Beulah Master Plan Charette is TONIGHT!

The design team from Sigma Consulting that is creating a master plan for the Beulah area will hold their third public meeting tonight at Beulah Middle School at 6:00 PM.

This has been a long time in the making, and this event is open to the public and the public's participation is welcomed.

It's All About Personal Relationships.......

I was honored to bring remarks on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners to Monday's lease signing between the City of Pensacola and the American Magic sailing team.  

Monday's signing ceremony between American Magic's sailing team and the City of Pensacola at the Port of Pensacola was the culmination of years' worth of work by lots of individuals and carried to fruition due to the generosity, hard work and determination by a host of entities.

To much press fanfare and celebration, American Magic's skipper Terry Hutchinson joined current Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves and a raft of elected officials and other dignitaries on a chamber of commerce weather day at the port to formalize a 10-year agreement.

It was a huge day, and the event was covered in multiple press outlets.  The American Magic webpage celebrated the deal as transformational.  It was a massive win-win of epic proportion.

And it all happened due to a long standing friendship between area Icon and surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, and members of the American Magic team, chiefly Terry Hutchinson(skipper) and Doug DeVoss (principal).

Often times in life, when good things happen, there is a story behind the story......And just as ofter--It's all about personal relationships.

This story is no different.

The DeVoss family and Dr. Andrews all enjoy competitive sailing.  Dr. Andrews competed in numerous America's Cup races over the years, and had a boat named Abracadabra.  A number of years back, Dr. Andrews was building a boat in Maui and the DeVoss family lent a helping hand to finish it up.

Years later, as American Magic was sailing in Key West and had run into some bureaucratic hiccups with the local government down there---a call went out from the team up here to Pensacola.  To Dr. Andrews specifically.

"You all need to come up here to Pensacola" was Dr. Andrews' advice to them.

Shortly thereafter, in early 2018, Dr. Andrews spoke with his good friend and then Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.  The conversation centered around the port.  Could they use space at the port?  was the question.

Ashton enthusiastically supported the idea, the team sent a contingent up to Pensacola, and they began sailing here that year.  And their presence has grown here every year since.  And each successive mayor has carried forward the baton of this project.

A few years later, in 2021, local restaurantier Collier Merrill and Commodore Tom Pace from the Pensacola Yacht Club began to publicly advocate for an expanded presence for American Magic here in Pensacola.  They approached me with the idea after a TDC meeting and I encouraged them to come the very next day to the regular Board of County Commissioners meeting to gain additional support.  Which they did and which support they did gain.  Then the Tourist Development Council, a board upon which I sat and still remain a member of  supported the project, then Triumph Gulf Coast, then the Governor's Job Growth fund and Escambia County and the City of Pensacola.

Everyone got on board, and this lease happened Monday.  It will be an enormous win for our area and will make Pensacola, Florida, the sailing epicenter of the United States.

But it didn't happen in a vacuum, and it wasn't a one man show.

Lots of folks carried the water, pushed and made it happen.

And none of it would have happened had it not been for a personal relationship that was nurtured and maintained over decades of time--interspliced with other overlapping personal relationships.

Because it's all about personal relationships. Life, governance, sailing, and team building, too!

D1 and the West Side of Pensacola about to Get an Amazing Amenity!

John Singley from Studio 850 shot the above video of the soon to be opened Escambia County Boat Launch on Perdido Bay in District 1.  It will be an AMAZING amenity for the West Side!

39 Acres

60 large trailer parking spots

Picnic Areas

Camping Areas

Kayak Launches

walking trails

This thing has been in the works for eight years and will be opening next month.  Stay Tuned!

Escambia County Does NOT have ALA Membership....But we Will Discuss the ALA at our Next Meeting

I have received a number of requests from constitutents to have the BCC discuss issues with the American Library Association.

Many constituents want us to drop our membership.  I'm told by staff we are not ALA members and we are not spending any money on ALA memberships for librarians, staff, or from the county.

I have asked for the issue to be placed on next Thursday's board agenda for discussion so we can fully inform the public about Escambia's stance on this organization.

I think it a worthy conversation--because as a conservative Republican, a father, a Christian, and a former School Board Member who cares about kids---much of what this organization is doing is of great concern.

