Wait--We're Going to Pay Nearly $4+ Million in County Funds for WHAT?

 

Will we spend nearly $4 Million and 
"name select" a hospital to inject vaccines
to the general public locally--or should
the state and federal budgets absorb this cost?

As we move through the holidays toward an end to an incredibly tumultuous 2020--the hits keep coming.

And I'm not talking about songs on the Billboard Charts.

I'm talking hits as in gut-punches and body blows.  Uppercuts and elbows to the face. Knees to the groin and spinning backfists to the temple and head.

First, we were hit with COVID 19 which infected 20,000 + residents, killed nearly 360 local citizens, and decimated spring-early summer tourism in our area. Poof, it was gone. (the revenue-NOT the virus)

Throughout the summer, citizens were laid off, businesses struggled, and the economy plugged along uneasily.

Next, we received significant damage from Hurricane Sally in September.  And as a result the county had to front $70 Million for debris hauling.  And although we will receive a majority of this money back in reimbursement from FEMA (75%) and the State (12%)---we will still be on the hook for            $ millions that remain after the reimbursements.  And the reimbursements, well--let's just say they are not always very timely.  As a case in point-I'm told by staff we received some reimbursements owed from IVAN (September, 2004) as recently as just two years ago in 2018.  Just saying.....

And yet early on in 2020--things were looking so great--we even received $8 Million in general fund eligible "found" money as a residual from the BP Oil Spill settlement.  It came as a pleasant, welcome surprise to all of us--out of the clear blue sky.  It was awesome and we all had plans and designs on how we'd spend this windfall in our respective districts.  It was great for about a month.  Don't worry though---that $8 million is gone now, that and then some.  Thanks 2020.  Vaporized into thin air.

And then--FDOT's bridge project went haywire in the wake of Sally-- as their contractor improperly secured dozens of barges--according to multiple law firms and the PNJ-- that subsequently took out the 3-mile bridge--effectively killing many small businesses in Gulf Breeze and vaporizing our early fall business at the area's beaches.  Don't worry though:--we are told FDOT will break with tradition and "do whatever is necessary" to actually complete something on time; they keep saying March 2021 the span damaged by their contractors' barges will be "fixed."  We will see about that---trust me I want to believe that.  Like Fox Mulder's famous office wall-hanging poster--"I want to believe."  I think it will be more like June-July------if things go perfectly from this point forward.  I hope I'm wrong and that FDOT will actually be able to hit a deadline.   I hope I'm wrong and FDOT is right.  We will all see in March, I guess.

We're told FDOT will have the 3-Mile
bridge repaired in March......

But now, after all of the above  (and much more I'm not even bothering to mention) comes word of another unexpected, contentious, out-of- thin air multi-million dollar expenditure we are going to be asked to approve in our first meeting of 2021.  That's right folks--nearly $4 Million dollars are going to be requested of the BCC to pay our local hospitals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to our area's general population.

But Wait--why are we being asked to pay for this--isn't the state getting money from the FEDS for this?  What about the Army?  What about the "Operation Warp Speed" distribution plan? What about the health department? Isn't the National Guard going to be deployed to vaccinate the public?  Why wouldn't the hospitals be paid/reimbursed directly for this by the FEDS?  Aren't these hospitals already being reimbursed directly for COVID-19 related increased costs?  Too many questions.  

Our $57 Million in CARES act money is programmed and spent already--so where is the additional nearly $4 Million more supposed to come from--------and why are we doing this--paying for this locally?

I'm told that counties around the state, including one nearby to our east, are proactively paying their local hospital corporations (nonprofits and for profits) millions of dollars as their vaccination agents. Our neighboring county has put aside $2.4 Million for this express purpose I have been told.  So this is putting pressure on us to do likewise--is the justification I have heard.

My late mom, God rest her soul, had an apropos saying she used to throw at my brother and I when we were about to make bad choices based upon peer pressure.  "If Joey decides to jump off the cliff--are you going to jump off a cliff, too?"

Of course we want everyone to be vaccinated--we care about the health and safety of our citizens.  But again I ask--why do we have to shoulder this burden locally with local funds--this should be a FED and State cost, right?  I mean, the Federal Treasury is printing money at breakneck speed, the presses are smoking they are moving so fast as we quickly surpass $30 Trillion in debt.  So I have a hard time believing that some of that cheddar is not "supposed" to go to paying for citizen vaccinations.

"Yo, Adrian, we can't take any more
budgetary face-punches!"

This whole topic will be generating some discussion at the meeting.  Some pointed questions are coming that will require some cogent answers.  Because as of right now--we can't spend any more than we've spent already.  2020 has been one catastrophe on top of another, one punch to the head after another; we can't take any more blows to the head or else we'll get "knocked out!"

Can the Board of County Commissioners "STOP" 5G Deployment by the Telecommunications Firms?

Everyone wants light-speed data and consistent coverage on their iPhones; some do not want to see the hardware that enables this ANYWHERE near where they live, though.

This has been a discussion going back several years.

We all want the fastest, most reliable and dependable cell phone service and coverage we can get.

--But some people do not like the way the requisite poles and 5G boxes look--you know, the hardware behind the scenes that makes our iPhones work allowing us to download data quickly.

--Still others worry about potential, perceived ill-effects of these box-devices from a health perspective.

So lots of people THAT ARE ADDICTED to technology and their iPhones DO NOT want these transmitter boxes that enable lightning-fast cellular and data service to be installed ANYWHERE near their houses or communities.  They'd prefer not to see them, period.

Which creates quite a conundrum for those of us who are local-level policymakers.  

Because this request appears to be an impossible one.

What I know is that at the local level we are very, very limited in what we can do to stop these devices from being installed.  We "may" have a limited ability to require modest aesthetic enhancements to the devices before they are deployed.  Beyond that though--State and Federal statutes and associated regulation preclude local governments from balking at where or even if these devices are deployed.

An email from a D4 constituent yesterday purports that some communities have successfully stopped deployment of 5G cell towers in these locations (Miami, Tampa). She didn't send any news links to support this claim nor did she provide proof of this statement.  She simply requests we attempt to stop 5G with respect to the current deployment of these towers at Pensacola Beach--like what she claims these other communities have done.  She even linked a resolution from Coconut Creek that she would like the BCC in Escambia to replicate to slow down the rollout of 5G at the beach.

