Help Wanted!

This chart, above, was provided to commissioners late last week by staff.  It shows the stark challenges we face with staffing multiple county departments......

Late last week HR Director Crystal Dadura sent commissioners the above table and additional information on vacancies throughout the county.

This report will be coming to commissioners monthly going forward.

Like so many communities, cities, counties and industries nationwide--we are hamstrung by a HUGE number of vacancies.

And as you can see from looking at the table above--this is impacting multiple county departments.

Next month, March, we are going on the offense to combat this issue, with an advertising campaign aimed at recruiting citizens to come and work for the county.

The item is on this week's agenda.

I look forward to its approval.

We'll Finally, After Nearly 9-Years, #OpenOurBeach Next Friday at 9:30!

A brand new, free public beach access point in Perdido Key will open one week from today--more than DOUBLING the County's current Gulf-Front, free access footprint on Perdido Key---It's a great day for Escambia County!

It was a dog-fight and a battle to get this done.  

Lots of credit goes out to my counterparts on the BCC (3 of them) AND lots of folks who fought with us against a very comfortable status quo that existed where nearby condo owners accessed and used the county's beach but residents who OWNED this land were shut out behind a locked gate and "No Trespassing" signs.  

But with determination and lots of pushing--even through litigation---we shattered that status quo, got to work, and  got this done!  

At 9:30 in the morning one week from today we will finally #OpenOurBeach at Beach Access #4 in Perdido Key!

.....The county will issue the below press release later this morning on MyEscambia.com 

Click HERE to View in Browser Perdido Key Beach Access #4 to Open on March 4 Escambia County will host a grand opening ceremony for the new Public Beach Access #4 at 16470 Perdido Key Drive on March 4, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. The new beach access will be open sunrise to sunset and features a permeable concrete parking lot with 35 parking spots, an ADA-compliant AccessMat dune walkover and educational signage about protected wildlife. The site will add an additional 300 feet of public beach access on the western side of Perdido Key, adjacent to the Crab Trap restaurant. Escambia County District 1 Commissioner and Chairman Jeff Bergosh, who represents Perdido Key, stated: “A lot of folks have worked very hard for eight long years to see this project come to fruition—and on March 4th --this beach access will finally be available for public use! A HUGE thank you goes out to all the staff and citizens who worked to make this day a reality! This new access point will allow us to more than double the existing amount of free public beach access on Perdido Key for all the citizens of Escambia County to enjoy—which in and of itself is a remarkable accomplishment. But this is only the beginning of the work our office plans to pursue to create more free access points on Perdido Key for our citizens’ use in the years to come. I look forward to aggressively moving in that direction—but in the meantime, I look forward to utilizing this newly completed beach access #4 very frequently-- along with all the citizens of Escambia County—and it will be open just in time for Spring Break! This is a great day for Escambia County!” The site was acquired in 2014 in part with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide public beach access and conserve critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. It was the former site of the Sundown Condominium which was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The original concrete pad and building debris were removed in the summer of 2020 and the prior parking lot’s shell base was reutilized for the new public access. Funds for construction were provided by the Tourism Development Tax (TDT). The site is also home to designated Perdido Key Beach Mouse habitat and the site will be managed in accordance with the Perdido Key Habitat Conservation Plan. Fencing will prevent pedestrian and vehicular trespass into protected habitat areas, while signage will educate visitors about threatened and endangered species that utilize the site, including beach mice, nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Escambia County would like to thank the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and US Fish and Wildlife service for their cooperation in the acquisition and development of the project. For more information, please contact the Office of Community and Media Relations at 850-595-1647 or email cmr@myescambia.com.   Community and Media Relations Phone: (850) 595-3476 Email: cmr@myescambia.com After Hours Media Line: (850) 595-1647 You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive alerts for MyEscambia.com. Click here to unsubscribe from email alerts. Florida has a very broad public records law. Under Florida law, IP addresses and both the content of emails and email addresses are public records. If you do not want your IP address and the content of your email or your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in person. Escambia County is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities to facilitate participation in county meetings or other county services, programs, or activities. For information or to make a request at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting or other county activity, visit myescambia.com/ADA or call 850-595-4947. Home to more than 300,000 residents in northwest Florida, Escambia County is the westernmost and one of the oldest counties in the state. The mission of Escambia County government is to provide efficient, responsive services that enhance our quality of life, meet common needs, and promote a safe and healthy community. With nearly 1,800 employees, we pride ourselves on being the perfect climate for everything - building a business, raising a family and enjoying recreational pursuits. Picture-perfect white sand beaches and clear, emerald Gulf waters draw millions of vacationers to Escambia each year, especially to Pensacola Beach, named the #4 Top U.S. Beach in 2020 by Tripadvisor. WalletHub ranks Pensacola, Navarre among best 2021 beach towns to live (pnj.com).

