Sucette Harbor Exposed: Part 4

~ William Kropog

Timeline of text messages raises more questions than it answers

All text messages posted here for public inspection

Updated 1/31/2024: Adds reporting on the individual public records request letters and their differences plus links to those requests.

MANDEVILLE — The text messages to and from City Council members obtained as part of a public records request by Woodward Interests Vice President Bear Cheezem paint a fascinating picture of what was going on behind closed doors during the controversial Sucette Harbor application process.

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth part in a series that will explore the recent Sucette Harbor public records release.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The ambitious plan to put a massive hotel, events center, senior living apartments and marina on the western end of Mandeville’s lakefront was defeated unanimously by the City Council September 5th.

The main takeaways Mandeville Daily discovered by inspecting these messages were reported in the limited series “Sucette Harbor Exposed” as follows:

But as you are about to read, there was much more revealed than what has already been reported.

In this “Part 4” we are making the entire body of text messages from the council members available here for you, the reader, to inspect for yourself.

The public records requests made by Woodward Interests Vice President Bear Cheezem to the individual council members are different, depending on the council member. Council members Jason Zuckerman and Jill McGuire’s were identical to each other and broader. The requests sent to council members Rick Danielson, Dr. Skelly Kreller and Rebecca Bush were identical to one another, but were narrower in scope, specifically excluding “hard copy” or “handwritten notes.” Here are the individual Cheezem public records request letters to each council member:

Zuckerman | McGuire | Danielson | Kreller | Bush

Excerpt from the City of Mandeville’s response, informing Mandeville Daily the public records response documents were ready to be picked up. We received them on a thumb drive. (Mandeville Daily)
Excerpt from the City of Mandeville’s response, informing Mandeville Daily the public records response documents were ready to be picked up. We received them on a thumb drive. (Mandeville Daily)

The City of Mandeville turned over electronic versions of the requested documents on a USB thumb drive on December 18th. What you see in the linked PDFs is exactly what the City of Mandeville gave us. If they are blurry or pixelated, that is how the City gave them to us. The only alterations are in the form of red-text annotations to provide context to the reader, plus our watermark as a measure to source the aforementioned annotations as our own. Otherwise, according to the City of Mandeville, these are the genuine text messages from the City Council members.

We have assembled a timeline below, cross-referenced with Sucette Harbor-related meetings by the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council. We have also added context and bulleted summaries of each conversation so that you can click and open the raw text messages in PDF format. (We recommend you press the “Ctrl” key while clicking the links, which will force the PDFs to open in a new tab or window. On a Mac, the key combination is “Command” plus click.)

The red yarn represents only text threads, meetings or contacts revealed by the Bear Cheezem public records release and nothing more. These are confirmed conversations or reported conversations or contacts. (Mandeville Daily)
The red yarn represents only text threads, meetings or contacts revealed by the Bear Cheezem public records release and nothing more. These are confirmed conversations or reported conversations or contacts. (Mandeville Daily)

Here are the as yet unreported quick takes from what you are about to read among the timeline:

  • Project proponent District II Councilman Dr. Skelly Kreller’s campaign consultant and Mariner’s Village Master Association President — also an outspoken Sucette Harbor proponent — Eric McVicker told Kreller in texts from October 12, 2022, that the developer should “dump” the event center, indicating it was a non-starter, presenting both traffic and noise issues. “They oughta get rid of the event center. We have enough in Mandeville,” McVicker texted. Ironically, this would turn out to be one of Councilman at Large Jason Zuckerman’s primary reasons to vote against the project, according to on-the-record statements by Zuckerman.
  • Kreller and his confidants or consultants claimed in text messages to have had repeated contacts or meetings with developer team members, including Woodward Interests attorney Paul Harrison, from whom Kreller claims to have solicited advice multiple times. These alleged contacts between the developers and Kreller camp make it appear they worked very closely together throughout the process, according to text messages.
  • Kreller and McVicker had multiple conversations about publicly remaining silent during the Planning & Zoning hearing process due to the public backlash against the project, including at one point where Kreller claims this advice came from developer attorney Harrison.
  • McVicker and Kreller identified District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush as the “swing” vote as early in the process as September 2022, even soliciting feedback from project proponent and former Councilwoman at Large Trilby Lenfant on how Bush was leaning based on meetings with the developer. McVicker also said they needed to “work on jill and jason” (District III Councilwoman Jill McGuire and Zuckerman) to gain their support.
  • McVicker claimed to be setting up a meeting between candidate for council at large Scott Discon and the developer to discuss the project in September 2022. In the recent Alliance for Good Government candidate forum held on January 22nd, Discon, who was defeated in the 2020 District III race by Jill McGuire, signaled support for the Sucette Harbor project: “Some of the issues you see in district one and district two — which is the west side of Mandeville — they’re in favor of more quality of life projects. A lot of them wanted to see some kind of development on the lakefront. It’s almost one third of the land on the lakefront is vacant… You go over to district three and district two and you might have a little bit more apprehension… You’re going to have to come up with a balance… You can’t stay closed minded. Mandeville has to grow,” said Discon at the event.
  • Kreller said of his District II constituents, “[T]hey don’t vote on whether shovels go into the ground!” and that they will remain loyal to him, despite him supporting the Sucette Harbor project against their wishes.

