Return of the "Napkin Man": Same Opinions, Bigger Audience

Napkin man is someone in the community who, from time to time over the years, has spread his unique thoughts on various county issues with my office by sending them in writing using snail mail.  Always interesting and sometimes even humorous, I've published a number of these over the years.

Now, Napkin Man is forwarding his opinions (often written on re-purposed holiday cards or scrap pieces of envelopes or re-purposed junk mail) to all of the County Commissioners.  He's "sharing the love" ---if you will--with all the offices--not just D1!  Yay!  Same opinions, bigger audience!

Yes, his words of sarcastic wit, complete with expletives and other choice language,  really captures the readers who are actually able to decipher his borderline illegible scribbles to understand just what the heck he is trying to say.  

I'm not sure Napkin Man has had a good life; in fact, if I had to guess, I'd bet (based upon the bitterness and anger that oozes from the tone of the notes he writes) that life has not gone the way he thought it should have or the way he had envisioned it would.  And I'm sure he believes it is everyone else's fault most especially the Escambia County Commissioners.  Hey, he's not alone in thinking everything is our fault. 😀  Take a number!

Anyhow, Napkin Man likes to share his every thought and whim with us, so I'll go ahead and "Share the Love" too--below.  (edited, of course).  You get extra credit if you can understand what it says!

.......and anyone who can successfully decipher Napkin Man's hieroglyphics gets a gold star!

State EDR Releases Locally Elected Officers' Salaries for 2022-2023.........

..........And like most everything else in the country these days the numbers are going higher.

We were notified via email about the new higher salaries from the property appraiser's office--which sent an email requesting a budget ammendment to cover the higher costs of the elected property appraiser's salary.

Here is the EDR  salaries calculation report rom last year (page 10-11), as well as the addendum that memorialized the new pay scale for Florida Sheriffs from April.

Here is this year's chart.

Locally, it appears as though the constitutional officers (Supv. of Elections, Sheriff, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Court, and Property Appraiser)  will all receive about a $10,000 increase starting 10-1-22, with the Sheriff having received a larger pay bump earlier in the year after the session, and with the BCC and School Board Members receiving smaller commensurate increases of $6,000 and $4,000 respectively.

The interesting phenomenon which will naturally occur next is this:  

Some, and I emphasize that word, some really disjointed, angry, jaded, cynical, hateful, pitiful, and spiteful individuals (like the former PNJ cartoonist and vice-editor Andy Marlette and 10 or 11 individuals on one facebook chat site) will go absolutely apoplectic over ONLY  the Escambia BCC's state-set salary increase------------------  and yet they'll be silent and/or be quite content that all other

EDATES Bring Jobs: Voters will Decide if We Maintain the Ability to Keep Using Them

There will be a referendum on EDATES on the November ballot for the voters' consideration.

The BCC voted unanimously in April to add this to the ballot to give us an additional 10 years with the ability to utilize EDATES for economic development purposes when it makes sense to do so.

We would not have NFCU nor their 9,000 jobs and $1.2 Billion in capital investment if it were not for EDATES.

There have been multiple other, highly beneficial projects to our community that would not have happened were it not for our ability to offer EDATES to incentivize investment and job creation in our county.

I have been (and continue to be) a staunch supporter of EDATES for certain projects;  I am hoping the voters see the benefit(s)  of this powerful economic development tool for us and that they vote "yes."

Because EDATES bring jobs and investments--but only the voters of our county will decide if the BCC will maintain the ability to keep using them.  This happens in a little over a month. 

read a quick primer on EDATES here

Today the PAC that is supporting this effort sent out mailers to selected registered voters urging a "yes" vote on the November ballot question.  See their mailer, below.

Approving Developments--Inside the Process Part III: Environmental Permits Granted

5th Dimension's Rendering of this proposed development

As I mentioned in parts I and II of this series of posts about a multi-family development in the Perdido area of District 1--there were residents that were caught off guard by this project.

Several came to a meeting last month, one asked for a townhall, which I have now subsequently scheduled.

Look, I'm concerned about traffic, too.  I understand the issues and have heard from many constituents that live in this area about traffic congestion.  And I am working that issue to the extent I am able and within the confines of the revenue available.  And there are a lot of great projects in the works and in the planning stages right now for that area.

