paid the biomass producers more, its customers would have to pay more. ``In Florida, the rules are written to protect customers by ensuring that utilities don't overpay for the electricity they buy. Eliminating those rules would allow biomass producers to charge whatever they wanted with no protections for customers.''

''The system isn't fair,'' says Joseph Treshler of Covanta Energy, which runs a waste-to-electricity plant in Hillsborough County. ''The Legislature gives the utility full-cost recovery for constructing a renewable plant,'' meaning the utility has no risk and gets all the profit. ``There is no incentive for them to look outside. They squeeze the independent.''

GARBAGE IN

POWER OUT

With power produced by municipal solid waste, the primary motive of local governments is to get rid of local garbage and trash without creating more landfills.

The problem with burning garbage for electricity is that, well, it's garbage -- meaning it lacks the consistency of a regular fuel. One day's garbage might be filled with power, the next day's might be weak.

''It's not a particularly cheap way of making electricity,'' says Lave at Carnegie Mellon.

The Navigant study reports that garbage power and farm waste (think pig manure) can be twice as expensive as some other forms of biomass. One scenario shows the price needed to justify using garbage power in 2009 will be 12.58 cents/kWh, rising to 15.66 in 2020, making it considerably more expensive than natural gas.

Broward has two garbage-to-electricity plants, managed by Wheelebrator Technologies, a division of Waste Management. Operating since 1991, the plants produce 134 megawatts of power, enough to serve 75,000 homes, save 2.8 million barrels of oil and get rid of up to 4,500 tons of waste a day that would otherwise fill up dumps.

In the Doral area of Miami-Dade, the Resource Recovery Facility processes 4,200 tons a day, producing 77 megawatts of power that serve about 50,000 homes.

The Dade plant also converts 400,000 tons annually of yard trash into a carbon-free mulch. The facility then pays to ship most of that to plants like Florida Crystals', because the Dade generators are at capacity just with garbage.

Plant manager Hank Clements says the Miami Dade plant gets 3 to 8 cents/kWh, which cuts the county's garbage disposal costs by $27 million a year. He says the plant has high-tech emission controls that scrub many of the pollutants out before they get into the air.

Herald Biomass story - page 2

Biomass to the rescue?
•Interview with executive director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Stephen Smith
By JOHN DORSCHNER
dorschner@MiamiHerald.com
« Previous Page 2 of 4 Next »
What biomass is not is food. ''No one is talking about using food for power,'' says John Bonitz of the Southern Alliance. ``This is not corn and ethanol.''

A growing number of critics are speaking out against subsidies for ethanol, saying they've raised food prices and contributed to food shortages in some parts of the world. ''Food into fuel is clearly a dumb idea,'' says Lester Lave, an energy expert at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

In Florida, biomass already produces 1,100 megawatts of power, according a recent study by Navigant Consultants. About half of that comes from 11 waste-to-energy plants that process local garbage and trash.

The other half comes from the leftovers in the timber and sugar-cane industries, which use the power first for their own needs, then sell the remainder to utilities. The biggest plant is run by Florida Crysta1s near South Bay, producing 140 megawatts of power from bagasse, the term for cane waste after the sugar is squeezed out, and from Miami-Dade yard trash.

Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility, reports that in 2007 it purchased 1.5 million megawatt-hours from biomass plants totaling 303 megawatts of capacity -- a tiny fraction of the 25 million megawatts that the utility uses.

COSTS -- CHEAP

Around the nation, biomass plants have a long, well established history. More than half -- 53 percent -- of all renewables nationwide in 2007 came from biomass, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Biomass advocates point out that this waste produces baseload power -- meaning it can fuel plants around the clock -- while solar power usually operates about 20 to 25 percent of the time.

In Burlington, Vt., the 50-megawatt McNeil power station has been operating successfully since 1984, using mostly left-over branches, leaves and stumps generated by people harvesting firewood or lumber.

Plant manager John Irving says McNeil breaks even at 5.5 cents per kilowatt/hour. (To compare, the typical Florida utility customer pays the utility 10 to 13 cents/kWh.)

The price for McNeil power fluctuates depending on alternative sources. ''There were some times when oil/gas was very cheap when I'm sure our owners were thinking maybe we should have done something else,'' wrote Irving in an e-mail. But lately, the utility has been getting 10 or 12 cents/kWh, plus a three-cent bonus from Connecticut for providing clean energy. ''They're pretty happy now,'' Irving says of the owners.

