June 15th, 2009
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1.MINORCA RESPONSE TIME
Did the mayor tell the Minorca crowd last Saturday that when the new fire station opens on Third Avenue that the response time to Minorca will be cut by a minute or two less than the current response time from Columbus Avenue? Of course that loss could be made up in part if the speed limit were raised on Peninsula Avenue to 40 miles per hour. But then that is what the fire trucks are doing on Peninsula any way so there probably will be no savings in time.
2. THE BIASED POLL
Our curiosity about that telephone poll being undertaken by Central Florida University has grown as we have heard more about it. The City is now prohibited from spending money on such polls so the question is who is paying for it. At least one of the questions in the survey leads us to believe that it is either the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighter) or Teamsters, or maybe both unions in concert. One question asks if you agree that paying the same taxes as last year is OK, but the questioner omits that she is really asking you if you agree to a 15% or 20% tax hike since your property value has fallen by 21% in new Smyrna Beach. It is a trick question designed to permit an argument at the budget meetings that there is no reason to not raise taxes. We believe that the unions would like you to answer that question yes without understanding that you are agreeing that they can squeeze more money out of property owners. We will find out who paid for this survey and who made up the questions.
3. CLANCY’S
Congratulation to Clancy’s which had a great opening night at its new location on Flagler Avenue.
“Best Blogs of the Week”
(Edited for grammar and punctuation)
A POTPOURRI OF CITIZEN COMMENTS IS
AGAIN PROVIDED THIS WEEK IN ORDER
FOR YOU TO GET IN TUNE WITH THE
MOOD OF OUR READERS
6/8/2009, 3:29 am
Paying tax increases is impossible. We need relief......
Lets hope our elected officials from the county and all the cities read and understand the letter from the county tax appraiser. Let's hope and pray they understand 95% of tax payers can't afford any increase. Let's hope they understand a tax increase disguised in any shape, form or fashion will push more of us into foreclosure ( including my family) A $2000 tax bill is peanuts to a $80k county worker but unaffordable for most Volusia taxpayers.
6/9/2009, 7:15 pm
Defrag
I have given a lot of thought concerning the plight of Commander Drossman's salary being less than most sergeants of the NSB PD. Perhaps the Commanders salary was just the right amount and the sergeants salary was way over priced? Just a thought that our city fathers and mothers have not had.
6/10/2009, 8:18 pm
Last Rays Cast Faint Shadows
I thought the hotel got its vote last night. What is this no hotel on Flagler? The golf course manager said last night that the course had a good winter in the black and he hopes to soon extend that success to the whole year. What is this the golf course is about bankrupt? The City used grant money to build the boat ramps and are therefore not allowed to charge for their use. But they could charge for parking!! One police Lt. has the pay grade of a Sgt. He is the one that would get an increase. Question is why did he take a job as a Lt at a Sgt's pay in the first place??? Maybe that was the only slot open and he needed a job? Maybe he was a bad boy? Based on the appraisal figures it looks like the City could have a $2.5 million shortfall except for the fact that a lot of people have homestead exemptions and their taxes will be going up, not down. Actual reduction in property tax revenue is expected to be about $1.4 million. This bankrupt city still has ten or twelve million in reserves. You also talk about a mess woven by our existing leaders. NSB is in better shape than any other town in the County and this is a national problem that was not caused by the existing leadership. They have to deal with a difficult reality and also have to listen to angry people who don't know who to blame for their own problems so they blame the City. If you ever went to a City meeting and spouted off that kind of stuff they would think you were crazy and they would be embarrassed for you. So sit down and shut up.
NOTES
1. BUYING VOTES ON HILL STREET
The vote was unanimous not to accept the settlement on the Alexander property. Strange since this was negotiated with their approval. The refusal publically to not accept their own settlement was done after their lawyer again informed them that in all likelihood he could not win in court. He said and that a Judge, hearing only his and the plaintiff’s legal arguments, “could not be trusted” to reach a result favorable to the City. The plaintiff’s lawyer also stated that she doubted she could lose the case. On top of that, this was after mediation where it is most likely that the mediator indicated the City could not win. Well in six months or so, after the election where they hoped to succeed by buying the votes of those on Hill Street, the City will more than likely get the bad news that its entire ordinance is illegal.