This said, I am not an agent, cheerleader, or spokesman for this development, this  developer, or his representatives. I am a county commissioner for this district and because folks are concerned I have assured them that I will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every "i" was dotted and "t" was crossed as it pertains to this particular development having been approved properly.  I have asked for and received a raft of information that the staff looked at and used upon which they based their approval decision.  I have also asked staff to have the developer's representative at the town hall as well as the traffic study's author.  We will see if they show up.  I believe it would be in their interest to do so.

Thus far, it appears to me that everything has been done in accordance with state and local ordinances and the County's land development code.

As I said I would do, I am going to link all documents related to this development here on this blog so citizens can see the same information I am seeing in the lead up to the town hall on the 25th of next month..

This morning I am linking a very important permit that was received, the Northwest Florida Water Management District approval.  Lots of additional supporting documents for this project and this particular permit can be found by clicking this link and searching under the developer name in the search field, JH Capital, LLC.  Readers will at this site see all the charts, maps, and additional

Enter The Strawman: Some Want Superintendent's Removal to Justify "Elected" Superintendent Model

Not "Enter Sandman" a fantastic song by Metallica.

Not "The Snowman" a very peculiar, unsuccessful and critically panned movie from a few years back....

Nope, this was "Enter the Strawman."

There was some legitimate anger among some concerned citizens and some school board members that erupted about how the rights and responsibilities handbook described, in lurid detail, a fictitious yet distrurbing scenario where a student was victimized by sexting,  then bullied, traumatized, and ultimately this young student committed suicide.  It was a bad move many thought for young students to be exposed to this at school--  even though sadly this sort of stuff ---and worse---does happen in real life here and around the country and parents need to discuss these sorts of issues with their children.  Parents need to do this. 

And this comes on the heels of some videos that many thought were outright racist as they apparently were demeaning toward white people.

And also after a recent push to eliminate the valedictorian and salutatorian from graduations--which was an initiative that ultimately failed because the school board said no.  

And I have heard other complaints as well.

Look, this is a conservative community, center right--not a woke leftist enclave.  Look at the voter registration numbers.  So yes, when some of these garbage ideas make their way into schools, I'm glad they are batted back.  But I'm also glad that the voters voted in the appointed superintendent model in 2018 so the superintendent can be hired and supervised and ultimately held accountable by the board for trying to bring this sort of stuff to Escambia County.  In the past, that wasn't the case and often the board was left in the dark, left in the dust, and the only initiatives that moved forward were the ones one guy wanted--the elected superintendent of schools.  Read all about Newpoint.....that's just one example of many.  There was one time, under the former superintendent (elected) that all 5 board members balked at his idea to convert deans to 3rd assistant vice principals to do paperwork at Ransom Middle School with fewer deans to handle the discipline issues--which were legion.  All five of us said "no way", yet that superintendent did it anyway, over the objections of 5 duly elected board members.  And there were other examples.  

It's not that way anymore though.  Thankfully.

So the school board members now who requested a discussion on the agenda last night on the current superintendent had every right to do so.

AND the other three who voted to remove that discussion item from the agenda had every right to do that.

Whether it is the county or the school board--you have to count to three to get anything done.  So three people didn't want the discussion and that is that.

(When I was a school board member under an elected superintendent, I had multiple agenda items I attempted to put under "Board Items" on the agenda but was never permitted to do so.  Now, under the appointed superintendent model--this happens--which is a good thing!)

The bottom line now is the School Board is in charge, they run the show, and the Superintendent is their employee.  But the board sets the vision, makes the policy, and runs the show.  So the pent-up anger and frustration should be directed at the board----not their employee.  Hold the school board members responsible if they are not hiring a superintendent who is following their vision, policy, and rules.  Getting "mad" at the superintendent lets the school board off the hook.  Don't let them off the hook if you are mad.  

And make no mistake--it's not about the structure of the superintendent.  The voters spoke in 2018 and we have the correct model now.  We didn't before.

So now the insidious strawman side of this whole story appears from many posters and commenters on various online chat sites and has manifested this current issue--employee discipline and/or counseling/performance evaluation over questionable initiatives and practices---into an attack on the appointed superintendent model the voters approved in a referendum 4 years ago.  Yes, they don't care about Superintendent Smith--they don't like him, are ambivalent about him at best, and it really isn't about him even though that's what they are saying it is..