I am NOT a book ban guy, nor am I a free speech squelcher.

But everything must be age appropriate---and a lot of youth are being exposed to things that are inappropriate.  That's my opinion.

But we will hear from the whole board on this next Thursday.

Here is the email I received on this topic:

 

"I recently learned that Escambia County has been paying over a thousand dollars in annual membership dues to the American Library Association (ALA) and its state chapter the Florida Library Association (FLA). On behalf of the citizens of Escambia County and the Christian Family Coalition, which has been leading the statewide campaign to defund the ALA, I urge you to join the number of counties around the state that have terminated their memberships in the ALA, including Citrus, Hernando, Collier, Lee, Sarasota, Pasco, Santa Rosa, Lake, St. Lucie, Manatee, Charlotte, Flagler, Bay, St. Johns, and Hillsborough counties.

 

The ALA has become notorious for its aggressive promotion of "Drag Queen Story Hours" and sexually explicit LGBT materials targeting children, along with other leftist ideological agendas. 

 

The ALA's current president is self-proclaimed "Marxist lesbian" Emily Drabinski, who has said libraries "need to be a site of socialist organizing" and has used her position to champion the "queering" of public libraries.

 

But the ALA’s radical agenda of sexualizing children goes back years before Drabinski’s presidency. Over a decade ago, the ALA started theRainbow Project Book List. This recommended reading list for children aggressively pushes alternative sexual lifestyles and "gender fluidity" themes on children as young as 3 months old, with titles such as Two Grooms on a Cake for ages 6 to 9; The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope for ages 4 to 8, which celebrates transgenderism in children; and Bye Bye Binary, for ages 3 months to 4 years, which encourages "dismantling gender norms" from infancy.

 

The ALA has used its influence to promote books that not only push gender ideology indoctrination on children, but outright pornographic content. The ALA’s so-called “Banned Books List” celebrates these pornographic books by pushing the narrative that efforts to keep them away from children and out of school libraries are a form of censorship that must be resisted. The ALA actually encourages libraries during so-called "Banned Books Week" to promote these books on posters and conspicuously placed display cases in public and school libraries to encourage children to check them out. These books include Gender Queer, which includes graphic depictions of teens engaging in oral sex; Lawn Boy, which depicts sex between men and children; and Beyond Magenta, which includes a graphic description of a 6-year-old performing oral sex on multiple men. The ALA coaches librarians to push back on parents who object to these pornographic materials being made available to their children by casting them as villains and “book banners.” Drabinski's designated successor as ALA president, Cindy Hohl, who will start her term in July 2024, can be expected to aggressively carry on this insidious agenda given the fact that she is the current treasurer of the "Freedom to Read Foundation," which is behind the "Banned Books List" promoting these pornographic materials to children.

 

The ALA has been encouraging the expansion ofDrag Queen Story Hours in libraries for over five years. The ALA’s website devotes anentire page to resources to help librarians plan drag queen story hours to encourage children to explore what they call their "gender fluidity."

 

The ALA and its defenders claim the growing movement to defund their organization is about censorship, but it's the ALA that's doing the censoring. Sen. Marco Rubio has rightly called for ending all government funding to the ALA and conducting an investigation into its efforts to censor and discriminate against Christian author and actor Kirk Cameron and his publisher Brave Books. When Cameron attempted to organize a national family-friendly story hour on Aug. 5 in libraries across the country, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, coached librarians on how to “invent programming” for that day so library reading rooms would not be available for the event.

 

The Florida Department of State's Division of Library & Information Services recently announced it will not accept any grants with project activities associated with the ALA or its state chapter the Florida Library Association. Several other state libraries and counties outside of Florida also have severed ties with the ALA, including the Montana, Texas, Missouri, and South Carolina state libraries.

 

You can find several articles with more information about the ALA's radical agenda and its Marxist president here, here, here, and here. 

 

By terminating dues membership in the ALA and its state chapter the Florida Library Association, our county will be sending a strong message that it is standing up to this radical and corrupt organization while adding momentum to the movement to defund the ALA across the state of Florida and the United States. 