As previously reported, Mandeville Daily initiated new public records requests starting on December 29th for the text messages and emails from the Planning & Zoning members who sat on the commission during the Sucette Harbor application process.

We took this step because we believe that what was revealed in Kreller’s text messages raised questions about the supposed independent nature of the Planning & Zoning Commission from its appointing authority, the City Council, during the Sucette Harbor application process. Sources have provided us certain information which should be corroborated by our pending public records requests. We received word on Friday that responses are ready from five of the seven members, but the city is still working to receive responses from two of the other members.

And we’re still awaiting the readable versions of text messages from Bush and McGuire.

We hope that public inspection of all these records — facilitated through our reporting — will restore the public trust in the City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission’s relationship moving forward.

The Sucette Harbor city council text messages

Kreller Texts (Danielson) (8/23/2022) (page 2)

  • District II Councilman Dr. Skelly Kreller and Councilman at Large Rick Danielson discuss the first public meeting introducing the Sucette Harbor project.

Kreller Texts (Eric McVicker) (8/23/2022) (page 8)

  • Eric McVicker is the president of the Mariner’s Village Master Association and a campaign consultant to District II Councilman Skelly Kreller.
  • McVicker suggests finding 30 people willing to support the project to attend meeting, although those numbers never materialized.
  • Kreller tells McVicker that Bill Hoffman told him multiple times how important McVicker is to the project moving forward. “He (Hoffman) told me on Friday and yesterday your importance moving it forward.”
  • McVicker helps Kreller with wording Sucette-related social media posts.
  • Kreller and McVicker criticize Mayor Clay Madden’s initial Sucette Harbor Facebook post on 8/30/2022.
  • They discuss sharing the post with Woodward Interests, the developer team.

Kreller Texts (Trilby Lenfant) (8/30/2022) (page 15)

  • Lenfant tells Kreller to have Planning & Zoning commissioner Nixon Adams check the names of people leaving negative comments about Sucette on social media, presumably the Madden Facebook post of 8/30/2022.
  • Kreller says he needs to meet with Lenfant and Nixon Adams to help him get a bulk mailer brochure “finalized.”
  • Kreller sent out a mailer in October 2022 to his constituents as a mid-term update. The only mention of anything Sucette Harbor-related was “Vigilance to assure appropriate new development.”

Kreller Texts (Ren Clark) (8/30/2022) (page 17)

  • Kreller asks Clark not to post on social media about Sucette project.
  • The two have a long back-and-forth with mostly Clark taking issue with the Sucette Harbor project.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (8/31/2022) (page 26)

  • Kreller advises McVicker to make Facebook posts and not to erase negative responses in hopes of luring project critics to say something “libelous.”
  • Kreller says developer attorney Paul Harrison advised him to “stay low.”
  • Conversation indicates they knew long before the project was introduced that it would meet strong resistance from the public.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (9/4/2022) (page 27)

  • Kreller and McVicker debate the pros and cons of staying quiet on social media concerning Sucette Harbor before and after it is publicly announced.
  • McVicker suggests that staying quiet is a mistake.
  • McVicker suggests that District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush would be the swing vote when it eventually comes before the council.
  • McVicker says they need to “work on Jill (McGuire) and Jason (Zuckerman) too.”
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Kreller Texts (McVicker) (9/12/2022) (page 32)

  • Kreller says his constituents will remain loyal to him despite him supporting the unpopular project: “[T]hey don’t vote on whether shovels go into the ground!”
  • McVicker reiterates plan to keep quiet during the Planning & Zoning public hearing process, but not for the City Council process.
  • McVicker tells Kreller he’s meeting with Councilman at Large Rick Danielson for lunch.
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Kreller Texts (Lenfant) (9/19/2022) (page 35)