It's Official: We're Out of the Lawsuit--the Other 4 Escambia County Commissioners Are........Underhill Remains in the Litigation, Though

It's official, it's now been put into an order signed by Federal  Judge Casey Rogers.

The other 4 Board Members are out of the lawsuit over Commissioner Doug Underhill's public records.

Attorneys for Commissioner Underhill did not file anything in response to this past January's board adopted settlement agreement with the plaintiff, apparently, and subsequently the judge in the case entered an order.

Good.

See the Order from yesterday afternoon, below.

How Did the Beulah D1 Townhall Audience Feel About Various Topics?

Instant "Polling" of a town hall audience:

Yes, it is probably completely unscientific.

Yes, it is probably not statistically valid at all.

Nevertheless--It does give me a sense of where those that are concerned about local issues are leaning on particular topics of interest to District 1 Escambia County Residents.  

And there are some striking commonalities between the audience responses in both of my recent town halls.  

--100% agreement on term limits for all politicians.  

--100% agreement on Sheriff as person who should run the jail.  

--100% agreement on economic development as a valuable function of the county commission.  

--100% DISAGREEMENT on the statement that "The Pensacola News Journal"  is in step with our community's values....

Lots of areas of agreement.

So, even with the structural shortcomings of such an instant opinion poll--there is value in it and there is a viewpoint that I glean from these sessions.

With that in mind-----see the below sheet for how the residents at the Beulah town hall last night felt on each topic:

Florida Power and Light Representatives Speak at Last Night's D1 Townhall in Beulah

Although it is an issue that the Board of County Commissioners does not control--I know citizens are frustrated and concerned about the rate hikes from Florida Power and Light.  I've received irate (and that is the censored version) phone calls and emails from constituents I serve wanting answers and information.  

So I invited representatives from Florida Power and Light to attend last night's District 1 townhall in Beulah.  And Rick Byars, Becca Boles, and Sandy Sims from Florida Power and Light came and discussed this very issue at length with the citizens and staff who attended the town hall.

For those who missed the event or who are interested in seeing the questions and answers, the video of the town hall is linked, below.  (FPL rate discussion begins at minute 35:00)

On "Real News with Rick Outzen" later this Morning on 1370 WCOA-the Area's #1 News Talk Station!

I'll be the 7:30 guest this morning on the area's #1 news talk station, 1370 WCOA and the morning drive's #1 rated morning news program--"Real News with Rick Outzen"

I'll be the 7:30 AM guest later this morning on the area's #1 rated news and information show in the morning drive hour--"Real News with Rick Outzen" on 1370 WCOA--the area's #1 local news/talk radio station.

Topics to be discussed will include a recap of last week's meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, upcoming events of interest to county residents, and the District 1 Town Hall meeting this evening at 5:30 PM at Beulah Middle School.

Tune in live later this morning  OR

Catch the podcast here (once it is released it will be posted)

Going to County Jail: Facility Condition is Unacceptable and Will Be Addressed

As I enter my 6th year as the District 1 member of the Board of County Commissioners--I have now had multiple visits to our Jail.  Our new one, and the old (but still utilized) one.

Yesterday, I went to jail again.

I spent nearly three hours there, touring the facilities with a number of staff members.

I went to phase I and II of the old jail, and then we walked through the new facility.  All over it.

Given the recent focus on safety, facility, and staffing issues--I felt it was past time to go and look over the situation again, firsthand.

While we have concentrated on and continue to work on the personnel side of the jail woes issue--it is past time for us to focus on the maintenance and facilities side of the problem.  Because what I saw was and is, in a word, unacceptable.

From mold growing on walls in multiple rooms, to cracked floors leaking and fixtures coming out of the walls, to cracked windows that have gone unreplaced, to a rustic and odd "McGuyver" roof leak system that is failing in multiple rooms, to a sink that has had the hot water running, I am told, nonstop for a year that goes unrepaired.