I have replied to this constituent stating to her that I would request we discuss her request and the relevant cases she has cited at an upcoming meeting of the BCC.  I'd be interested to know more specifically--as I've seen no mainstream news reports of what she claims "happened" in Miami and Tampa.

Should be an interesting discussion--but I do not believe we will have the legal authority to stop the deployment----as again---this local control authority has been stripped away from us by State and Federal statutes so far as we have been advised by our attorney.

But we will see what happens. 

County's Ethics and Compliance Investigation into ECFR Contacting Volunteers' Employers is Closed

In a particularly infamous scene from King Kong--the beast shakes a giant log knocking multiple people off a cliff to their deaths...King Kong didn't want them around so he "knocked them off the log"

I requested a meeting with Administrator Janice Gilley and attorney Alison Rogers yesterday afternoon.

The topic was an investigation into why a county fire official, Craig Ammons, called the employer of several dozen volunteer firefighter candidates in 2019--leading to many of them not being able to serve as volunteer firemen in our community.

The seven page document I received is a quick read;  although it is a public record, the cover requests that it not be disseminated and therefore I will not link it.

The issue stems from several volunteer trainees being told they had to resign, after an official with ECFR called their employer to get clarification on whether or not these particular employees could volunteer with the fire department.  There were concerns that an "unwritten" policy might have been in place with this particular employer which prevented certain employees of this employer from volunteering.

But the investigation revealed there was no such existing written policy.  Upon being called about this--the safety officer of this employer had to check with his direct superior, who then in turn had to check with the his superior in a different part of the country.

The big boss--once contacted--eventually said "not just no, HELL no they can't be volunteer firemen." according to the report.  

And so that is the end of a steady stream of young, energetic volunteers.  What a shame.

My contention all along was simple:  Why are we calling volunteers' employers?  Is that our jobs, to be babysitters of grown men and women?  Is that the protocol? Is it a violation of privacy?  Is it potentially a privacy act violation?  I mean---why do it??

According to the report---this was not and is not our policy (calling volunteers' bosses).  This led to the Administrator questioning why this happened, and why our employee made that call which led to the turning away of  nearly 20 volunteer trainees.  "What concern was it of his whether these people volunteered?" was her question.

As a result of this matter, the official stance going forward is that ECFR will not contact the employers of volunteer candidates;  as should have been the case in the first place--we need to let grown men and women who want to volunteer do just this----and we ought to let them work it out with their employer as this is between them and their employer.

Otherwise this has the unseemly appearance of another attempt by some within ECFR of discouraging volunteers, which in turn costs us more money in personnel expenditures necessary to hire full-time paid firemen.  Although some in ECFR hate it---we are a combination department.  

After reading this report--my opinion is that there was a deliberate attempt to discourage these men and women from volunteering with our fire service.  Why else would we proactively call this boss ---when we never call anyone else's boss?  A part of the conclusion sums it up, when it describes this action creating"..an unprofessional appearance of conduct inconsistent with a public service organization that depends in part, on volunteer services as a basis of necessary support."

We ought to find ways to facilitate and encourage volunteers---not ways to "knock them off the log!"

Others Recognize "Savage" PNJ Stupidity--- and The Deliberate Ignorance of OLF-8's Real Economic Value: JOBS

It was readily apparent to many that the PNJ's hatchet piece "editorial" last Sunday was WAY off base.

I certainly spotted it as what it was immediately:  A directed, ad hominem attack job at the behest of one of the PNJ's advertising patrons, "consultants", developers, and/or a large special interest employer.

 Or all of them.

It was uncalled for.

It was so uncalled for and out of line that I wasn't the only one who knew it was unfair, off-base, and odd. 

The only other print media publication in town called them out for it immediately.

In a series of blog posts, Rick Outzen on IN Weekly gutted the PNJ's very basis for the attack piece--pointing out the two painfully obvious facts that PNJ deliberately and conveniently left out of their hit piece:  1.) this OLF-8 project was always a jobs project.  2.) Nobody ever said the nearby neighbors, via a "vote" would control what happened on this field.    

How was this "embarrassing?"  How were citizens insulted?  Outzen appeared to have been figuratively asking-----while scratching his head over the vicious article's purpose.

In his weekly printed paper, in the "Out Takes" section---Outzen expounded on the reasons he felt this PNJ hit job was so out of step.

He chronicled a number of other high profile land use decisions the BCC and City Council have made historically that have not necessarily moved in lock step with what nearby residents wanted--yet those decisions were never chastised by the PNJ, nor were those politicians that made those choices.  

Why the double standard?

Then--in an echo of what Commissioner Barry stated at the workshop--Outzen states plainly that NFCU's own project directly adjacent to OLF-8 in Beulah shows us all, in stark terms, how the real value of a big jobs deal is in the payroll and the jobs for the community---not in the ad valorem revenue a company's facilities or residential properties produce.   This was illustrated in a very simple comparison between the MASSIVELY HUGE economic impact jobs have as compared to the ad valorem value of properties constructed per acre.  It was a great post--directly on point and exactly what I've been screaming for years.  Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

Now--Rick Outzen is no "fan" of Jeff Bergosh.  Let's just get that straight right now---and he will be the first one to go after me in an article or a post if I step out of line in my duty as an elected official.  He's done it before often.  

So with this as the backdrop---it really was satisfying to see that even he saw what I saw and what Steven Barry saw and many others saw:  Consultants who couldn't answer the questions that were important to us as the policymakers.  And a sense of tone-deafness about the jobs and economic development aspects of this project that was annoying in a presentation that went on TOO LONG.

And then a local Newspaper Editorial that unfairly attacked the Board Members.