  • Lenfant reports that District II Councilwoman Rebecca Bush met with the developer.
  • Kreller polls Lenfant as to how she thinks Bush is leaning.
  • Lenfant confides in Kreller that they were disappointed that the developer changed the original concept, making the apartments rental-only and not condos that could be individually purchased.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (9/19/2022) (page 37)

  • McVicker claims he is arranging a meeting between Woodward Interests, the developer, and current councilman at large candidate Scott Discon, who also sits on the Parks and Parkways Commission.
  • At the recent Alliance for Good Government forum January 22nd, Discon signaled support for the Sucette Harbor development: “Some of the issues you see in district one and district two — which is the west side of Mandeville — they’re in favor of more quality of life projects. A lot of them wanted to see some kind of development on the lakefront. It’s almost one third of the land on the lakefront is vacant… You go over to district three and district two and you might have a little bit more apprehension… You’re going to have to come up with a balance… You can’t stay closed minded. Mandeville has to grow,” said Discon at the event.
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Kreller Texts (Elizabeth Sconzert) (9/20/2022) (page 39)

  • Kreller forwards Woodward Interests contact information to City Attorney Elizabeth Sconzert.

Kreller Texts (Lenfant) (9/21/2022) (page 41)

  • Kreller thanks Lenfant, indicating she played a significant role in “putting this project together!”
  • This exchange is the first earliest confirmation in text messages that Lenfant was aware that Kreller is a supporter of the project. (Seven months later, she would ask Kreller if he had told anyone publicly that he was in favor of the project, suggesting he feign neutrality publicly.)
  • Lenfant tells Kreller about meeting with the developer and how she and project proponent Rhonda Alleman, texting “we all want to reserve corner units!”

Kreller Texts (Ren Clark) (9/21/2022) (page 43)

  • Ren Clark is a former member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. He had left the commission before the Sucette Harbor vote.
  • Clark urges Kreller not to support the project.

9/21/2022

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – First Sucette Harbor special meeting to present project.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (9/23/2022, 9/26/2022) (page 47)

  • Kreller shares content of message or social media post he intended to or had sent.
  • Kreller shares a concern from New Golden Shores resident about 18-wheelers not being able to turn into the development site from Mariner’s Blvd.
  • Kreller asks McVicker to share the information with Bear Cheezem, vice president of Woodward Interests, the developer, if he thinks it’s helpful or to change it up.
  • McVicker says he has already spoken to Cheezem about related parking.

10/12/2022

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – Second Sucette Harbor special meeting to present project.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (10/12/2022) (page 52)

  • McVicker says Woodward Interests did “amazing” job presenting project to Planning & Zoning Commission.
  • McVicker expresses concern about the “Events Center” portion of the project and suggests they need to “dump” it; says it would be problematic for “parking and noise.”
  • McVicker says Mandeville has enough such facilities.
  • McVicker says Planning & Zoning Commission member Mike Pierce, who ended up voting against, made a great point about the events center.
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Kreller Texts (McVicker) (1/22/2023) (page 56)

  • Kreller tells McVicker that Bill Hoffman of Woodward Interests knows he is “trying to hold the votes on P&Z together.”
  • McVicker says Bear Cheezem of Woodward Interests told him they are considering “legal options” concerning the traffic study.
  • Kreller says he’ll ask David Lebreton why RPC is involved.

Kreller Texts (McVicker, Alleman) (2/13/2023) (page 60)

  • Alleman said she believed it was “deliberate and unfortunate” that the February 13, 2023, Planning & Zoning special meeting on the Sucette Harbor project had not been promoted by the administration.
  • She told Kreller and McVicker that only the “nay sayers” (sic) would be in attendance, indicating she had hoped for a large pro-Sucette turnout.
  • Throughout all of the P&Z hearings and City Council meetings, very little support in terms of people attending meetings ever materialized for Sucette Harbor.

2/13/2023

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – Third Sucette Harbor special meeting.

Zuckerman Texts (Brian Rhinehart) (2/16/2023) (page 1)

  • Brian Rhinehart is a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission, who would vote against recommending the Sucette Harbor project to the City Council.
  • Zuckerman and Rhinehart discuss the 55-and-up senior living exemption requirements under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development fair housing rules.

3/7/2023

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – Fourth Sucette Harbor special meeting.

