Ambush at the PNJ “Corral”

My "Interview" with the 2-person editorial board of the Pensacola News Journal today felt like a total ambush job...read about it below.

My Spidey Sense was telling me something was amiss…  This is/was the first time I have ever been asked to sit down and talk with the entire two-person editorial board of the PNJ.  And what did I do to elicit this invitation?  Well, as I have done dozens of times over the last 13 years, I had emailed in an op-ed for the PNJ’s consideration.  Here is the 600 word guest editorial I sent them on Wednesday evening.

But instead of a yes or no (or pocket veto)—I was asked to come sit down and talk to the two-person editorial board (+Jim Little was brought in as well) earlier today.

Immediately, I was attacked by Andy Marlette.  He had an almost rabid look in his eyes as he began questioning me on a host of topics the second I sat down in the conference room and editor Lisa Savage joined us…

“You wrote on your blog for years that I called you and told you to stop making parody manipulations of my cartoons—but that isn’t true—I never called you!”  he said accusingly.  I told him that Jeremy Knipper from the PNJ called on his behalf and said “Andy doesn’t like you using his cartoons--stop”  Which is a fact.  So yes, there is a distinction; Andy told Jeremy Knipper to call me on his behalf to say I couldn’t use his cartoons.  It is a distinction with no difference.  Nevertheless, I said to Andy’s representative at that time--“you’ve got that wrong, go ask your attorneys.”  And Jeremy called back later to say “Yeah, you can use them.”  Andy didn’t like that part of today’s meeting, I guess….

He then looked over to his editor, in almost a tattle-tale whine, and said “He is taking my cartoons and changing them around and changing the words!”  and he continued “I don’t think it is legal, It’s not legal for him to do this, right?!?”  The editor responded to me “I don’t think you can do that, but we will check, I’ll ask Barbara about this.”  (I assumed this is their lawyer).  I simply stated the cartoons I manipulated were a parody, clearly marked and subject to fair use as such, and that I continue to believe it is legal to utilize them for parody.  (They will probably reach out to a senior attorney within their Gannett organization, probably a sharp conservative lawyer, and they will get their answer which will probably not align with what they think the answer should be, I suspect.)

Meanwhile—the question barrage was about to begin.

Andy started a series of rapid-fire questions.  “What do you think about the small number of minorities in leadership in the county?”  “What do you think should be done about this?”  What do you think I meant when I drew your last name next to a confederate rebel flag in multiple cartoons?”  “Why do you NOT think Senator Philip Beall was a racist?”  “Who said Philip Beall was a white-supremacist?” “Do you blog anonymously?” “Are you homophobic?”

I felt like I was being grilled.  A few times he busted out in an almost nervous bout of laughter.  It was weird.

“Why can’t you tell us about all the important legislation that Senator Beall sponsored while he was in the senate for 7 years?”  (I guess they thought I ought to be able to regurgitate his legislative record on command, on the spot, from memory?)

“None of Beall’s family live in the area any more—what do you make of that?”

“Why should we keep the Beall name on the Bridge—what does it matter?”

I took their gunfire and answered their questions for an hour.  I don’t think they liked my answers or the fact that I would not answer some of the questions the way they wanted me to answer them.  They did not like the fact that I pushed back against their line of questioning and held fast and stood up to them.  Here are some examples of their questions and my answers:

Jeff Bergosh:  “Andy—what did you think of the first bridge committee meeting”

Andy Marlette:  “I don’t know”

Jeff Bergosh: “You were there—what do you mean you don’t know?”

Andy Marlette:  “I guess it just seemed disorganized and not productive”

Jeff Bergosh:  “What do you mean? The elected a chair, set the meeting dates, decided upon goals and objectives, and the format for the meetings—I think they accomplished a lot!”

Andy Marlette:  “What does the “American Grizzly” and “Bear Magazine ”in your version of my

Learn from History-Don’t Erase It!

Although America is the greatest nation in the history of mankind-our history is one of violence and cruelty to many.  But we have evolved and improved as a country.  Some want to erase history by tearing down statues and taking down monuments for political correctness' sake.  I think this is dangerous, and I DO NOT support this....History is what it was, not what we wish it had been...

In 2021, the  $427 Million replacement bridge now under construction over Pensacola Bay will be completed.  Current FDOT policy and practice dictates replacement structure(s) carry the same designations as the original structure(s) replaced-absent any new legislative action.