Hatchet Piece Hit Job Journalism--PNJ Editorial Board Strikes Again

PNJ Editor Lisa Nellessen Savage and Cartoonist Andy Marlette unleashed a biased, inaccurate, non-contextualized and caustic fake-news "editorial" today....simply because I have the audacity to disagree with them and those of their ilk.  Far beyond news, it was a fact-barren, truth concealing, directed ad hominem attack.  No wonder NOBODY trusts them...I can't wait until they go out of business

Today’s ridiculous ad hominem attack piece on me from the PNJ comes because I do not support additional residential construction on the OLF-8 field in Beulah. Self-interested special interests and downtown insiders that control the PNJ, their editor Lisa Nellessen Savage, and their two-person editorial board do not control me----- and this burns them up. I disagree with them, and I do not support utilizing this field for any additional housing, period. We have TOO MUCH residential housing out here already, and we need to let our infrastructure catch up and we DO NOT need to compete with private sector developers who are already building plenty of "walkable communities" within "walking distance" of NFCU. I disagree with them on this---and they can't stand it.  I do not genuflect to their "experts" and they go apoplectic.  Remember this: The PNJ "editorial board" doesn't care about good jobs-they have theirs already.  I do care though.  The PNJ does not care about promises we made to the taxpayers as we spent $18 Million in ESCAMBIA COUNTY taxpayers' monies to acquire this land for jobs for ALL Citizens--not simply for the enrichment of one particular community in Escambia County or for one particular employer in Escambia County.  But I do care.  And I disagree with them and they are throwing a tantrum because of it.   I care about keeping our word to the people of the county that financed this decades long project to bring jobs to the entire county; I will not let downtown insiders, the PNJ, Lisa Savage, Dandy Marlette,  and/or any other special interests do a bait and switch job on the taxpayers of this county.  Period.

 

And yes, as a nearly 17 year resident of Beulah right across from the field--this doesn't mean I will not also advocate for some amenities for our community----to include retail along 9-Mile road (restaurants, shops, hopefully a post office and other establishments)--a regional park with tennis courts, a world class walking-jogging trail around the entire property for community use, and first rate stormwater and road/sidewalk infrastructure throughout the property which will allow us the potential to incubate a MINIMUM of 1000 good jobs which will allow us to win up to $30 Million from Triumph Gulf Coast. My goal--no residential but lots of amenities, parks, greenspace, and good jobs for the whole county. This infuriates the paper and the special interests downtown that want high-density, traffic-exacerbating residential construction and a mall-- complete with apartments and townhomes--all the while knowing this would take us totally out of the running for the triumph $30 Million dollar jobs grant. They don't care though--remember, they have theirs already. But I do care, this drives them nuts, and I will remain faithful to the intent of this project no matter what. It is what I campaigned on and I don't care how many inaccurate hit pieces the corrupted, compromised, biased, partisan, and inaccurate PNJ writes about me. What they say means nothing, everyone knows PNJ is corrupted--owned by the downtown insiders and special interests and their advertising "patron."

They're owned, but I will NEVER be.

 

 

 

 

The Next ECFR Fire Chief Hiring Status: Lots of Issues to Fix and 60 Names on a List.......

According to staff the process for hiring the Fire Chief is underway and the eventual  successful candidate will be hired sometime shortly after the new year.  This is good news as solid leadership is DESPERATELY NEEDED!

One of the county positions for which I have advocated the loudest and for which others have as well is the Escambia Fire Chief position. We currently have this position filled with an interim, temporary placeholder. In fact, it's been going on two years since our last permanent Fire Chief, Rusty Nail, left the job shortly after taking the job in the first place after a lengthy search the county conducted. 

 And since this time, this has been the position I believe we most desperately need filled. I've stated the fact bluntly--stated it publicly at meetings and privately to staff: There is a total and complete lack of leadership in that department right now---in part I believe this is due to the lack of a fire chief, a leader.

We need strong, competent leadership in that role and this has been absent for many years now. Too long. And in the meantime--unprofessional conduct has been tolerated. And what is tolerated is condoned. What is tolerated and condoned becomes behavior and culture that is embraced. 

 But this is going to get corrected, and this is going to get fixed. 

Eventual 3rd place finisher, 
BCC candidate signs were
found in ECFR station 6
in August--in violation of
county ordinance-resulting in
a letter of reprimand for one
ECFR Battalion Chief....

 --We will fix the unprofessional and deliberate violation of County Policy regarding political signs on Public Properties and in Public Fire Houses. 

 --We will fix the unprofessional and deliberate efforts to "run-off" well-trained and perfectly capable volunteers--several blatant instances of which are being investigated as I write this. 

Imagine the fantasy world where an
employee is asked a direct question for
which he knows the answer
regarding an investigation and such an
employee responds by saying to his boss
"I know the answer, but I won't tell you!"

 --We will fix the unprofessional, despicable, and unacceptable conduct by those in fire who put out deliberately inaccurate misinformation on social media immediately after a tragic loss of life fire where certain personnel attempted to leverage this tragedy (totally disregarding the victims' families in the process) for union negotiations and bargaining. (when asked which employee it was that posted inappropriate, misleading, and false information online regarding a fire at which a citizen died-- the only three employees that had administrative posting rights and "access" to this site actually told their supervisor when queried "We don't have to tell you who posted it-and we will NOT tell you!" [picture here the image of man holding his thumb to his nose while simultaneously wiggling his other four fingers vigorously while looking at you in the face, laughing while telling you  "na, na, na, na, na, naaaaa--I'm not going to tell you!"]) 

--We will fix the rampant abuse of sick leave by the practice (of which I have been appraised) where 24 hour employees (who accrue sick leave at a high rate) and who legitimately become disabled subsequently have been allowed to "transfer" to a 9-hour billet during their period of disability in order to burn 9 hours of sick leave for each day missed--instead of 24 hours--saving themselves big money on eventual sick leave payouts upon separation. This practice is ending immediately, by the way. (But the fact that it was allowed to happen at all DISGUSTS ME!)

--We will fix the shift-swapping buddy-buddy histrionics which allow some personnel to accumulate long shifts at the overtime rate--maximizing their personal salaries to the detriment of other employees

What Does the COVID-19 Recovered Number Look Like Locally?

Recovery Happens for the VAST majority of individuals that are diagnosed with COVID-19 locally---but what is the number??

