Commissioner Doug Underhill brought an add-on to last night's regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. It was a motion to release the confidential transcripts related to the Innerarity Island Sewer project.
So at the end of the meeting he was recognized by the chairman and brought forward his motion.
He made the motion. Then silence from the rest of the board. crickets. You could hear a pin drop.
It didn't even get a courtesy 2nd for discussion. Died right there for lack of a second. DOA.
But why did he even bring it though? He had already taken the unilateral action (unauthorized, not approved by the board) of releasing the confidential transcripts way back on May 11th. Given he released them way back nearly a month ago--we must naturally assume that these are widely disseminated now--and folks that are interested now have the transcripts. ECUA, residents of Innerarity that are angry and threatening litigation against the county, the press, other folks in the community-----the genie is out of the bottle and there's no putting it back.
So why waste our time with this weak and meaningless request??
The thing that gets me, and that I want to know, is this: He released the documents the day he received them, May 11th. We've all now been sent the proof and the confirmation of that fact. He did not wait, he released the confidential documents even though they were clearly marked confidential by the attorney--complete with a statutory citation--the day he received them.
But then at a meeting of the board just three days later---the Committee of the Whole---he appealed to the board during commissioner's forum (minute 0:30-6:00 of this video) to "authorize the release of the transcripts"--which the board took no action on. Why didn't he just tell us then "Hey guys--I released them because I believe they are a valid public record not subject to confidentiality!" Nothing, he said nothing though.
Then, seven days later during commissioner's forum of our regular meeting--commissioner Underhill once again asked the board to release the transcripts (at the beginning of this video-minutes 0:10-7:25)--which the board did not do--again. So why did he say nothing--why not admit he had already released the documents? Why the time-wasting, ridiculous Kabuki Theater?
Interestingly--even though the board did not authorize the release at either of these meetings, Commissioner Underhill DID NOT fess up and admit that he had, in fact, released the classified records 10 days earlier.
Not a peep, not a word. He sat there like a wax statue, like a mime.
Even as I reported that I had information that one board member had released the transcripts without authorization and that I wanted this leak investigated---Commissioner Underhill did not admit it, he sat there quietly. He sat there silently on this.
I asked him point blank last night: "You knew you released them, why didn't you just tell us you did-why sit through two meetings and ask us to release them-what was that all about?" To which he responded with a gibberish response that was meaningless and a glazed-over stare back. Just ridiculous.
Subsequent to the meeting on May 21st, and once it became apparent that Doug Underhill in fact released the classified transcripts on May 11th, a citizen has now reported this conduct to the Florida division of Ethics via a formal complaint against Doug Underhill.
Then the county sent their findings of who it was that leaked it to each commissioner---something most of us knew already---Commissioner Underhill did it.
After the May 21st meeting and on social media and radio shows prior to last night's meeting though--Commissioner Underhill has come out and finally admitted he leaked the documents. Worse yet--he ignores the fact that the rest of us were holding back on release of these documents on advice of counsel due to litigation--and instead runs us down and assails our collective character by insinuating we are purposely "withholding public records." What a despicable thing for him to say and do. And dishonest and dishonorable.
So the board did not and will not condone his conduct "after the fact" by authorizing release of the transcripts--- which is what he has wanted and what he has requested ever since he released the confidential documents.
He got that answer "Loud and Clear" from the Board last night.
We'll see what comes of the complaint made against him to the division of ethics, and I hope that the decision he made to release these transcripts without authorization does not work against us as we seek to end the litigation over this sewer system responsibly.
