County Taxpayers Have Now Spent More than $87,000.00 on Doug Underhill's Various Lawsuits

 

According to information I just received from the county attorney's office--county taxpayers have spent $87,040.00 in costs and fees defending Doug Underhill's various Federal and State Lawsuits currently working their way collectively through the courts.

These costs and fees were compiled in answer to a constituent's public records request.  I asked for the information as well, and here it is below.

$87,040.00 and a ton of meetings, shade sessions, and gnashing of teeth..................what a waste.

And the meter is still running on some of these.

County Files Complaint for Writ of Mandamus in the Circuit Court

Late Friday afternoon Escambia County, through our attorney Troy Rafferty of Pensacola's Levin Papantonio Rafferty Law Firm, filed a complaint in the circuit court on the county's behalf.  The purpose of the Complaint for Writ of Mandamus is/was to compel Clerk of the Court and Comptroller Pam Childers to once again resume payment of the 401(a) payments she has now unilaterally withheld as of the beginning of this year.

The complaint is very straightforward and makes the case very succinctly in a 30 page filing.

We will see what happens next.

Read the complaint here.

On Real News with Rick Outzen Tomorrow Morning at 7:20

I'll be a guest on the area's top-rated morning drive radio program--WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen"

I'll be on the radio tomorrow morning on Real News with Rick Outzen at 7:20.

Topics to be discussed include current county happenings, a recap of last week's meeting, and other topics of interest including a forthcoming ordinance to prohibit those on the county payroll from running for office while simultaneously holding their jobs.

And I'm sure there will be other topics of interest breaking Monday morning, to include the county's late Friday afternoon filing in the circuit court requesting the court to compel the Clerk of the Court to resume 401(a) retirement contributions for the three commissioners that take this plan.

Should be an interesting conversation.....

Beach Access #4 at Perdido Key: Ribbon Cutting ONE Month Away!

The current view from Escambia County's soon to be completed and openend Gulf-Front, free  Public Beach Access point in District 1 at Perdido Key

Escambia County, west Escambia County, and District 1's newest public Gulf-Front beach access point (300 FT on the Gulf) is nearing completion.  Beach Access #4 has been a long time coming--nearly 8 years--but it is almost completed.  Better late than never!.  Photos from the site from this week  (below) show the parking lot completed, with asphalt and striping,  split rail fencing installed, and the driveway complete.  Native grasses have been replanted in areas around the parking, and the only remaining items are the unrolling of the Mobi-mat (which will give access to the beach to those who are in wheelchairs) and some signage about the ecology of the area with educational placards about native/protected species.  According to the Natural Resources Management staff: 

"We expect the access mat to be installed in the next 2-3 weeks. I will have an updated timeline from engineering tomorrow. We can start to plan a grand opening for mid-late Feb...We will still be waiting on the wash-station, ada components to the educational signage and a couple other odds and ends."

EMS Division Establishes an Informational "Dashboard" to Inform the Public on EMS Activity in the County

The EMS Dashboard is live at Myescambia.com under the EMS page as of 1-18-2022

The EMS division of the County's Public Safety Department have established an informational dashboard that will be updated daily so citizens can see the types of calls we run and the numbers of transports we provide daily and weekly.  The screen shot, above, is the first iteration of the dashboard which the public can access at this link.

The initiative was announced to the commissioners via an email earlier today.  From EMS Chief David Torsell:

"Commissioners,

 When I first became the Chief of Escambia County EMS, one of the immediate items I wanted to do address was to provide more transparency and information about EMS services to our citizens. I wanted a way to convey what we do in EMS, why we are so busy, and to give a bit of an inside look our service. With that, I had the idea to have a dashboard created that would allow citizens that access our EMS home page to be able to see some of our daily, weekly, and annual call totals. Through a collaborative effort, our team of EMS, IT, Communications/PI and 911 Dispatch was able to create an EMS dashboard, approved by our Public Safety Director and County Administrator. I am proud to inform you that we now have a live EMS dashboard on our EMS home page."

 

A Liquor Store Right Across the street from the Middle School?

What's really worse--a bunch of retail stores that already sell suitcase after suitcase of cheap Keystone canned beer OR a fine dining restaurant that serves a nice Cabernet with the Filet Mignon--on premise?

The rumor that was being spread this past weekend was it was going to be a liquor store "right in front of the school!"