One of the metrics I believe we desperately need to add to our daily COVID-19 Dashboard is the number of positive patients that have subsequently "recovered" from COVID-19.  Now, there are a lot of different ways to calculate this---and obviously it is an educated guess or estimate--but it can be done.

The state of Michigan Does it.

Wisconsin Does it.

The country India does it

So why can't we, in Escambia County, do it?

Answer:  We can and we will.  Because I believe we have a duty to provide as much data as we can on this topic----and a good "recovered" number is a vitally important data point.

Otherwise folks are just looking at the TOTAL CASES NUMBER OF 17,177!  (representing nearly 20% of Escambia's population, or 1 in 5 people)  But wait:  That number includes ALL cases since the pandemic started in March.  Many, in fact the VAST MAJORITY of those cases have resolved and recovered (minus the 310 that unfortunately have died and those that are currently infected and fighting the disease).  But if the recovered number, right now, stands at about 13,000 of those 17,177 cases---that is good information to know.  Because that means there are really only 4,177 ACTIVE, CURRENT cases--which is a much smaller percentage (8% roughly or less than 1 in 10 ).  

Because of this and for many other good reasons, we MUST get this data point added to our dashboard.

So I discussed it at the last BCC meeting.  Staff has been looking at the data and is working on a formula.  Meanwhile--here is some initial information on this topic provided by staff:

"Testing data in Escambia County shows 17,177 citizens have tested positive, 1081 (6.3%) have been hospitalized, and 310 (1.8%) have died.   Importantly, 93.7% of citizens who tested positive in Escambia County did not require hospitalization, and 98.2% of citizens who tested positive recovered and did not die.  This can be compared to the total State of Florida residents who have tested positive (1,012,456) where 5.5% have been hospitalized and 1.86% have died."

98.2% locally have recovered thus far, and have not died.

 

............Just How Good Will the OLF-8 Project End Up Being, Financially, for the Taxpayers of Escambia County?

 

According to preliminary estimates presented to me yesterday by DPZ Design--it appears as if the Escambia County Taxpayers may achieve a net return on investment on OLF-8 of between $12Million and as much as $47 Million once this plan is finalized and this land is developed/sold.

Yesterday afternoon I had an individual briefing with the DPZ design team on their four potential plans for OLF-8.

All four plans allow space/acreage such that the creation of a minimum of 1,000 good jobs is achievable.

All four plans include space for community amenities, green space, and trails around the property.

Three of the four plans recommend a significant amount of differing types of residential construction on the property (Single-Family, Loft over Commercial, Townhome, Apartment)

All four allow for commercial/retail along the frontage of 9-Mile road.

Once presented with the materials and given the briefing (which will also be held publicly at an upcoming committee of the whole), I had three basic questions/requests of the team:

1.  Can they get a metric and bring it to the upcoming meeting detailing the short and long term financial impact/benefit to the County if the property generates 1,000 jobs, or 2,000 jobs, or 3,000 jobs etc.?  (This sort of a metric was missing)

2.  Can they get a metric or "star rating" for each plan based upon the likelihood (or not) of each plan securing a Triumph Gulf Coast Grant?

3.  Will the team be able to take input from the commissioners and bring back a hybrid plan based upon what the BCC considers an optimal "mix" of these plans to create a plan that creates jobs and value for the community and the citizens to a degree that it will garner at least 3 votes to move forward?  

The answer to all three questions was "YES"--and I must say there are attributes to each of the plans that I feel are extremely appealing.  I stressed to the DPZ team on the call my continuing belief that whatever the final "plan" is that comes out of the other end of the sausage hopper of design---I believe it will represent a compromise and no entity will get 100% of what they want--but everyone will get some of what they want.

But the financial winner in this whole evolution, it is becoming more and more evident, will be the taxpayers of Escambia County.  

Although we spent nearly $18 Million acquiring this property, we have already recouped $4 Million when we sold 100 acres of it to NFCU.  This leaves us with an outstanding expenditure of $14 Million left to recoup.  Since the time of our acquisition of this property----the value of land in Beulah has gone straight up like a rocket.  

Which begs the question:  Just how good will the OLF-8 project end up being, financially, for the Taxpayers of Escambia County?

Well--- according to the expert analysis of the DPZ team in their presentation yesterday---the property, once divested, will generate proceeds of between  $26.48 Million and $61.77 Million.

Subtracting the remaining $14Million invested--this represents a potential net return to the County's LOST fund of between $12.48Million to $47.77 Million---depending upon how the property is developed and disposed of.

But no matter which way it is sliced and diced---and regardless of how sloppy the deal was as we assembled it like a go-cart already pushed down a hill---it looks as though the taxpayers are going to score a major financial coup with this project!

56th Coffee With The Commissioner This Wednesday

We'll be holding our 56th Coffee with the Commissioner event this Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Because of COVID-19--we will continue our practice of doing these coffees "virtually" on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook

The live stream will take place from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley will be present to discuss the latest from Emergency Operations regarding Hurricane Sally recovery efforts and the latest COVID-19 numbers.  There will also be a discussion with Escambia County Code Enforcement — get the inside information on code enforcement and how complaints are made and handled, with Director Tim Day and Code Enforcement Supervisory Officer Terrance Davis.

 To join the meeting, go to the following Facebook page at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2 and watch the live stream: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/.

 Residents are encouraged to send virtual questions and comments they would like to discuss with their District 1 Commissioner during the event through Facebook.

 For more information, contact District 1 Aide Debbie Kenney at 850-595-4910 or district1@myescambia.com. For District 1 updates, follow @MyDistrict1 on Twitter.

This Should Be a Concern to Us Locally......

According to a survey compiled by Navy Federal Credit Union--The Pensacola community ranks far down the list-#45 actually-of places where retiring military members want to go upon completion of their military service.  

As I read this morning's paper, a very non-descript blurb in the Business section caught my attention.  It was about transitioning military members, and where they choose to retire after they complete their military service--- according to statistics compiled and surveys conducted by Navy Federal Credit Union.  According to the article, nearly 250,000 military members and their families transition out of active service each year.  The article mentioned that Pensacola did not rank in the top 10 for such retirement/transition locations.  Pensacola ranked #45--according to the PNJ article.  #45....