"Tickets are put in to maintenance, then they are closed and come back as 'having been repaired' --yet the problems are not fixed" stated one of the escorts when I asked why these issues had not been addressed by maintenance crews.

The only good news is that the worst areas that I saw, with the worst of the worst conditions, are not currently occupied by staff or prisoners.  But there are areas occupied that are substandard, borderline unacceptable.

In our brand new, $142 Million Dollar jail--one of the three elevators is already inoperable, the pipes are leaking like a sieve, and we have significant issues already brewing that are apparently not being fixed.  This cannot be the course we take, lest we have what we now see with our last facility.

The original jail was built in 1981.  Phase II in 1984.  Both are in an absolutely abyssimal state of repair at the present time so far as I can see.  If I had my way--we would immediately demo that structure and start plans for a new wing for addition to the new jail.

But it isn't that simple.  

We don't have that luxury as we simply have too many prisoners; our new correctional facility cannot accommodate the 1500 or so prisoners we have day in and day out.  It can hold just over half of that number.

And there are other issues as well.

We have a brand new jail that has several pods complete and ready for use--but due to manpower shortages, they are not being utilized currently.  You see, at the old jail the efficiency with respect to guard to prisoner ratio was and is better than twice as good juxtaposed with the new facility--meaning the old jail takes less staff to operate than the new, modern, expensive facility.

And that is diametrically opposed to what the board members were told as the new facility was being designed.  All of us requested design for efficiency--less staff and fewer FTE's to operate.  We all wanted efficiency. What we got was, well, less than half as efficient as the OLD jail.  More on that later in a follow on post.

But it's not all bleak, and there are some bright spots.  Our intake area and sallyport are first rate.  We have technology that scans new prisoners for contraband, and it works.  We have a dog I met named Spartan who is specifically trained to sniff out electronics and contraband.   And finally, we have people--lots of good people that work at this facility and care about it.  These are the bright spots.  But, unfortunately, there are problems, too.  Lots.

So who is to blame for this cascade to facility failure?  The easy targets would be the current staff and administration.

But they inherited a problem that has been percolating for, apparently, 3-4 decades.  Staff turnover and attrition has exacerbated the problem over the last 10 years.  It has festered.

So the blame has to fall on us--the elected commissioners.  We have to own it.

And we have to solve it.  

And we will.

That is going to start with some frank, behind the scenes conversations with staff about our maintenance program at this

facility over the last 20 years.  Why have tickets been allowed to be closed when the problems at issue are not solved?  Who allowed this?  We can spend a fortune in taxpayer money on building something nice--but if it is not maintained properly it will not last and will end up costing more in the long run.  Someone will have to provide me an explanation about this maintenance ticket churning.

And then it is going to require an action plan to fix these issues immediately and appropriately so that the usable portions of our large and aging facilities can be occupied once again.  And so that areas that are currently occupied but are in a deplorable state of repair can be, at a minimum, remediated to a point where occupation of such spaces isn't akin to a punishment of our staff.

I'm meeting with staff tomorrow and this topic will be an intense area of my focus going forward.

Action plan, cost, timeframe to operability.  

That's what I want, that's what I'll demand from staff.  

And to the corrections employees working through this facility's dysfunction I say this:  You have my sincerest apology for this, thank you for your service to our community, and I promise you there is going to be change.  It's coming.

more to follow.

What Questions will I Poll the Audience With at Tonight's Town Hall Meeting?

As I typically do during my town hall meetings, I ask the audience their opinions on various topics of interest to the citizens and constituents of Escambia County.  Not necessarily scientific, It is always very interesting.  Here are the questions, below, that I intend to ask at tonight's D1 Townhall in Beulah.

Facts about the County's Franchise Fees.....they're Capped and Have NOT been Increased in Nearly 30 Years

The county charges utility providers franchise fees.  The rates have been static for nearly 30 years.  The fees are charged to utility providers in exchange for such providers' use of the various public rights of way needed by these companies to service their customers.  This practice is ubiquitous throughout the state and in counties throughout the country.  Moreover, it is an important revenue source for the county.

Unlike the city of Pensacola--our County's rates are derived as a percentage of the utility commodity utilized by the consumer--currently 5% of the bill, capped at $10.00.

