Mayor DC Reeves Delivers a State of the City Address to Citizens

We work closely with the city on several issues, and three of my counterparts have large swaths of their districts that are also within the city limits.  So, there will always be some synergies and some crossover that requires city/county cooperation.  The homelessness issue and the related problems are a big topic that will require us working together. In addition to this, my employer ESA South is very interested in the happenings in the city so they asked if I would attend this event. So, I made it a point to attend last evening's "State of the City" Civicon event at the Sanders Beach Community Center.

Here are some highlights of his hour and ten-minute presentation.

First, the mayor focused on describing his progress in addressing his initial promised improvements in safety, housing, and jobs.  To illustrate his progress, he utilized data from a UWF Haas study the city commissioned of only city residents, and he also utilized data from the recently completed PYP Quality of Life Survey of area residents (including Escambia County Residents).

Highlights:

--94% of residents rated Pensacola Fire Department Excellent or Very Good

--87% of residents rated Pensacola Police Department Excellent or Very Good

--89% believe the city is heading in the “right direction.”

--new North City Police Substation will be opened at the PSC campus within the next 60 days

--City Fire Service enjoys the Highest ISO Rating, a 1

--$840,000 grant received for the installation of high tech “Shot Spotter” technology that will enable law enforcement to react to gunfire in real time and at the precise location where the gunfire occurred

--He discussed the ongoing efforts and legislative requests this upcoming session for $18 Million for demolition and re-purposing of the 50-acre legacy campus of Baptist Hospital for housing and other city needs.

--He discussed the current effort and #1 legislative ask from the state legislative delegation for a 5-gate expansion at the Pensacola International Airport-from 12 to 17 gates and additional concession options.  The funding necessary for completing this project will be split between the city, the state, and the federal government, according to Reeves.  Initial design is underway.

--Pensacola’s Airport throughput is at a record high already this year, and the projection is that by year’s end we will have had more than 2.65 million enplanements, which represents an 89% increase over enplanements in 2013

He next described what the survey data revealed to be the most desirable features of the city.  Access to

REAP Lodges Closing Permanently in less than One Month? In Two Weeks???

An email blast was sent out early Monday morning to County Commissioners and a host of others about the REAP Lodges facility's imminent closure due to funding constraints.

This is an unfortunate turn of events if it is, indeed, true.

My understanding was that REAP had secured ample additional funding and also was working toward its own organic fundraising which would propel it toward self-sufficiency.  Apparently, this is not the case.  My email to Mr. Whibbs:  

"Mr. Whibbs- I lament this development, as I know you have tried diligently to assist with our issues of the homeless and associated matters.  I was under the impression you had secured funding for REAP lodges through the city and the COC.  I will ask about this at our upcoming meeting because I know what you do to assist in this space is critical to our overall strategy of homeless reduction."

to which he responded, succinctly, "Thank you for anything you can do. Vinnie"

With respect to the vexing topic of eliminating/reducing homelessness locally--we need more folks on the front lines helping--NOT fewer.  More to come Wednesday at our 9:00 AM meeting ---  as I will be adding this as a topic for discussion on our agenda.  Read the letter Whibbs sent this morning, below.

 

City is Requesting the County Look at Adopting a Graffiti Ordinance Similar to Theirs....

Late this afternoon I received this written correspondence, below,  from City Attorney for the City of Pensacola, Charles Peppler.

I'm willing to take a look at it and I'll certainly consider it.  This coming week I will ask staff to assess the City Ordinance to see how it meshes with County Ordinance(s) already on the books dealing with this topic.  Then I'll ask Alison Rogers to add it for discussion at a subsequent meeting so it can be discussed with my four board counterparts.

So look for the discussions to begin in late April on this.

Judge Bergosh Issues an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order Preventing the Removal of the Pensacola Confederate Statue

The Statue in the former Lee Square, recently renamed Florida Square, is now officially protected from removal by an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order signed by Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh this afternoon.

The judge granted the plaintiff's motion for this temporary restraining order and a request for a preliminary injunctive hearing.  From the order:

"Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED, until further Order by the Court, Defendants and all their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and persons acting in concert of participation representatives, vendors, and contractors are hereby ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from:

1.  Taking down the Lee Park Cenotaph in the City of Pensacola, Florida;
2. Infringing on the Public's view of the Lee Park Cenotaph in any way, except to protect it from vandalism or unauthorized destruction by a mob."

