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Magistrate fines Southport Raw Bar $15,000 for illegal grease dumping, orders 84 days to comply
Summary
A city magistrate imposed a $15,000 fine on Southport Raw Bar for illegal discharge of grease into a storm drain and unpaid land-use violations, and granted the owner 84 days to obtain required permits or face daily fines.
A special magistrate for the City of Fort Lauderdale ordered a $15,000 fine against Southport Raw Bar and set compliance deadlines tied to zoning and environmental violations, saying the property’s conduct created a public nuisance.
The ruling follows city testimony that environmental staff witnessed restaurant employees dumping buckets of grease into a storm drain that discharges to the Seminole River. "By the time I could stop the worker, the entire contents of 1 bucket and about two thirds of another bucket had been discharged," Environmental Compliance Manager Todd Hychew testified.
Why it matters: City officials characterized the dumping as a public-health and water-quality risk and asked the magistrate to impose the maximum fine available under the city's code for an irreversible public-nuisance violation. The magistrate imposed a $15,000 fine and gave the property 84 days to obtain after‑the‑fact permits and to correct remaining land‑use and dumpster enclosures issues, with $200 per day fines to run thereafter if compliance is not met.
City presentation and evidence: Inspector Rafael Santos presented the initial enforcement report, describing observed illegal land use and the presence of improperly maintained dumpster enclosures and grease storage. Hychew described seeing grease on the storm-drain grates and multiple open buckets near the drain. The city introduced photographs and cited the weight of the environmental evidence in requesting maximum fines.
Owner response: Stephanie Toothaker, appearing for the property owner and operator, acknowledged the dumping was addressed and said the owner had applied for permits and worked with the city on cleanup. "We accept that [the dumping] happened. It's been addressed. It will not happen again," Toothaker told the magistrate. The owner's representative asked for time to complete permitting for the dumpster enclosure and the outdoor kitchen.
Magistrate ruling: The magistrate granted the city's request for a $15,000 fine for the illegal-discharge violation as an irreparable public-nuisance finding and set 84 days for the other cited violations to be cured or for the fines to begin to accrue. The magistrate also entered findings of fact on the remaining zoning and maintenance items.
Next steps: The owner was ordered to appear again after the compliance period to report progress. If permits and repairs are not completed within the deadlines set, daily fines will resume and the city may pursue additional enforcement.