In this instance and by an act of the Florida legislature in 1961-the bridge connecting Pensacola with Gulf Breeze is officially recognized as the “Philip D. Beall Sr. Memorial Bridge”—although most locals call it the “3-Mile Bridge.”  (Sen. Philip D. Beall was a State Senator from Pensacola from 1935 until 1943.)

But some folks now insist we give this replacement structure a new name—stripping the Beall family name and re-naming it the Daniel R. “Chappie” James bridge.  (Chappie James was a decorated combat aviator, the first black man to become a 4-star general in the U.S. Military.)

I believe a better tribute for a great man like Chappie would be for us to rename Pensacola’s airport in his honor—after all, Chappie was an aviator!  If Louisville Kentucky can rename their city’s airport for their favorite son, Mohammad Ali, then why can’t Pensacola do this same thing for Chappie James?

Beall’s descendants have suggested a fair compromise amidst all this rancorous debate—a dual designation of the bridge, honoring both men. 

Unfortunately- this magnanimous, common-sense gesture was rebuked.

Our legislative delegation, meanwhile, has signaled its willingness to introduce legislation to change the bridge’s official designation-- if this is the will of the four interested communities.

Pensacola and Santa Rosa County have already taken formal votes on this.

Escambia County and the city of Gulf Breeze, however, have wisely moved forward with a committee approach for considering this issue--allowing individual citizens a voice in this decision.   (citizens may send their thoughts to:  namethebridge@myescambia.com )

I’m hopeful this committee will listen to all sides of this matter with open minds.

Because sadly--some folks that are supportive of changing the bridge’s name have now resorted to denigrating a family’s legacy by calling Sen. Beall a “racist”- an insidious claim that has no basis in fact!

This negative turn in the discussion has been devastating to Beall’s descendants. 

Senator Beall’s daughter sat in my office going through memorabilia recently—and emotionally asked me this: “Why do they want to erase my family’s history-our family wasn’t racist?”

Nevertheless-- individuals pushing to tear Beall’s name from the bridge continue assaulting his legacy, pointing to legislation the senator sponsored in 1935 that made Democratic primaries statewide "white only."

But these primaries were ubiquitous in the 1930s south; the Supreme Court decision in Grovey v. Townsend ruled that such primaries were lawful and didn’t deprive citizens of their 14th or 15th Amendment rights.  It was about party politics of that time, not race.

Meanwhile-- every racist injustice committed by Andrew Jackson, FDR, Robert Byrd, and other historic figures that have monuments locally and nationwide---apparently, these are a non-issue.  (Jackson owned slaves, FDR force-segregated black troops and illegally interred American Citizens of Japanese descent. Byrd was in the Ku Klux Klan—yet all these guys’ monuments stand proudly?)

It’s rank hypocrisy that’s borderline delusional.

Allowing ANY angry mob to become the de facto “monument police,” re-writing our history to suit their agenda and ideology, condemning selected historical figures while ignoring historical realities, acting as judge, jury and executioner to erase history—this is wrong!  

I don’t-- and we shouldn’t—countenance the sanitizing of history by condoning the forceful destruction of statues, the removal of monuments, and/or the stealing of families' memorial designations----on the orders of ANY angry mob. 

$15.00 Per Hour Minimum Wage for County Employees?

Escambia County currently employs 177 staff members that earn less than $13 per hour.  A plan is being forwarded to Commissioners to raise all staff to a minimum of $15 per hour over the next five years....It will be an interesting conversation.

There is apparently an initiative coming to the Escambia BCC from staff to move toward a $15 minimum wage per hour incrementally over the next five years.  This is the email all commissioners received.  I know it would help us in hiring and being competitive with other local governments and employers.  It will be an interesting conversation.

From the email:

"Hi Commissioners,

During the recent budget meetings with Department Directors, it became very apparent that most Directors are having trouble recruiting new employees and retaining current employees at our lowest hourly salaries.  Many private businesses, local governments and states are phasing in a $15 per hour minimum “livable” wage ($31,200) over several years.  If Escambia County were to adopt a 6-year phased approach to achieve this goal, we could start by implementing a $13 per hour minimum wage this next fiscal year (2019 - 2020) for full-time County employees, and then annual 3% cost of living salary increases over the following 5 years would achieve the $15 per hour minimum wage by October 1, 2024.

