Remarks by Jeffrey P. Freimark
19 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 1:20:33
“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I am in dramatic agreement with Vice Mayor Wolf. I have long been advocating for us to take the fiduciarily responsible means, which in my mind are twofold. One, we have heard from the community at at least three public meetings at the Seaview, including one just a few months ago, that we are not to back off. It is to be full peddled down in terms of this. Secondly, we need to be fiscally responsible as well, and that is not to find ourselves in a shortfall position. We know several things. Once you get into litigation, the costs only go up. And when you're dealing with…”
Village Council · Jul 13, 2026
- Play at 1:44:44
“I think that the community is going to get it. This is not a sell to the community. From a messaging standpoint, it's to the Bal Harbor shops. They knew that we were taking it seriously when we started this. They need to know that we're taking it certainly more seriously, and we're anticipating that if they're going to ramp it up, we're going to ramp it up and be ready. That's the messaging.”
Village Council · Jul 13, 2026
- Play at 1:58:10
“I'll tell you right now. I had a – We'll go there.”
Village Council · Jul 13, 2026
- Play at 2:08:13
“Can I ask him a question? Who are these fine folks with you?”
Village Council · Jul 13, 2026
- Play at 2:29:15
“Sure. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. While in Israel on a family trip a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Mayor Isaac of our Sister City, Hafa Carmel, in the beautiful town of Qasariya. And he was very excited about a couple of different projects that are being worked on with folks here at Powell Harbor Village, just to update people on. One is a visit by members of their first responders, a good number of their first responders, to give them the opportunity to work with the chief and the police team here, as well as get some R&R coming off of what have been some…”
Village Council · Jul 13, 2026
- Play at 39:40
“What is the sweet spot before potential consideration of a second vehicle?”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 51:16
“My initial comment is with you, that I'm hard pressed to do 29% and then another 29%. But I also respect the fact that we've been critical of things not being foreseen in the past.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 52:51
“So continuing my comment, I would also support going back to the original square footage prior to the first project.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 55:04
“Second reading, can we not? Yes, you can. First reading. Yes. We can.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:17:33
“Thank you. So you addressed several of them during the presentation, which was very well done. Can I assume that with the change to one ball from two that there's a change in the budget?”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:18:21
“So clearly, and you anticipated this as well in your presentation, clearly I feel conflicted about the placement of the art in the shops being sponsored by the village. But I do recognize that it is resort tax funds that does come – largely or not largely, but to an extent from the restaurants and it's a support mechanism. So I think that that is fine. I find that argument compelling, but I'd want to be sure that Bell Harbor Village gets the credit and that that's crystal clear there as well. I'd be concerned about Founder Circle, even if it was finished, because it will definitely have an…”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:20:36
“I accept that. There's no doubt about the fact they can't be happy about the construction. And they're looking at this dispute regarding Live Local and everything else and wondering what their future might be with all of this construction around them as well. Yeah.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:24:20
“Sorry, if I could just comment based on what you said, because I was right there with you in terms of why do that, but I don't think, I think we have to be bigger than them and not allow the dispute with whatever you want to characterize the ownership as being to get in the way of the relationships with the restaurants and those other areas. I would move the thing if that's”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:32:33
“Romero, another question. I'm sorry. I should have asked. I'm sorry.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:32:38
“Romero, another question. If the decision were made just to put it on 96th Street, is that an option?”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:34:45
“To that point, should we be entertaining this in one motion or should we be splitting it between cost and location?”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:38:02
“So I think that the motion would be to support the presentation subject to the inclusion of appropriate branding for Bal Harbor Village. And remove the second ball. And remove the second ball. That would be the motion. Is there a second?”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:39:33
“Vice Mayor, can I make one other comment? I want to compliment you because you stood your ground with us. You laid out your arguments cogently, and you were quite articulate in terms of how you put the arguments together to us because you convinced me I was a no. Okay.”
Village Council · May 19, 2026
- Play at 1:44:24
“So let's understand as well that the reason, the primary reason that they're willing to fight as long and hard as they are is that one would estimate that 2 million additional square feet of rights would equate to about $2 billion of value. And one million additional square feet would equate to approximately a billion dollars of incremental value. So that does give the other side a lot of powder. We have to approach this with eyes wide open, though. We have to understand the risks that are involved. I was the one that was at the mediation sessions, all three of them, at Bills and Sundberg,…”
Village Council · Apr 27, 2026