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December 5, 2011
DEAR PAM
We realize that you have limited resources available for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help you with draft letters. This will free you up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions. Hope this helps you formulate your position to the Mayor.
1. COMBINED FIRE/AMBULANCES; SMALL FIRE TRUCKS WITH AMBULANCE CAPACITY
From the manufacturer’s web page: Last week, we finished manufacturing the four custom Patriot models for Volusia County Fire Services. The units are comprised of a 2011 Patriot module, a 2011 Spartan MetroStar chassis, and a Waterous CAFSystem™ (compressed air foam system). The units can carry 300 gallons of water and 30 gallons of foam, allowing Volusia County to provide fire suppression services. Additionally, there is a hose bed and large transverse compartment in the cab behind the driver and officer for extra fire and extrication equipment storage.
Inside the ambulance module, there are custom all-aluminum interior cabinets complete with Meganite countertops and rounded edge corners. The units also feature Braun’s well-known innovations including the VitalMax™ lighting system for shadow less light to aid in patient care, the EZ Glide™ sliding side entry door for enhanced crew safety, the MasterTech IV™ Electrical System, and the SolidBody™ Construction that makes our ambulances some of the lightest and strongest emergency vehicles on the road.
Everyone at Braun Industries was thrilled to see these custom emergency vehicles come together! They are awesome units and it was a pleasure working with the various organizations to develop them. Thanks to Volusia County for the challenge and opportunity to design such a great finished product!
2 .FIIRE ON SAXON
A structure at 4512 Saxon Drive is under construction by Barringer Construction (County construction permit issued to Luke Barringer) and it burned down on Friday night last. News Journal says Fire Marshal still investigating the cause. Interesting!
Mayor Barringer:
Nobody in Flagler will hire Tony Otte, Liz Yancy, or Gummey. But I can cut almost $ 700,000 a year if I can get rid of them. But where they go is the problem. How much will you agree for buyouts? Gummey says he will only go if you tack on a new Corvette in a color that matches his favorite bow tie. For your talking points, my raise is in the Reserves; you know the account we don’t have anymore.
PAM
1.LOTTERY FOR POOP PARK RESTROOMS’ VANDALISM
The Shadow unfortunately anticipates vandalism at the new Poop Park restrooms. We thought that perhaps the City could salvage some of the costs for repairs through a lottery where residents could bet on what the likelihood the different types of destructive activity could take. Categories would be like (a) theft of solar panels, (b) theft of bathroom fixtures, or (c) graffiti. Let the CRA “unwittingly” develop a grant for some more special friends to work out the details, such as the number of people in the business area likely to participate in the vandalism. Awards for winners can be a free dinner at one of the 22 waterfront restaurants on the Loop, but you have to find them first.
2.THE STATE OF FLORIDA DID NOT HOLD UP THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAL-MART
No growth Barbara Herrin and Mayor Sally initially stopped Wal-Mart from building where the Home Depot is today, and the building delay fiasco with Wal-Mart on I-95 was the failure of the City Manager and City Attorney (another example of For Cause justification to terminate this grossly overpaid attorney) to ensure the proper flings with State Agencies. Lump the Mayor in for failure to perform oversight and ask a few questions instead of being lead around by the City Manager. Instead they cashiered Rakowski and Lingerfelter because of these failures while Pam and Gummey went into hiding. [see NSBShadow articles July 26, 2010 in the archives]. Chad Lingerfelter is now the head of Planning and Zoning at Flagler Beach and Rakowski has a profitable business getting you around all of the no growth zoning restrictions that he put in place for Sally and which the City Manager did nothing to correct.
We figure that the Mayor went to a high school that never taught history. He went out there to the Wal-Mart opening, decided to forget that the City screwed up and blamed the State, declaring on there that it was all of the State’s fault. And he has a PhD in Leadership……..
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BLOGS: A STATEMENT BY THE SHADOW
The Shadow generally does not edit BLOGS. Very profane comments, even in only first letters, and attacks accusing anyone of a crime are deleted or reformed even when they are about public officials. Personal attacks upon the publisher that are devoid of content are deleted. But not always. Not all postings are essays on important subjects. Not all are fully cogent. On the real positive side, there are way more than 100,000 postings over the last few years and many are excellent tip offs as to funny goings on in Mayberry. Many also are excellent essays on relevant topics. Do our readers a favor and stop attacking the opposing political party as commies or reactionaries. The Shadow does edit for spelling.
easy driving access, no real parking, and sells little that anyone wants to buy at prices that are competitive. The City Commission ratified this proposal for an inducement to enhance a private renovation plan for one those businessmen that apparently need a money gift to produce anything. Canal Street is a dead commercial area, not a blighted era.