So I followed the link provided because I was naturally curious, and wanted to see the full list.

The link only gives the top ten, there is no "full-list" at this landing page or anywhere else.

So that's frustrating.

Nevertheless--there must be a list somewhere, and PNJ reports Fort Walton Beach ranks #18 and Pensacola ranks #45.  Forty-Five?!?

This, to me, is an astonishing stat.  How in the world could Pensacola--the location where NFCU has invested more than a Billion dollars in standing up a massive headquarters for 10,000 employees-- be ranked so low down on this list?

With our Naval facilities, hospitals, temperate climate, excellent beaches, LOW cost of housing and LOW cost of living---how in the world could Pensacola be ranked lower by retiring service members than a place like Duluth, Minnesota?  I mean--nothing against Minnesota---but is Duluth really a better location for retirement after service than is the Pensacola area?

I've been to every city on NFCU's "Top 10 List" --except for Duluth, MN and Norwich, CT--and lived in four of them.  Charleston SC, ranked #1 was a place I spent two years when my dad was stationed there from 1982-1984.  I was born in San Diego and have lived there for a total of 23 years of my 52 on this planet.  Let's face facts: each city on the NFCU top ten list has positive attributes, no doubt.  Take places like Fort Myers Florida and San Diego California.  Both beautiful places with excellent weather year-round and beautiful beaches.  But the cost of living!!  Try to survive in San Diego on an E-6 or E-7 pension.  Try to find "affordable" housing--forget about a house--- in San Diego.  Good luck--I know from experience having owned property there.  It takes a significant income, significant, to own a home in a desirable community in San Diego County.  It's a beautiful place---that's why it's so expensive to live there. And again---so are the others on the list.  (I'm sure even Duluth and Norwich are....)

But Pensacola has some of the most affordable housing (even though the costs have risen) and hands down some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We've got military bases and facilities all around and a thriving, large community of military retirees here.  We've got the Blue Angels!

So how did Pensacola rank 45th?   What the Heck??

Attention Chamber of Commerce, attention City Council, attention Mayor--and yes--attention County Commissioners----

This preference survey of former military--if it is truly accurate-- should be a BIG concern to all of us in leadership locally. 

Foreign Students and Weapons: How Escambia County Citizens and Businesses Can Assist NAS Pensacola

I feel 100% CERTAIN our local Escambia County citizens and businesses will respect this DoD rule and report any suspicious purchase attempts by foreign military students locally as requested.

Members of the Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee received the below email from NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer CAPT Timothy Kinsella this afternoon--relating to a new directive from the Department of Defense and a request of the citizens locally to assist. I spoke to CAPT Kinsella this afternoon and he reiterated his wish that this new policy be made known to citizens locally.   From the email:

"Colleagues,

In the wake of the Dec 6^th terrorist attack on board NAS Pensacola, the Department of Defense issued a change to policy whereby international military students are now prohibited from buying, owning or handling firearms within the United States. Each international student must now acknowledge that they are, regardless of other civil laws, prohibited from access to firearms.

While this policy is non-binding to commercial purveyors of firearms, I ask your assistance in educating our local gun-shops and retailers about the attached DOD policy so that they may assist us in preventing a foreign bad actor from gaining access to firearms. If nothing else, with their knowledge of such a policy I would hope that they would notify us of any foreign military student who attempted to buy a firearm from them.

Many thanks to each of you for your continued partnership, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance.  

 Sincerely,

 CAPT Tim “Lucky” Kinsella, USN

Commanding Officer

Naval Air Station Pensacola"

I feel 100% CERTAIN our local Escambia County citizens and businesses will respect this DoD rule and report any suspicious purchase attempts. Read the full DoD Policy Here.

View from the Window: View-Busters!

5-G Towers being installed at Pensacola Beach= Residents not happy.

I was sent this picture, above, from an angry Pensacola Beach resident regarding what appears to be one of the 5-G cell towers that has been erected right across the street from this citizen's window, right in the middle of what appears to otherwise be a beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico.  

I was copied along with a host of other officials.

It's kind of a "View-Buster!"

But hopefully once these are deployed all over the County and the City----where nobody wants them---we will all enjoy better, faster, and more reliable cell phone and mobile data service.  Because, while NOBODY wants to see the towers----EVERYBODY wants the fastest service!

from the email:

"Isn’t this gorgeous?  No studies. No plan.  Emissions where I sleep and play!   Closer than they are legally allowed."

So When Will the OLF-8 Master Plan Be Finished Part II?

This timeline, above, provided to commissioners from DPZ Design, represents the completion schedule they anticipate for completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan

....Staff has been forwarded the above, revised timeline for the completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan by DPZ design.  The completion timeline appears to have been extended by two months.

Over the next two weeks, individual, one on one meetings between commissioners and DPZ staff will be held to bring us up to speed on the progress of DPZ's suggested/proposed plan (s).  From DPZ:

"As part of the OLF-8 Master Plan scope of work, the consultant team is evaluating and analyzing each of the 4 master plan scenarios for the site.  This evaluation and analysis will be based on several criteria, including traffic impacts, infrastructure needs, estimated time to achieve each plan, potential revenue / returns on investment, and job creation opportunities.  We would like to offer you a virtual update/briefing on the progress of this analysis, as well as an update on the project as a whole.  I will be reaching out to you and/or your staff to schedule these 1:1 briefings, which we would like to complete before our Charrette Recap presentation to you at the December 8 COW meeting."

Lockdown the State?

We cannot afford to "Lockdown" the entire state, decimating small
businesses while simultaneously cratering our economy in the process, in response
to a recent surge in Coronavirus cases.  Lockdowns DO NOT work... 

I was called yesterday by Channel 3 to discuss COVID-19 "Lockdowns" and my thoughts on this topic.

It was a story because Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said he would not lock down the state again over COVID-19.  This announcement produced some passionate debate on both sides of the issue.  So WEAR wanted to talk to local policy makers to get our perspective (s).