They simply want to go back in time to a point where they can "elect" their own "Boss Hogg" superintendent again.  That's what it's all about.  Angry their side lost in 2018--anything that happens now with the new, appointed superintendent is their strawman to knock down and say "See---I told you we should have never given up our right to vote for our superintendent, see!"

Yes, they are using this episode and Dr. Smith in this pursuit.  He is the strawman here.  I happen to

Approving Developments--Inside the Process, Part II: A Traffic Engineer Reviews the Traffic Analysis

5th Dimension's Rendering of this proposed development

 In part one of this series we discussed how the process to approve a 325 unit development at the foot of the Baars Bridge in Perdido occurred.  The particular focus of the first blogpost was on the traffic impacts of this project and also, importantly, the timeline of this development (this approval was well underway as were the lion's share of all necessary environmental permits, before this was in D1; It had been an in the works project--being planned and envisioned for years in D2 ---and would have happened regardless of whether this parcel remained in D2 or went to D1 after the redistricting).  That's #1. 

#2 is the Traffic impacts.  To drill down on these particular concerns,  I linked the traffic study in that post.  I also asked our current Traffic Engineer to review the study and provide feedback (he was not employed with the county when this was submitted and the development order was approved by the county--and unlike some of the folks who commented on this topic on part one of the post--Mr. Phillips is a Professional Engineer and an expert on traffic management).

His comments and findings based on his review of the traffic study are below:

"I have reviewed the traffic analysis submitted by Dantin Consulting (Oct. 2021) for the proposed development between Canal Drive and Monterey Avenue.  The calculations all follow industry standards.  There was a concern voiced regarding the Level of Service (LOS) shown in one of the exhibits.  These calculations were performed to show none of the corridors went to a level beyond a D.  Several of the sections still meet a LOS C with one being a B.  It is important to know these calculations are NOT required for development in Escambia County of the State of Florida as transportation concurrency has been removed from State criteria quite some time ago.

Only two instances are present where a regulation was not met to the letter due to geometric constraints versus perceived benefit.  These are explained in number 5 and 6 below.

1. Trip calculation was performed utilizing proper Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) land use codes and entering/exiting numbers.  These consider the development size, general location, and sample size of the data to closely mimic reality.   The PM peak hour (utilized throughout) for trip generation is greater than the AM peak.  The PM Peak Hour calculation shows 129 vehicles per hour (vph) with 79 entering and 50 exiting during that time, again in accordance with ITE data.  Ten percent of trips was dedicated to bike/ped uses.  The projected trips show that not all residents of the 325 dwelling units will leave or arrive during a one-hour period.
2. The trip distribution to the two access points is acceptable with 60%/40% exiting at Canal/Monterey and 70%/30% entering Canal/Monterey
3. FDOT counts from 2020 were used for background traffic on Sorrento, Gulf Beach, and Innerarity.  New counts were taken for Canal and Monterey to record background and turning movements that are occurring presently.
4. The roadway LOS was calculated utilizing the FDOT Peak Hour Directional Volume chart for various types of roadway.  The rationale for the calculation utilizes the FDOT count station data, conversion from Annual Average Daily Traffic to Peak Hour Directional, then compare to a Level of Service on the chart.  The engineer chose level of service D to show that even at LOS D, there is capacity remaining after adding the trips from this development to the roadway segment.  Many of the segments have capacity at a LOS C as well with one segment operating at LOS B.
5. County Design Standards Manual requires LT and/or RT turnlane if the turning movement into the site from the adjacent county road is 30 vph or greater.  The Monterey access did not warrant

76th Coffee with the Commissioner Live from the Animal Shelter Postponed Until October

 

Our 76th Coffee with the Commissioner event which was planned for tomorrow morning at the Escambia County Animal Shelter from 6:30-7:30 AM has been postponed due to an unexpected staff emergency which will prevent the event from happening tomorrow morning.

We will move this coffee event, live on YouTube from the Animal Shelter, to October.

My apologies for the last minute change.