Our County Budget Office determined the number of full-time employees (not including part-time, relief, student and training positions) who are currently earning less than $13 per hour ($27,040).  There are 177 full-time County employees (mostly Custodial Workers, Equipment Operators, Emergency Medical Specialists, Maintenance Workers, Detention Assistants, Animal Control Officers, Library Clerks, and Office Support Assistants) who would be earning less than $13 per hour this October 1^st, assuming that the 3% COLA is approved in the 2019 – 2020 budget.  If we raised the salaries of these 177 employees to $13 per hour on October 1, 2019, the cost would be approximately $378,258.  The 6-year plan to achieve the $15 per hour minimum wage would assume a 3% cost of living increase each of the following 5 years from 2020 to 2024:

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2019: $13.00 per hour      Cost Year 1: $378,258

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2020: $13.39 per hour      Cost Year 2: Included in 3% COLA for all employees

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2021: $13.79 per hour      Cost Year 3: Included in 3% COLA for all employees

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2022: $14.20 per hour      Cost Year 4: Included in 3% COLA for all employees

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2023: $14.62 per hour      Cost Year 5: Included in 3% COLA for all employees

County Employee Minimum Wage Oct 1, 2024: $15.06 per hour      Cost Year 6: Included in 3% COLA for all employees

The $13 per hour minimum wage for 2019 – 2020 would be a bold first step to achieving the goal of a $15 per hour minimum wage for full-time County employees by October 1, 2024.  This will help multiple County Departments with employee recruitment, retention, and morale.  Please let me know if you have any questions, and remember not to “Reply All”.  

Thanks,

Chips"

PEDC Legislation Signed Into Law by Governor DeSantis--A HUGE win for our Economic Development Strategy

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed important Economic Development legislation into law this past Thursday.  A HUGE win for our economic development efforts locally--HUGE!

This past week, on Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed local legislation (HB 1067) into law.  This legislation was passed by both houses this past session and refers to our area's Economic Development board, The Pensacola Escambia Promotion and Development Commission.

Although in the scheme of things this past session-- this particular bill flew under the radar of most citizens because it is not an issue that most folks follow.

(See a summary of the bill's history here, see the final bill with strikethroughs and additions here)

 Nevertheless this was a very important piece of legislation.  Florida West, The PEDC board, the Pensacola City Council, and the Escambia County Commission all voted this language forward.

Congratulations to Sen. Broxson and Rep. Andrade for their support of this bill---and a special thanks goes out to Rep. Andrade for carrying this bill and running it for us last session in Tallahassee.

Essentially, this bill cleaned up some obsolete language that was in the existing legislation.

The re-write also provided for membership on the commission by citizens that have significant financial, real estate, or business interests inside of Escambia County.  (The previous language mandated that members of the PEDC had to be registered voters of Escambia County--essentially boxing-out anyone from service who might have tremendous investments in Escambia County while choosing to reside over the bridge in Gulf Breeze.

This legislation fixed that problematic issue.

And it was met with vitriolic, sustained opposition by one of my counterparts on the BCC and by a couple of dozen other folks on some certain Facebook chat sites.

I'm told by sources close to the issue that this one member of the BCC actually called the Governor's office in the eleventh hour, after the legislation had passed both the house and senate, to urge the Governor to VETO this good and beneficial bill.   I'm told the message given the governor by this one naysayer was something along the lines of "Most residents of Escambia County don't support this bill!"

Thankfully, the Governor did exactly the right thing:  He brushed off this one critic's pleas, and signed the bill this past Thursday.

A huge win for economic development locally, a HUGE win!

A Student asks Commissioners About Our Jobs....

We all received this email recently from a constituent that has been selected to attend the American Legion sponsored Florida Girl's State program later this summer.  These programs are great--I actually had the honor and privilege of attending the Boy's State program back in 1985.  Here were the questions posed, below.

to which I responded:

Government at Work for Us!--Two Great and Positive local Stories the Media Won't Cover

We live in a great country and great community--with government that works for us and does great and beneficial things for us that many citizens will never even know about.  In some parts of the world, sewage systems consist of dumping bed-pans into the local waterway (the same bodies of water used for drinking water and bathing!).   In some countries, when a bridge washes out or a road gets destroyed in a storm or earthquake or other disaster--these structures NEVER get replaced.  Just look at Haiti--nearly a decade after that earthquake and despite Billions in international aid and effort--still a wreck.  In some countries--litter and garbage are everywhere and roadways and neighborhoods are polluted and disgusting.  Many countries have justice systems that are dysfunctional and deficient--if they even exist at all.  And the list goes on and on.