The County Council should refuse to permit this outrageous grant giveaway to be made. This is not a loan. It is a gift to their friends. But even if not close friends, It is a gift of taxpayer money for a purpose never intended by the enabling legislation. It will not stop blight on Canal Street and will not make it a better business district attractive to shoppers. It certainly will not fix any blight found there; It is just economic development with a cover name. If the County Council, which is putting up half the money, does not stop this giveaway, it is as complicit as the CRA. At a minimum, the County taxpayers should not contribute $200,000 of taxpayer money.
Now the Shadow is aware that the “specials” in the City, want to set up a new CRA on US 1. The City keeps talking about it and now they are lobbying the County Council. Enough is enough. Stop giving away our tax dollars to your friends.
They mismanage the money they have and now they want you to create another entity to give money to their friends, buy parking spaces from a church ostensibly to limit blight but really some believe to take the cost of valet parking off the Gnarly Surfbar’s cost ledger, pay for pub crawls, and fireworks on New Years. Unless taxes are reduced you can just kiss a real economic recovery in Volusia County goodbye. What the CRA does is spend tax money. That tax money, both City and County, should be left in the hands of the taxpayer.
And it is not just the CRA. It is the excesses of the SVAA. It is a port authority tax collecting taxes for a non-existent port. It is a hospital which continues to take your tax money with the highest per capita hospital tax rate in the State and then abuses its taxation for indigent care; adding insult to injury they are suddenly flush enough to make big donations to the failing Balloon Fiascoes. Since when does a hospital with a monopoly in a small town have to advertise? But hold your wallet, this same tax supported hospital, under the guidance of Bob Lott on the Board and Bob Williams as the CEO, made repeated $800 each feel good ads in the Observer (owned by Boards Member Lott’s wife on paper) before it ceased publishing a print newspaper. Think the Governor knew this when he decided not to reappoint most of the Board, including Lott?
The County Council has shown almost no appetite to curb these outrageous grants by the lackluster NSB CRA Board, stacked with those “special” people and abuse of their own governing CRA structure. How can one justify a grant to a board member to enhance a functioning, and we assume profitable, restaurant (That’s Amore) whose owner then plans to turn the money over to the Mayor’s construction company without a bid. That is your CRA. And please, do not forget that the City Commission also approved this grant, although the Mayor did play “I am abstaining” ploy at the time. Then this last week, he played the “my buddy is a victim” game when all of this came out in the open. He never explained or apologized for his role in the scheme. Another thought, you probably cannot check this out in the City minutes for last week’s CC meeting, because they are three or four months delayed. On whose orders is anyone's guess, but we know our readers are intelligent and can figure that one out pretty quickly.
And do you realize the lawyer for the CRA recently found that two members of the CRA Board had “unwittingly” had conflicts of interest. Did Tony Otte, its grossly overpaid Director ($100,000 plus $50,000 in benefits), forget to ask the CRA lawyer? Did the City’s $374,000 (total compensation and benefits) lawyer miss it too? Was it another “unwitting” moment when Chad Schilsky said he was giving the no-bid $20,000 construction contract to the Mayor’s construction company? Remember the Mayor appointed him to that Board. Oh yes, we believe these same people, plus the City Manager were behind presenting the “alleged” self prepared request to rescind the award to Chad Schilsky for his signature when he attended a quickly called meeting; we believe he told Channel 9 he did not write this letter and was told to sign it. Nice catch-up work by our overpaid City Attorney. We suggest that Hathaway and Plaskett check out Mr. Gummey’s contract as we believe this failure to catch this when it was approved by the CC the first time, is sufficient cause to terminate his contract for cause and thus not pay him his ridiculous golden parachute. That is if they truly are as disturbed about this chain of events as they seemed last Tuesday night.
Councilman Kelly: This should be enough for you to demand that the Council take over supervision of at least this dysfunctional CRA operation, refuse to fund these gifts to friends with taxpayer money, and bring adult supervision to the process. Chairman Bruno, and Councilwoman Alexander and Councilman Wagner should be on board with you. They know the issue and see the problem. An audit is no longer good enough, as neither the Mayor (who was part of the problem here) nor the City Commission nor the CRA Board has demonstrated the capacity to operate this program with any level of responsibility or respect for the taxpayer. Enough is enough and “soapy snow” on Flagler Avet coupled with bar hopping on Flagler, and deals like the That’s Amore and Pennysaver Building giveaways, does Community Redevelopment make.