On Real News with Rick Outzen later this Morning

I'll appear later this morning on the areas best and most popular morning drive news radio show, "Real News with Rick Outzen"

I've been invited to appear on tomorrow morning's "Real News with Rick Outzen" radio show. the best and highest rated morning drive newsradio/entertainment program on the area's #1 news/talk radio station, 1370 WCOA.   

I'll be on with Rick at 7:10 to discuss the grand opening Friday of the Bellview Library, current county issues, and also tomorrow's "Coffee with the Commissioner" event live from the county's animal shelter.

When Rick posts the podcast, I will link it here.

 

Approving Developments--Inside the Process Part I--Traffic Study

There is/was a 28.64 acre parcel of land at the foot of the Baars Bridge just north of Perdido Key that has been given a development order for the construction of 325 dwelling units total--to include luxury townhomes.

This project was years in the making, and all the forms were submitted prior to this area becomming a part of District 1 after our once per decade redistricting that happened late last year (and went into effect 10 days after our vote on December 3rd).  

In October of 2021, prior to this area being in D1, the owner of the property applied to our Development Services Department for approval(s) to move forward with constructing this development.  The final approved development order was issued in early January (January 12th to be precise) of this year, less than 30 days after this area became a part of D1.  (I give this timeline to insure folks know it and do not believe incorrect information/misinformation that is being promulgated online by some with axes to grind over the way redistricting went down and other personal issues as well)

Bottom line:  I wasn't aware this process was underway during the redistricting process--most were not---except for the staff that was following existing rules, codes, and ordinances to process a bonafide development request which already fit within the allowable uses of our codes.

The parcel was/is zoned Commercial with a FLU (Future Land Use) designation of MU-S (Mixed Use, Suburban) which allows for such a development without going to the planning board.

The project did, however, go through the vetting required by the Land Development Code--which does include rigorous study of the potential impacts such a development will have on the adjacent area.

A five million dollar piece of property--It is my understanding from speaking with a different developer who "passed" on purchasing and developing this particular parcel--that"Yes, he [current owner] is paying tax on that land every year which is substantial, and he tried to generate revenue to offset this tax bill with various temporary business ventures he started, including adding a shaved-ice truck and even some slides for kids--both of which were not well-received by nearby residents."  He continued "so at some point to hold a property like that--it has to generate revenue to truly be an asset and not a liability--and thus this development."

Earlier this month, multiple residents contacted me in anger and frustration about this project.  Several came to our last public meeting. One individual asked if I would hold a townhall in Perdido so all the

Huge Win for District 1 and West Escambia Residents with the Grand Opening of the Bellview Library!

Bellview Library grand opening and ribbon cutting event--9-16-2022

Yesterday was a great day.  One of those days when everyone is happy, the atmosphere is festive, and the event is a massive, positive win for a community!  That's what the day felt like as we celebrated--- with over 300 residents, students, elected officials, Escambia County Public Schools personnel, Escambia County personnel, and various media outlets---the grand opening and ribbon cutting of District 1's first public library in Bellview.

Bellview Library grand opening and ribbon cutting event--9-16-2022

The Bellview Library, at a little over 12,000 sf, is a striking facility visually.  As I said during my brief remarks prior to the ribbon cutting--some will like the design and color scheme--others won't.  I can tell you this though:  The folks on hand, particularly the senior citizens and the students, were extremely impressed with the way the library came together and thrilled to have a new location for  books, media, internet access, and a meeting space all together under one roof in a clean, modern, and safe west side facility. 

So many people worked so hard to make this day possible--and I tried my best to recognize all of them that were present.  I thanked the assembled citizens as I told them one simple fact:  It is THEIR library, they paid for it with their tax dollars.

All media outlets were present and covered this groundbreaking--which I appreciated.  I'm also greatly appreciative of WEAR channel 3 for running multiple stories about the grand opening prior to yesterday, which I believe combined with CMR's efforts within the county drove the massive turnout.  At one point, I was even told we had exceeded fire code capacity!

See the media coverage here, here, here, and here.

I look forward to all the ways this facility will improve the community by imparting knowledge to the citizens, youth, and students of the west side of the county.  Making communities better requires local governments to provide great amenities and infrastructure.  As the neighborhoods and communities accumulate such amenities (both publicly and privately funded)--such neighborhoods and communities improve.  And as the communities go---so goes the local public schools.

