Ten Big Escambia County Commission Stories to Watch in the New Year!

2020 is upon us--Happy New Year to Everyone.....(and here are some issues to watch from the BCC in the new year)

It's New Year's Eve--Happy New Year to everyone!

The new year will provide lots to look for from the BCC--lots of issues, items, and even an election...

Here are ten items I believe will be newsworthy in the upcoming year that folks will want to watch....


1.  New Jail will be completed:  This is slated for mid-summer.  At a cost of more than $130 Million this will be the BCC's largest building project to date.  More importantly--it will save the taxpayers as much as $5 Million yearly in expenditures we are currently making to house inmates elsewhere.

2.  Electronic Beach Tolls:  We have voted to go "all electronic."  I believe this will be a tremendous improvement in flow of traffic to the Beach.  Our utilization of the panic switch last summer to flush traffic during the summer, combined with Commissioner Bender's excellent data presentation, point to this as a huge help to reducing beach traffic gridlock.  We will see, in 2020.

3.  Bob Sikes Bridge repairs:  These will happen over the winter.  Will these repairs get us another 15 years out of the current bridge?  Will the board vote to start a sinking fund for this structure's eventual replacement?  I think we will.

4.  Civic Center Replacement:  The existing Civic Center is paid for as of 2019.  Will we get a triumph grant to allow for a new events center--or will we instead spend the monies necessary via bonding against currently available bed-tax revenue to modernize the existing facility?

5.  Beach Roundabouts:  The issue has been studied to death, it has been planned, and it has been presented to the public.  Hotel operators want it, and are convinced it will help keep beach traffic flowing.  Beach residents don't seem to be keen on the idea, and a lot of the general public is polarized for or against.  The SRIA seems to be torn on the issue. Will it even come before the board of County Commissioners for a vote?

6.  Modernized Fire Station for Beulah/NFCU Master Plan for OLF 8/ NW District 1 Master Plan:  The fastest growing area of Escambia County, Beulah, also has one of the oldest, most outdated fire houses in the county.  The property has been purchased by the county, and $2.5 Million in LOST Funds have been identified to modernize this facility for the firefighters of station 2 in Beulah.  What will the new facility look like?  We will find out in 2020.  NFCU will pay for the Master Plan of OLF 8--this will happen in 2020.  The NW District 1 Advisory Committee will finish their work and precincts 5, 43, and 68 will get a master plan or an overlay district that will more intelligently plan for growth.  What will this look like?  We will find out in 2020.

7.  Completion of 9-Mile Road 4-Lane Project:  A large part of this project will be completed in 2020--particularly the portion from Exit 5 to Beulah Road where the majority of the gridlock from NFCU happens daily.  This portion is slated for completion in March of 2020--just three months away.  But will it be?  And more importantly--will it put a dent in the commute time gridlock on 9-Mile Road in Beulah?

8.  More Beach Access for the Public: Lots of folks are clamoring for more free, public beach access.  Escambia County is moving forward with plans to open Perdido Key Beach Access #4--a 300' pristine gulf front lot on the west side of Perdido Key.  It has been the subject of much consternation...and litigation.  Will it open by July 4th for the public at large to enjoy?

9.  Administrator Gilley's Assistant and Fire Chief:  Our new administrator has been working huge days and long hours.  She has filled several key positions--two that will be filled in the coming year will be Fire Chief and Assistant Administrator.  Who will get these jobs, and how soon will they be filled?

10.  BCC Primary Election on August 18th:  Three of us are up for election, three of us are on the ballot.  Will there be a new Board Member elected?  More than one?  Or, will the three incumbents keep their seats?  It all goes down in the primary--for this position and given the political realities for these three districts, the election that matters will be the primary election on August 18th.  I predict all incumbents will keep their seats, based upon a number of factors and polls that have been conducted----------- but we will all know for sure in August 2020.

Happy New Year to All!

Questions Asked--Awaiting Answers: Part III

Legitimate questions regarding policy implementation and policy compliance  deserve timely, complete responses from relevant staff.  Incomplete responses, ignored emails, and/or non-answers will only invite more scrutiny and more questions........

It's the holidays.  I get it.  Everyone is out on leave, away for the holidays.  People want to enjoy the holidays and I do, too.

But the wheels keep turning and things still have to happen.

Emails sent to highly-paid staff should be acknowledged at a minimum and answered promptly as a matter of practice and courtesy.