Luckily, we live in America and in Escambia County Florida.  Stuff happens here, things get done.

This week, a couple of great stories popped up on the radar--the kind of stuff that isn't really sexy or salacious, so the mundane kind of stuff that will never be reported by the media.  

Nevertheless-these serve as a continuing reminder that our government in this country, particularly at the local level, works.  It ain't perfect--but it works and it works well for the citizens it serves---and here are two examples from just the last week!

1.)  RAW SEWAGE IN THE DRAINAGE DITCH!

Technicians from the Dept. of  Health
test the stormwater drain for sewage con-
tamination at J&J Apartments at 7706
West Fairfield Drive. 5-20-2019

 Our office was notified late last week that an entire apartment complex on Fairfield Drive was pumping it's raw sewage straight into a drainage ditch on the side of the road!

We immediately forwarded this complaint to our environmental division, who in turn notified the Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, ECUA, and other relevant state and local agencies.  Within a matter of days, ECUA came and pumped out the ditch and applied biocide, the area was tested and the contamination confirmed, the landlord was notified and threatened with service cut-off, resources were prepared by the county to be deployed if the residents' water supply was interrupted, legal notices were served on the responsible parties, and multiple agencies brought immediate and sustained pressure on this apartment complex to fix the issue.  Within 48 hours of receiving the legal notice---the out of area landlord hired a local plumbing contractor and fixed the issue.  As of today-we are back to normal and up and running--and the average citizen is none the wiser and NONE of the apartments' residents were inconvenienced or dislocated----because of the swift action of local and state agencies working together in coordination.  (Come to find out, the issue was  a sewer clean-out cap blew out, and a line blockage of grease and feminine products further down the line caused the sewage to seep out of the clean-out and into the ditch......this was repaired yesterday.  But just imagine if this condition was not addressed in such a swift fashion--what sorts of impacts could that have had on the wider community if left unchecked?)

2.) ESCAMBIA COUNTY LITTER PATROLS

Inmate Litter Patrols are cleaning Escambia's roadways, proactively and in all 5 commission districts, at NO additional cost to the taxpayers.  Over the last  9 months these crews have removed a staggering 18,000 bags of litter from our area, in addition to hundreds of large items such as mattresses, discarded appliances, and tires.

At my recent Coffee with the Commissioner event-another interesting story  was brought to light illustrating a great service being provided by our County to all citizens.  Escambia County Roads Department Director Wes Moreno gave an update on the County's recently created "Litter Patrols."

These inmate crews are manned by existing Road Corrections Officers using existing trucks and other resources--and they have collected an amazing 18,000 bags of trash from county roadways over the last year-in addition to hundreds of other large items, tires, furniture and other discarded rubbish on our roads!

Last year, the BCC collectively asked how we could do more with less and still provide a clean environment for our citizens--and the roads department answered the call.

"As a result of this program--all the districts are being cleaned and each crew has a zone they serve on a rotating basis.  Now, we get a lot fewer calls for service because of this proactive approach that is keeping our county streets cleaner" said Mr. Moreno during my discussions with him.  

About Escambia County's "Litter Patrol"

---5 inmate litter crews at no additional cost to the budget  

---inmate crews have collected roughly 18,000 bags of trash to date (since inception last September).

---Three female crews and two male crews -

---each maintenance area has a crew assigned which covers all five districts 

Coffee With the Commissioner May 22, 2019

Today we held our monthly coffee with the commissioner event at the Denny's on Mobile Hwy.

We had a small group of citizens attend, so we had lots of time to discuss lots of issues.

For those who are interested, the facebook live video of the event is here

Issues covered included:

--State Road swap of Perdido Key Drive/Beulah Road

--non-interference ordinance

--safety issues on Sorrento Road

--new West Side, D1 Library

--Issues about funding Fire/EMS

--Budget Issues

--tax and budget issues

--staff turnover/new Administrator 

Beulah Road Safety Audit Delivered

Beulah road is becoming the major north/south connector in Beulah between the soon to be 4-laned 9-Mile Road (state road) and Mobile Hwy (state road).  This is where much of the traffic in Beulah goes through or comes from daily.  Over the last several years, we have been able to get some very beneficial improvements made to this road (resurfaced, light added at mobile hwy, stormwater project completed on the southeast portion), and I am working on getting even more upgrades done.  If all goes according to plan, we will get a widening and shoulder project on the stretch of Beulah Road between 9-Mile Road and Mobile Hwy--and eventually this will be a state road which theoretically will increase funding opportunities for continuing improvements.  In the report I just received on this road a day ago from staff, some interesting facts and figures are presented.  Currently this road serves about 6,000 cars daily, with a capacity of serving between 14-17,000 daily.  It is currently rated "B" based upon this.  You can read the full report here, and/or see the first four pages below.