So I anticipate this facility will help our students, families and schools in this area.  That is my optimistic outlook.  

Yes, it was a great day yesterday.  The first of many more to come.  😀  See additional photos of yesterday's event, below.

SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS BY CLICKING "READ MORE" BELOW

On Real News with Rick Outzen Tomorrow Morning at 7:10 AM

I've been invited to apperar on Monday's Real News with Rick Outzen radio show at 7:10.

I've been invited to appear on Monday morning's "Real News with Rick Outzen" show on the area's number one, most informative, local, trusted and highly respected news radio station AM 1370 WCOA.

Rick's show, which is the area's top rated morning drive news program, treats the listeners as adults and lets his guests take the appropriate time necessary to explain positions, initiatives, votes, and other current actions/events.  Other area show hosts rush the guests, interrupt them, then take inordinate amounts of time to speak down to listeners in obnoxious attempts at "explaining."  It's off-putting and doesn't work.

Rick's show, by contrast, does work.  That's why he is #1 in the timeslot.

Tomorrow we will discuss last week's special budget meeting, the Committee of the Whole, Opioids and the new county initiative to combat our overdose issue(s) and more than likely the board's decision to purchase a brand new aerial platform for ECFR--out of cycle and at a significant cost savings to the taxpayers.

It should be a good conversation.  Once Rick publishes the podcast, I will link it here.

When Is More than a 10% Deposit Justified for Cotracted Repair/Installation Work?

According to one detailed email I received--there are legitimate explanations for some contractors to require more than a 10% down payment for some jobs.  Read his rationalization/explanation below....

We all know what is going on with a number of contractors in the community who have taken huge deposits from homeowners for work on houses and then not completed any work on the projects.  It is horrible, and EVERYONE is horrified, angry, and wants justice.  And justice will be served I believe.

Meanwhile we are all looking for ways to better protect citizens from unscrupulous actors who will always be present in a free society.

To that end, we have had several meetings on this topic and have discussed the many ways in which we are going to modify our practices with respect to licensing, investigating, and punishing those who prey on fellow citizens.  We are also working on fixing issues on the contractor competency board which have been discussed heavily in the media already, multiple times.

BUT HOW MUCH SHOULD A HOMEOWNER PUT DOWN ON A JOB?

At one of our recent meetings, the question was put to our director of building services, Tim Tolbert, from the board:  "How much is a standard deposit for a contractor?"  To which Tim replied "Nothing or no more than 10 percent" (paraphrased)

Is that always the case though?  I received an email recently from one area contractor that does specialty work for property owners and he has a rational explanation for jobs that require more than a 10% down payment.

From the email:

"Hey Jeff. The construction industry depends on deposits being given to contractors. And has always been this way. It is part of a trust process the contractor needs. 

 I build xxxx  xxxxxxx  xxxxxx and with an estimate I require half down with the balance upon completion. The reason is because if I get half I know I will get the other half later. With every estimate, I send along a referrals list with about 30 names, phone numbers, addresses and emails attached and ask the prospective customer to contact three from that list. 

 Say I do an estimate for you and the xxxxx is just over $xxxxxxx. The materials from Lowe's are going to cost around 60% of the estimate so the deposit I get from you doesn't even cover the materials. I pay the difference. Myself and my crew do the work, which is custom xxxxxx and custom xxxx. It is built to be a permeant fixture of your xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxx. 

 Basically, I put in my own money to cover the balance of the materials and do the work without making any money until I am completed. Then, I get paid. 

 Let's say you refuse to give me half down. I agree to do the job. The xxxxxx are set in xxxxxxxxx. The

D1 Perdido Town Hall Tuesday October 25th 6PM-8PM

 We will be holding our next townhall in the Perdido/Perdido Key are of District 1 on Tuesday, October 25th 2022.

We will have the gymnasium at Perdido Bay United Methodist Church reserved for this function which will occur from 6:00-8:00 PM on the 25th.

The primary topic will be traffic and ongoing impacts to traffic caused by multiple ongoing construction projects in the are to include work on Sorrento Road, Johnson's Beach Road and Perdido Key Drive, and the intersection of Innerarity Point road and Perdido Key Drive.

We will also discuss all aspects of the multi unit townhomes/marina project which is slated for construction on the north side of the Baars Bridge.

