65th Coffee with the Commissioner this Wednesday: Escambia County Public Safety Roundtable Discussion

Join us for our 65th edition of the Coffee with the Commissioner this coming Wednesday, September 8th from 6:30-7:30 AM

We will be having a discussion on the state of Public Safety in Escambia County.

I'm pleased to announce that on the Zoom meeting will be our Public Safety Director, Eric Gilmore, our Fire Chief, Jason Catrambone, and our EMS Chief, David Torsell.  Additionally, Wes Moreno, Escambia County Administrator will also be on the call.

We will discuss the upcoming budget, status of bargaining, challenges ahead, and opportunities ahead for improving our operations, responses, and overall readiness.

I will also be discussing my 4-Part strategy for stabilization of the ECFR budget--which I have already discussed with Eric Gilmore and with Chief Catrambone.  And full disclosure--they don't necessarily agree with some of what I will propose.  But we will have the discussion.

I look forward to the conversation--be sure to join us for the livestream on Facebook, and feel free to send questions in advance if you would like to do so.

I'll get to as many of them as I can!

Join me for our virtual 65th Coffee with the Commissioner event Wednesday, Sept. 9th. The live stream will take place from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. To join the meeting, go to the following Facebook page and watch the live stream: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/.

Census 2020: Escambia County's Population Breakdown, District by District

 

Yesterday afternoon, commissioners were provided with the above chart for our information as we prepare to undertake the decennial redistricting process.  As anticipated--Districts 1 and 5 have grown significantly, District 4 has increased slightly, and Districts 2 and 3 have lost population since the last census in 2010.

Big Name Law Firm to Provide Pro Bono Legal Representation on County's 401(a) Issue

 I am of the opinion that the county ought to be able to sort out the issues with our 401(a) program.  I don't take the program but multiple employees and several commissioners do.

However, as we have seen from the numerous cartoons and editorials on this subject--the local print media's "crack" two-person "editorial board" have their panties in a wad over this issue.  They don't like it, damnit! is the sentiment.

Along the way, the PNJ seems to insinuate the employees and board members who take this plan are somehow acting nefariously and criminally.

The fact of the matter is the plan is legal.  And because it is, the clerk of the court had no business constructively terminating the legitimate contract the board entered into with ICMA back in early 2016.

This is my interest in this issue.  The board is the entity that contracts for service with service providers on behalf of the citizens and employees of the county, NOT the clerk.  Her function is to keep the books and pay the invoices.  If we do something illegal, she has an obligation to NOT pay the invoice.  But she has a legal obligation TO pay legal invoices.  If we allow, without any resistance, the clerk of the court to unilaterally void some contracts she "doesn't like" (after paying invoices on said contracts for nearly a decade)--that usurps our authority, resposibility, and areas under our purview.  It is a bad precedent to passively allow, so yes, although I do not take this plan I won't stand by and watch our responsibilities  be usurped inappropriately by the clerk.    

On this particular matter, the clerk has waffled back and forth between saying payments under the board's 401(a) contract are "problematic"-or they are "Improper" or "Outside the General Law" and she finally gave her honest opinion "It's ILLEGAL" last month when I pressed her.

But now she is walking that back saying she didn't mean to say that.

What??

Meanwhile, we have presented her with multiple legal opinions that show, in great detail, that the plan is a legal one, the contract is valid.  The one she used to pay, until she decided not to pay....

Still, she remains intransigent

Still, she won't honor the board's legitimate, legal contract.  She won't make the payments.  She is stuck now in a two way bear trap as I discussed in these posts here and here.

But we're trying to work with her.

Both attorney Alison Rogers (in writing, via an email) and I both offered to work jointly between entities to seek an Attorney General's Advisory Opinion.  In both instances, the clerk rejected this good will offer to get the legality question answered.  To put it a different way--the olive brance was broken in half and handed back to us.

That's alright.

Now comes word that one of the nation's leading trial lawyers from one of the nation's leading law firms will weigh in on the County's side, and work with the county to resolve this issue with the clerk on a pro bono basis.  

Hopefully this doesn't have to go to court, that's not what anyone wants.

But if it does, it looks like we will be well-represented, and very well prepared.

Then, once we ascertain the legality, which is the central issue, we can address the rate and other issues that appear to be in need of adjustment.  But step one has to be taken before step two.  See attorney Troy Rafferty's letter, below, signalling his willingness to step in and assist the county for free.

$1,000.00 Extra Payments for First Responders---to INCLUDE the Volunteer Firefighters

If we are giving $1000.00 in extra pay/stipends to first responders, I want to insure that we are taking care of ALL first responders, and not overlooking the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters!

Over the last month, Governor DeSantis has cris-crossed the state handing out $1,000.00 bonus checks to first responders.  He came to Escambia County and personally handed out the checks to sheriff's deputies.

Our paid firefighters were given checks as well.

As were the EMT's and Paramedics.

But then it was "stated" (by whom I have not been told yet) that "the volunteer firefighters don't get the money..."  But wait:  Aren't volunteer firmen considered first responders, too?  We have volunteer firemen running calls every day in Escambia County (and a lot of other places as well.  Gulf Breeze is a 100% volunteer fire department--are they not getting these checks?  What about all the rural volunteer fire departments throughout the panhandle---their service doesn't count?)