Email to the Bridge Naming Committee

The Escambia County/City of Gulf Breeze joint committee on the naming of the replacement bridge over Escambia Bay is currently taking input from citizens.  I sent the below email yesterday.

Citizens are encouraged to send their thoughts to this committee that will be making a "name" recommendation to the Escambia Board of County Commissioners and to the Gulf Breeze City Council later this summer.

You can read all about this issue via my multiple posts on this whole issue here

Input can be submitted via this email address:  NameTheBridge@MyEscambia.com

What is the Scope of Work (SOW) for the EMT/EMS Training Procurement?

The first draft of a Scope of Work (SOW) for the solicitation for EMS/EMT hands-on skills training has been completed and circulated to the board.  If all goes well, the training illustrated in the images below will be put out to bid this coming Wednesday, and we will open responsive bids on June 5th.

If any revisions are made to this SOW, I will post them here.  Meanwhile, this 5-page SOW is what is being put out:

Interim Assignments that fill out Escambia County's Org Chart

Because we have had a large amount of turnover in the last several months, the org chart for our county has radically changed--this one is no longer current...

Before Assistant Administrator Amy Lovoy's last day on May 9th (and what I thought would be Matt Coughlin's last day on the 10th)---I requested from them both an updated org chart indicating who was going to fill the various open positions in the interim until Janice Gilley takes over as administrator.

Subsequent to this request, Assistant Administrator Matt Coughlin agreed to stay on through July 1st--for which we are appreciative as this adds additional continuity between Jack/Amy's departure and prior to Janice Gilley's arrival.

Thursday of last week Matt circulated the below memo which fills in the org chart for the county going forward and through July and the arrival of our new County Administrator.

Public Records.......Compliance Ain't No Joke

At least one Escambia County elected official went to jail for not handing over public records in a timely fashion....The public records law is no joke. 

A speaker at today's meeting dropped a bombshell at the dais.....about public records and compliance with Florida's strict Public Records Law.  The accusation was made that a member of the Escambia BCC has not replied to a records request that has been made, multiple times over, for 5 months running.

This law is no joke and I don't even waste a second of time in complying.  This conversation got my attention quick!

Since I have been on this board of commissioners, I have fulfilled numerous public records requests--including one that ended up taking a box to hold all the emails that were requested, which I put together and delivered within 1 month.

But most of the requests I have fulfilled have come via email or via a phone call request directly to me.  And I send them out immediately if I can do it myself or I have my aide, Debbie Kenney, assist and we get these out quick.

Because to delay is to frustrate the spirit and the intent of chapter 119.  And that can be very problematic.

When I first stepped into public office on the School Board of Escambia County 13 years ago in 2006---some of the very first trainings I received as a new board member were on public records and open meeting laws.  I took it very seriously because I also was told numerous times about a previous Escambia school board member that actually was convicted of violating the public records law and spent time in the county jail for this infraction.  The case was appealed and it went back and forth but meanwhile, this Escambia County elected official was removed from office by the governor and she was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail--where she ultimately served 7 days.

Everyone who is interested in this topic now, at this moment, should read the appeal of the Escambia School Board Member's case which gives lots of background on the way this whole thing transpired......

And the kicker was--this school board member at least made the effort to try and produce the 

What is this All About?

This email, above, was circulated to board members at this morning's regular BCC meeting.  I had heard of its existence, anecdotally, but had not seen it until today.

The email is deeply troubling on multiple levels and the reasons behind this email being sent were not made clear during the meeting this morning--although several folks came up to the podium in attempts to explain what they thought this meant or what they think the sender meant.

In a nutshell--so far as I understand it--when an EMS unit is in the process of dropping a patient off at the hospital, often dispatch will assign that unit the next call---in efforts to improve efficiency and let that crew know there is a call waiting and therefore once the current patient is safely and properly handed off to the hospital--they need to expeditiously roll to the next call.  Nothing wrong with that, that is called good and rapid service to our citizens when emergencies happen.