 

I hope we can count on your vote to stop paying dues to the ALA and the FLA. Please let me know. In the meantime, we urge the county hold off on any upcoming planned dues payments until this issue is voted on. 

 

Thank you, and I look forward to your reply!

 

XXXXXX   XXXXXXXXXX

Precinct committeeman XXX

Sent from my iPhone"

Work At Perdido Key Beach Access #2 Commences

Crews with the county's parks and recreation department have commenced the project to add additional parking spots to Beach Access #2 and to pave the parking lot and add outdoor showers and portable restrooms.  These changes will be completed before the start of the busy Summer season, and the demolition and renovation of Access #3 will ocur next winter ahead of the 2025 Summer season.

See the pictures of the renovation of Access # 2 in progress, below.

Election Ugliness Begins

 

People that play stupid games will win stupid prizes....

This August 20^th, the date of the Republican Primary election, will be my 7^th contested election in Escambia County for local office.

And each cycle that I have been through, the nastiness and ugliness intensifies. 

Whether in the school board races or more recently for county commission—it never ceases to amaze me the depths of cowardly depravity folks will go to in order to smear their opposition or artificially manipulate an election outcome.

It’s nasty, it is ugly, and frankly it is the reason lots of folks never run for office.

This election season is off with a bang, and the Election Ugliness has officially begun.

DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION

You know folks are desperate when they bring in surrogates to do their dirty work.

Clerk of the Court Pam Childers actively encouraged at least two existing county employees to run against me.  One has, and I am told the other is considering it. She’s mad we are suing her to compel her to do her job.  Ho hum.

Sitting commissioner Mike Kohler’s recently departed secretary, Steve Stroberger, is one of these that was encouraged to run by Childers, and he is running.  Good for him.  But is it really helpful to have a sitting commissioner get his secretary to run against another sitting commissioner on the same board?  (Check with disgraced former commissioner Doug Underhill and his former secretary Jonathan Owens on that).  Worse, this commissioner, Kohler, on a recent trip to Tallahassee pulled aside a friend of mine and started trashing and slandering me and making false statements about the contents of my stolen data files. (Oh yeah—someone stole those from the county and guess who ended up with them?  Answer, the guy I beat by 17 points in the last nasty election I was in, Jonathan Owens).    As soon as he, Kohler, was done shooting off his mouth, of course my friend called and told me everything Kohler said.  Wow, what a desperado.

Interestingly—these comments made by Kohler in Tallahassee were made before the county released the redacted version of the stolen county records.….Although the files do not contain what he lies and says they do—there are some things he mentioned that he would not have known had he not seen a copy.  So that will be looked at and questions will be asked during depositions.  This information will also be passed along to the investigators looking into the criminal conduct surrounding this theft of county files.  Did Pam Childers, who has and does possess at least one copy of my unredacted stolen data file—did she give Mike Kohler a copy?  Did she give it to the candidate she encouraged to run, Steve Stroberger?  Did Doug Underhill give it to Mike Kohler?  Too many questions.  But we will get to the bottom of it all as we commence depositions here in the next few months as the county's replevin case moves forward.  The Old Bull is walking down the hill, not running.  And all of these individuals must know by now that mere possession of these files, unredacted and without authorization, is a Felony under state law, right?  Yeah, that’s right.

Meanwhile, I have conducted polling for this race. 

And the numbers are about what I expected them to be.  This scientific polling indicates there is one heck of a battle for the bronze medal between Stroberger and Owens, and I’m comfortably ahead of both of these individuals by double digits.  But those two, each more than 20 points behind me, are within 6-8 points of each other for the Silver Medal…..

Interestingly, though, another creepy, sleazy thing happened during the time this poll was recently in the field.  Apparently, according to another friend I have that contacted me, Johathan Owens and Alex Arduini attempted to get people on the internet to “stuff the ballot box” and send bogus responses in on my poll for my opponents and against me.  My friends forwarded this to me, below.