I spoke with Danielle Apolinar of Channel 3 for about 10 minutes yesterday afternoon and we talked about multiple aspects of the issue, to include the fact that more than 99% of the vast majority of those infected with COVID-19 recover worldwide, and also the fact that many scientists including special envoy of WHO Peter Nabarro have come out and stated that "lockdowns should not be the primary means to control COVID-19 outbreaks"  Meanwhile--many states and large cities have decimated their own economies and businesses utilizing these draconian lockdowns----and despite this--- the virus appears to be making a surge in these very same locations.  

So why lock down again if it does not work and did not work?  We can't move forward collectively "hiding out in the basement..."

So yes I did say I agree with Governor DeSantis on this.  

He's right.  Spot on actually.

And he's managed this crisis very well when all things are considered---and especially as compared to places like San Francisco and New York--where long-established, well-loved service related companies have been put out of business permanently in percentages estimated to be as high as 63%.  Was that smart to do, was it worth it?  No.

And the fact that he (DeSantis) has the fortitude to say he will not bow to the pressure of other states and shut down Florida's economy shows leadership that is very strong and very respectable.

This said, I did stress to Danielle during our conversation that individuals that are immunocompromised or in a high-risk category for susceptibility to COVID-19 should take their own safety into their own hands and self-isolate as necessary.  Two words--Personal Responsibility.  I also stated that we all should follow the guidance from CDC on hand washing and social distancing.  Because we all do have a part to play.  Furthermore, I mentioned to her that locally our hospitalization numbers have trended downward in a large way since July/August (high of 246 local citizens hospitalized in Escambia County Hospitals with COVID-19) to now-- (93 persons hospitalized in Escambia County Hospitals with COVID-19).

We also discussed Norway, Finland, and Sweden's approach to the pandemic which has largely spared their economies by specifically and deliberately NOT completely shutting down their cities, towns, and districts.  While these nations have suffered many infections and many deaths--just like the rest of Europe--they did not have to massacre their small businesses and their countries' economies in the process--which should be noted and NOT attacked.

Look--this virus is serious, it is a "real" disease with which we MUST contend and that we are all working to defeat in our own spheres of influence.

But folks that want to go out and work should NOT be prevented from doing so.  Shutting down the world and destroying small businesses and statewide economies at this point, right as we're on the verge of tremendous vaccine and therapeutic breakthroughs, is ridiculous.  

To do so is authoritarian power-madness---- and is recklessly irresponsible, in my opinion.

So no, we in Florida simply cannot afford to lockdown again.  I said it and I meant it because it is a fact.

Fritz Field Friction: Nature Trail Neighbors are Not Happy

At least one resident of the Nature Trail Subdivision in Beulah is demanding that Fritz Field, a Board of County Commissioner's park established for RC Airplane enthusiasts to utilize to fly their planes, be shut down due to noise that is annoying them now that they have built their houses near this existing field...  We are not shutting Fritz Field down though, we are not running out the Modeler's Club.  The residents will have to compromise with the RC flyers, there will have to be a way for both sides to coexist peacefully.  :) 

Fritz Field in Beulah has been an established location for RC controlled model airplane enthusiasts to fly their planes for nearly 17 years.  Located on the site of a former landfill in Beulah just north of Mobile Highway and South of 9-Mile Road--the field is home to the NW Florida Modelers club--a group of model airplane enthusiasts.

In 2018, the friction reached a boiling point as growth encroached on the field.  A portion of the Nature Trail subdivision that loops southward literally found itself in the flight path of some of the flyers.  They complained about the noise and also about some of the planes flying over their houses.  

So a compromise was worked and the county expended monies to repair the field's bridge (which had been washed out in the flood of 2014) as well as to "turn" the runways such that the flight pattern went south--away from Nature Trail.  In addition to this, hours were limited, strict guidelines were established that prohibited any planes from "flyovers" of the subdivision, and a decibel-level threshold was established as a compromise so that the Nature Trail residents and the model airplane flyers could peacefully coexist.  An agreement was approved by the BCC and the Modeler's Club in 2018.

So far as I knew--this arrangement was working out well.

Then out of the clear blue sky I was copied on an email from a Nature Trail resident late last week demanding the field be shut down.  From the email:

"My name is XXXXXX  XXXXXXXX and I am a board member of Nature Trail HOA. Over the last five years the board and several residents have filed multiple complaints regarding safety violations and noise violations against the RC club and its members.  This resulted in the club agreeing to a very specific dB level limit for its members and that flying over top of our homes and properties are off limits.  This took place a few years ago and was facilitated by Mr Rhodes.  Although the dB level agreement was still very much a disturbance to the tranquil setting of our neighborhood our residents were satisfied if the agreement was adhered to.  We are sitting here many years later and the problem is worse than ever.  It is even more exaggerated now due to Covid.  Many of our families have decided to either home school or take advantage of remote learning.  At the same time the field is being used more.  This is a significant distraction to the learning environment of our community's children.  The planes are close enough and loud enough to be heard clearly inside of our homes.  I ask you would you enjoy that, would you allow that, would you not use your influence to put a stop to it?  We do not, we will not, and we are certainly ready to use our resources and influence to stop if action is not taken.

The club has no regard for the agreement, our residents, and infringing upon our lives.  While at the time of the agreement we respected the club,they continue to disrespect us. With the number of houses being built in our area the problem is only going to get worse. We all have supported growth and progress in our area. We also know that means change and sacrifice to ensure its success.   It is time to take action.  You would not be reading this if the club would have abided with the rules.  They have proven that they either cannot control their members or they don't care.  Either way, there needs to be consequences.  

My proposal is to close the field.  Give them area in a more rural part of the county if available.  If not the club has 2 additional fields to fly in.  I am eagerly awaiting your responses.  Please feel free to reach out and if need be I am able to meet.  In the meantime our group of concerned citizens are researching options, legal and political."