The rate paid by utility consumers within the city limits of Pensacola are 6% of the utility commodity utilized--without any cap on the total amount.

This distinction is important.

It means, in a nutshell, that the recent utility bill spike in FPL bills that is hurting individuals is much more acute in the city of Pensacola---as their franchise fee increases proportionately as the bills increase (according to staff familiar with this matter)---whereas in the county this fee is capped at $10--regardless of how high a bill gets we are capped for a residential customer at $10.

In 2012, the county commission attempted to raise the, at that time nearly 20 year old,  franchise fee cap by 50%--from $10 to $15 dollars--which would have raised a considerable, additional amount of revenue for the county as it continued to struggle to pull out of the Great Recession.

That 2012 initiative failed by a 2-3 vote, with Grover Robinson and Marie Young voting for the increase, and Commissioners White, Valentino, and Robertson voting no.

Read the 1994 Escambia County Franchise Fee agreement here.

Read the 2012 agenda item, suggested revision, and vote tally here

What Were the Causes/Costs/Explanations for each of the Bellview Library Change Orders?

Ahead of yesterday's BCC meeting, there were some voices online and other places that were questioning the size and number of change orders necessitating approval by the board to keep the Bellview Library project on track.  This build out has been costly due to a number of factors--some unforeseen--some self-inflicted.  Nevertheless, the board did approve the change orders by a unanimous vote as the consent agenda was approved.  I had a one-on-one meeting with the Facilities Department and the project manager--and we went through each change order--why they were needed and why the costs shook out the way they did.  Below is a summary of each of the change orders approved and a short explanation of the "why."  I provided this information to each of my peers yesterday before the meeting so they would have awareness prior to the vote.

What has Escambia County Collected in Franchise Fees from the County's Electric Utility Provider over the Last 5 Years?

 

	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals
General Fund:	FY21	FY20	FY19	FY18	FY17
Electric Franchise Fee	12,303,490.47	11,998,982.63	11,813,944.03	11,877,215.44	11,353,718.47

In light of everyone's Florida Power and Light (FPL) bill increasing--some have asked what  Escambia County collects in the way of franchise fees from this, the county's energy provider.  Over the last five years, as illustrated in the chart above, it is about $12 million per year.  This money goes into our general fund which pays for a LOT of the county's operations.

With a barrage of emails complaining about the FPL power increases and the stories of bills doubling and tripling in some cases, it is important to know this information.   Because I am getting emails like this:

"My power bill jumped from 160 to 292 in 1 month I went back and checked my power bill in January has been a little over 200 till this year upon going back and looking at my old bills I had never been charged something called a Fuel Charge and it was 67.45 what are the people of this county supposed to do allow Florida Power to do what they want when they want I'm confined to a hospital bed living on limited income has escambia county become a prisoner to a utility service that our county commissioners should have a say in thank you for listening..after spending over a hour with Florida Power today I learned you are charged one rate for 1000 kilowatt hours or less but when you go over the 1000kw hrs your charged 22% more for your power but nobody seems to answer why this is what difference does it make if I use 1000kw hrs or 3000kw hrs shouldn't everyone pay the same amount for power some things just aren't fair"

And I am sure my peers on the board are getting these sorts of emails as well.

According to the county attorney, our portion of the bill is based upon the size of the user's bill--and capped at a maximum of $10.00 per billing cycle.  In other words--our franchise fee is not the culprit responsible for these bills going through the roof.  According to Alison Rogers, the attorney for the board, the current agreement in force is some 30 years old.  A previous iteration of the Escambia  Board of County Commissioners attempted to update the agreement in 2012, but the vote to approve a new agreement failed by a 2-3 vote at that time.

I am certain this topic will be discussed at some point in our meeting tomorrow morning.  I also plan on having a representative from Florida Power and Light come to my town hall on Tuesday--I have made the invitation and am waiting a confirmation of his attendance.

District 1 Townhall Meeting this Tuesday in Beulah

We will have a District 1 Townhall event this coming Tuesday, February 22nd in Beulah.

Like the one we had a couple of weeks back in Perdido/Innerarity--I anticipate this one will be well-attended.  As was the case in the previous Townhall in January, I will have a sizable contingent of County staff on hand to assist me in answering every question put forward by citizens that night.  And any answers we cannot give immediately, we will follow up via email or telephone to provide the answers.  See the agenda for this townhall here, below.

