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Hans Ottinot

Lauderhill commissioners Monday hired controversial lawyer Hans Ottinot as their interim city attorney during a hastily called meeting, drawing criticism from one commissioner and some concerned residents.

Ottinot, who is also the city attorney for Tamarac, will begin his new role with Lauderhill effective Tuesday, officials said. It was not clear what prompted the resignation of Lauderhill’s previous city attorney, Angel Petti Rosenberg, whose legal work for the city stretched back years.

Lauderhill, which called an emergency meeting to deal exclusively with Ottinot’s hiring, did not appear to have sent letters of interest for legal services to any other attorneys.

Melissa Dunn, the lone commission member to vote against Ottinot’s contract, pressed Interim City Manager Kennie Hobbs Jr. for answers about how Ottinot came to be the city’s lone candidate.

She received little information from Hobbs in response.

“There was conversation between myself and the city attorney, that she had conversations with her partner as it related to this,” said Hobbs, who arranged Monday’s emergency meeting.

Hobbs also indicated Ottinot had been recommended by someone at Rosenberg’s firm.

“I can’t speak to exactly what happened as it relates to how [Angel Petti Rosenberg] got to the point of doing that [resigning], but there were conversations between Angel and I – that she confronted me or had conversations with me – relating to this. I then reached out to the commissioners, including yourself, and expressed what my conversation was with Angel, and then we moved to the point of calling a special meeting.”

“Yeah, I don’t believe that Angel voluntarily resigned,” replied Dunn, who was disallowed from voting because she attended the meeting remotely. “I believe that she was forced to resign or be fired. I also believe that, perhaps in light of that pressure, that you guys were able to come to a mutual agreement, a mutual separation agreement [with Rosenberg], which is the document that you sent out, interim city manager, for all of us to review in making this decision.”

Ottinot, whose firm also represents Tamarac and the Broward Village of Lazy Lake, said he would be among four attorneys at his firm working on behalf of the three municipalities.

Lauderhill did not provide the total of Ottinot’s financial compensation to Tamarac Talk Monday. Rosenberg did not respond to an email seeking comment.

News of Monday’s emergency commission meeting was first reported by RedBroward.

Ottinot – who has also done lucrative work as a political consultant – has been trailed by allegations of impropriety over a long career in municipal law.

Formerly the city attorney for North Miami Beach, he resigned in March 2023 rather than be fired in connection with a wide-ranging legal dispute that brought the city’s government to a halt.

Ottinot’s controversial history, including allegations of overbilling in Tamarac, was also discussed at Monday’s meeting.

From January to May 2021, Ottinot’s firm billed Tamarac taxpayers $195,000 for three months of legal work. He was fired in May 2021 and later rehired in December 2022 at the behest of his political ally, Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton.

The political maneuvering that led to Ottinot’s hiring in Lauderhill played out much like his previous hiring by Tamarac. In both cases, commissioners received little information or backup materials before the vote.

Ottinot has also served as city attorney for Miami Gardens, North Miami, North Miami Beach, and Sunny Isles Beach.

Ottinot on Monday defended his record as a lawyer.

“Obviously, when you’re in this business as a city attorney, certain opposition forces want to obviously run to the [media] to disparage you in some way … my ethics and my integrity is more important than politics.”

The effort to install Ottinot as city attorney Monday played out during a hurried meeting in which newly elected Lauderhill Mayor Denise Grant led the proceedings, eventually casting her vote as part of a unanimous 4-0 decision.

Dunn, who was not permitted a vote, said she opposed Ottinot’s hiring.

Grant, another Bolton ally, has herself been the subject of recent controversy; an independent investigation commissioned by Lauderhill found she had misused city resources for personal use while serving as a commissioner.

“Change in itself is never easy, and sometimes it happens with our involvement, and other times it just happens, but nonetheless it’s inevitable,” Grant said before Monday’s vote.

“We understand that the time set [for this meeting] was not the most appropriate for all of you, but it was a time that was given to us, and so we adhere to it. Those of us who were available, and considering we had a quorum, we decided to move forward.”

A bit more light was shed on Ottinot’s hiring by Lauderhill Vice Mayor Sarai “Ray” Martin, who said he first got wind of the issue last week in a call he received from Hobbs.

Martin said the hiring process appeared to have been “rushed.”

“I thought we would discuss today during this meeting about the retiring or resigning of our city attorney. Since then, our city attorney submitted a resignation that I received via email,” Martin said.

“I understand how this may look or appear, but we are here to serve and support the city,” he said before casting his “yes” vote.

A Lauderhill spokesperson did not answer additional questions about Ottinot’s hiring posed by Tamarac Talk Monday.

Robert Schankweiler, a Lauderhill resident, spoke in opposition to the process during the meeting’s public comment period.

“I realize that this commission meeting has been set up hastily … and just seems to be something that should not be. I object to this,” Schankweiler said.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.