Sunny Isles Beach Police Chief Fred Maas describes problems at the intersection of Collins Avenue and 183rd Street as developer Raanan Katz listens.

The largest taxpayer and self-anointed “No. 1 citizen” of Sunny Isles Beach isn’t a happy camper.

Again.

Raanan Katz, principal of RK Associates, thinks he’s being unfairly gouged – to the tune of $16,000 over two months – for a police officer and two crossing guards at the troubled intersection of Collins Avenue and 183^rd Street. He told the City Commission Oct. 29 that he wants a less costly fix and he’s tired of waiting.

But after a 90-minute often testy discussion, he won no more than a promise to revisit the subject in eight days.

Over the course of a rambling presentation that included tales of Michael Jordan’s tongue and potshots at fellow developer Gil Dezer, Katz acknowledged the steps that had led up to this point and outlined the issues as he sees them.

Back in early June, Katz had come before a similar special meeting of the commission to ask for the city’s help. Retail giant CVS wouldn’t take occupancy of its new store in RK’s shopping center unless the city removed bollards – plastic traffic markers in the middle of 183^rd Street that kept traffic from turning into the parking lot adjacent to the drugstore. He used the word “beg” and ultimately signed off on an agreement that would see the city remove the bollards and replace them with one police officer and two crossing guards who would assure the safety of children coming to and going from nearby Sunny Isles Beach Community School. Part of the deal was that Katz would pick up the cost along with providing a $100 million liability policy.

That was before Katz received the first bill. And he’s been complaining ever since, so far to no effect, he said.

Developer Raanan Katz listens as the City Commission discusses his request Oct. 29.

As Katz tells it, nobody mentioned a figure and he was shocked to find he was being charged for six hours a day of police time. That prompted Katz to send an associate to the scene to check out the situation. His finding, Katz said, is that a police officer sits idle while “zero to two” children use the sidewalk on the south side of 183^rd Street, the area the extra security is designed to protect. The bulk of the pedestrian traffic is on the north side of the street and is not affected by traffic turning into the shopping area, he said.

“Please don’t spend my money on things that are not necessary,” he implored the commissioners.

Katz proposed four possible staffing solutions, all eliminating the costly police presence, some eliminating all staffing in the afternoon.

Katz received some unexpected support from Police Chief Fred Maas, who was summoned from the audience by commissioners seeking a different perspective. Maas first chided the commission for striking the original deal with Katz without seeking police comment. If asked, Maas said, he would have told commissioners that a police presence wasn’t the answer.

He explained that off-duty officers were being used for the private duty detail and, by contract, there was a three-hour minimum. He also explained that crossing guards worked on a two-hour minimum.

All parties are in agreement that the intersection is flawed. The best solution appears to be creating a new entrance to the shopping center at 182^nd Street, complete with a left turn lane and traffic light. But the Florida Department of Transportation is so far not buying that idea, saying the lights would be too close together.

That’s a disturbing situation, Mayor Norman Edelcup said, that can be laid at the feet of the “thickheaded  people at FDOT.” A further meeting on that topic is set for Nov. 5 but the immediate problem at hand is the focus here, he reminded his colleagues.

Edelcup said he was satisfied that a police presence was no longer necessary and seemed to be steering toward a resolution that would have left traffic safety to crossing guards when a rare split in ranks emerged.

Vice Mayor Lewis Thaler suggested Katz was asking to trade safety for money and pointed out that going back to bollards would be the cheapest and safest fix. Yes, but that route would lead to a series of lawsuits, Edelcup interjected.  Commissioners Roslyn Brezin and Gerry Goodman also expressed concern about compromising the safety of the children and suggested the status quo remain in place until a more permanent solution could be found. They reminded Katz that he’d signed the open-ended agreement willingly.

With sentiment apparently running against Katz, his team offered a new idea. They pointed to a “similar” intersection at Collins and 95^th Street in Surfside. There, the problem had been eased by placing a stop sign on 95^th Street well back from the corner, creating space for northbound traffic to turn right off Collins and immediately left into the Post Office parking lot.  While there are similarities, that intersection doesn’t have the complication of handling southbound traffic coming off Collins, a significant factor in the 183^rd Street situation.

The 11^th hour gambit caught commissioners by surprise. When the dust cleared, City Manager Rick Conner had been directed to explore the Surfside idea, clarify the status of the traffic light with FDOT and recommend a safety solution for Collins and 183^rd, all in time for a follow-up meeting Nov. 6.

Commissioner Bud Scholl was absent.