Attend This Week's Meeting, 2 PM City Commission Chambers; read agenda here:
2.ABOUT A MONTH AGO THE SOUTHEAST VOLUSIA ADVERTISING AUTHORITY WAS ASKED……..
for four ;public information requests from the SVAA:
-A list of employees;-A list of volunteers;-A statement as to whether any post event statement s had been filed with the SVAA in the last six months that would warrant a payment of tax money; -Copies of the last eighteen months of applications.After about a week of not receiving any information from the SVAA, the Shadow called the Assistant County Attorney assigned to the SVAA and asked if his office could help encourage the SVAA Director, Ms. Carni, comply with rather simple and straightforward public information request. On Monday, Nov. 14th the Shadow received a call from someone at the SVAA at about 2 P.M. who said the information was available, but that they wanted to ensure that the right material was being sent. At 4 P.M, when the Shadow returned the earlier call was returned, the SVAA person answering the phone claimed to have no knowledge about the request.
So, the Shadow again called the County Attorney’s office and was informed that they had copies of two of the returns on the original request and said they would forward them. The Shadow received these from the County Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, November 16th. The Shadow asked about the other two requests. Back we go to the three way conversation the next week. And we still do not have the information requested a month ago. Maybe she needs an executive assistant to get the filing fixed.
Ms. Carni called on the 30th of November and claimed she had first heard of the data requests on the 23rd. O.K., but she was still not sure what we wanted but would try to get the information to the Shadow. That was the last Wednesday, November 30th and is the last we have heard from her. She further claims that no information is stored electronically at the SVAA.
Now understand, we are not asking much and in some cases confirming what we have pieced together over the years. Ms. Carni’s predecessor, Ms. Boyd, stated in an email to the Shadow, that she had never had a post event filing made. We assume Ms. Carni must have seen these filings since she signed the payment checks since as we recall and based on her resume, or what we have of it, that she was the SVAA treasurer for about two years.
In summary, Nicole Carni has been totally involved with this operation for three years at least. The information we seek is easy stuff and should have been part of the meeting records she must have attended as board member and then treasurer. If she only saw the Shadow’s request on November 23rd, then how did the County Attorney’s Office forward a copy of her response on November 16 and how does she now say she did not understand what we asked for? A lot of “WHYS” for a simple request handled by person with management experience and capabilities originally worth more than $100,000 a year. As FoxNews says, we report and you decide.
What is also striking with this problem, is the apparent hands-off policy over the years by the County Government who approves their budget and appoints their boards. From the state of the filing system, the Shadow thinks it is time for the County to step in, conduct a through audit and either fix and then hold these boards to the same standard as the rest of County Government, or just abolish them all together. Better yet, Chairman Bruno, how about creating an Office of Inspector General for the County and let the IG loose year round auditing County departments, agencies, and authorities against established goals, objectives, and county operating control standards. The County budget more than enough justifies such an action and it is in the best interst of the taxpayer.
Next week we will ask the County Council how a $3,000 grant to light up Canal put heads in bed. We understand that such a grant was made. If true, fire the whole board as well as Ms. Carni. When will this foolishness end?
3.A BLOG FOR THE FRONT PAGE
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Date: 11/29/2011, 7:59 am
Name: I P Daily
NSB is full of Charm, family values and good hearted citizens. Live the example for your children and support them in every way possible. The boards and CC provide us with solid people that we can trust to look out for the interests of most of our population. The problem is we keep coming up short on ethical values. Then when caught with hands in the cookie jar the guilty, plead ignorance. What kind of example is this?
When someone applies to a leadership position and are selected to serve, we as citizens expect a reasonable effort of virtue, honesty and serving the community with a sense of pride. Make the easy and hard decisions equally for everyone. We expect all to follow the law and abide by the mission set forth for whatever effort put before them. The latest round of tax fund grant award is probably the tip of the iceberg with more to follow. It is ludicrous to think the $2,000 for a paint job of a well to do lawyer's office from the CRA grant money was not self serving. A lawyer not knowing the rules after practicing the law seems a bit much. Now, as if it matters, he's stated he'll repay the grant.
WHOOPS! How could you expect this man to represent virtue? A board member applying for a grant, being approved and giving the work to an elected officials company with no competitive bid is even stranger. But what can you expect from a man that his business may be blocking a public access sidewalk and our board members and city management let it go on. One could take meaning from this that the board member did not know the rules of the grants or the city code enforcement department choose not to act? The elected official thinking accepting this work would be just fine? What was his Shadow blogger support thinking that this would ever be correct?
The question now is where do we go from here. If this grant money is nothing more than a give away, how much has been used in the same manner or worse? How many elected officials have shown favor? How much money given away is not as important as to where all funds have gone. Is there no one above city level that will assume the watch dog to make sure the rules are followed. Surely since a portion of these grants is county provided an over-site board should be involved. The county CRA department is or is not this watchdog. Are they looking? With this web blog and now the article in today’s NJ how can the county or the state not get involved? A private citizen is not a policing entity to make sure tax funds are issued properly. I'd be willing to bet if a government contractor was receiving improper tax funds, he'd be out of the shade and the Sunshine would be beaming through.