 

How desperate do these desperados have to get?  Stealing my files, slandering me, and trying to disrupt elections communications and polling??  Sitting elected officials attempting to unseat incumbents on the boards upon which they sit?  The clerk of the court actively encouraging sitting county employees to run against us??  It’s weird, surreal, and dysfunctional.  Why can’t these folks just compete, straight up, on the issues?  Why the sleaziness and sliminess and anger and vitriol and weirdness? These guys are almost as bad as our local newspaper, the PNJ, who argue they have absolute, complete immunity to have my son’s stolen tax forms and my daughter’s stolen bank account information—even though neither of these items is a public record nor a matter of public interest and the possession of this data unauthorized is criminal under Florida Law. 

Read 817.5685

Well, the last data point I’ll share from my poll:  When respondents were asked if they believed the area’s only daily newspaper, the PNJ, was fair, balanced, and accurate---the response was 62% NO and 38% Yes among all parties and demographics.  It was worse among only Republicans.

People don’t like and don’t trust the PNJ. 

It’s not just me.

See you all on August 20^th  😊

I'll Be the Leadoff Guest on "Real News with Rick Outzen" Tomorrow Morning at 7:00 AM

I'll be on the area's best, most highest quality, reliable and accurate morning drive news program--Real News with Rick Outzen--tomorrow morning at 7:00.  Listen live on the station with the best talk line up--1370 WCOA

I've been asked to appear tomorrow morning as the lead off guest on the area's best, most trusted, most accurate, most listened-to morning drive radio news talk show, "Real News with Rick Outzen" on WCOA.

I am assuming we will discuss the looming offers on OLF-8, this week's BCC meeting on Thursday, and possibly the county's replevin case against Alex Arduini, Jonathan Owens, and Gannett/PNJ.

It should be an interesting discussion.  Listen live, or catch the podcast here once Rick publishes it.

Show Cause Hearing Held: Jonathan Owens takes the 5th--Refusing to Testify

Does the "press" have the right to possess personal identification information, in contravention to state statutes, when such information neither serves the public interest nor is a public record?

Escambia County's case against Gannett, Jonathan Owens, and Alex Arduini moved forward yesterday with a show cause hearing on Zoom that lasted about two hours.

The county presented its case and called a number of witnesses.  I was first, and I testified truthfully.  Jonathan Owens was called to testify and through his lawyer, he took the 5th amendment and did not testify.  Alex Arduini, initially advised by his own lawyer to also take the 5th amendment actually did answer questions and testified that he has never seen the text file nor has he ever possessed it.  That was his testimony under oath.  Not one (1) person from the PNJ bothered to show up to testify.  Their lawyer informed the court they would not testify and that they would be shielded from testifying about the identity of their anonymous source that gave them their files via a Florida law that protects the media.

The judge was very methodical and allowed all attorneys present to speak and present their cases.

I was allowed to testify to the fact that several of my family members have endured fraud on their accounts in the last 8 months, and I was given space to describe the circumstances under which I needed to have my phone's contents backed up to preserve county records.

At the end of the day where this case goes next is entirely up to Judge Schlechter.  I believe the county presented rational arguments for the return of the stolen files from those who possess it currently.  I believe the county presented rational arguments for the case to continue to discovery so that the county can depose individuals to learn more about who has the files, how such files were obtained, and to whom files have been shared.  This case is much larger than just me.  There are a lot of innocent, unaffiliated individuals who now have their private medical information out in the public--including current and former county employees---due to no fault of their own.  These files were in the care and custody of the county's IT department and we believe it is wholly appropriate for the county to work through the courts to retrieve these stolen county files.

And to the defense the attorney for Gannett put forward, at some point some court, somewhere, will need to rule on this to answer this very important question:  Where is the line for what the media can and cannot do because of the protections they enjoy under the 1st Amendment.  Where is the line?  And when I ask that, rhetorically speaking, I mean--does press freedom and legal precedents from last century allow the media to transcend and violate existing state law?  

The PNJ readily admit they possess the files at issue here, which files contain the personal identification information on more than a dozen local citizens.  The mere possession of data like this is a felony under state law 817.5685.  How does the media's possession of my daughter's bank account number, my son's tax form and my other son's social security number serve a public purpose or the public interest?  Answer: it doesn't.  So if the folks that possess stolen personal information are given leave by the courts to keep such data in contravention to state law---doesn't that serve to encourage more folks to engage in the nefarious conduct of stealing and possessing others' personal identification information?  