 So here's the thing:  I will NEVER support shutting this field down--especially if there are threats associated with such demands.  I do not Kow Tow to threats. The citizens that use that field have been there long before the growth happened out here in Beulah, long before "Nature Trail"--and these citizens that utilize Fritz Field have every right to fly planes at the field, and I will steadfastly support this as the elected county commissioner representing Beulah.  With this said--staff has been engaged with the modelers and the residents now to hopefully diffuse the situation and put the previous agreement back on track.  I totally support the modelers' continued use of the field under the terms of the agreement we worked out with them in 2018.  And I also support the residents' request for peace and quiet.

I believe this is not a binary choice and that both interests can be respected.

This is what I am working toward.

Longleaf Drive--Two Year Countdown to MAJOR Improvement!

Before (above) and after (below)--renderings of the proposed traffic improvement project that commences this week for Longleaf Drive in District 1.

 Longleaf Drive in District 1 is frequently a very congested road.  With houses, businesses, and four schools located on this short stretch of roadway--several times daily this road can become a parking lot.

That's why in 2007-2008 the BCC under then board member Mike Whitehead's leadership drew up a project to turn Longleaf from a 2 lane into a 4-lane road.  The area was growing, four schools were on the road, UPS had its distribution hub there, many residents used it as part of a "cut-through" between Bellview and Wedgwood, over to Hwy 29 and Interstate 10.

So at that time, the thought was that Longleaf would evolve to become part of a regional East-West thoroughfare in the county, part of a regional evacuation route out  of the County for disasters--with the Wedgwood connector being completed separately.

$13 Million from the Local Option Sales Tax, third renewal (LOST III) was set aside for this portion (Longleaf Drive) of the project, specifically. 

So what happened in the 12 years since the project was developed?

What was predicted in 2008 to occur by 2017 on this roadway did not occur.  Specifically, a 100% plus increase in daily trips from 7,700 daily in 2008 to more than 17,000 by 2017 did not happen.  The actual daily volume on this road has actually decreased by about 1% per year.  This is due in part to multiple factors, including the closure of the West Florida High School campus on this street, the abandonment of the county-wide east-west connector project, the delay of the Pinestead connector portion of this project through Wedgewood, and a shift in growth patterns more north and west from the Bellview area.

With this all said---the need for a 4-lane road with dedicated sidewalk on Longleaf has not materialized--and a better, more streamlined project can be completed with no further right of way (ROW) acquisition needed; a three lane project with a dedicated central turn lane throughout, along with sidewalks on both sides of the road can be accomplished within the currently controlled ROW the county owns. 

And this streamlined project can be completed in just 24 short months at a savings of $6 Million plus dollars---which can be applied to other desperately needed D1 infrastructure projects.

In a recently presented staff PowerPoint on this project - this modified proposal was presented, along with several scenarios where the cost savings monies can be applied to other D1 projects.

This is the direction we are going, and staff is moving this forward.

I look forward to a much better roadway through this area by late 2022!

Metrics We Should Be Capturing.....

We should have been capturing the "recovered" number from the total positive COVID-19 cases all along--so we would all know better how many active cases are walking around Escambia County.  But we're not doing this locally even though I've asked repeatedly why not, as other places are.  We should also, now more than ever, be capturing the percentage of  "asymptomatic" citizens that get tested and pop positive.  But I'm being told this isn't a data point being captured.  But why not though?  These are two metrics we should be capturing....

We had a brief presentation on COVID-19 from our health department last Thursday at our BCC meeting.  We were given an update on local cases and numbers, and also some statewide data.

The usual questions were asked.  Yes, yes--wear masks and wash hands.  

The board pushed for Saturday testing--and yes we got that done.

I had two simple questions for Marie Mott, the new director of the health department locally.

#1--when we test asymptomatic individuals locally--is someone capturing the % of these that are actually positive?  She said she'd check and find out.

#2--where can citizens turn if they develop symptoms on the weekend and want to get a rapid test?

Yesterday I received a response via email.  from the email:

"The following is in response to the questions that you had asked.

Regarding numbers or percentages of asymptomatic persons being tested, it appears that there is not a way to determine what percentage of individuals seeking testing are asymptomatic. If I learn otherwise, I will share accordingly.

Regarding phone resources for COVID questions, there does continue to be a 24/7 call center for COVID-19 (866-779-6121) as well as an email address (covid-19@flhealth.gov) – both of which can be found ‘above the fold’ at FloridaHealthCOVID-19.gov."

To which I responded:

"Thanks for the response.  I’m wondering why we cannot collect this data (% of citizens presenting for testing asymptomatically who subsequently test positive for COVID) locally at our test site(s) though? 

 Does nobody else believe that to know the percentage of asymptomatic individuals that pop positive is NOT a good data point to have? 

 Question:  Can we capture this figure locally—can you assist in making this happen? 

 Because I believe to do so gives us a number which can in turn, as I said in the meeting, allow us to extrapolate (albeit perhaps not 100% accurately but a good heuristic) what percentage of the County’s population as a whole may be walking around carrying this virus asymptomatically?  This would be a very important aspect I’d like to know as a policy maker and as a guy that could be a swing vote to mandate masks, for instance.

 Please let me know who it is that can make this happen.  This is important to me.  More importantly—this is important to the citizens I serve."

So When Will the OLF-8 Master Plan be Finished?

Over the weekend commissioners were emailed the above timeline-- showing the estimated completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan by DPZ and significant benchmarks we will hit on this path.  Interestingly and significantly:  first draft of potential plans for BCC approval will come to us next month. 

From the staff email:

"A change order has been written to extend the DPZ contract from Jan. 21, 2021 to May 3, 2021 to allow time to complete the project.  Reasons for the schedule slip is due to cancellation of the August COW, Hurricane Sally, and unavailability of the Nov. COW.  The attached timeline identifies a path forward and allows the project to wrap up in the April timeframe."

 

55th Coffee With the Commissioner this Wednesday Morning!

We will hold our 55th Coffee With The Commissioner event this Wednesday online.  Citizens are welcome to participate virtually on Facebook at my commissioner's page.

We will have County Administrator Janice Gilley and Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore to give updates on county issues of significance to include a COVID-19 update as well as an update on Hurricane Sally debris removal.  In addition to this, we will be discussing growth management and land development with Horace Jones and Drew Holmer from Escambia County Development Services.  The issues surrounding land use and development create some of the most ferocious consternation among citizens, so this will be a good conversation.