The truth was a lot less sensational.

There is a piece of land in Beulah that is across the street from Beulah Middle School, across 9-Mile Road,  where an individual is interested in building a full service restaurant and a retal store.  Not a liquor store.  Not a bar.

In the HDMU district, a full service restaurant (including service of alcoholic beverages, beer and wine) is allowed with a conditional use permit.

So on Wednesday this request for a conditional use permit will be considered by the Escambia County Board of Adjustment.  I believe a full service restaurant in Beulah is desperately needed.  We still do not have one, not ONE (1) full service restaurant in Beulah.  We have the gas station roller machine hot dogs, the Tom Thumb microwave burritos, a sushi shop, a Pizza Hut, and they are building a McDonalds----but we still don't have ONE (1) full service restaurant here yet where I can sit down, order a delicious steak and a glass of Merlot or Cabernet.  

We have to drive down to Pine Forest road for that.  And that's what we do.

So yes, I think a full service restaurant in Beulah is something the community wants and needs------but this is a whole lot different than a "liquor store" right in front of the middle school.  This is not that.

Read the backup on the item here---and/or feel free to attend the meeting and speak.

I mean, like I told one individual with whom I spoke on this topic:  There's a full service Publix Liquor store in the Publix center right across Beulah road from TWO middle schools already.  And the Dollar General right next to Beulah Middle School sells cases of beer out the front door by the Pallet load.  Suitcase after suitcase of Natural Lite beer out the front door--right next to the middle school.  So, with that as the backdrop----is it really something to go crazy about if a nice restaurant opens across the street that serves wine with a meal?  Really?

We'll see what happens Wednesday.

I Didn't Ask for This......... But.........Yeah, Let's Have a Talk about It!

 

Should employees of the county be precluded from running for office while simultaneously holding on to their county job?  This question will be taken up by the board tomorrow morning....

At tomorrow's regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, which I will drop the gavel on and call to order at 9:00 sharp tomorrow morning---one very interesting topic of note will be discussed near the end of the meeting's agenda.

Shall those persons on the payroll of the county be permitted to seek elected office while simultaneously working their job with the county?

It is an interesting subject---one which I didn't request to be brought forward.  I am not the person who requested this nor am I the one that asked for this to be added for discussion.  Maybe I should have, though.

Because two and a half years ago I was told that a person who worked at the county would be stepping up to run for county commissioner-----against me.  Furthermore--I was told this was perfectly legal and we were limited in what sway, as an employer, we held over an employee who decided to run for office.

Fast forward a couple of years and we know how that turned out for that individual who ran..... (3rd place, distant).

So why this comes now is somewhat a mystery--but obviously one or more of my counterparts want a discussion of it.  Good--it is a good discussion that we should have.

Of course we all know any campaigning or campaign type activity is strictly forbidded while "on the clock" at a county office or while on county property.  Everyone knows that.  But the mental distraction of an employee running might be something an employer like Escambia County would want to look at.  The optics as well---particularly if the circumstances appear vindictive as was the case in my race in 2020.

Perhaps this is coming now because another member of the D2 office---this time his assistant secretary/intern, Conor Mann---has pre-filed to run against Kevin Adams for School Board District 1?

Whatever the reason/impetus---I've asked and received confirmation from the legal department that making someone on the payroll resign if they choose to run for office is something that is within an employer's purview to mandate.  And Escambia County fits within this description as an employer.

I wonder where that discussion was two years ago, LOL.  😏

Currently--there is no prohibition on County employees running.  And they have NOTHING to lose...if they lose the election, they can comfortably scurry back to their "job" with the county.  If they win the "election" they assume office and quit their job.  That's the way it is right now.  It's easy and risk-free. 

But perhaps now is the time to change that.

Because for other employers and most current elected officials who choose to run for a higher state office---there is no such "comfort."  ----as they are subject to the Florida "Resign to Run" law and must tender a resignation for the office which such a candidate currently holds effective the date of the assumption such office after the election.  So, in effect, you either win or you lose the election--but either way that turns out---you lose your current position.

I had to resign my school board seat when I ran for the BCC.  Had I lost in 2016, (which I didn't) I was precluded from re-assuming my school board seat.  There was risk, there was something real and tangible at stake for me.

Maybe this needs to be applied to others as well, so this will be a good discussion.