Well, this isn't right.  I must simply assume it was just an oversight on the part of the governor's staff.  Or someone.  But anyway, it doesn't matter.  Because we can fix it locally.😁

After all, the money for all these bonuses is coming out of the same pot from the federal government, from the American Rescue Plan.  And just to reiterate--volunteer firemen are first responders, too.

So if I can get two more votes on Thursday---we will fix this oversight locally and ensure ALL first responders get a check!

On WCOA's "Real News" Discussing Pedestrian Safety in Beulah

Three locally-elected officials are working on a project to construct a pedestrian overpass over Hwy 90 in Beulah--which could look similar to this one, above, from North Carolina...

I was a guest on WCOA's "Real News" with Rick Outzen yesterday discussing the concept of a pedestrian overpass over Hwy 90/9-Mile Road in Beulah.  The initiative to fund, design and build this overpass will be a collaboration among/between the State, the County Commission, and the School Board.

Because of Hurricane Ida and the closure of the County--we had to cancel our planned press conference that was supposed to take place at 4:30 yesterday.

Meanwhile, we had a good discussion on this topic and I appreciated the opportunity to be on the show.

Check out our discussion here

The Deposition(s) of John Dosh and Jimmy Maddrey

The released depositions into the recently settled lawsuit against the county regarding the county's failure to provide due process to a former employee are a window into a lot of dysfunction that was happening, apparently, in EMS in the 2018-2019 timeframe.  Thankfully--most (if not all) of the players involved in this mess have moved on from the county or been terminated, and that department is now doing MUCH, much better with better leadership.....

The depositions in the case that we recently settled with former paramedic Matt Selover contain an incredible amount of information.  There are lots of other information items contained within the depositions as well-- that beg a lot of additional questions about many aspects of the way EMS was being run in the 2018-2019 timeframe.  Many lessons to learn and mistakes not to repeat....

As we all now know, there were tremendous problems in the way staff handled and treated Mr. Selover--and this of course led to the nearly $200,000.00 settlement the county's insurance carrier, upon the strident recommendation of their own retained attorneys, ultimately paid to settle the suit.

These two depositions--one from the former acting director of public safety and the former acting EMS chief--add pieces to the puzzle that ultimately came together and which necessitated our settlement with this wronged employee.

Hopefully--many will read these and learn what to do and not to do so that we will never again do this to ANY employee so that, importantly, we will never have to make another 6-figure settlement like this one again.

County staff assistant attorney Steve West provided the following advice on my request to make these documents public--and I have removed the pages he references as sensitive in his below email:

"Commissioner Bergosh:

 As you requested, attached are the deposition transcripts for John Dosh and James Maddrey, which Alison asked me to review and forward.  The only redaction is the home address on page 7 of Maddrey’s transcript.

 I understand that Charlie has already advised on your discretion regarding certain sensitive information (xxxxxxxxxxxxx).  For your convenience, references to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx can be found on pages 80-82 and 85 of Dosh’s transcript and pages 56 and 92-95 of Maddrey’s.   Please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns on this or any other information in the transcripts.

 Stephen G. West, Senior Assistant County Attorney"

Read the John Dosh deposition here

Read the Jimmy Maddrey deposition here

How is This Okay? How Does Andy Marlette Get a Pass on This? Part II

 

Tonight the Governor's Press Secretary fired back at PNJ Cartoonist Andy Marlette's misogynistic, racist cartoons.  Her tweet was re-tweeted hundreds of times, and has now been subsequently re-tweeted by Matt Gaetz--and that re-tweet has been re-tweeted thousands of times.....

When I wrote part I---I knew it wasn't right.  A white, wealthy man flaunting his use of the "N-Word" in a nationally syndicated (Gannett) newspaper.

The clock might be finally, at long last, be ticking on Andy Marlette and the PNJ, however.

Because many have asked one simple question and received no good answer from Gannett or the PNJ:

How is it that white, priviledged liberal Andy Marlette can write racist, misogynistic cartoons left and right and never be called to task for it.  It is ridiculous!

In fact--he's been rewarded!  He's been given a lucrative, nationally syndicated cartoon strip recently.  Incredible, and unbelieveable.  He must make a TON of money for Gannett.

I know, I know, the first ammendment.

But why is it that Republicans get "Cancelled" for the slightest of infractions---while white, wealthy liberal elites like Gannett's syndicated cartoonist Andy Marlette can use the "N-Word" in cartoons and not be called out?

Well, again, this might be changing.

I've been calling him out for a while now.  

Looks like others are now catching on.  Apparently, Andy has insulted some powerful folks with HUGE online connections.

Late today, my phone blew up with texts about Andy Marlette being called out in the press and on twitter for his apparently racist cartoons.

Folks are tweeting about it--and some have thousands of retweets.  Some are being tweeted to the editor in chief at Gannett and to the Pensacola News Journal.  Good.  He needs to explain how he feels comfortable drawing such cartoons and using the N-Word.

Let's stay tuned and see if the match that's been struck starts a fire.