Unfortunately, I have had to ask lots of specific questions about the way an employee was treated over the last 7 months.  I have sat down in meetings with staff that have assured me that "Things were handled properly, we will get you the documents you have requested that will prove this!"

But this has not happened.

So 9 days ago I sent the below email to our new HR director with a copy to leadership staff and I have not had a response to this email from the HR director to whom it was addressed.  Nor have I

Questions Asked--Awaiting Answers: Part II

Legitimate questions regarding policy implementation and policy compliance  deserve timely, complete responses from relevant staff.  Incomplete responses and/or non-answers will only invite more scrutiny and more questions........

I have requested answers to very specific questions about the way our Workplace Harassment Policy was apparently not followed regarding the treatment of an employee of EMS.  Up to this point I have not received complete answers to the seven questions I posed several weeks back----which is unfortunate.  

Eleven days ago I asked for the rest of the questions I posed (regarding the shoddy treatment of an employee of EMS) to be answered or at a minimum what the plan was for me to receive the complete answers.  Disappointingly--we are eleven days on and I've not yet received an email response to this email, below.

"Janice:

I received the package, and I have read the responses you sent to my questions yesterday afternoon.

Several of these answers are not answers. 

Several say, and I’ll paraphrase, “Go as EMS Admin or Go ask Dr. Edler”

Of course I want complete answers to the questions I have posed, and I assume from the answers you and your staff have provided that you don’t know the answers to the questions where you simply answer by saying “Go ask Dr. Edler.”

Am I to assume that you want me to go to Dr. Edler directly to ask these questions, or are you going to ask her?  Or are you going to have staff ask her?

Please let me know your plan for ensuring I have complete answers to all questions that I have posed.

I’m also requesting that discussion of the BCC Workplace Harassment Policy be placed on the agenda for the next BCC meeting for full and complete discussion with my peers and staff.

R/

Jeff Bergosh

Escambia Board of County Commissioners,

District 1

221 Palafox Place Suite 400

Pensacola, FL 32502

850-595-4910 office

850-377-2209 Voicemail

District1@myescambia.com

www.jeffbergoshblog.blogspot.com

@jeffbergosh"

I did receive confirmation that discussion of the workplace harassment policy will be on the agenda one week from today, which I have requested.  This is good and I look forward to a robust conversation about that......But part two of my email above has not yet been answered.  

I want complete answers to Question 1, Question 2. (c), Questions 5, 6, and 7.

Hopefully I will get a complete answer with complete responses to these questions this week at some point.  

If not, during my Friday teleconference with Janice Gilley and Alison Rogers,  I will ask them again.  If they do not have the complete answer (s)--I'll  inform them that there will be an "add-on" discussion item to our next meeting agenda where I will ask relevant staff, publicly, to answer these remaining questions--and I will request relevant and knowledgeable staff to be present at our evening meeting on Tuesday January 7th to do this.  

Hopefully it won't come to that--as that could be a messy discussion.  

Questions Asked--Awaiting Answers: Part I

Legitimate questions regarding policy implementation  deserve timely, complete responses from relevant staff.  Incomplete responses and/or non-answers will only invite more scrutiny and more questions

I have asked questions about the EMS response times in an attempt to answer the accusation posted on facebook from a fireman who complains of going on medical calls.

The initial answers I received were not complete, so I asked for the rest of the data on Saturday--- and I have not yet received the information.  When I do get it, I will post it here.  Here is my email to Chips Kirschenfeld on Saturday where I requested additional data.

Chips/Tamika

I appreciate this response—but do we not have data through the 27^th—Friday the 27^th—yesterday?  Is that something that can be provided?

Otherwise—it looks like we are not addressing the accusation.

Please advise.

Thanks,

Jeff Bergosh

Escambia Board of County Commissioners,

District 1

221 Palafox Place Suite 400

Pensacola, FL 32502

850-595-4910 office

850-377-2209 Voicemail

District1@myescambia.com

www.jeffbergoshblog.blogspot.com

@jeffbergosh

From: Chips Kirschenfeld
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2019 4:41 PM
To: Jeff Bergosh <JWBERGOSH@myescambia.com>
Cc: Janice P. Gilley <JanicePGilley@myescambia.com>; Tamika L. Williams <tlwilliams@myescambia.com>; John Dosh <JSDOSH@co.escambia.fl.us>
Subject: FW: Questions

Hi Commissioner,

Please see information below in response to the Facebook post that we discussed this morning.  Tamika and her team did a great job pulling this information together today.  Thanks.