Kreller Texts (McVicker, Donald Villere) (3/7/2023, 3/10/2023) (page 63)

  • Immediately following the March 7, 2023, special Planning & Zoning meeting on Sucette Harbor.
  • Kreller complains that Planning & Zoning Commission chairman Brian Rhinehart tried to “push his negative position” on the other P&Z members during the public meeting.
  • Kreller says he planned to complain “again” to City Attorney Elizabeth Sconzert about Rhinehart’s actions as chairman during the meeting.
  • Donald Villere, former Mandeville mayor and recent St. Tammany Parish Council District 10 also-ran, tells McVicker and Kreller that Planning & Zoning members are supposed deliberate on the information presented and not their opinions.
  • McVicker suggests submitting a public records request to the city Planning Department asking for information on previously approved and denied projects.
  • McVicker feared the Planning & Zoning Commission would use the needed variances to kill the project.
  • Kreller tells the others he believes they have the necessary four “yes” votes.
  • Kreller instructs McVicker to contact Mike Pierce and keep him in the “yes” column. Pierce ended up voting against the recommendation.
  • Rhinehart ended up voting against recommending Sucette Harbor to the City Council. The recommendation ended up passing 4-3 on April 17, 2023.

Danielson Texts (Lacey Toledano) (3/17/2023) (page 1)

  • Lacey Toledano is with the St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce.
  • The Chamber backed the Sucette Harbor project.

Kreller Texts (Louisette Scott) (3/18/2023) (page 68)

  • Louisette Scott is the former Planning and Development director preceding Cara Bartholomew.
  • Kreller seeks advice on the Home Rule Charter’s Comprehensive Land Use Regulation Ordinance (CLURO) from Scott that he can use to support the Sucette Harbor project moving forward.

Kreller Texts (Nixon Adams) (3/18/2023) (page 70)

  • Kreller passes along the information received from Louisette Scott to Planning & Zoning Commission member Nixon Adams, who was still a sitting member of the Planning & Zoning Commission at the time.
  • Adams would end up voting in favor of endorsing the Sucette Harbor project on April 17, 2023.
  • Planning & Zoning members are appointed and confirmed by the City Council. The City Council also has the authority to remove them.

Kreller Texts (Ellen O’Connell) (3/20/2023) (page 71)

  • Ellen O’Connell is a Mariner’s Village Owner/Investor.
  • O’Connell was later an outspoken critic of the Sucette Harbor project.
  • O’Connell was instrumental in a petition of disavowal of a Mariner’s Village Master Association letter of recommendation penned by MVMA President Eric McVicker for the Sucette Harbor project that would be presented to the City Council by the developer at the May 25, 2023, City Council meeting.

Danielson Texts (Jason Zuckerman) (3/19/2023) (page 2)

  • Danielson and Zuckerman discuss social media posts by project advocate and frequent critic on social media Andrew Ellender, who was pushing for video conferencing of City Council meetings to allow interactive participation from the public.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (3/20/2023) (page 76)

  • Kreller tells McVicker that he is driving Planning & Zoning Commission member Nixon Adams to the Planning & Zoning meeting that night.
  • McVicker tells Kreller that his suggestion to the developer will be to take control of the narrative by offering a revised proposal to avoid conditions being put on the project: “[M]aybe the p&z will settle for it. And it will be a win.”

3/20/2023

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – Fifth Sucette Harbor special meeting.

4/17/2023

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – Sixth Sucette Harbor special meeting where commission votes 4-3 to recommend that the City Council approve the Sucette Harbor project.

Kreller holds fundraiser event same night as vote; Sucette Harbor attorney Paul Harrison attends

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (4/18/2023) (page 78)

  • The day after the Planning & Zoning Commission voted 4-3 to recommend that the City Council approve the Sucette Harbor project.
  • Kreller held fundraiser same night as the Planning & Zoning vote to recommend
  • Woodward Interests attorney Paul Harrison attends and Kreller’s campaign posts photos on Facebook showing Harrison in attendance.
  • McVicker floats the idea that Councilman at Large Jason Zuckerman should recuse himself from the Sucette Harbor deliberations.
  • McVicker suggests getting someone not connected to them to ask City Attorney Elizabeth Sconzert if Zuckerman should recuse himself.
  • Kreller emails former Planning Director Louisette Scott to complain about Ernest Burguières and his column, asking her to respond publicly.

Kreller Texts (Kristine Scherer) (4/19/2023) (page 81)

  • Kristine Scherer is the Mandeville City Council Clerk.
  • Kreller forwards McVicker’s assertion from earlier that Zuckerman should recuse himself from the Sucette Harbor deliberations.
  • Kreller tells Scherer he is getting an opinion on the question from project developer Woodward Interests attorney Paul Harrison.
  • Scherer’s response to Kreller is “Guess that would be a Paul question.”
  • Kreller tells Scherer he intends to get someone other than himself to pose the recusal question to City Attorney Elizabeth Sconzert.