In the lead up to this townhall, I will be publishing all the information I have received on this project thus far, including the traffic analysis and permits received for the project from all entities, Federal, state, and local.  I'll be inviting the developers representative to this meeting to discuss all aspects of the project with the public, and staff from the relevant county departments will be on hand as well to answer constituent concerns and questions.

As I always do at every town hall I host, I will go through every comment submitted and have staff answer questions posed, and any questions we do not have a ready answer for, we will send once we get it to the constituents.

Bring your questions and concerns and we will see you all on the 25th!

I'll be on "Real News with Rick Outzen" Tomorrow Morning at 7:10

I've been invited to appear on "Real News with Rick Outzen"--the area's most listened-to, most informative morning news show in Pensacola--- tomorrow morning at 7:10

 

I've been invited to appear tomorrow on the area's #1 rated, most highly respected and trusted morning drive news program, "Real News with Rick Outzen" on 1370 WCOA.

We will be discussing the homeless count issue and other takeaways from the BCC's Thursday meeting last week.

We will more than likely also discuss the tomorrow evening's budget hearing--plus any other interesting topics that arise.

Listen live at 7:10 or catch the podcast.  Once Rick releases it, I will post it here.

What's Up with the Sign? What's Happening at OLF 8?

This sign is posted at OLF 8 Currently

Several folks have asked about the sign up at Escambia County's OLF 8 site in Beulah.  Many have expressed interest in what is being built out there.

We have owned the property since early 2019, and the master plan for this parcel was completed and submitted in 2021.

But with the economic slowdown that has occurred since then, with COVID's resurgence--the property has not received a whole lot of attention from the development community.  According to staff, when the recent meeting at the county was held for interested developers--only three (3) showed up.

So I spoke with Debbie Bowers about this situation a while back, as many of us are surprised that there has not been more interest in this property given all the attributes of this growing area and given the master plan is ready to go.

We have reached out independently and sent packages out to dozens and dozens of firms and yet the property sits and nobody has made an offer.  I'm told via web traffic and word of mouth to include our in-house efforts at marketing this property--we've been contacted about 4 dozen times.

Anecdotally it was reported to me that several initially interested developers passed on the parcel because of the master plan requirements.  But the master plan does represent the compromise that the board agreed to, so for my vote (I'm one of five) I am supporting development that comports with the master plan.

With this as the backdrop at our meeting in August---a commonsense question was put to staff:  Why is there not a sign up at the property announcing it for sale?  It was a question without a good answer so the board directed staff to put a sign up and staff did that.  I am told the sign itself has generated numerous calls and leads---including from a motivated out of state developer that I am told flew in this past Friday to tour the property and meet with staff about this opportunity--specifically on the jobs creating portion.

Additionally--I am aware of two different (2) firms that are also looking at building on the site in the designated commerce portion (phase I).  Each company is looking at 20-30 acres for their buildings and the jobs they intend to bring.

In addition to this--I am aware that there may be interest from the school board in purchasing a portion of the site for Beulah High School--more to come on that I am sure.

And we are all aware of the value of the frontage parcels on 9-Mile Road adjacent to the NFCU properties and the opportunities these parcels present for recapturing the county's investment in OLF-8.

So while things are not moving as swiftly as many had hoped, there is movement and incremental progress.  I still believe that we will more than recoup the taxpayers' investment in this property once we have sold the final parcel, and I also am confident we can all get a win from this field once it is eventually built--with ammenities for nearby residents AND jobs creation for the whole county.

We worked hard to acquire this property, we went through a challenging set of circumstances to get it master planned (and the final master plan product from DPZ is very, very nice),--so now it is time to move to the next step and get it sold and developed.

All County Animal Shelter Adoption Fees Waived for the Next 90 Days

 

If you've waited to find a great animal companion--the next few months may be the perfect opportunity for you to consider adopting a pet from our animal shelter!

At Thursday's agenda review meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, one topic came up and was considered in the first five minutes of our discussions.  It's a  subject that should be bipartisan and non-political.  Heck, it should be a concept embraced by everyone--even the media and those who hate elected public officials for their mere existance. (Luckily that latter sort is a very small, miniscule faction of our population locally)  But even they should be able to celebrate what we are going to be doing.