Chips

To which I received the following reply:

"Thank you Commissioner.  Tamika and her team will update the information."

Why the Online Complaints about Escambia EMS Units--from an Employee of Public Safety?!?

To the members of the general public that by chance happened to read the rant against the county administrator and county leadership yesterday--please know that this one opinion from this one person on Facebook is not representative of the hundreds and hundreds of dedicated employees of Escambia County Public Safety

Yesterday morning online there was a facebook complaint from an Escambia County Firefighter about fire engines running medical calls.  The insinuation/implication infused into the post was that the Escambia BCC created this situation and that citizens should "Call" their commissioners!

Of course most understand that we are the legislative, not the executive.  We don't run the departments....Most also understand that during Holiday periods there will be staff that take leave to be with family, go on vacation, etc.  And during the holidays sometimes the numbers of calls will spike.

According to a paramedic with whom I spoke yesterday, we had 16 ALS Ambulances staffed and on the road--one short of our normal number.  The night before we had 6 ALS units on the road.

But this is all nothing new; and often firefighters respond to medical calls--if there are no ambulances available at a given time.

In fact, the majority of calls that come to fire stations are medical calls.....Again something most everybody knows already.  Out here in Beulah it is like 90% of calls are medical calls to station 2.

So it is somewhat peculiar that a paid firefighter would go online and complain about something that happens all the time, in all jurisdictions everywhere.  Very few of the calls to the fire stations, statistically speaking, will be structure fires. Most will be medical calls. This is not just here in Escambia County--but nationwide.

The Bottom Line:  If you call 911 in Escambia County and you have a medical issue--help will be dispatched, help will be coming in short order.  It will be well-trained, dedicated employees on vehicles with lights and sirens....help is coming and folks need to know this.

Nevertheless, some want to make political hay of this during the holidays (and during union negotiation periods) which is disappointing but not surprising.

I don't think the opinion of this one fireman is the opinion of most of the dedicated, hard-working

"Answers" to Questions that will Elicit More Questions......

As a public employer, we have to do what is right by all employees  and follow board policy faithfully.  We must do it exclusively and do it consistently.

I have taken a significant interest in the case of an employee that has endured what I believe to be retaliation and harassment for making a complaint against one of his supervisors.  Retribution and/or retaliation for making a complaint against another employee is a violation of our BCC Workplace Harassment Policy--and this is the reason I have taken an interest in this issue.  I am NOT trying to micromanage or meddle in staff affairs, I'm simply trying to get to the bottom of why one of our policies was not followed properly and why one of our policies has been violated with no appropriate recourse yet given to the affected employee.  I have reviewed reams of documents and spoken to dozens of current and former employees intimately familiar with the EMS department.

Once the County adopted their "final word" on Matt Selover's harassment complaint----I was left with more questions which I submitted in writing to the HR director and County Administrator.

I received the answers to the questions late yesterday afternoon. They are pictured below.  The answers to these questions will most certainly elicit more probing questions from me because in some instances--I do not believe the answers are completely factual.

Some other answers are actually non-answers.  Here's what I mean by that:

Any answer (s) to any question (s) that I have posed to our Administrator and her staff that come back to me as (paraphrased) "This answer is not known and the relevant county employee should be asked."  Yeah, uh, that is not an answer I will accept.  That's lazy, weak, and feckless.

Believe me, they don't want me asking these questions of employees directly, nor should I have to.

I get it, a lot of this all happened before our most recent administrator and her newly hired staff was brought aboard.  A lot of it was inherited.

But once she accepted the job, she now officially owns it all.  All of it. I empathize about the difficulty--but that does not change the fact that she owns it.  And I do appreciate her hard work and I have high hopes and great expectations for what she will do as our administrator.

But that does not change the fact that she and her current staff have to own it.

Just as we, the elected commissioners, OWN all problems, issues, poor planning decisions, and historical mistakes made before our arrival as members of the BCC.  We can't sidestep tough, probing questions--we have to own them.

Imagine if I told the residents who are losing their back yards to a stormwater ditch that is swallowing their property "Yeah, you'll have to go ask the county engineer who is no longer here why that property was permitted to be platted that way!"  Just imagine how that would play?!?

....NO, we can't give weak answers and deflect blame.

Neither can our well-compensated staff.  So this list of "answers" I got yesterday will generate more questions and I will insist on complete answers to the questions I have posed, not "Go ask her" answers.  More on this to follow.