Kreller Texts (Pearl Gervais) (4/29/2023) (page 83)

  • Kreller complains about project critic Missie Noel who lives in Kreller’s neighborhood New Golden Shores: “She is starting problems,” he said.
  • Pearl Gervais is the secretary of the New Golden Shores neighborhood association.

Kreller Texts (Lenfant, Alleman) (4/29/2023) (page 87)

  • Kreller complains about Missie Noel and Kevin Vogeltanz, sharing posts they made to the New Golden Shores website.
  • Kreller tells Alleman he will not meet with residents of New Golden Shores neighborhood.
  • Kreller: “It was recommended to me not to have it because it serves no purpose.”
  • Kevin Vogeltanz is a local attorney and anti-Sucette Harbor stalwart who would later speak at numerous City Council meetings against the project.
  • Vogeltanz recently qualified and is running to unseat Kreller in the District II City Council race.

Kreller Texts (Lenfant) (4/30/2023) (page 100)

  • Lenfant asks Kreller if he has made his position in favor of Sucette Harbor public yet, hence why he is being “attacked” on social media.
  • Kreller says he had not made his support known publicly, despite having given statements to the media indicating support.
  • Lenfant advises Kreller to meet with opposition but tell them he is still undecided, even though by this point Lenfant knows Kreller supports the project, as evidenced by earlier text messages and statements to the media.
  • Kreller tells Lenfant that Councilman at Large Rick Danielson supports the project.

Zuckerman Texts (Ernest Burguières) (4/30/2023) (page 2)

  • Zuckerman and Burguières discuss District II Councilman Skelly Kreller purportedly having posted that he would not be meeting with his constituents to take feedback on Sucette. Kreller had met with neighborhood groups much earlier before the project was presented to the Planning & Zoning Commission, according to texts by Kreller.

Zuckerman Texts (Rebecca Bush) (5/4/2023) (page 3)

  • District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush and Zuckerman discuss her availability for upcoming Sucette Harbor special meetings, and the belief that an actual vote on the project would not occur at one of the meetings she needed to miss do to professional obligations.

Kreller Texts (Lenfant) (5/7/2023-5/8/2023) (page 106)

  • Lenfant expresses frustration that District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush will miss a scheduled meeting on Sucette Harbor, advising that a tie vote fails.
  • Lenfant says she has meeting scheduled that week with Bush.

Kreller Texts (Scherer) (5/7/2023) (page 107)

  • Kreller complains to Council Clerk Kristine Scherer about District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush having to miss one or more scheduled Sucette Harbor meetings.

Kreller Texts (Louisette Scott) (5/7/2023) (page 110)

  • Kreller asks questions about zoning in the Mariner’s Village area.
  • Scott raises question of why Bartholomew hadn’t clarified “rezoning” earlier in proccess.
  • Louisette Scott is the former Planning and Development director preceding Cara Bartholomew.

Zuckerman Texts (Rick Danielson) (5/15/2023) (page 5) and Danielson Texts (Jason Zuckerman) (5/15/2023) (page 3)

  • Danielson and Zuckerman discuss an email from local attorney Kevin Vogeltanz and when a vote could occur at the upcoming May 25, 2023, meeting.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (5/19/2023) (page 112)

  • McVicker informs Kreller of project critic Michele Avery’s “bribe” posts.

Kreller Texts (Lenfant, Alleman) (5/20/2023) (page 113)

Zuckerman Texts (Ernest Burguières) (5/20/2023) (page 6)

  • Burguières and Zuckerman discuss splitting the ordinance to extract the requested zoning change for consideration separately.

Zuckerman Texts (Brian Rhinehart) (5/22/2023) (page 7)

  • Rhinehart shares a screenshot of a post from Nextdoor website where project critic Michele Avery is alleging she is being hit with a barrage of posts from outspoken proponent Andrew Ellender.
  • Rhinehart shares pictures of a pro-Sucette Harbor mailer that went out and had developer attorney Paul Harrison’s mailing address on it.

Kreller Texts (“Stephen”) (5/25/2023) (page 128)

  • Kreller tells “Stephen” that Hoffman contacted him and they plan to make statements about Avery posts, and that he will follow Hoffman’s remarks.
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Danielson Texts (McVicker, Kreller) (5/25/2023) (page 13) and Kreller Texts (McVicker, Rick Danielson) (5/25/2023) (page 130)

  • Day of City Council meeting when Sucette Harbor is first presented to the City Council.
  • McVicker informs Kreller and Danielson of the Mariner’s Village Master Association’s letter of endorsement to be included at that night’s City Council meeting when Sucette Harbor is to be presented by Woodward Interests President Bill Hoffman.
  • McVicker is the president of the Mariner’s Village Master Association and a campaign consultant to District II Councilman Skelly Kreller.