So What is Going On With This Economy Locally?

Ahead of my 69th Coffee with the Commissioner event Tomorrow Morning, I have been researching issues related to the economy which I'll be discussing with my guest Todd Thomson, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

One of the issues I will discuss with him is the labor participation rate and how it is impacting the workforce locally.

In Thomson's op-ed from a few weeks back, he brings this issue up as a problem for local businesses:  they can't find employees to fill the positions they have for their business operations locally.

But why?  That's the million dollar question.

According to Jeff Dyer, workforce development specialist with Florida West, with whom I have been speaking on this topic, the total labor force is actually at an all-time high with 147,000 citizens employed in Escambia County currently.

And, according to Dyer, the participation rate is actually up to around 61% locally--a figure that has remained relatively constant over the last 10 years--with the exception of 2020 when the pandemic first hit and the resultant recession spiked unemployement to 12% locally and created a dip in participation down to 58.83%.

These numbers mirror what is happening nationally, according to the labor participation rate chart on the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

So with unemployment locally hovering at about 3.7%, with 147,000 citizens working, and only about 5,500 citizens unemployed and actively seeking work-----why are so many jobs---especially the jobs that require very little skill---going unfilled locally?

I mean, even with 147,000 working--many (tens of thousands) of those citizens are commuters from Santa Rosa and Baldwin Counties.  Okaloosa probably as well.  So with a population of 320,000---how many Escambians are not working "by choice?"

Are federal entitlement policies that paid/are paying folks to not work hurting our employers locally?

These are  the questions I want to ask Todd Thomson tomorrow and are among several I will throw his way.

What is going on with this economy locally--and why are so many NOT re-entering the workforce?

Delivering the Mail

After returning from a recent trip out of the country, I found letters 
addressed to five (5) different persons in my accumulated stack  
of mail----So I delivered them
all yesterday----- before the Super Bowl.......

Former NBA Basketball great Karl Malone had a nickname.  They called him "The Mailman" because he "delivered."  Many residents out in Beulah have felt a lot like delivery persons as we get mail that belongs to others and we re-deliver it.  We all want to be good neighbors--but why are we in a position where we have to be the "delivery" service for incorrectly delivered US Mail pieces?

I have received important looking bills destined for others, and I have brought such pieces of mail over to my neighbors directly.

But this sort of issue makes one naturally wonder--are other residents doing the same?  Are important pieces of mail not getting to me? Or other citizens?

Like many of us, I get the mail daily and go through it.  Some is junk, and goes into the trash.  Some is important, so it gets attention.  Some is for other members of my family--so it gets distributed.

But over the last several years, lots of what I get is NOT my mail.  Nope, it goes to other folks in my 

neighborhood and sometimes in other subdivisions.

In my neighborhood of 77 houses--for the most part---we all get along and it is congenial.

The gentleman around the corner from me who's address starts with the same four numbers (but different street name) ----yeah, he and I constantly get each others' mail, and subsequently bring it over to one another.

On one recent day I went through a stack of mail that had accumulated as I was recently out of town.

5 pieces of mail were in the stack that were addressed to other residents.

Four were addressed to person(s)  in the neighborhood, and one was in the Keystone subdivision about a mile down the road.  That particular package had the same first four digits in their address as mine does--albeit with a different street name.

So on Sunday, yesterday, I pulled a Karl Malone and"delivered" the wrong mail directly to the front doors of the residents to whom the mail actually belonged.  Except for one.  I couldn't get into Keyston's locked gate.  By sheer happenstance---- as I came back into my neighborhood from attempting to deliver the mail to Keystone-- I saw a USPS truck delivering on a Sunday to a neighbor in my subdivision.  I flagged him down, explained the situation, and he took that package and said "I got you, I know that neighborhood and I'll take it by there."

Ironically, I had a conversation with our new Postmaster General of the Pensacola Area, Christina Walker,  just last week.  She has been here since April of 2021 but took over officially in October of

Opinion Host Andrew "Tallman" McKay Weighs In on Upcoming BCC "Resign to Run" Ordinance

While purportedly reporting "news" Andrew "Tallman" McKay of AM 1620 expressed his desire that his listeners and the public "light-up" the Escambia Board of County Commissioners at their next meeting over a proposed "resign to run" personnel ordinance.  This garbage is NOT News.....