Really--where is the line for the "press's" immunity?  Could they have child porn on their computers if they were using such disgusting information for a story?  Could they protect a source if that source admitted committing murder?   Where is the line the press can't cross---and does state law trump the press's right to hold data unlawfully?

Maybe, just maybe, this little case might start to provide an answer to this question.  We will see.

New Playground and Equipment Installed in D1 at Garcon Bayou Nature Park

 Yesterday morning staff sent pictures of the newly constructed playground at the Garcon Bayou Nature Park.  This park now has brand new equipment and is the latest playground to be installed in the county.  My thanks to staff for their efforts to install this new, safe and FUN equipment in this new park for the citizens' children to enjoy.  See the pictures of this new park and equipment, below:

90th Coffee with the Commissioner: All About EMS

 

Updated, Increased Offer for OLF 8 Submitted Yesterday Afternoon

Precision Capital sent a revised $21 Million Dollar offer to the BCC yesterday.  Read it, below.

'24 Forward Escambia

We are in an election year and as a candidate for re-election I will, from time to time, post campaign related information to my blog site here.  This is one of these occasions.

A candidate for office should have a platform, a reason for running,  and a list of priorities that will be sought.  In every race I have run, I have always had such plans.

In my first election to the BCC I had a first 100 day plan which I implemented.

In 2020-I wrote Next4Escambia and made it my platform.  And I was able to implement many of the goals enunciated within that plan--a fact I am proud of.

For  the 2024 election year and the years to follow, I have completed my action plan for implementation if I am so humbled to be re-elected again by the voters of Escambia County.  5 main categories, 24 specific action items, and 3 big ideas-- I've built 24Forward Escambia on the input I have received by voters throughout the district with whom I have interacted for the last 7 years.  We have completed a lot, but we have a lot more to do.  Click here to read the plan!

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1

90th Coffee with the Commissioner Event this Wednesday: All About EMS

 

Join us for our 90th Coffee with the Commissioner event Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Zoom live stream will take place from 6:30-7:30 a.m. To join the meeting, visit our District 1 Facebook site here: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/. 

Attendees this month will  include County Administrator Wes Moreno, Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore, and EMS Chief David Torsell III. Moreno will provide an update on county business, Gilmore will discuss public safety matters, and Chief Torsell will provide insight into the county's emergency medical services division.  We will discuss issues related to EMS billing, Ambulance service, hold times, and other topics that have been raised recently.  This coffee will allow for other viewpoints and opinions that illustrate both sides of contentious issues within public safety.  We will also discuss the county's ongoing CORE program and our efforts at confronting the ongoing opioid epidemic that results in an average of 6 overdose calls weekly in our area.

If you are interested in this topic--I encourage you to send questions and comments you would like to discussed  during the event through Facebook or they can be emailed to district1@myescambia.com or texted to me 850-293-1459.

For more information, contact our office at 850-595-4910 

Concerns over Perdido Key Roundabout Discussed

The Perdido Key Roundabout is built.  It works as designed. I was at Perdido Key yesterday and it was functioning smoothly.  Some folks are happy with it, others want additional measures implemented, still others want it scrapped.

One thing I can say with certainty:  This traffic feature has been divisive--which is unfortunate.  As an example-- I offer this email exchange from this morning....I've had several like it from both supporters of the roundabout and detractors as well.

"Dear Mr. Jeff Bergosh

 I am a Canadian snow bird and been coming to Perdido Key for over 15 years, watching it grow every year along with downtown Pensacola and for the most part very pleased.

But my main peace now is the round about at Johnson Beach rd. It s way too small I do not even think it complies with US Government recommendations https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00067/000676.pdf

In my opinion it is about 40-60 ft shy in diameter there is not deterrent for south bound travelers to slow done at all they can enter round about at 50 + per hour and not even have to slow down it needs to be enlarged to be safer and I am surprised you have not gotten any law suites from accidents there but I’m sure you will just saying.. because if I get clobbered there I will bring my dash can video to court and will be suing Pensacola and the driver who hit me.. Been 3 close call just this winter alone from people who fail to yield ….