2. FIVE TERM APPONTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT BOARD (CRA)
The appointment of one of the members of the Board of the CRA is the best example of cronyism that is visible in the City. Most of the Board is made up with members that have been there almost 16 years, and now we have an appointee for 20 years. That is a long time to give some one the right to give away tax payer money, particularly like on Esther Street and Dunn Lumber. Reappointing Steve Dennis, the Director of the South East Volusia Chamber of Commerce (he lives in Edgewater by the way), after he has voted to spend money on both Esther Street and Dunn Lumber shows how little the City Commissioners believe in fiscal responsibility.
DEAR KHALID
As we have stated in the past, we realize that the City Manager is limited in the resources available to him for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help him out and provide draft letters for his review. As we have said this will free him up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions.
TO: MAYOR MACKAY
From: From: Khalid Reishdat
The decision of the Fire and Finance Departments, both of whom participated in discussions to take over County fire stations, to deny that the City had participated is a direct violation of the requirement that we make available to the public accurate responses to information and data requests. We are in violation of these laws and I wish to discipline the people who apparently lied to the City Clerk about their involvement in this cover up. Please advise.
Khalid
SECRET NEGOTIATIONS FOR COUNTY TO GET RID OF FIRE STATIONS
Last week the Shadow disclosed one of the secret pay raises given by the City to one of its police department Commanders. A joke called “market adjustment” gave Commander Drossman a $6,300 plus pay increase. All done secretly so that you would not know.
We also stated that we believed the City lied to us about the secret negotiations to negotiate new arrangement to take over some of the County fire stations. We now have the report, negotiated over the last several months (at least beginning in March, 2009) by a committee which included Deputy Fire Chief David McCallister and Althea Philord of City Finance Department. He is paid $85,500 and she $55,000—not a couple of low paid employees who would not have reported to the City Manager and the elected worthies. Multiple meetings were held. Also see the sign in sheet for the March 3,2009 meeting and the memo for the March 20, 2009, meeting.
They lied so that you, the tax payers, could not participate in the discussions. They lied, simple and plain. The County supplied the report, all 85 or so pages, and it is attached as a LINK. Both the County Silver Sands (#21) and Oak Hill (#22) stations are being transferred to the City of New Smyrna Beach under this plan. It looks like the County will pay the City $400,000 as an extra bribe to take over these stations.
Here is what the New Smyrna Beach City Clerk said on June 2nd in response to an information request that had been made three times about these meetings and who attended:
“No records of such meetings exist in the City of New Smyrna Beach. Citystaff has suggested you contact Volusia County and/or the City of Port Orange regarding the matter.”
Now we know that is a lie that they have no information. And the reason for it, we believe, is that this issue will be taken up by the County Council on the 18th of June and they did not want you to know or comment on this proposal until it is too late for your comments to make a difference. By the way, the County also denied at first that they knew of any meetings.
What is going on here? We think that the City is negotiating a poison pill to make consolidation of all fire service in the County more difficult. The union likes to deal with separate groups of elected officials they can control. They also are protecting the needless lieutenant jobs which the local fire departments believe will be abolished in the County stations. The County also will pay the Cities to continue paying more and more money for personnel and avoid the necessary cut backs in pay, pensions and benefits. The County gets rid of two stations that are over staffed and have little work. The County fire Staff will be reduced by probably 33 slots and associated costs just for these two stations. The County and City both think they are winners and do not care if you agree. After all, you are paying for it, not them!
The Shadow believes that this problem might be solved by building parking under a 6 story hotel with a swimming pool on top. Or how about valet parking off site? And one could move the shuffleboard court elsewhere like the site of the soon to be abandoned Columbus Avenue fire station one block behind Flagler, and use the current site for more parking on Flagler. Or, “if it don’t fit, you must acquit”, or for a hotel site “if it don’t fit, put it some where else quick”.
FACILITATOR
The City hired a “facilitator” to help the Commissioners stay on subject so that they could reach decisions at the all day meeting last Wednesday. Some who were present think he did an adequate job in keeping them on a given subject and was worth his pay. Others thought that it is the job of the Mayor to manage the agenda and keep them on task. But then Sally doesn’t understand her job anyway. The City Charter says that specifically is her job. If she cannot do that, why is she Mayor? Besides, there are high paid competent employees who could do the job.
It cost $1,795 per day LINK (see invoice) to have the facilitator present to train the Mayor on how to run a meeting. We believe the total contract for this training service could be up to $7,000, but we did not receive a copy of the contract we also requested. We only received the invoice for last Wednesday.
The facilitator is like the training wheels on a bicycle, but you would think that the Mayor could ride a bike or run a meeting after a year and a half on the job. Guess not!