Judge Bergosh, my brother, worked out at NAS Pensacola as a senior DoD Attorney during the aftermath of the devastating destruction of Hurricane Ivan in 2004-2006.  As I understand it, this was the largest demolition of historic buildings in the history of the National Historic Preservation Act. One of the things he became very familiar with in his work during that time, was the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966--and the Section 106 process as it pertains to the treatment of historic buildings, structures, or objects.  He is probably the Judge in this circuit who is most familiar with the protections, both state and federal, afforded historic properties--so he will be the ideal Judge to handle this matter.

This "monument" is actually a cenotaph.  One of the reconciliations necessary for the reformation of the union after the Civil War was the acknowledgment of the sacrosanct nature of graves.

One local attorney I spoke with late today who had already heard of this TRO stated flatly:  "They did not follow any of the laws designed for the protection of historic objects and properties--and this TRO will potentially give time for a thorough accounting of this."

From the order:

"A preliminary Injunction Hearing will be scheduled in coordination with the Court as soon as is practicable"

Competition on a Level Playing Field is Good and it is Fair

Our Local New Car automotive dealerships give a significant boost to our local economy yearly--as is illustrated above.  Is it too much to ask to help insure they are treated fairly? 

The issue of "Pop-Up" Car Sales has been a concern that the Escambia County Commission has dealt with before.  But nothing was done.  The proverbial can got kicked last time this issue came around.

The problem continues.

And this time we will solve it.

We have a situation where our "brick and mortar," well-established dealerships have to compete with out of town firms that come to Pensacola, set up tents in parking lots at University Mall or the Fairgrounds, and try their level-best to undercut our locally-owned, well-established car dealerships.

They often times send flyers out in advance, flyers that lead some to believe they have actually "Won" something.  Once these unsuspecting locals show up, they are pressured to buy a car.  A certain percentage of these persons can be "qualified" for a loan (albeit at high rates)--and the "contest " where someone thought they won a prize becomes a situation where an unsuspecting local is sold a vehicle at an inflated price with not fallback protection if the car falls apart or breaks down.

NOPE--these guys are long-gone by the time the problems start.  And folks get stuck with lemons in many cases--with NO RECOURSE.

The Free Market Capitalists might not like it-----but the bottom line is fairly simple;  regulations are necessary, and they are good.  And regulations are fair and they actually foster competition if they are done properly.

We will craft an ordinance that will be fair to all car salesmen---local and out-of-town.  But there will be built-in safeguards to protect consumers and to insure warranties offered are actually backed up, and that all sales of cars are done via licensed dealers who compete on a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

Once we do this, I think we will see less and less of the circus tent, pop-up car sales.

And this will be good for consumers, and this will be good for folks locally.

This should have been an easy win, something easy to fix a few years ago.  We will fix it right this time, though.

Plumbing Issue Erupts between City and local Plumbers Association

Many private sector plumbers locally have
said they think this situation stinks!

The issue between the private sector plumbers of Escambia County and the City of Pensacola has played out quietly behind closed doors, on limited social media outlets, and in the email inboxes of elected officials locally via wave after wave of emails.......  It has been relatively low key thus far.

I think this is about to change.

Now a very well respected and high-profile attorney locally has weighed in on the side of the plumbers.  Many of us received a copy of the letter this attorney sent to the city yesterday.

The issue is simple:  Should the public sector (Pensacola Energy) unfairly compete with the private sector with respect to installations of gas appliances in homes in the county?  The private sector can't compete with the prices the public sector is offering, and the local plumbers are losing work.

According to a local plumbing contractor I spoke with, the difference in price can be substantial.

"If I do a home installation of a tankless gas water heater in a house--the costs can exceed $1700 dollars.  If Pensacola Energy does it, they do it for the cost of the appliance.  I can't compete with that price because I have overhead to pay.   It's not fair." said this plumber.

The issue was on the agenda for the County and the City to discuss at the recent joint meeting, however at the last minute the City unilaterally pulled the item from the agenda.

The County sent a letter to the city requesting specific answers about this practice.  In response, the city declined to answer but offered to facilitate individual, one-on-one meetings with each commissioner to "explain" the practice.

The recent animosity between plumbers and Pensacola Energy might
be on the verge of rupturing like a broken water line...

Because long ago I read and I fully understand Blackford v School Board of Orange County --I do not participate in scheduled, one-after another,  one-issue staff/board meetings.  Such meetings serve to circumvent the open meeting law--so I don't do them.

So with no forward progress, It appears as if the plumbers are going the legal route...... 

From the letter:

"....activities by Pensacola Energy violate several federal and state laws, including without limitation:

  (1) Sherman "Antitrust" Act, 15 U.S.C. 1-7
  (2) Florida's Antitrust Act; Fla. Stat.  523.15 et. seq.
  (3) Fla. Stat.  501.201 et seq......

....By publically endorsing select members of the "plumber partners" cartel, the City of Pensacola is