XXXXXXXXXXXX    XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Canada"

To Which I replied: 

 

Hello XXXXXXXX,

 Thanks for the email of concern.  I have received several just like this one.  By contrast, I have also received several of late that appreciate the county building the traffic circle.  FULL DISCLOSURE:  I am not a traffic engineer, but I am told by the traffic engineers that the roundabout’s size is sufficient.  I have driven it from every angle and have found it to work adequately.  We have applied a number of additional measures to the roundabout to make it even more effective, safe, and efficient—however no amount of engineering can account for unsafe driving behavior of some who speed through the roundabout, drive over it, and are reckless.  This is why we all must drive defensively.

 A little history for you XXXXXXX…..Upon this area reverting to District 1 in early 2022 after a decennial census dictated we had to rebalance our 5 county voting districts---this project had already been designed and funded and was “shovel-ready.”  In addition to this---the citizens of Perdido Key had been consulted with numerous town hall meetings where they were asked which of three options they preferred on this county owned road.  1.  No build of anything—status quo  2.  A traffic signal  or 3.  A roundabout.  Overwhelmingly—the citizens chose option 3, a roundabout.   I agree with you in that it (roundabout) seems to be off-centered and undersized, but as I stated previously, above, the professional engineers who went to school for this and have studied these sorts of things academically have told me, eye to eye and in my face, that the roundabout was built as designed and is working as it was designed to work; slowing down traffic to prevent high speed wrecks while also allowing for a safer left turn solution from Johnson’s Beach Road going West back toward Alabama. Furthermore—do to a number of environmental constraints we face on Perdido Key and a lack of available right of way to expand the size of the roundabout---I am told by the professionals from the county’s environmental and traffic divisions (copied on this email) that enlarging the circle is impossible.  If I am wrong in this, again—they are copied and I’m asking for them to correct my understanding of this.  

 So let me make this perfectly plain.  If we can enlarge the circle, if this would improve safety, I am committed to doing it.  Enough have requested it of me and I have a budget for it.  Chris Phillips and Tim Day—can we do this?  We are still watching the operation of the roundabout and considering a bypass solution which could de-conflict some of the traffic going into the circle.  When I receive a final determination on whether or not we can do that—I will take decisive action and act on the recommendation.

 In closing, XXXXXXXX, I offer this:  What I have learned in nearly 18 years in local public office is that no solution will please all people.  To quote the famous trope from Goldilocks and the Three Bears—The porridge will never be just right—it is always too hot or cold.   With this said, I am always willing to re-assess a decision in light of new input and data from knowledgeable sources so your comments and considerations below are duly noted.  Thanks for your email, and I hope you enjoy your winter down here in America.

 Sincerely,

 Jeff Bergosh

District 1 Commissioner

Escambia Board of County Commissioners

99% of What Number?

If there are issues where county policy, state law, and collective bargaining agreements are not being followed in any county division, including EMS, I will always look into that.  That's number 1.

And people know that.  

The latest issue, EMS. (and by way of context, I offer this:  when management badly mistreated and violated the rights of a former employee, a paramedic, I stood strong with him, the case was handled, and those who did wrong are gone.  Funny how many of the same folks who have excoriated me for standing with a first responder, a Paramedic in that case are the same ones who are attacking me now for not immediately lapping up every accusation and claim they make currently?)

Over the last 48 hours here has been a lot of discussion surrounding the Union letter sent to commissioners this week  stating "no confidence" in the EMS Chief and his deputy.

The media has picked up the story, and comments are flying on social media.

Fortunately I have a direct line to admin staff so I can ask direct questions.

One question I cannot get an answer to is this:  How many employees does the Union's 99% support claim represent?  

I know our EMS division is staffed for 64 EMT's and 64 Paramedics.  I know we have a full compliment of EMT's and are short about 8 Paramedics.

Knowing this, did 120+ current employees really vote "no confidence" in our staff?  (that is a rhetorical--my understanding is the number was 17 that voted "no confidence")  But I'm waiting for the definitive answer.

So how does 17 = 99% of a department of 128?  Answer--it doesn't.  That is misleading at best--a lie at worst.

I know we have given a number of salary increases over the last three years to keep our department competitive with other area Ambulance services.  I know we offered bonuses as well.