Flipping through the radio dial this morning I happened to catch AM 1620 morning host Andrew "Tallman" McKay opining and droning on about his "opinion" of an upcoming BCC decision on an employment ordinance.

Hey, everyone has their right to an opinion.  This is America.  And he is an entertainment/opinion program host.  Not a news guy----but rather an entertainmnet and opinion host masquerading as a news guy.  Problem is, some folks don't see a distinction.

Naturally, he is entitled to his opinion.  

But the issue becomes murky when he transitions between his opinion and his so called "news."  

He's not the only one who does it-- lots of hosts like Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon, and (former) host Chris Cuomo engage in this sort of "entertainment/news commentary." Report something, then opine on it, then drift back to opinion, add in some facts, then more opinion.  It's very fashionable these days and not uncommon and a leading reason why more and more Americans do not trust the media complex anymore.  Too much mushy garbage and no clear delineation between opinion and fact.  But this particular AM 1620 segment is called "future news"--- on a show called Pensacola's Morning News and where he, Tallman,  identifies himself as a "news" guy.   And in the segment in question he and his co host predict whether or not a particular "thing" (purportedly news) will happen---so the area becomes grey for listeners once again.  Is it opinion, or is it news?  Is it good or is it bad if the thing happens?  

I'll answer for him.  It's neither.  It's straight up "opinion."  And in HIS (Tallman's) opinion--this "resign

Massive $1.45 Million Sidewalk Project through the Heart of Bellview in District 1 Commences February 28th!

The caption from the front page of the plans, above,  shows the project's path along Saufley Field road in Bellview

A massive state-funded sidewalk and drainage project will be kicking off in District 1 on Monday, February 28th.  

This project will be constructed by Chavers Construction, Inc., and will include 5-foot sidewalks (north and south side of the road) and some drainage enhancements all along Saufley Field Road from the entrance gate of NAS Pensacola special area Saufley field over past Mobile Hwy to Denver Avenue.

The 7-month, $1.45 Million  project should be completed by October 1st if all goes according to plan.

This large sidewalk project will be connected to several currently-underway county sidewalk projects along the side streets and roads connecting to Saufley Field Road.

This will be a fantastic enhancement to the heart of District 1 in Bellview!

Typical section of the project--showing the 5-foot sidewalks on both the north and south side of Saufley Field road from Saufley Field over to Denver Avenue east of Mobile Hwy.

69th Coffee with the Commissioner this Wednesday!

Join us this Wednesday for our virtual 69th Coffee with the Commissioner event. The live stream will take place from 6:30-7:30 a.m. To join the meeting, visit our Facebook site here: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/. 

Attendees will include Interim County Administrator Wes Moreno, Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore and Greater Pensacola Chamber President and CEO Todd Thompson. Moreno will give an update on county business and Gilmore will share the latest public safety information for Escambia County. Thompson will join Commissioner Bergosh for a discussion about new business and community growth along with the chamber's involvement in areas including advocacy at the state level, legislative issues, military affairs and missions, ST Aerospace, cyber needs, workforce development, and the difficulties local businesses are having recruiting employees..

Residents are encouraged to send virtual questions and comments they would like to discuss  during the event through Facebook. 

Pigpen------Sacola?

A constituent repurposed a piece of junk mail to send me ideas on how to stop the local litterbugs from turning our community into "Pigpen-sacola"  Interesting, creative  approach....

The package was nondescript.  Actually it was something I almost tossed into the trash receptacle--because it looked like junk mail.  Well, it actually was a junk mail envelope sent to someone else who subsequently repurposed it.

It was apparently one of those life insurance solicitation envelopes we all get.  This one was taped together with masking tape, clear tape, and staples and upon which someone subsequntly plopped 3 first class and one 2cent  postage stamp(s).  I wonder how the postage amount was worked out precisely? Did they weigh the envelope with a postage scale, or just guesstimate?

Oh well.  

Maybe I should have looked for wires or put it to my ear to listen for the ticking before I opened it.  but I didn't and it turned out okay.  

Except for the puff of powedery substance that eminated from the package as I openend it.  (okay, that didn't happen.....)  Maybe it did and was clear?  Nah....

Anyway....