LETTER TO THE SHADOW CONCERNING THE MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER. THE SHADOW’S RESPONSE
On 6/4/09, Kathy Cooley
<kathycooley@keyes.com> wrote:
You are being told lies about the Marine Discovery Center and I resent the smears you cast upon its executive director and my husband, Fielding Cooley. I believe you being spoon fed this claptrap by a mentally unstable individual who has taken ruining the MDC, the water taxi and my husband as his personal quest for revenge.
Fielding Cooley is the best man and the most honest man I’ve ever known in my life. He rescued the MDC after it was left torn and bleeding from mismanagement. He wouldn’t say that to you but I will. You are obviously a smart man but why you let one very sour apple convince you that the MDC is bad is beyond me. Does hate consume you? It sure seems that way.
Kathy Cooley
REPLY
The Marine Discovery Center has attempted to run businesses that are both non-viable economically and compete with existing businesses that pay taxes. It takes money from both the Federal, State, and City governments and there is little economic return if any. It does not need any of the valuable land it occupies to carry out the limited functions that may enhance the environment through the work of the devoted volunteers who participate in its functions.
Not one word published in the Shadow is a smear on your husband. The facts speak for themselves as to what the MDC has accomplished and what are its failures. It is a drain on tax resources. I have nothing but respect for those who contribute their time and efforts to better the environment, but eco-tourism is not something enhanced by buying kayaks, running water taxis, and taking acres of prime land off the tax roles
The following letter was received by the Shadow:
To the Shadow:
It may be possible that clandestine meetings and furtive data gathering could escape the attention of the top administrators and department managers of Volusia County. If so, there should be a reaffirmation of the duties required for the positions held by the administrators. If the questionable activities were condoned or acquiesced by the top administrators it may require a replacement of personnel.
To undermine the safety and security of its citizens, under the guise of cutting costs, by terminating the Volusia County fire services and placing the citizens of Silver Sands and Bethune Beach liable for the massive tax increase to cover the bloated New Smyrna Beach fire services, that may be deficient, is unconscionable.
Paul V. Lutz
New Smyrna Beach
Silver Sands
June 13, 2009
REFUSAL TO SUPPLY INFORMATION
When requested, if they give any answers they are frequently only give only half answers: The name of the game is the extraordinary effort that the City makes to shut down information which the Shadow shares with its readers. The Shadow publishes what it obtains so that the facts are there for the reader. The Shadow then gives its readers its analysis as to what the document means or how the City has spent your money. The City does not want you to have the documents: you can call the Shadow a liar and state it has no proof, but you can not call an invoice showing that the City bought hi-test gas when it said it was buying regular gas a lie. Nor do cell telephone records lie. Nor does the invoice showing Commander Drossman’s pay raise lie.
Now take the negotiations for the Alexander property settlement. There will now be another condominium on the beach. Gummey told the City that the ordinance restricting construction was valid. They passed it. They were sued. Gummey it seems knew that he could not defend the ordinance, at least against Ms. Alexander. The City settled by giving the Plaintiff much of the density rights back. The ordinance, which the Shadow always thought was indefensible, had taken away her rights. Now someone or all of them told Gummey that gutting the ordinance in the settlement was acceptable. Gummey is a hired gun. He might have advised them what he was going to do, but the Commission had to tell him it was O.K. The Shadow believes there were possible violations of the Sunshine laws. Look at the following interchange between the Shadow and the City Clerk:
PARKING A LA RAKOWSKI
WHY ARN'T CITY PARKING SPACES PUT UP FOR LEASE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, OR GIVEN OUT FREE ON A LOTTERY, OR LEFT AS FREE PARKING FOR EVERYBODY, OR HAVE PARKING METERS.
In this particular test (New Jersey) of the “Photo Violation Meter” solution from Photometer
New meters and no extra manpower. How about meters? With this device you do not need meter readers. It takes photos and sends tickets.
It is interesting that the new lease with Clancy’s for parking spaces was approved without asking what other businesses might have been willing to pay. Every one on Flagler needs parking spaces and the lease of 12 parking spots to Clancy’s is about 40 cents a day for each parking slot. Seems a little low from the Shadow’s point of view. Two thoughts come to mind. Why charge at all. All of the businesses on Flagler, not just Clancy’s, need parking. They all pay high taxes including to the CRA which is now taxing a business to use land they already paid for in their taxes. But if you are going to charge, why not put it up for bid? Or how about parking meters. That would also prevent Beach users from hogging the spaces on Flagler all day.