5/25/2023

City Council Meeting – First meeting where Sucette Harbor ordinance is brought to floor and discussed, and social media “bribe” posts addressed with threats of lawsuits.

Kreller Texts (McVicker, Donald Villere) (5/29/2023) (page 131)

  • McVicker tells Kreller and former mayor Donald Villere that Chenier has a greater density than the proposed Sucette Harbor project.
  • Villere reminds him that Chenier sits on a four-lane highway, the proposed Sucette Harbor does not have highway access, which is one of the primary concerns of project critics.
  • Donald Villere is the former Mandeville mayor and recent St. Tammany Parish Council District 10 also-ran.

Danielson Texts (Bill Hoffman) (6/12/2023) (page 15)

  • Bill Hoffman is the president of Woodward Interests, the Sucette Harbor developer who is now suing the City of Mandeville and Zuckerman individually.
  • Danielson appears to have attempted to coordinate the WWL Radio interview for Hoffman.
  • Hoffman tells Danielson they are declining invite to do WWL Radio interview.

Danielson Texts (Kreller) (6/13/2023) (page 17) and Kreller Texts (Danielson) (6/13/2023) (page 135)

  • Kreller and Danielson discuss a WWL Radio interview with Sucette Harbor project critic Kevin Vogeltanz.

Kreller Texts (Scherer) (6/13/2023) (page 142)

  • Discusses earlier conversation with Danielson about wanting to co-sponsor ordinance.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (6/14/2023) (page 138)

  • Discusses meeting schedule and Ellen Pierce planning to speak.

Zuckerman Texts (Bill and Kendra Casanova) (6/9/2023-6/10/2023) (page 13)

  • Bill and Kendra Casanova are Tops’l property owners.
  • They invite Zuckerman to walk the proposed Sucette Harbor property with them.
  • They express concerns because they say the developer didn’t seem to be aware of the easements. They also talked about what they claim are wetlands issues.

Zuckerman Texts (Justin Greenleaf) (6/10/2023) (page 11)

  • Justin Greenleaf is a local architect.
  • Councilman at Large Jason Zuckerman shares a screenshot of a post from social media made by project proponent and frequent Zuckerman critic Andrew Ellender.
  • The screenshot was of an allegedly fake LinkedIn profile that Ellender claimed to be Zuckerman’s real LinkedIn profile. The “photoshopped” image , according to the text message, claimed Zuckerman is “VP of Field Operations,” which he is not.

Danielson Texts (Jeff Gill-Greve) (6/15/2023) (page 28)

  • Jeff Gill-Greve is WWL Radio host Newell Normand’s producer.
  • Gill-Greve asks Danielson about an interview.
  • Danielson suggests he interview someone from the developer team.

6/20/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #1

Reporting: Sparks fly over property lines, conditional use permit details as council members tangle with city officials at special meeting

Kreller Email (Kristine Scherer, Rick Danielson) (6/20/2023)

Zuckerman Texts (Larry Grundmann) (6/21/2023) (page 15)

  • Larry Grundmann is a Mariner’s Island property owner and outspoken critic of the Sucette Harbor project. Grundmann spoke publicly at multiple special meetings.
  • Grundmann addresses what he describes as “misapplication” of R-3 base zoning district.

Zuckerman Texts (Bill and Kendra Casanova) (6/21/2023) (page 16)

  • The Casanovas share pictures purportedly from Parcels D and U (the proposed Sucette Harbor site) showing sinkholes and expressing their concerns.

Danielson Emails (self) (6/22/2023) (page 30)

  • Danielson appears to use emails as a way to make notes to himself for responses that he plans to others, or messages to which he is or has responded.
  • Danielson compares Sucette Harbor proposed density to nearby Tops’l and Chenier Living community on Highway 190.

Danielson Texts (Kreller) (6/26/2023) (page 31) and Kreller Texts (Danielson) (6/26/2023) (page 137)

  • Kreller asks to co-sponsor Ordinance 23-16 (Sucette Harbor) with Danielson.
  • Danielson says it not necessary.