What's more, much of the plant's costs are in labor -- harvesting the wood waste and getting it to the plant. ``So that's economic development, compared to sending all your money to the Middle East.''

Meanwhile, Georgia Power proposes changing its 96-megawatt Mitchell Plant from burning coal to biomass. This would not only eliminate a source of the worst emitter of greenhouse gases but would also reduce fuel costs by 30 percent and operating-maintenance costs by 13 percent over the life of the plant, according to spokesman Jeff Wilson.

Most of the wood fuel would come from sources considered unusable by timber companies, Georgia Power says. The switch to biomass is estimated to create 50 to 75 new jobs.

In Florida, Biomass Gas & Electric has deals to build three plants, including a 42-megawatt generator in Tallahassee. BG&E spokesman Keith McDermott says the contract will pay BG&E 7.2 cents/kWh. ``Obviously we know we can make the economics work. We're in the business to make money.''

Herald story- page 1

COVER STORY
Biomass to the rescue?
•Interview with executive director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Stephen Smith
By JOHN DORSCHNER
dorschner@MiamiHerald.com
for Biomass Gas & Electric, which has deals
to build three plants in Florida

Nobody loves biomass. When talk turns to global warming and the green movement, it's hardly ever mentioned. Biomass can be garbage (literally) or wood chips or sugar-cane remnants or grass.

Still, among energy experts, biomass has some strong supporters, and for good reason: Right now, virtually all the renewable-energy power in Florida comes from biomass, including three plants in Miami-Dade and Broward.

What's more, it's cheap -- cheaper in some instances even than coal, which is generally considered the nation's least expensive way of producing electricity but is also the biggest producer of greenhouse gases that scientists say are heating up the globe.

''We're very strong supporters of biomass,'' says Stephen Smith, head of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. ''In the short run, it will be a real workhorse.'' But he adds: ``There are various shades of green in biomass. Some is better than others.''

As policymakers search for alternatives to fossil fuels that threaten to submerge South Florida under the sea, biomass has emerged as a leading possibility, much more plausible than wind in the state, but it comes with strong pluses and minuses.

Big business has gotten involved. Leading biomass producers -- including the multimillionaire Fanjul family with an electric plant burning sugar-cane leftovers -- have joined the push to require utilities to use more renewables and pay proper rates for them, which would mean the businesses could get decent revenue by expanding operations.

Still, many have concerns. ''Not all biomass is created equal,'' says Gerald Karnas of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Some environmentalists believe garbage is not as green as, say, wood chips. Others worry that arundo donax, a towering grass proposed by some as a biomass fuel, might spread unintentionally to many areas, including the Everglades, as have other non-native plants.

What's more, major companies in North Florida that use wood products are concerned that state subsidies for renewable energy could drive up the prices of timber that are used for everything from paper to fat-free ice cream.

Even so, research prepared for the Public Service Commission is showing that biomass and solar are the two top practical renewables in Florida.

''The bottom line is that Florida is well positioned for growth in biomass,'' says Sean Stafford, a lobbyist for Florida Crystals, the Fanjul company. He points out that biomass does not have the ''volatile price structure'' associated with natural gas, the No. 1 energy source of Florida Power & Light.

What follows is a primer on biomass.

ITS QUALITIES:

CARBON NEUTRAL?

Some biomass -- sugar-cane waste, wood chips -- is generally considered carbon neutral. As cane and trees grow, they soak up carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas. That gas is released when the biomass is burned, meaning they produce energy without contributing to climate change.

Garbage is another story. ''In Florida, biomass has a a very broad definition, according to the state legislature,'' says Karnas. ``In some states, power from municipal solid waste wouldn't be considered a renewable.''