The Timing of this Email is Problematic.....Let's Look at the Timeline of Events

Coming on the heels of the recent "final word" disposition paper regarding an employee harassment case that was dismissed--this new email I received, below, is concerning.

The timing of this email is problematic to me, so I will continue asking questions about this issue until I get satisfaction that county policy was followed.

Right now I am not convinced it was.  I believe one of our employees has faced continuing retaliation and retribution as a result of his filing a workplace harassment complaint against a supervisor.

I don't buy the conclusions reached in the 12/12 "final word" letter.  The 6-24 investigation summary is much more thorough and makes much more sense to me given the timeline and the circumstances.

So I requested documents supporting this "final word" disposition letter and I met with HR staff and the administrator yesterday after the VAB meeting to get this information.

Staff was unable to provide me any of the documentation I requested.  They had copies of documents I already possess.

I left them with a list of 6 specific questions I want answers to regarding the way this process was handled in this case specifically, and I will be pressing for those answers because they should be easy to provide as the County has released their "final word" on the employee harassment case.

But so far as I can tell, and based upon what I have been given, here is what the timeline was as it relates to this matter:


On April 23rd, a QA/QI Board was held and Paramedic Matt Selover (an 8-year county employee with no disciplinary marks in his HR file, a well-regarded employee who had been promoted to a supervisory role due to his experience and work history) was asked to participate in a QA review  board and have several of his calls reviewed spanning nearly a year's time worth of cases.  The participants who sat on the board abruptly changed from the normal Board participants, and Selover felt uneasy because he had had previous negative interactions with two of the "newly seated" QA board panelists.  He had also seen several employees be subjected to enhanced scrutiny for what he felt were arbitrary reasons after these boards--which had historically been utilized as learning experiences, collaborative and instructive for the purpose of improving patient care and service to the community--not punitive and disciplinary as these boards had recently become.  Selover participated reluctantly, with a witness of his choosing,  and had his cases reviewed.   He disagreed with many of the conclusions.  At the end of the board session, which to him felt disciplinary and punitive in nature, he continued to work his normal shifts, unrestrained and unfettered as a paramedic, for the next 21 days.  He received no additional feedback for the next 21 days on the matter.   But even though he received no immediate notice of any negative consequences due to his board--he felt he was unfairly targeted and bullied.  He decided he would file a harassment complaint against medical director Edler which is within his right to do.

On May 1st at approximately 2:00 PM--Paramedic Selover, after having the complaint he prepared looked at for accuracy by a witness to the board whom he, Selover, had chosen to attend, submitted this workplace harassment complaint to HR employee Ed Spainhower.

On May 1st at approximately 4:00 PM--Spainhower notified the medical director that she was going to be the subject of a workplace harassment claim related to the 4-23-2019 Board.  Spainhower requested general and specific documentation from the April 23rd QA/QI board and any other data that would illustrate her (Edler's)  side of the situation.

On May 1st at 5:24 PM  Edler sent an email (below) to an April 23rd, QA/QI Board participant -informing this participant that Selover had filed a complaint against her and informing this Board participant that she needed his notes, comments, and recommendations because she was going to send all the information to HR and to the State Department of Health. (Documents I have now related to the Selover QA/QI board were/are dated on or after April 23rd--but prior to May 1st---so why did these have to be requested again by the medical director?  Shouldn't she have had these?  Who had these records?)

On May 7th-  Edler had staff push out a revised policy/procedure via the below email ("policy" purportedly re-written in March of 2019) for QA/QI Boards specifying potential negative employment outcomes for employees based upon these reviews if such reviews are not favorable to the employee.  The new policy has multiple disclaimers stating "It is the intent of clinical review to improve patient care and clinical operations, not to discipline the employee" (Was this "policy"

County's Final Harassment Complaint Disposition Letter Released----Which Will Lead to More Questions

I received a copy of the County's updated final disposition letter in the Matt Selover harassment complaint against Dr. Rayme Edler issue from May 1st of this year.  The initial investigation led to a report which urged Selover be returned to duty as soon as possible.  This earlier report also described other troubling issues with the way Mr. Selover was treated.

This latest final letter reverses much of the opinion of the first report from 6-24.

This report, below, is the county's final word on that complaint.  It will lead to many more questions from me and others--particularly as it pertains to the timeline of the events from 4-23-2019 through 5-13-2019.  Specifically and importantly I'll be asking for all the information about both complaints that were filed--because I do not believe the timeframe presented below and that events unfolded the way they are described in this final letter.  More on that in follow-on posts......