Zuckerman Texts (Kristine Scherer) (6/26/2023) (page 20)

  • Zuckerman — who was serving as council chairman at the time — instructs Council Clerk Scherer that he wishes to review the agenda for the upcoming July 5th special meeting to make sure it states “adoption of” and not just “discussion of” so that the council would legally be able to have a vote should that be the will of the council.
  • Zuckerman was elected by the City Council in July to be the council chairman for the next fiscal year. The council chair sets meeting agendas, makes certain appointments, can call for special meetings, among other duties, as per the City Charter. Section 2-06 says the current council chairman serves as the “presiding officer” for City Council meetings, or he or she can appoint one of the other council members as “temporary presiding officer” in their stead. Zuckerman and Danielson made an agreement that Danielson, who started the Sucette Harbor “session” or series of special meetings as council chair and hence the presiding officer of meetings, should serve the remainder of the Sucette Harbor session as the presiding officer for the sake of continuity. But according to the charter, the current council chairman, which is Zuckerman, sets the agendas for all meetings.

Danielson Texts (McVicker) (7/5/2023) (page 34)

  • Day of July 5, 2023, Sucette Harbor special meeting #2.
  • Danielson tells McVicker there won’t be a final vote but could have conditions or amendments.

7/5/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #2

Reporting: The Sucette Spectacle of Fear goes into extra innings

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (7/5/2023) (page 143)

  • Immediately after the July 5, 2023, special meeting #2 on Sucette Harbor.
  • Kreller and McVicker discuss calling for a vote at the upcoming July 12, 2023, meeting, perhaps thinking Bush would be a “yes” vote at that point.
  • Kreller says he will discuss with Danielson and an outside lawyer —- other than the city attorney — about calling a vote at the July 12th meeting.

Kreller Texts (Scherer) (7/9/2023-7/10/2023) (page 147)

  • Kreller disputes an assertion that P&Z member Brian Rhinehart made at the July 5, 2023, meeting related to the combined votes of P&Z in for the property in question.
  • Scherer responded that the previous vote for Al Copeland was a 6-1 rejection and not 7-0 like Rhinehart had indicated.

Danielson Texts (Andy Canulette) (7/10/2023) (page 36)

Zuckerman Texts (Larry Grundmann) (7/12/2023-7/19/2023) (page 22)

  • Grundmann frequently passes along information in short texts concerning zoning and other concerns to Zuckerman spanning much of the Sucette Harbor process.
  • Mandeville Daily is not linking to each and every one of those messages in an effort to keep this piece and narrative as concise as possible, but you, the reader, can read them all in the above link. We have chosen not to link to numerous other threads of the other council members for the same reason; however, those messages are still included in the source PDF links as well.

7/12/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #3

Reporting: Council strangles Sucette ordinance with density condition

Zuckerman Texts (Ren Clark) (7/23/2023) (page 24)

  • Ren Clark is a former member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. He had left the commission before the Sucette Harbor vote.
  • Clark and Zuckerman discuss the effects of the number of apartments having been cut down to 90 at the July 12th meeting.

7/24/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #4

Council chair surprise halts new amendments, conditions on Sucette ordinance at special meeting
Sucette Developer signals marina won’t be built

Danielson Texts (Rhonda Alleman) (7/24/2023-7/26/2023) (page 37)

Kreller Texts (Pearl Gervais) (7/27/2023) (page 158)

  • Gervais who has mostly been supportive in her texts asks Kreller if there is a “plan B” if the senior living apartments don’t sell.
  • Gervais asks Kreller if he’d like to poll his constituents on Sucette.
  • Gervais warns Kreller that she hasn’t herd that anyone (in New Golden Shores) wants the project.
  • Gervais is the secretary of the New Golden Shores neighborhood association.

Zuckerman Texts (Kristine Scherer) (7/27/2023) (page 28)

  • Zuckerman finalizes upcoming meeting schedule.

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (7/30/2023) (page 160)

  • Kreller says “Nich” sent him some information on property rights.
  • A possible reference to Nicholas Cressy, who was later appointed to the P&Z as Kreller’s recommendation.

Zuckerman Texts (Ren Clark) (8/1/2023) (page 29)

  • Clark asks Zuckerman if he’s aware of the erosion in Parcel U.

Kreller Texts (Scherer) (8/2/2023) (page 161)

  • Kreller asks Scherer question about the August 15, 2023, special meeting agenda, whether the council can vote and “bring this to an end?”

Kreller Texts (McVicker) (8/14/2023) (page 162)

Bush Texts (Rhonda Alleman) (8/15/2023) (page 167)

  • This was before the August 15, 2023, City Council meeting where a majority on the council would unsuccessfully attempt to nullify the 90-unit apartment limit that was adopted on July 12, 2023.
  • District I Councilwoman Rebecca Bush advises project proponent Rhonda Alleman she is awaiting revised plans from the developer and that she is encouraged.
  • Later at the meeting, Bush would tell the public that she had again met with the developer to discuss the project.