We've purchased new ambulances and spent significant sums modernizing our in-ambulance medical devices and equipment with a long-term contract for replacement of necessary tools and technology for emergency responses. 

Are there issues in this department though?  Yes.  Will there always be issues in this division?  Yes.  But are the administrative leaders working to fix these issues and make this service better?  Yes is the answer to that, as well.

Has the department held calls? Yes.  Has that been a persisten problem?  Yes.  Are we working to resolve this?  Yes.  Have we dropped the ball on some calls--yes.  I looked into two in particular and in those instances, we could have done better and lessons were learned from both.  (long wait at a D1 restaurant for an ambulance, long wait for a fall and a hit to the head that was a stroke)

I asked about turnover--and yes there has been significant turnover in the last two years.  But overall staffing and positions filled has dramatically improved (much fewer vacant positions that 2021).

Will strong management leaders that hold employees accountable generate angry letters, comments, and criticism from public sector labor unions and disgruntled former employees?  Yes.

And finally--are there are protocols in place for the crews working in the field?  Yes--of course there are.  

The protocols are in the process of bing updated constantly though, and each one that is updated is done so after appropriate training and in-service of the staff.  I'm told point blank that the idea that there are no protocols is a flat out lie.

So let's solve the issues we can with facts, logic and a plan--not attacks on leadership staff and allegations that are misleading and misguided.  

Always know this, though:   I won't stand by and be silent when staff are attacked OR when paramedics are blatantly mistreated and policies are not followed by management.  

I'll look at both.   Always have and always will.

 

New Judge in County's Replevin/Conversion Lawsuit is Moving Quickly

After the last minute recusal by the Escambia County Judge assigned in Escambia County's Replevin/Conversion Lawsuit against Jonathan Owens, Alex Arduini, and Gannett--the case was transferred to Okaloosa County.  Nobody knew how long a delay this inexplicable, last-minute recusal would cause.

Late yesterday afternoon we got the answer.

The newly appointed Judge in this case has immediately scheduled a show cause hearing.  And this new judge in the county's case is moving quickly.

The hearing is one week from tomorrow at 11:30.

See Judge Schlechter's order, below.

Next D1 Neighborhood Cleanup is This Wednesday

 

Join us in keeping our neighborhoods clean and safe! A neighborhood cleanup for residents in Crescent Lake and Carriage Hills will take place Wednesday, Feb. 7. This is a chance for residents to dispose of items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge. Yard debris is eligible for removal during this cleanup

Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Please have all items for pickup at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. If you live in the targeted area, pictured above you will have received a postcard in the mail with more information.

Items eligible for removal include:

• Household appliances and electronics
• Household junk and debris
• Bicycles and toys
• Old furniture and mattresses
• Barbecue grills
• Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
• Tires (limit 10 per household)

Items NOT eligible for removal include:

• Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
• Explosives or ammunition
• Auto parts
• Dirt or sod
• Vehicles or vessels
• 55-gallon drums of fluids

Not sure if your item is eligible? Contact Max Rogers, Development Program Manager, at 850-595-3499 or mprogers@myescambia.com for questions about the cleanup.

Since 2016, more than 6,385 tons (12,770,000 pounds) of waste have been disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency's Safe Neighborhood Program. During neighborhood cleanups, crew members and volunteers visit different neighborhoods in the county to remove a variety of debris and waste free of charge.

Learn more about neighborhood cleanups here. Follow Escambia County on Facebook and Twitter for updates about neighborhood cleanups and other community events.

I'll be on WCOA's Real News with Rick Outzen as Monday Morning's Lead-Off Guest

I'll be the lead off guest this morning on "Real News with Rick Outzen" on the area's premiere news talk station featuring the market's best talent lineup--AM 1370 WCOA

I've been invited to appear later this morning on the area's best, most reliable. most trusted,  most highly-rated  and most isigntful morning drive news program, "Real News with Rick Outzen" on 1370 WCOA.

We have a meeting this week so I am sure Rick and I will discuss that, as well as pending legislation that may affect our area, pending litigation, the latest, revised offer for OLF 8 and other issues of interest.

Tune in live at 7:00--or catch the podcast here.