Why Does this Complaint from May Still Have No Resolution for the Employee?

The below report was completed and submitted on June 24th of this year.  But the employee who made the claim has had to push to get any movement on his complaint.   Why?

Investigating and Acting upon Harassment Complaints--What if our Own Policy is not Followed?

If a board policy is not followed with fidelity, it is not worth the paper it is written on....

The Board of County Commissioners has a robust policy that details employee rights, responsibilities and avenues for reporting harassment, misconduct, and/or sexual harassment.

You can read the full, updated policy here.

The critical question for me is this though:  What happens if our own policy is not followed?

There has been a simmering complaint that was investigated last spring and into early summer.

A final disposition letter was written by our HR department on June 24th.

But then that report was shelved and the employee who made the complaint was never given any closure.  It appears to me that this employee has suffered retaliation in the wake of his complaint against a higher-up.

After I first found out about this whole nasty issue in early November---I asked about it!

The "investigation" was suddenly pulled from the shelf and re-started.  That was the rationale given to me at that time for the document I had by then acquired still being classified as "confidential."  I was told that in short order it would be releasable.

The timeframe for the final word/disposition of this long running harassment complaint that stopped and started in fits and spurts was yesterday at COB. 

In communicating just this morning with the employee who made the complaint this past spring----he still has received no final word on the status of his complaint.

I asked all last week for the status of this matter from Administrator Gilley and our County Attorney.  I thought the ten-day period for final disposition ended Thursday.  I was told it ended Friday.

Friday was yesterday.

As of this morning, no final determination has been made so far as I can tell.  The only assumption I can make is that because the employee that made the complaint was not given any answers at the completion of the timeframe, and because I have not been given any answers about the disposition of this complaint (which I have requested)-------- the final disposition is that no additional action will be taken.

At a minimum, whatever action is to be taken should have been memorialized in writing as our policy dictates.  This has not happened and this is disappointing.  Sure, there has been lots of staff turnover, and sure, we have as a county had lots of burning issues with which to contend.

But that does not relieve leadership and staff of their duty to follow our policy with fidelity and to communicate to us in those instances where (and why) these policies may not be followed completely and in timely fashion.

Meanwhile, I will be releasing the document today because it is now a bona fide public record that has been requested of me by the media.

This report was investigated and completed on June 24th.  It should have been handled then, not now.

But it wasn't.

A Million Dollar Ransom for the City's Data????

One News Outlet is claiming there is a $1 Million Dollar Ransom Demand to release the City of Pensacola's data!

From Bleeping Computer:

"The operators behind the Maze Ransomware have claimed responsibility for the cyberattack affecting the City of Pensacola, Florida, but state that they are not affiliated with the recent shooting at NAS Pensacola.

In an email conversation with BleepingComputer, the operators of the Maze Ransomware stated that they were responsible for encrypting the city's data and have demanded a $1,000,000 ransom for a decryptor."

Read the entire article here.

If this turns out to be a legit story and factual, this will be in incredibly steep price to protect the City's data.  Very bad turn of events.....

Tourist Development Council Approves Activation of the 5th Cent Bed Tax

On Tuesday of this week the Escambia County Tourist Development Advisory Council voted 5-2 to recommend that the county levy the 5th cent of the bed tax on tourists.  This has been a hot-button topic that has consistently run into heavy opposition from hoteliers recently.

At Tuesday's meeting, the motion to recommend to the BCC the levying of the 5th cent was made by Jim Reeves and seconded by David Bear.  After discussions among the council, the vote was taken and by a 5-2 vote the measure to recommend to the Board of County Commissioners that they levy this fee on hotel and resort visitors passed. Those voting for the measure were Shirley Cronley, David Bear, Robert Bender, Nan Harper, and Ronnie Rivera.  The two members voting against were P.C. Wu and Jim Reeves.

The TDC will be requesting that the BCC levy the 5th cent immediately, but that the board put the proceeds from the 5th cent into a reserve account until such time as the county and the TDC iron out the most beneficial use of this new revenue to support tourism locally.

Most counties throughout Florida already levy 5 or 6 cents.  Escambia County, somewhat of an outlier, only levies 4 cents.

Each cent generates roughly $2.5 Million yearly in revenue that can be used for a variety of purposes that support tourism.  The lion's share of our 4 cents' worth of this revenue locally supports advertising our area to out-of-town markets.