It, this envelope, was repurposed to send me multiple "ideas" ----in stream of consciousness fashion.  some doodles, some drawings, some hand drawn posters, and four note cards with slogan ideas and smiley faces.

All in a AAA Autoclub mass mailer that was opened, had the contents taken out, and stuffed with these works of art and words of wisdom and cobbled back together McGuyver-style.  The only thing they didn't work into the compilation was rubber bands.....

No, the contents of the "Pigpen-sacola" package were not an elementary school class project....so far as I have been able to ascertain from the clues.....probably.  I think.

In what would have been the return envelope location, the following was handwritten:

"Info inside  SAMPLE POSTERS, IDEAS CONCERN re-littering discussion in 'pigpen---sacola?' (from some senior saint ladies)"

Although not the way I normally receive litter complaints--it was definitely eye-catching.

And the good news is our inmate labor crews are out on our county roadways, once again collecting trash. tons of it.

Another constituent, on Facebook, also contacted me this week. She suggested the installation of signs as well---- to (hopefully) appeal to the collective consciences of the local litterbugs.  

So perhaps it is time for some signage.  Something needs to be done about the littering.  We've discussed it, we have neighborhood cleanups, and we encourage folks NOT to litter.  It's not working.

Meanwhile--the bags full of Whataburger wrappers, paper plates being flung like frisbees out of cars, and junk falling out of the back of pickups, trailers, and trash trucks are making our community look like a dump. And plastic bottles with or without suspicious yellow liquid are also a frequent sight on the roads.  It's disgusting.   I certainly hope folks reconsider chucking their loaded trashbags out the back of their trucks all over our roads, too, --but thus far I've seen no evidence of this behavior change locally.  

Regardless-----we need to get this litter issue under control before this new nickname "Pigpen-sacola" sticks faster than an empty, run-over natty-lite suitcase melted onto a stretch of Michigan Avenue on a hot summer day...... 

We don't want to be "Pigpen---sacola."

Escambia County Jail Stats for December and January

 Board members were sent the below information from Chief of Escambia County Corrections William "Rich" Powell yesterday afternoon.  Good information on a host of important metrics.

The Court Wants to Hear from the Clerk.......Within 20 Days

Attorneys for the Escambia Board of County Commissioners filed an amended cofmplaint with Circuit Court Judge William Stone on Monday of last week and yesterday afternoon the Judge responded.

This all stems from the Clerk's unilateral termination of a bona fide contract between the BCC and ICMA regarding a 401(a) retirement plan.

Apparently, with this order, Judge Stone  wants to now hear from the Clerk, and her side of this matter.

And it looks like he wants an answer relatively quickly as to why he should not grant the request for mandamus that the BCC's  attorneys have petitioned the court to order.

20 days and then hopefully we can get this nastiness behind us.

Read part 1 of the Judge's order here

Read part 2 of the Judge's order here

Questions and Answers from Last Night's Townhall Meeting

Although not scientific--I did solicit audience participation and feedback at last night's townhall meeting, on a variety of topics.  Here were the questions with the rough percentages of agree/disagree, based upon the citizen's display of the agree or disagree cards in answer to questions, below.

Town Hall Audience to PNJ: We Don't Trust You, and You Don't Represent the Values of Escambia County Citizens.....OUCH!

A "Sea of Red" comment cards fly into the air when the following statement is made:  "I believe what I read in the local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal".....at the D1 Perdido/Innerarity Town Hall 1-22-2022

It has got to sting.  The blistering, unabashed distrust and dismay everyday, ordinary Escambia County Citizens willingly express toward the Pensacola News Journal.  It is somewhat shocking how a local daily newspaper can be so disconnected from the community they (purportedly) serve.

But disconnected they are, apparently.

From multiple inaccurate, deliberate false light portrayals of elected officials...

To a white cartoonist who uses the "N-Word" and is unapologetic about it and is not held accountable....but is actually REWARDED with lucrative, syndicated cartoon opportunities

To what stories and op-ed submissions get no coverage.....

To the blatant pandering expressed to certain so-called influential "community" leaders.....(who also spend heavily on advertising with the PNJ)

To a nonstop bashing of locally elected and statewide elected conservative public figures which the community supports...

and the list could go on.

But people see it.  They spot it.

