On Thursday, Surfside officers hand-delivered letters to property homeowners notifying them that every one ocean-front buildings greater than 30 years outdated and taller than three tales ought to rent engineers to start the 40-year constructing recertifications required by regulation — successfully beginning the method 10 years early. The town can be asking property homeowners to rent registered geotechnical engineers to research foundations and subsurface soils.
Mr. Prieto spent 5 years as a constructing inspector at close by Miami Seashore, the place metropolis officers agreed to pay him $80,000 a 12 months — greater than 50 p.c above the marketed wage — as a result of he held quite a lot of vital licenses, together with one in roofing. Metropolis officers who employed him famous {that a} background verify revealed monetary issues, together with a chapter in 2002, his personnel file exhibits.
There isn’t any indication that these points have been associated to his competence as a constructing inspector, however they’re typically thought-about potential crimson flags throughout pre-employment background checks.
At one level, Mr. Prieto owned his personal growth firm and was concerned in a number of actual property growth ventures. Court docket information present that whereas employed at Miami Seashore, in 2012, Mr. Prieto filed for chapter once more, this time telling the courtroom he had accrued $1.7 million in debt. He mentioned he was shedding one of many three properties he owned to foreclosures.
Just a few years into his tenure in Miami Seashore, his bosses complained that he was often late, had missed greater than 20 days of labor one 12 months, and infrequently couldn’t be situated, in accordance with emails in his personnel file. The file exhibits Mr. Prieto mentioned he didn’t name in sick on time as a result of he had hassle together with his sinuses. His bosses expressed concern that he often didn’t reply his telephone after they have been attempting to achieve him.
He was suspended after twice calling in sick a number of hours after his shift had already begun.
Surfside employed him in 2013, paying him $110,000 a 12 months to be its chief constructing official.
“I wasn’t made conscious of an issue. Quite the opposite, there have been individuals that might inform me how comfortable they have been with Mr. Prieto,” Charles W. Burkett, the mayor of Surfside, mentioned, stressing that he joined town after Mr. Prieto was employed. “You’ll be able to return over the fee conferences, and as I recall, individuals have been praising him for his responsiveness and his demeanor and his helpfulness.”