The reason: Experts dispute how carbon neutral garbage is. ''It depends what's in it,'' says Smith of the Southern Alliance. ``If it's mostly yard clippings and paper, that could mean very little carbon. If there's a lot of plastic, that's made by a fossil fuel, meaning it's releasing quite a bit of carbon.''

pool operation to be focus

It will be interesting to see if the Mayor and Council are concerned at all about the Optimist fabrication? The Mayor is a longtime Optimist, what was HIS reaction to hearing about this fabrication? WHY didnt he speak up ? Are they even aware that the numbers posted on the City website make NO sense when compared to the revenues they SAY they took in? not even close. Are they aware or concerned that the pool was NOT being rented along the guidelines they set out? Are they aware that the nonsensical explanation offered by the City Manager for renting it for $200 a month to encourage Springs swimmers, does NOT affect the money the swimmers pay IN THE LEAST? THEY still pay the same amount, only the swim team benefits by the $1100 a month discount. That comes straight out of the residents pockets into MDAC's pockets. Have they ONCE asked the City Manager for verification of the pool revenues? Or ANYTHING about the pool? Did they approve that $200 a month rent for MDAC? If so, WHEN was that approved? On WHAT grounds? Did they just take that nonsensical explanation without ANY discussion? debate? WHAT were they thinking? Were they thinking AT ALL?

focus on missing revenues

Are we saying all this is a squabble between two swim team coaches? It is still not clear how someone could fix a swim meet. Facts are needed, and until they are presented and verified it will be hard to give much credence to unsubstantiated claims. While some questions WERE answered at the last Council meeting, the important ones werent, mainly because the memo wasnt presented until AFTER the meeting. The next meeting will NOT be about closing the pool. It will be about the fabrications, handshake deals, poor accounting methods for revenues, and uncollected rents. it would also be interesting to hear the City Manager's and Council's take on the taping incident- what happened, was the tape ever really turned in, what is currently being done to protect the employees, now and in the future, where does the City stand on this situation, etc? It will also be interesting to see how the Mayor and Council respond to the Optimist fabrication, the annual revenues fabrications on the website, the lack of rosters and verification of Springs swimmers on MDAC, and why MDAC was given an $1100 per month discount from standard fees charged at the junior college when it benefits the swimmers NONE - only the owners. If MDAC is there they can show the cancelled checks, bank statement, and deposit slips from their payments to practice at the pool since they came here. Gym can confirm the payments were received and applied to city accounts with bank statements, deposit slips, and quarterly reports for the past three years. Then he can show us how they all ( Columbus $1500, Reagan $1500, MSSH, middle school, meets, polo team practices, MDAC practice fees, polo camp, vending machines, private parties, etc.) total up to $2150 in Aquatics/polo revenues. The focus will NOT be on closing the pool. It WILL be on getting some answers to these questions.

inaccuracies?

What information has the resident presented that wasnt accurate? Did he say there was an Optimist connection? Did he say that MDAC has been paying $200 a month all along? (only to find evidence of of only FOUR months payments in the last 36 months). Did he say that the pool meet rentals were $750 a day, yet no evidence of that sum ever being collected, exists? Did he post annual revenues on the City website that bear NO resemblance to the claims that are made by city officials, regarding actual income taken in ? What exactly did he say that was inaccurate? He is willing to listen to other accurate and verifiable numbers from other sources if they are available, but none have been posted here! Gorland admitted to the resident that at times the numbers of Springs swimmers on MDAC dip into the single digits, yet Gym's memo says, according to the team owner, the lowest it has been is 15 kids. The POOL DIRECTOR (Gorland)doesnt know how many Springs kids from MDAC are using the pool? Who are we to believe? Why dont they just give us a roster for the past three years (to account for seasonality) and settle it, once and for all? Lets clear this up.

confirmation request

Attn: Ronald Reagan HS, Carlos Perez, Athletic Director. 8600 NW 107 Ave, Doral, Fla. 33178. phone (305) 805- 1900. Mr. Perez, I would appreciate your assistance in providing any verification and/or confirmation that the swim team paid $1500 to the City of MS for use of their pool facilities for swim team practice. There seems to be some doubt and/or question about this payment for the 2007 season. Thank you in advance. I will await your reply.

fabricated figures

IF, as it currently appears, pool rent was only paid for FOUR of the past 36 MONTHS, what is the Mayor and/or the Council going to do about this? Are they going to investigate this ANY further? If Gym says that MDAC is now paying $500 a month, why would ANYBODY believe him? Is there ANY evidence that they are REALLY paying that amount? Gym has a tendency to fabricate things- is THIS another one of his fabrications? Four out of 36 months of payments seems to be enough for Gym. Is it enough for the Mayor and the Council? If so, they need to go!