Monopolies are good for folks like this, folks like the PNJ who do all of these things, yet still reap the monetary rewards from huge national advertisers and local advertisers who have no hard-copy daily news alternative with which they can do business.

But cracks may be forming.  So many of us are increasingly disappointed with the ever shrinking content in the PNJ, that people are starting to point it out.  Saturday PNJ papers here in Pensacola are soon going digital only.  Midweek papers are wispy-thin with content swiped from USA today or other "partner" publications from other parts of the state and country.

It's weak, lazy, lacking credibility and they shouldn't be rewarded.

It's a real disappointment.   

If only we had a local paper that represented our values and our community's ideological slant (center right, PNJ, not left).  But we don't.  We get what we get, and with the dollars we spend on this paper, we not only accept but CONDONE this subpar "news" outlet.

Sad.

I asked for audience input on the following two statements as a part of my townhall last night:

1.         Our local Newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal, is in step with our community’s values.

2.          I believe what I read in the local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal. 

These statements were specifically about the PNJ---to which both elicited OVERWHELMINGLY  Red, Disagree comment cards held high in the air.  Overwhelming.  (95%-5% Disagree.)

It was a very basic message to the PNJ from our town hall audience:  PNJ, we don't trust you, and you don't represent the values of Escambia County Citizens, period.

Ouch.

Watch this portion of the meeting here at minute 52:41 of this video.  Don't just take my word for it---see it for yourself.

Massive Turnout for First D-1 Perdido/Innerarity Town Hall, Post Redistricting

Audience Members from half the room signal their strong support for Escambia County's work in pursuing good jobs from top notch employers through taxpayer funded economic development........ at the Perdido Key/Innerarity D1 Townhall held on 1-31-2022 

We had a massive, spillover and standing room only capacity crowd at last night's townhall meeting in the newest parts of District 1 post-redistricting, Innerarity/Perdido Key.

More than 130 folks attended the town hall that we estimated would bring 50 or so participants, therefore many attendees stood at the back of the room while others peeked in through adjoining hallways at the venue, First United Methodist Church of Perdido Bay.

We kicked off the meeting with a moment of silence, the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and staff introductions.  This was followed by brief remarks from Administrator Wes Moreno and School Board Chairman Kevin Adams, followed by D-1 ECUA Board Member Vicki Campbell.

After the remarks, we went into discussions about various county-wide issues of concern, then narrowed the conversation to areas of specific concern to the southern portion of D1--Perdido, Perdido Key, Innerarity, and nearby, adjacent communities and neighborhoods.

We took in dozens and dozens of thoughtful questions and comments of concern.  Fortunately--staff from the county representing nearly every department were on hand to answer most issues on the spot.  

Others were referred to relevant staff who were tasked with finding the answers and to getting the information back to the constituents that asked such questions.  

Multiple staff members spoke and gave input on the big issues:  Traffic, Sorrento Road, Innerarity causeway, Galvez Landing, Perdido Key Beach Access, Public Beach Access at Perdido Key versus private beach ownership, equitable funding for this part of the county (as a large portion of the county's revenues are funded out of Perdido Key yet the sense of the group was that a reasoanble, proportionate share is not being spent back in this area), FPL light bills, The 401(a) issue, and a host of other topics.

One of my favorite parts of these town hall meetings comes when I solicit audience information and input on a rapid-fire series of questions.  I was pleased to see nearly everyone in the room participate in my "Agree/Disagree" agenda item.  I'll go through each of these questions and the subsequent audience reactions in a follow-on, stand alone blog post.

We ended the meeting at about 7:45, and I expressed my sincere appreciation to those who came,  and particularly the ones who stayed to the end to come up and introduce themselves and elaborate on their particualar issues with me,  one on one.  This was the best part of the event--meeting the people, hearing their issues, and taking what they requested to staff for solutions.

This is how government is supposed to work!

My thanks to the citizens that came to the event, the staff that showed up and participated, and my counterparts from ECUA and the School Board who gave remarks and made themselves available/accessible.  Also, thanks go out to Mrs. Debbie Malsberger-Legislative aide to State Representative Michelle Salzman, for attending on behalf of Rep. Salzman.

The staff had a major issue with Internet Bandwidth at the location and therefore, unfortunatley, the livestream was not of very good quality.  But the event was recorded and a better recording will be posted on the county's webpage later this morning.  When it is posted, I will link it here.