8/15/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #5

Reporting: Attempt to break 90-apartment limit fails after procedural standoff among council members, attorneys

Bush Texts (Rhonda Alleman) (8/15/2023) (page 169)

Zuckerman Texts (Ren Clark) (8/16/2023) (page 31)

  • Zuckerman tells Clark that Planning and Development Director Cara Bartholomew was wrong about her assertion that R-3 Residential is more like commercial than residential, allowing B-2 site development regulations on the site instead of B-1.

Danielson Texts (Andy Canulette) (8/21/2023) (page 45)

  • Andy Canulette is a staff writer with Nola.com/Times-Picayune/Morning Advocate.
  • Danielson expresses frustration that Zuckerman, who is the Council Chairman, rescheduled a Sucette Harbor special meeting.
  • The meeting in question had to be rescheduled to September 5, 2023, because City Attorney Elizabeth Sconzert had a death in her immediate family.
  • Zuckerman emailed the entire city council on August 18th explaining the reason. Click here to read the email.
  • It is unclear why Danielson seems to insinuate that he did not know the reason for the cancellation.
  • It should be noted that Danielson was no longer the Council Chairman at this point, but he and Zuckerman agreed that for continuity Danielson would be the “presiding officer” at the Sucette Harbor special meetings since he started the Sucette Harbor sessions while still council chairman. The council chairmanship alternates annually between the two at-large council members, Zuckerman and Danielson.

Danielson Texts (Alleman) (8/21/2023) (page 46)

  • Alleman tells Danielson she thinks the votes are possible to “resurrect” the 170 units: “There is a way. And it’s not complicated.”

Zuckerman Texts (Kevin Vogeltanz) (8/22/2023) (page 33)

  • Kevin Vogeltanz is a local attorney and anti-Sucette Harbor stalwart who would later speak at numerous City Council meetings against the project.
  • Vogeltanz asks for an informal meeting to discuss the process and latest site plan with Zuckerman.
  • Vogeltanz recently qualified and is running to unseat Kreller in the District II City Council race.

Zuckerman Texts (Larry Grundmann) (8/24/2023) (page 34)

  • Grundmann asks Jason about a list of conditions to the ordinance not matching what had actually been voted on by the council.

Danielson Texts (Alleman) (9/3/2023-9/5/2023) (page 58)

  • Alleman offers a new strategy, different than the aforementioned motion to withdraw, to allow the ordinance with 90 units to be voted down and immediately reintroduced, in effect stripping it of the 90-unit amendment.
  • Danielson casts doubt on being able to get three votes if the original ordinance were to have been reintroduced.
  • Alleman again tries to persuade Danielson how to resurrect the 170 unit ordinance.

9/5/2023

Sucette Harbor Special Meeting #6

Reporting: Sucette Harbor killed, 5-0

Kreller Texts (Cara Bartholomew) (9/6/2023) (page 171)

  • Kreller offers apology to Bartholomew for Zuckerman’s comments at the final meeting where the project was voted down, 5-0.

Zuckerman Texts (Greta Perry) (9/7/2023) (page 40)

  • Greta Perry is a Sucette Harbor project critic and an administrator for the Facebook group “Mandeville – High Density Development (are you kidding me!).”
  • Perry discusses what project critics considered a “last-minute” Sucette Harbor endorsement by the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.
  • Zuckerman tells Perry he found their endorsement frustrating.

Editor’s Note:

  • Rhonda Alleman appears frequently in text messages or emails from most of the council members, where she is seen as a staunch proponent of the Sucette Harbor project.
  • Trilby Lenfant is a former at-large council member as well as former executive assistant to Madden. She appears in many of Kreller’s text messages, where she is seen offering advice and relaying information to and from developer meetings.
  • Eric McVicker is a Kreller campaign consultant and Mariner’s Village Master Association (MVMA) president. He appears prominently throughout Kreller’s texts, and in May 2023 he penned a Sucette Harbor endorsement announcement on behalf of the MVMA board of directors.
  • Andrew Ellender — a social media content provider on local politics— was seen as a project proponent based on the bulk of his social media posts. He was also a frequent critic of Councilman at Large Jason Zuckerman, Mayor Clay Madden, and even certain officials in the Mandeville Police Department. Ellender has sent a number of emails to the City Council on various topics, some but not all relating to Sucette Harbor.

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Published by William Kropog

Editor Emeritus