For this to take effect, the Escambia Board of County Commissioners must schedule a public hearing and pass an ordinance authorizing this levy.  The measure must pass via a supermajority, with at least 4 commissioners supporting it,  in order for this levy to take effect.

I assume the public hearing will be scheduled in January.

Thursday's Vote on NFCU's Land Purchase From Escambia County: Step One in Getting the People's Money Back!

Upon approval of the MOA with NFCU on Thursday and the subsequent sale of 98 acres of OLF 8 to NFCU, County taxpayers will recoup $4.19 Million of the nearly $18 Million spent acquiring OLF 8 from the Navy.

Although I had hoped to get the MOU approved last Thursday night and that did not happen--It appears as if we will get the deal approved tomorrow morning that will allow for the sale of 98 acres of our 636 acre OLF 8 field to NFCU.

And with this deal getting approved we will begin the process of recouping nearly $18 Million Dollars that the county expended in acquiring OLF 8 from the Navy earlier this year.

The process was long, and once this field is master-planned and developed--I believe the taxpayers of Escambia County that financed this purchase will more than be made whole.  In fact--I do not believe it to be outside of the realm of reality that we double the money we spent to get this field once we develop it.  We have actually had one offer to purchase the entire field for more than what we have invested thus far!  (we did not act on that offer)

Additionally, if we are intelligent with the way we develop this field, we will be able to receive a Triumph Gulf Coast grant for as much as $30 Million Dollars in additional funding so long as we create at least 1,000 good jobs with this property--which I have every confidence we can and will do. 

So the future is bright and getting brighter all the time as it pertains to Escambia County's ownership and control of this property.  It will create jobs, it will provide amenities for the Beulah Community and for the employees of NFCU as well as the county as a whole.

This process, the process of getting all the peoples' money back, begins with tomorrow's vote to approve this MOA with NFCU.

Upon approval of the MOA Thursday, the property sales transaction will close and Escambia County will be paid $4,192,000.00.  These proceeds will be credited back to the LOST fund (s) from where they came originally---and these funds can be utilized by the BCC to fund much needed infrastructure projects throughout the county.

Tomorrow is step one, and tomorrow is a big day.

The Incredibly High Cost of an Arbitrary "NO".......

Sometimes citizens demand we say NO MORE [fill in the blank] when in actuality it is something that our codes and ordinances permit.  When we say NO to what should be a YES---there often will be a high price to be paid for doing so....as illustrated below.

We make decisions that make people mad.  We make them at nearly every meeting.

Sometimes, there are no easy answers.  One thing that is universally understood is this:  You can never please all the people, all the time.  Nobody can.

So issues come before us that are challenging and there are typically competing interests at stake.  Most of the time we are up against a tough vote, it usually centers on a land use decision the board must make.

So when confronted with doing what appears to be appropriate, what comports with our current land development code, what has been approved by the state, and what has been approved by the planning board and county staff--there really are no options for us to take if we want to be efficient, decisive, follow the law, and be fair to all parties.  We should vote yes when it is obviously a YES decision given all the facts.

But that does not always happen--and there are not always happy endings.

Often there will be an active and vocal minority of citizens present to oppose doing what is proposed, what is right and what comports with the law.  Sometimes these loud voices of an extreme minority opinion can push a vote down the road, delay a project, send it back to the planning board, etc.  Cans can get kicked for months and months--costing petitioners money and time.

Sometimes there's no rational reasoning for the push for a NO.  Often it comes from groups that want no changes in their neighborhoods, or no new growth, or no "XXXX" type of business near them [Fill in the blank].

Sometimes, these voices push so hard that a project that should, by every measure conceivable, be a resounding "YES" turns into a "NO" to mollify a loud and vocally opposed constituency.  So what appears to be a politically expedient, "for the people" decision to say no to something that should have warranted a yes will have consequences, because there is an incredibly high cost of an arbitrary "NO".  Or to put a scientific spin on it-we can channel Isaac Newton--"for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Take for instance the NO vote that was rendered for a legitimate business operation in Escambia County a couple of years back.  The BCC said no for reasons that could not withstand actual legal scrutiny, and the requestor hired an attorney.  He then proceeded to clean our clocks in circuit court where the judge took the highly unusual step in her decision of not simply siding with the plaintiff--but  actually "ordering" the BCC to issue the permit we had previously denied this individual petitioner.

