The City Clerk seeks the City Commission’s direction on scheduling Special Master Hearings starting June 4, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Special Master Hearings were cancelled for the months of April and May.
The City Clerk met with Chief Special Master Enrique Zamora, Special Master Annette Cannon, Special Master MaryAnne Lukacs, Chief Deputy City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner, and Deputy City Attorney Steven H. Rothstein to discuss beginning to hold Special Master hearings. A consensus was reached by the Special Masters, the Office of the City Attorney, and the City Clerk that virtual Special Master Hearings could be held that provide procedural due process to the alleged violators using the Zoom application
The initial hearings will be limited to Mitigation cases and Progress Reports, and only 4 cases will be scheduled per hour. Mitigation cases allow a property owner that has come into compliance to petition the Special Master to decrease the fine imposed. While Progress Reports allow the property owner to provide the Special Master with a status on their progress in coming into compliance. During Progress Reports the Special Master can assist the property owner by providing guidance, allowing more time to come into compliance, or tolling the fines for those found to have complied.
The City Clerk recommends commencing to reschedule Special Master Hearings.