And so I think dispatch is doing exactly what they should be doing--- and to argue against efficiency in order to "show a delay and a need for more trucks."  This is troubling and I am glad that (then) PS Director Weaver and current Administrator Weaver shot that idea from the union president down.

In all fairness, Mr. Jenkins did send a response to all commissioners this afternoon after this whole thing erupted like a volcano.  Here is his response to the commissioners....

Take- Away (s) From the Ombudsman's Report, Part (1)

Yesterday afternoon, County Commissioners were provided a final written report on the Public Safety Department from former director of Public Safety and special Ombudsman Janice Kilgore

Commissioners were provided with BCC Ombudsman Janice Kilgore's written report on issues within PS late yesterday afternoon.

The report section is actually a very succinct 6 pages, followed by the complete PowerPoint Presentation that was given the board last Thursday.  The final portion of the 37-page report is exhibits and attachments.

The entire report is actually a very short read-- but her bullet points of suggestions and areas for improvement going forward provide great information for the board and the administrative leadership to consider.  And there are some issues that need to be addressed that are covered in this report--from better resource allocation from the BCC to the division, to better use of employees within the division, to the need to update some policies and procedures.  The important thing to consider is that the information is useful, timely, and benficial.

Again I will re-iterate my thanks to Janice Kilgore-- a retired veteran of the Escambia EMS Department--for her hard work in producing this information for the BCC.  It is unfortunate that some in the media, and some in leadership, sought to sabotage this effort before it was even able to be concluded.

Upon reading the report--I think even the skeptics will note that it provides useful, unbiased and important data and that Amy Lovoy's initiative in bringing in Mrs. Kilgore to do this assessment was a solid and beneficial one..

MY BIG TAKE AWAY FROM THE KILGORE REPORTs :

1.  The Last Escambia EMS random state inspection in July of 2018 was passed with flying colors--from the report:

"The Florida Department of Health conducted a routine inspection of EMS on July 31,2018. Areas inspected included personnel records, service records and facilities inspection, ALS and BLS vehicle inspection and equipment test results. No deficiencies were found.  Further, the inspector noted this was an outstanding inspection with excellent employee and service records as well as a good Quality Assurance Quality Improvement (QA/QI) program"  (see the written evaluation here)

2.  Not every firefighter agreed with the no confidence vote taken against Mike Weaver.  from the report:  

"The Fire and EMS unions provided public statements regarding a vote of no confidence for Director Weaver. During discussions, some indicated the vote was due to the resignation of Chief Nail. Others mentioned they did not feel Director Weaver was properly presenting the needs of Public Safety to County Administration and the Commissioners. In a conversation with the President of the Volunteer Fire Association, he indicated they did not hold a vote of no confidence and did not agree with the one taken by the career firefighters.  He said they supported Director Weaver in his position."


3.  The Employees that do the job are doing the job well and are certified to do the work they do.  from the report: 

"...These employees are dedicated, caring individuals properly trained and certified for the job. Every day they are helping people in emergency situations and it is unfortunate the good they are doing is seldom heard.  Continued support and appreciation from County leaders as well as from the citizens they serve is needed."

I'll discuss several of the management and financial issues highlighted and challenges we face that were spotlighted in this document in follow-on posts.

Latest EMS Inspection in Late July 2018--Excellent Rating

Below are the documents from the last random EMS inspection by the State of Florida, from July 31, 2018...

Escambia County's Mission is not a "Failure"

Watch the 30 second clip above to see my opinion on ANYONE that says our employees are a "failure" or that our mission is a "failure"

We had one heck of a Committee of the Whole on Thursday.  And we have been through a rough patch lately--I'll concede as much.

But there are also competing and diametrically opposed claims as it pertains to the EMS kerfuffle that is being sensationalized right now in the media-------and we can't talk about the other side of the coin legally.  This is incredibly frustrating but we are constrained from saying what we know so I won't say anything other than this:  Wait for all the facts to come out!!!

Yes, there were some issues, yes there are some issues----and these issues are being investigated and when the investigation is completed the BCC will take action and we will address the real problems that are confirmed.

Meanwhile--multiple issues are being dragged in, other issues are being conflated to include issues being investigated, and the most disappointing thing about all of this is the way it is being weaponized politically with leaks here and leaks there to keep the chaos and salaciousness factor high for the local press and TV station.