Now, after getting destroyed in court with that ruling--apparently we are still not doing what was ordered by the judge with respect to the permit---and we are about to get pilloried again. (Picture the most vicious, brutal "ground and pound" UFC cagematch beatdown you can imagine......us on the bottom)

Add to this the fact that we have not yet received all of the legal bills and lost revenue claims that we will be paying from the first go round with this individual because we said "no."

Now, unfortunately, it looks like that meter will continue to run; in a letter received this week, a new issue with the judgment and the county's reaction illuminated the fact that the bill is being drawn up and it will soon be coming to us (taxpayers) for payment--complete with new fees if we don't issue the correct permit expeditiously.  from the letter:

"If the permit correction is not made, we will have no choice but to recommend seeking further judicial enforcement of the proper classification of my client's permit. If the County is unwilling to comply with its own code, we will be forced to take legal action to enforce my client's rights, including but not limited to a declaratory action seeking a declaration that the permit issued to my client properly falls under the XXXXXXXXXX classification XXXXXXXXX.

In addition, I note that we already have a substantial damages claim for the delay in the initial permit, to which entitlement exists as a matter of law, caused by the County's previous denial of due process. Further, attempts to deny my client the permit to which they are entitled are added due process violations compounding those violations which have already been adjudicated against the County. The already existing damages and their substantiation are forthcoming and will be submitted for the County's review and payment shortly. Failure to correct the permit at this point will add to those recoverable damages."

County's Proactive Response to recent City of Pensacola Ransomware Attack

from staff....

“With permission from the City of Pensacola’s IT Department,   I wanted to make you aware that FDLE is assisting the City of Pensacola with a cyber-attack that occurred over the weekend. 

  Once we found out that the breach had happened, BCC-IT shut their connection to the BOC network by disabling their two connections into our network. We also performed the following over the weekend:

1.       Notified our Security Operation Center(SOC) of the event and requested they put our network on high alert. This increased our alert activity through the day and our Cyber team has been responding to the events.

2.       Notified CISA and gave the City of Pensacola their contact information.

3.       Notified DHS and talked with them over the weekend.

4.       Monitored Firewall and Antivirus logs

Today we met as a Leadership team and have performed the following:

1.       Elevated our Antivirus policy to be more aggressive

2.       Continued to monitor our Firewall and Antivirus logs

3.       Continued to receive events from (SOC).

4.       Shared information with City of Pensacola and the Sherriff’s office.

To provide greater protection to the County network we plan to implement the following changes:

1.       Provide alerts on all emails coming from an external source.                

2.       Turn off the ability for employees to access their Personal Email and Social Media Accounts.

3.       Upon login, users will have to click an OK to a Legal notice which will basically state they should have no expectation of privacy while using a county device.

4.       Once logged in, a machine will automatically lock after 15 minutes of inactivity.  We will have an exception group, but it will be limited to business-critical operations.

5.       Limit the use of USB devices 

6.       Limit Administrative rights

7.       Not allow users to write to their local C: Drive

8.       Require users home PC be up to date with Endpoint protection and the latest Windows Security patches before remoting into a county device

9.       Implement a county Phishing Email campaign and Security Awareness training" 

Escambia County Provides Mobile Command Center Support to NAS Pensacola Shooting Investigation

Escambia County's Mobile Incident Command Vehicle, THOR, deploys to NAS Pensacola Friday, December 6, 2019.

Escambia County EMR reports that our County's mobile command center, known as THOR, has been deployed to the incident scene aboard NAS Pensacola to provide a mobile command center platform to the various entities that are investigating Friday's NAS Pensacola shooting.  From Escambia County Information Officer Laura Coale:

"THOR is being used as the incident command post for NASPensacola, FBI, FDEM, NCIS, FDLE, ATF, HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) and US Marshal Service.

• Can be mobilized in 2-4 hours with a 1 or 2-person team depending on travel distance
• 1000sq feet of interior working space
• 35 kw generator with 72 hours of fuel on board
• Dual 5-ton A/C units
• Wireless Communications- Cellular, Satellite, VOIP Phones
• Radio Equipment- UHF, VHF, 700/800 P-25
• Security cameras with DVR
• 52’ Hilomast Pneumatic mast with antennas and high-resolution cameras
• Video Distribution System Matrix (Off Air, DirectTV & Computer Display)
• 4 position communications room
• Color printer/scanner and a stock of office supplies
• Minifridge, microwave and coffee maker"

 See pictures of the deployed THOR below:

Proud of Escambia County, Proud to be an American!