Because the subject is animals and how we can help them.  Too many dogs and cats in our community  have been abandoned, neglected, or turned over to our County Animal Shelter because their owner(s) could no longer take appropriate care of them.

We currently have an over-abundance of such animals in our shelter--checked out by the veteranarians, given their shots, and ready for adoption.  

So we need to assist staff with helping to find these animals new homes!  😊

My September Coffee with the Commissioner event will happen live from the County Animal Shelter, and will take place on Wednesday morning, September 21st from 6:30AM-8:00AM.  At this event-- which will be streamed live by the folks at CMR and on Facebook--we will spotlight many of the animals that are available for adoption, as well as walking the facility, meeting staff and volunteers, and illustrating the important work this division of our County Government does day in, day out.

Important, compassionate work.

I had planned on making a $2,500.00 contribution from my D1 discretionary funds to cover the $21 costs of adoptions for the month of September;  my counterparts instead suggested we simply waive the fees for a period of 60 days for all adoptions------ which is an even better plan.

So through the end of  October all fees are waived for adoptions through Escambia County's Animal Shelter at 200 W. Fairfield Drive.

Learn more about the process of adoptions by visiting our Animal Services page here or by stopping by the shelter in person.

You can look online and see the pets currently available for adoption from multiple shelters by going to 24PetConnect and clicking the adopt link and entering your zip code.  There are hundreds of animals there waiting for good homes.

What's going on at the Homeless Camp(s) being funded by the City?

Wednesday in the PNJ there was an article discussing multiple entities that the city has funded to help take care of Pensacola's homeless.

Several city council members weighed in suggesting the county needs to help fund these groups.  One was reportedly running out of money, according to this article.

The BCC the next day decided to hold off on making firm decisions on any of this money we have allocated from ARPA for homeless inssue ($4.1 Million) ---until we can discuss all the issues in much more depth at an upcoming committee of the whole.

Later in the evening Tursday night, (1:17:10 of this video)several speakers showed up to our BCC regular meeting in order to speak to the homeless issues, and at the very end of the meeting some scathing allegations were leveled against some workers associated with these camps.

Allegations included the misallocation of funds, mistreatment of the homeless, allowing intoxicated adult males in a tent camp with children and women, and one now former employee of one of the city funded camps cried as she described homeless individuals being subject to a "shake down" for money and their EBT cards, random drug testing at all hours (including for children) as well as physical intimidation against her by folks associated with this camp.

Friday morning I spoke to an individual who was named by the speakers and I was sent a chilling recording between her and another individual with REAP---and it got heated as one person was fired.

Discussion/arguments centered around a missing $5,000 dollars and a missing receipt book.  When the male voice asked about this five thousand, the female who was forced out said "that money is not REAP's it belongs to Fearless [community]"

"You're out...I want your keys and and I want you gone." the male voice said angrily.

"I want this all in writing" said the female in the recording.

the recording goes about 9 minutes and is a back and forth between the two with allegations being hurled back and forth.  It's not a pleasant listen.

Meanwhile--I'm now hearing other allegations of misappropriated donated items somehow not being brought to the shelter facilities and one member of this group stashing items donated at her house "on Scenic" with a pool .  What the heck?!?

Sounds like a disorganized, dysfunctional mess.  And now they are running out of the hundreds of thousands the city gave them and they want the county's cash now?

Not for my vote, not until we get to the bottom of all these allegations and mismanagement/mistreatment. 

Not until we figure out just exactly, precisely what is going on at these homeless camps/shelters being funded by the City Council and Mayor.

Andy Marlette Leaving the PNJ

 

Early this morning comes word that cartoonist Andy Marlette is leaving the PNJ.

And of course as he has done dozens of times for 15 years he features me in yet another cartoon on his way out the door.  LOL.

Speculation abounds.  Was he fired?  Did he push the envelope just a little too far last week with his racist BLM cartoon where he made fun of BLM and denigrated them?  Was it his misogynistic attacks on female employees of elected officials?  Was it his use of the "n" word in his cartoons?  Did he do something too stupid one too many times?  Was Andy Cancelled??