And to top it off we have folks in leadership saying the "mission is a failure" or "this is why we fail"

I'm done with folks kicking every rule-following, law-abiding employee of Escambia County in the  teeth with their inaccurate, in-artful, un-truthful characterization.

Here is the FACT:        The VAST majority of our employees are coming to work every day, doing their jobs professionally, and are innocent of any wrong-doing whatsoever.  Code enforcement, Solid waste, parks and rec, Animal Services, permitting, admin staff, etc. etc. and the list is long.

But now gasoline is being poured all over EVERY employee of the county by those who speak before

Concerned Residents Attended Our Public Input Meeting in Beulah

Thank you to the residents of Beulah that came to the Florida Alabama TPO's public meeting in Beulah Wednesday night.  Although the meeting was advertised in multiple places, to include in the Pensacola News Journal--a number of constituents were not aware and asked that I put a synopsis of the meeting out so that those that are interested could learn what was presented at the meeting.

Approximately 30 residents came and were given information about the Florida Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, what this board does, what it's membership currently is, and the reason for this meeting--that being an amendment to the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

The LRTP must be amended in order to add the Beulah Interchange project, as well as an important transportation project for Santa Rosa County.

Before the full TPO can vote to add these projects to the amended LRTP, public sessions must be held where citizens can offer input--thus the meeting.

The PowerPoint that that accompanied this meeting can be accessed here.

Additional documents can be found here

Additional information about the Florida Alabama TPO can be found here.

And although there are some citizens that remain very wary and apprehensive about the Beulah Interchange--I can honestly say that once this is built, it will cut the traffic in Beulah tremendously--as it will add another interstate 10 onramp that the western half of Beulah will be able to utilize--instead of our current situation where all of Beulah uses exit 5 to access the interstate.  It will be a number of years before we get this built, but this is the reason for the planning that must happen now to get this built.

It's Time to Update the Social Media Policy Part II

The decade-old, obsolete commissioners' technology and social media policy is badly outdated and in need of an update.

So tomorrow I am bringing some suggested revisions.  As a part of the backup, we will have the original policy, the original policy with removed sections indicated via strikethrough, and added language indicated via underlined text.  Below is the working draft I will bring tomorrow with my initial suggested revisions.

It's time....

It's Time to Review and Update the Commissioners' Social Media Policy......It's Time

It's Time!!!! (for Escambia County to revise and update the decade-old, obsolete social-media policy!)

As Bruce Buffer likes to say before the UFC main event begins...........--------------It's Time!

The current social media policy that is applicable to commissioners in Escambia County is a decade old.

Lots of things have occurred over the last ten years.  Much of this policy is obsolete and in desperate need of a re-write.

It's time for us to review and revise our current Commissioners' Social Media Policy which apparently applies to us--but that is not followed--by any of us.  (more on this below....)

So this item is on this week's COW Thursday and I will be bringing some updated language for consideration by my peers on the BCC. 

We'll see how the discussion shakes out....

Because after last week's discussion on a proposed non-interference ordinance meandered into discussions about some commissioners not adhering, strictly, to the most recent policy, I dusted it off and re-read it.  Here it is, again.

And lo and behold--I know section B. (2) is not being followed by anyone.  We all have our cell phones on the dais. from B. (2)  "Commissioners shall not use cell phones, PDAs, Blackberrys, laptops, netbooks, or similar devices, regardless of ownership of the device, during any County Commission meeting, including workshops.."

Also--B. (4) is also not being followed.  (The county recently purchased software because they know, like I know, that text message use is ubiquitous and it is very helpful to commissioners--ALL OF WHOM USE TEXT MESSAGES so far as I have been told)  Heck--we often receive text blasts to ALL COMMISSIONERS from county staff----because it is an effective, efficient way to reach us all quickly with rapidly-unfolding information.  Of course we have to archive these official business text messages, and I believe we all do.  ( I know for sure I do). Nevertheless--the fact remains that the current policy is not being followed.....  from B. (4)  "Commissioners shall not use text messaging, instant messaging or similar types of instantaneous communications to conduct county business on any device capable of such methods of communication, regardless of ownership of the device."

B. (5) is problematic for multiple reasons, (most notably because it violates the First Amendment of the Constitution)  but I'm actually okay with most of it ----and I will bring a revision that I believe

Big Meeting on the Beulah/I-10 Interchange Project Tomorrow Night

I have been honored to serve as the Chairman of the Florida Alabama Transportation Planning Organization over the last year.  We have done a lot of planning for our community and our region.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday)--Our Florida/Alabama TPO will host a very important public input at the Beulah Senior Citizen's center beginning at 5:00 PM.  