Governor Ron DeSantis and Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan answer press questions in the wake of a deadly shooting today outside of NAS Pensacola 12-6-2019.

As the community and the country mourn the killed and the injured in the shooting incident aboard NAS Pensacola today, I cannot help but think about the tremendous response to this tragedy that occurred and that I witnessed.

At 6:50 AM this morning as I was headed to work in the facilities management annex aboard NAS Pensacola-- the traffic on Navy Blvd suddenly came to a screeching halt.  Navy Blvd., the three lane artery leading to NAS Pensacola suddenly became a parking lot, backed up for miles.

Then, one by one, the emergency vehicles started screaming by the stopped traffic trying to get to work--the police cars and ambulances were heading south toward the base using the northbound lanes---sirens blaring and at a high rate of speed.  Obviously something incredibly serious had occurred.  I counted more than 80 Sheriff's Office Vehicles, Pensacola Police Department Vehicles, Fire Trucks, Ambulances, Swat vehicles, and EMS trucks.  I took a facebook video describing the chaos at the time.

I immediately thought about my co-workers and the employees I supervise.  Thankfully the three personnel that were already aboard the base were secure in our building which went into lock down.  And I was subsequently able to reach the rest of the personnel from our annex via the telephone-those  who had not yet made it to work.  All were safe and accounted for.

As I spoke to various national and local media outlets today including, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, and Channel 3--I wanted to emphasize the one and only positive aspect of today:  The tremendous, incredible response to this event. 

I am so proud of all of the first responders today--the Navy Security Forces and also the first responders of Escambia County--the Sheriff's office, Pensacola Police Department and EMS and ECFR.  Seeing this event unfold from the front gate, and just how quickly a massive and overwhelming force of the "Good Guys" came to help--it made me proud.  It was AMAZING.

So while we are all keeping all victims of today in our prayers we can all take comfort in knowing that in this country and in this community--If a bad guy tries something like this--there will be an  overwhelming, massive response and the outcome for the bad guy will not be good--they will be killed or captured in short order.

Today I'm thankful this tragedy was not worse and that the threat was neutralized by Escambia County Sheriff's Office Deputies and that the wounded were attended to by the competent and professional men and women of Escambia County Public Safety.

We pray for the swift recovery of all of those who were injured, including two of our Deputy Sheriff's Officers.

And we pray for our community and our nation

as well.

Escambia County Response to the NAS Pensacola Shooting Tragedy...

Escambia County Issues Response to NAS Pensacola Shooting

Published Dec 06, 2019

Our thoughts and prayers are with Naval Air Station Pensacola today. Escambia County EMS, Fire Rescue and Emergency Management responded in support.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh: Today was a tragic and sad day and all of our prayers are with the victims of today. We should also be very, very proud of our local first responders who stepped up like the heroes they are and met the threat head on and neutralized it. And, I also want to give special appreciative thanks to our Escambia County EMS personnel for the swift an expert care of the wounded.

District 2 Commissioner Doug Underhill: Tragedies such as this are the tests that challenge how well we are prepared to respond to crisis. Our first responders, in collaboration with our Navy partners, performed exceptionally well when it mattered most. Today Escambia County and the Navy reaped the rewards of systematic collaboration and training, and almost certainly prevented what could have been a much greater loss of life. Every one of us should say a prayer for the victims and the first responders, and take a few minutes to consider our own resiliency and preparedness that we might perform as with honor if ever called upon.

District 3 Commissioner Lumon May: We are praying for the families, friends and loved ones whose lives have been changed forever by the tragic shooting at NAS Pensacola today. We ask God to bring comfort to those who are grieving and strength to those who are recovering. Our deepest condolences are with all who have been affected.

Commission Vice Chairman, District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender: NAS Pensacola is such an integral, important part of Escambia County and we are very supportive of our military and are keeping all of our thoughts and prayers with them. We continue to support them as Escambia County and as citizens in this time of grief.

Commissioner Chairman, District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry: We are heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred at NAS Pensacola this morning. We are sending our deepest sympathies to the wounded, the families of those who have been injured, and those who live and serve at NAS Pensacola.

County Administrator Janice Gilley: We want to thank Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Navy, Pensacola Police Department, Pensacola Fire Department, Escambia County EMS, Fire Rescue and all first responders for their dedication to protecting our community. We truly appreciate your strength and partnership. Escambia County is beyond grateful for our partner agencies who offered mutual aid to NAS Pensacola this morning.