OR

Did he get (insert image of me doing a giant airquote) "Promoted" By Gannett or his cartoon syndication company?  You know, how some folks get these giant so-called "promotions" with more money and fancy titles and then are shipped away from enjoyable high-paying, high profile gigs to a cubicle somewhere in the bowels of the "Death-Star" of a corporate headquarters so they are "out of sight...."  Maybe it was one of those deals?

Who knows? we may never know.  Too many questions...  But you knew it had to happen sooner or later as this guy was so completely and 100% out of step with the center-right majority in this market.  How he lasted this long here is a real mystery....(wait, no it's not.  He blasted the last President mercilessly and unfairly, appeased, served, and pleased the liberal types in Gannett and the syndication company who hate conservatives by doing it--and got a syndicated cartoon strip for his efforts there which generates CASH money for he and Gannett!  Ka-ching!$)

I'm glad, at least, that his final editorial was classy, too. (but wait, it wasn't).

Angry, bitter, cynical, untruthful, sprinkled in with praise for his co-workers and loaded-up with a heaping dose of disdain, scorn, contempt, poison, venom and outright hatered for elected public servants.  That's what this moron's swan song editorial is.

What a total pox this guy has been on this area, in my humble opinion. 

After his dozens of cartoons where he disgustingly lies about me and actually "projects" by insinuating I am a racist and homophobic-----pardon me if I take a modicum of pleasure in this tool's departure.  "See-ya, would NOT want to be ya."

Inaccurate cartoons, biased jibberish editorials, out of step with the community and racist to boot.

Goodbye Andy and good luck.  You and all the rest from 2007 are gone now.  Gone, and I'm still here.

Buh bye.

Here's a line you can use on your next cartoon: "Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!

Apartment Construction Catches Neighborhood by Surprise

Residents are concerned about a large apartment complex being constructed in Perdido--questioning whether existing traffic infrastructure can "handle" this influx of traffic

 In October of last year, a large parcel of property at the foot of the Theo Baars  bridge (which at that time was in District 2) was selected for the development of an upscale apartment community by its owner(s).

Paperwork was submitted with development services, and the process to approve the development was commenced.

This parcel, indicated above, was already zoned commercial so no rezoning notifications were necessary, nor was any action by the planning board.

The applicant submitted the appropriate plans, paperwork, and fees in order to receive an approved development order which was granted by the county in early January of 2022 (just a few months after this portion of Escambia County reverted to District 1)

So the neighbors did not see this coming for these reasons, and they--like me--share obvious concerns about traffic in this area that is growing.  Several have called me and/or emailed me with concerns.

So it is really two issues.  First issue is should a large construction project like this --even if a zoning change is not necessary-- be required to notify neighbors?  A case could be made that this could be a way to keep neighbors from being blindsided.  I'm in favor of initiating a standalone apartment ordinance to be added to the LDC as these developments are always, it seems, problematic for an assortment of reasons.

Second issue is traffic.  Can the roads handle the influx?

Part of the development review process looks at the capacity of existing roadways and a formulaic process (based upon existing traffic counts and capacities) determines if the existing roads can handle the estimated new load.  In this instance, it was determined by staff the existing roads could handle this development's impact(s) on the surrounding area.

NOW HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS:

There are a significant number of traffic improvements currently underway and/or slated for this area, to include:

--Roundabout at Johnson's Beach Road at Perdido Key Drive

--Intersection Improvements at Innerarity Point Road/Gulf Beach Hwy

--Multiple safety improvements on Sorrento--to include a light coming at Doug Ford Drive and Sorrento Road

--$2 Million in D1 LOST funding was just approved by the board last regular meeting for the PD&E for 4-lanes on Sorrento Road--which will potentially slice 5 years off of the horizon for completion of this vital project.

Read all about the $12 Million in D1 Infrastructure approved at our last meeting, here. (Big deal)

And if the small county roads that are adjacent to this new development need improvement for functionality--I'll get funding for widening/safety enhancements.

We constantly deal with the competing pressures of not allowing growth juxtaposed with the development community which want to build to address the  supply shortage of housing which leaves some residents with no viable, affordable housing options.  This is a constant struggle, and I know we have to do the best we can on infrastructure, which we will continue to do to the best of our ability.

But meanwhile, according to many experts including the latest PNJ Civicon expert, we in this area have not built enough to keep up with demand over the last decade----and this is the reason for high home prices and our rental rates which are in the stratosphere price-wise.