Beach Club Elects New Board In Bitter Ballot
Tony WintonApril 22, 2019
Patricia Romano, a member of the Key Biscayne Beach Club, peers into room where ballots were being counted for new directors, April 19, 2019 (Key News/Tony Winton)
Brushing aside criticism from several board members, officers of the Key Biscayne Beach Club counted ballots Friday for a new board of directors at the troubled island institution. According to Beach Club President Donna Rice, the top five finishers were:
- Michael Bracken, 77 votes
- Dwight Hewitt, 75 votes
- Chris Biggers, 74 votes
- Ron Erbel, 73 votes
- Andy Garcia, 63 votes
Rice said after two previous attempts to count ballots, the process simply could not be delayed any longer. She said all the materials have been preserved for a recount, should one be requested, insisting that the three-hour counting process was meticulous and fair. The historic club is suffering from declining membership and money woes. Some members say without dramatic change, it is headed to financial catastrophe.
“My conscience is very clear that the ballots represent the wishes and will of the Key Biscayne Beach Club,” Rice said.
Critics of the count said that club rules require a majority of directors to be present, and also questioned address verification for mail ballots. They also said some voters may have wrongly been deemed as voting members when they should not have been. At a meeting last week, however, the board failed to agree on a procedure to count ballots.
“I think the election was done with malice and an entitlement that other members are above the entire board,” said board member Ron Erbel, who was among those re-elected. He said he planned on continuing to serve as a board member.
Beach Club Secretary Mark Fried said the election had to proceed, the objections of some board members notwithstanding. “I don’t feel it was the board’s prerogative to not count ballots,” he said. Fried said he would not stand for re-election as secretary.
Rice said the board will meet Wednesday, April 24 to elect new officers, followed by the annual meeting of all members.
“Hopefully this contentious drama is over,” she said.
Responses
Charles Sherman
Apr 22
Sheesh, Tony. No mention of the bolt cutters used to open the ballot box or the fact that a majority of the board wanted to hold a new and fair election, which an anonymous donor was willing to pay for.
Annika Akerlund
Apr 24
Beach Club Bolt Cutter Ballot Box Break-In
These are my two cents about what happened at the Beach Club on Good Friday. The Beach Club’s Bylaws dated October 2002 states in Article 5, Section 1 that … “the ballots as received shall be opened, counted and canvassed by a majority of the Board of Directors which majority must include the secretary of the Club.” This is not what happened a Friday afternoon, Good Friday, when Donna Rice, President and Mark Fried, Esq., Secretary, were the only members of the Board of Directors present. Only one other BOD was available, one was out of town, one was going to Seder, one was at work, and one had been removed. The notice period was short and people had made plans so there was not enough BOD available for a quorum. A Saturday morning meeting had been suggested but this was ignored. Bylaws must be followed or you cannot proceed. The rule of law is what we live by. Many say an investigation by an appropriate authority such as the Florida Bar should be made.
Eyewitness reports says massive bolt cutters were brought in by Mike Rice, a large business owner pillar of the community, and other highranking pillars of the community, former Mayor Mayra Pena Lindsay and Jane Stuart, were willing observers when the sealed ballot box was broken into with the bolt cutters behind a locked door at the Beach Club. What were they thinking? Did they think Key Biscayne residents would be okay with such heavy handed thug tactics. The participants had clearly decided to just throw ethics and integrity out the window. My first reaction when I read an eyewitness account written by well known journalist Charles Sherman published on Nextdoor.com was … this can’t be true … our small friendly, we’re one island, let’s work together, we’re so neighborly, we’re so friendly, we’re so caring of each other, we’re so laid back, Key Biscayne. The President and Secretary of the Beach Club have recently publicly complained, accused and shamed the rest of the Board, namely Mack, Zambrano, Garcia, Erbel and Marron of not following the bylaws and that was the major reason why they wanted to replace them all. Ironically this is precisely what the President and Secretary did themselves Friday afternoon when they did not follow what is written in the bylaws. For me it is also the heavy handed manner by the President and Secretary and other pillars of the community that is so shocking and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Eyewitness reports says that when the ballots were counted everyone involved was giddy with excitement. Now other pillars of the community are saying oh, let’s move on, let’s put this behind us, it’s a done deal, what’s the big deal, stop whining! What! I am speechless at this reaction especially when I hear it from lawyers who never let anything questionable slide. Finally, this kind of behavior, breaking into a sealed ballot box with bolt cutters, should never be condoned and accepted. The end does not justify the means. Paradise Lost. Innocence Lost.
Annika Akerlund Tarajano
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