The 55th Coffee event will take place this Wednesday morning from 6:30-7:30 AM.  The replay will air on Myescambia.com.   Join us live, and ask your questions in real-time on facebook!

To join the event live Wednesday morning, October 7th-- simply go to https://www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/

"See You" online!

The Fire Marshall's Investigation, Not the Labor Union, Will Tell the True Story of What Happened at the Fire

It was a devastating fire, and a tremendous tragedy.  A citizen was lost in a large commercial fire in Escambia County last week--- and the prayers of an entire community are and continue to be with the family of this victim.

View of the roof of a warehouse engulfed in flames at a recent Escambia
County Fires scene where tragically one trapped individual did not get
out of the building alive.

And just when we as a county should be coming together to figure out exactly what happened and what (if anything) could have been done differently to prevent this tragedy------a very insensitive, negative post was put out on social media, blaming this death on the county and a "lack of resources."  The labor union that represents paid firemen in the county blamed the county for this death, and by implication the county commissioners!!  Are you kidding me?

Disgusting, unprofessional, and uncalled for.  

Nobody should leverage a tragedy, a death, to further labor union negotiations.  Nobody.  When told about this, I could not believe my eyes when I read it.  I literally was sick.  

And so I have subsequently requested and received the fire report, the dispatch report, and I am waiting to review additional information including recordings and potentially video from inside the large warehouse.  I have asked that the county ascertain if this situation was really due to a "lack of resources" as insinuated by the fire fighter's union.  We all want to know what happened and what could have been done.  We will know, because this is being investigated by the county and the State Fire Marshall.  So we WILL get to the bottom of what happened--and we as a board and as county leaders will take appropriate steps to fix any issues identified if needed.

meanwhile, I have subsequently spoken now to several firemen who were on the scene who have reported to me that there were no shortages of resources or personnel.  The report I reviewed lists 60 firemen and 9 officers on the scene.  The dispatch log shows the first truck dispatched to the fire arrived just four minutes after the call came in--and three other trucks were there a short 8 minutes later so far as I have been told.  Ultimately there were more than half a dozen trucks on site in very short order.

So was it really all about a lack of resources?  I have my doubts and so do many others with whom I have spoken.  We will know when we get the report.

I asked who it was that made the post.  I'm told that when asked who made the post by Escambia County Administrative employees---the union employees would not reveal which one of the three personnel that have admin rights to this site actually made the post.  "We're not going to divulge who made the post" is what the union told admin.

What a weak, feckless, and insubordinate response.  No leadership in County Fire right now--a rudderless ship if this garbage is tolerated.  Disgustingly unprofessional.

I've prayed for this victim, and I continue to pray for her family.  I cannot help but to think of how horrible this must have been.  I want us as a county to learn from this and hopefully there can be lessons learned that can help at the next scene.  

But the heartless, thoughtless, cruel and inaccurate characterization that this was somehow preventable is just reprehensible.

The fire union OWES this family an apology for their uncalled for, unprofessional comments online!

FDOT's Bridge Project Creates Woes on the Citizens and the Workers.....Who is Ultimately Responsible Though?

 I received this email, below, from a frustrated constituent today...........my response to his email is below..

"Hi my name is XXXXXXXXX. I live in Pensacola and work on Pensacola beach. I am XX years old, and I have managed XXXXXXXXXXXXXX since I was 18. I have a XXXXXX and XXXXXXXXX. I’m a normal young adult with an appropriate amount of debt and my family will not survive this without your help!

 Corona virus has obviously been tough on everyone but especially the tourist destination of which I work. It was tough but we were going to survive. Then hurricane sally came and for some reason XXXXXXXX decided not to move their equipment and destroyed the connection between the city of Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Pensacola beach. 

I’m fine with driving farther to get to work, I’m fine dealing with the traffic, I’m fine with the challenge they have made for me to spend time with my family as well, since they all live in Gulf Breeze. But the part that realllllly sucks for me is my job will not make it through this and it will be very difficult for me to find a job that can support my family like the one I had before XXXXXXXXX negligence. I have worked very hard my entire life to get where I am now and it seems to have been ripped away from me out of no where. 

 Please hold XXXXXXXXX Liable for their actions, not only for me but also my friends, family, and neighbors. They have destroyed this town and we need your help to get back on our feet! 

 

Thanks for your time. 

XXXXX  XXXXXXX

 

XXXXXXXXXXX"

My Response...

XXXXXXXXX,

Thanks for your email—and I completely sympathize with your situation.  Like you, I am extremely concerned about this FDOT project and their contractor that is conducting the work.

As a county commissioner, I have limited ability to do much to resolve your situation.  We are working with the city of Pensacola and FDOT through our legislative delegation and the TPO to stand up a Ferry Service between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze.  I know this will do little to help—but it may help with your daily commute.  And we are all trying to keep the pressure on FDOT to get this bridge fixed on time!

Because this is an interruption in your income directly related to the barge/bridge issue—I strongly suggest you consider speaking with an attorney about your situation.  There are some great firms in town that may be able to assist.  And believe me:  Every business in both Gulf Breeze proper AND Pensacola Beach (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) will be seeking claims for business interruption, which they will more than likely be successful at.  But this may not trickle down to the employees like you.  So I’d say look after your interests, and those of your family, by speaking with an attorney.

Additionally—I would strongly suggest that you speak with our elected Florida Legislative delegation—to include Senator Doug Broxson and Representative Alex Andrade—to describe your dissatisfaction with FDOT’s project and their contractor.  They MUST be held accountable (FDOT). 

Thanks for reaching out and I wish you and your family the best in pursuing this issue.  And we will recover from this—but it will take time. 

Sincerely,

 

Jeff Bergosh

Escambia Board of County Commissioners,

District 1

221 Palafox Place Suite 400

Pensacola, FL 32502

850-595-4910 office

850-377-2209 Voicemail

District1@myescambia.com

www.jeffbergoshblog.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/

Twitter-- @jeffbergosh 

The School Board Is Requesting 25 Acres of OLF-8 for a School

Our offices have received the below request from the School Board.