The topic is the I-10/Beulah Interchange project that is moving forward.  In order to move to the next stage, public input must be sought and the project needs to be placed on the LRTP (Long-Range Transportation Plan).

This project is desperately needed to allow a second on-ramp to I-10 to alleviate the gridlock at exit 5.  Once completed, more than 50% of the current Beulah traffic that uses I-10 at exit 5 will be able to use this new on-ramp--which will  greatly reduce traffic in the Beulah Community.

We welcome input from the community for this very important regional project!

The Lineup--A Tragedy in One Act

Detective:  "Alright--take a look at these five thugs, err, I mean suspects--Is the guy who attacked, mugged, and robbed you--do you see him here"

Victim:  "Yes, I see the one who did this to me"

Detective:  "That's great, all you have to do is tell me which one it is, and we will be able to prosecute and build a case--and don't worry: they can't see or hear you from behind this glass and two-way mirror"

Victim:  "I know they can't hear me or see me.  They are all a terrible bunch, this lineup"

Detective:  "Huh?"  "But they all didn't attack, rob, and mug you, did they?"  I thought you said you could identify your attacker?"

Victim:  "Yes, you're right.  I can see him--but I think they are all terrible, all of them.  I'm not going to point out the one who attacked, and  robbed and mugged me though....I'll just leave."

Detective:  "What??----Wait--if you don't identify the actual perpetrator--they ALL go free.  I'll have to let them go and that means the guilty one might do this to somebody else--maybe even to someone you know and care about!?!"

Victim:  "I know, I'll just leave though.  I'll be fine. And It's easier that way and after all, you called it anyway they are all a terrible bunch of thugs, this lineup......"

46 Days......

Beginning Thursday at midnight, Escambia County will have neither a permanent Administrator nor  a permanent Assistant Administrator on staff.  This condition may continue for 46 days until our newly-selected, permanent County Administrator Janice Gilley officially begins her employment with the county....

Starting this Friday, both Interim County Administrator Amy Lovoy and Assistant County Administrator Matt Coughlin will be gone.

They both submitted 90 days notice initially, but both have indicated they will be leaving ahead of the full 90 days time frame they initially gave the BCC for their departure (s) from county employment.  And coincidentally this actual departure date is this Friday--for both of these employees.

This is completely up to them, at their prerogative.  Best of luck to both of them.

But this early departure leaves us with an exacerbated leadership vacuum that MUST be filled.

Because it will be 46 days from Friday, the last days for Amy Lovoy and Matt Coughlin----until June 24th--- the  first day of potential employment for our newly selected County Administrator, Janice Gilley.

46 days.

That's not an insignificant period of time given all the issues we have before us in Escambia County currently.

I've not yet been formally notified of who will be interim Administrator and interim Assistant Administrator as of this coming Friday--and this is an important data point that I need.  I have heard rumors, the press has speculated, but nothing official has been passed to the board so far as I can tell.

Therefore I have made an official request for this information.

Additionally, I have asked for an updated organizational chart with the updated names, email addresses, and phone numbers of all permanent and interim department heads written-in---including the interim .Administrator and interim Assistant Administrator.

Thursday will come and go very quickly--yet the mission of Escambia County will continue past Friday.  We need to be able to route our issues to the appropriate staff members in order to do our jobs effectively for the citizens of  Escambia County.

Because the mission of Escambia County is not, has never been, and will never be "mission failure" no matter who says this on their way out the door as they quit.

To accede to such a flawed characterization would be to kick every hard working, dedicated member

On 1370 WCOA this Morning

I will be on the Good Morning Pensacola radio show with Don Parker, Alex Gavin, and Stacy Knowles later this morning.

The  topics to be discussed include:

--Non-Interference Ordinance status

--OLF 8 Real Estate purchase contract from NFCU

--New Administrator-select Janice Gilley

--Triumph Gulf Coast OLF-8 job-creation grant and the Master-Planning of OLF 8 that will commence very soon.

Once the recording is made available, you will be able to listen to the interview here

Latest Offer from NFCU: $4.192 Million for 96 Acres of OLF 8

The Board of County Commissioners has received the below offer for 96 acres, as illustrated above, of OLF 8.