Sorry for the lengthy blog but this is a lengthy problem. Ending on a high note; If it's in the bottom of a bird cage it's probably crap. If it sticks on your shoe it's probably crap. If it has a stinky smell it's probably crap. When it's crap everyone figures it out. It's not a duck, it's crap!
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[ I.P. Daily wrote the acclaimed book “ In Alaska, Do Not Eat Yellow Snow”; we are not sure if he or his spirit now resides in NSB]
We started to add to the above blog, but Mr. Daily has really said it all. So we suggest you read it again and absorb the seriousness of comments. We truly need new leaders in this town and this time someone who lives leadership, not just appends it to his name.
4. HYPE BEYOND RATIONAL THOUGHT: RIVERFRONT LOOP WEBSITE “BUSINESS”
Where did they find these statistics splattered all over the CRAs Waterfront Loop website? Our guess is in the latrine at Esther Park? The Shadow lifted the following from the CRA website as examples:
“A 2010 retail study commissioned by the City states, “New Smyrna Beach has an excellent growth potential and offers a large underserved demographic base. There is untapped market potential for the area in virtually every business category.
The NSB Waterfront Loop offers businesses:
* Trade area population: 94,488* High average household income: $65,400* Excellent transportation links with exits from I-95 and I-4. U.S. 1 and S.R. 44 are thoroughfares.”What were they smoking when they posted these numbers.
NSB’s “real” population: 22,000.
NSB’s “real” Average family income: $43,000.
Well what they are smoking is “advertising spin cocktails made up statistics on the “impact area” of a business (e.g., stretch your “enticement reach” out to all of Volusia County). It assumes that all the businesses, like the Flagler Bars and Shops, draw customers from the entire population of Southeast Volusia County. Now these numbers apparently were culled from a “City” paid for study. No wonder they get everything wrong. The Shadow believes they hyped a limited drive with almost no restaurants on the water into a Southeast Volusia drive from Port Orange to Oak Hill with a series of restaurants “near the water”, at least in their minds if no one else’s. The head of the CRA stands by these statistics; take a walk on Flagler and you should be able to see how wrong he and his statistics really are. His attitude alone, is another reason to never again authorize another CRA in this City.
1.END ALL COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS---THEY ARE CORRUPT AT BEST
The New Smyrna Beach CRA approved a gift of $400,000 to a private business as an inducement to improve a non blighted business property on Canal Street. It is a complicated shell game, like the Hampton Inn, and the details show money put up by the developer that totals $800,000 over a series of dates subject to all sorts of interpretations. At best the developer spends half the money to put a few more offices that will not return money as a profit except the bottom line is that the $400, 000 is a gift that offset the true costs.
Of course the CRA takes the position that any money thrown at the Canal business District is helping a blighted CRA neighborhood, rather than just a failed commercial district. This venue was and is dead as the commercial center of the City has moved west, and with the opening of the new modern shopping district on I-95, Coronado with a new Super Wal-Mart anchor, Canal as a commercial district is double dead. It has no
Date: 12/1/2011, 10:21 PM
12/1/2011, 10:21 PMName: Yo-Yo
The Donald? tee hee, you're either kidding or talking about Donald Duck. The taxpayers wish they would keep their dreams in their pipes and quit thinking up so many unneeded ideas and ways to spend more money. Then maybe they would get some respect. Did Andy and Barney get accredited yet? Did anyone pave the many shell residential streets yet? What happened to the million dollar turn lane? Are the $10 grand palm tree doing ok? Geesh....If I showed up in my jag wearing a Rolex, promising campaign contributions, I could talk them into a mini submarine base.
BULLETIN
Another Week and the Shadow is Still Waiting for the SVAA and Ms. Carni to Produce the Very Simple Public Information Request We Sent Now Over A Month Ago. Among Other Items, The Request Was For Copies of All Required Heads-In-Beds Evaluations Done on SVAA Grants. How About It Nicole; Had Enough Time To Find Them Yet? Do We Need To Call the County Attorney Again?
NORMAN’S CORNER
ITS’ ME AGAIN CHAIRMAN BRUNO
An update on the “NSB Waterfront Loop” would be I CONTINUE TO HAVE TROUBLE FINDING THOSE 22 Restaurants on the “Waterfront” section , so I decided to partake of the FREE "snow flakes" on Flagler Ave the other night. It was great you and the rest of the County funded this for the CRA folks. But I have to tell you that I slipped and fell trying to get a cold beer on Flagler after the "snow" started falling. Found out later, it was not snow but soap chips. I guess soap is appropriate for cleaning out mouths who don't tell the truth. I could have brought some real snow in and I remain available for that SVAA job where I can really do my things and help out these bar owners. I see from reading the Shadow that your current SVAA executive director has no idea what a filing system is; or is she just trying to "create" one. Done that before over in Lake County, just ask Tony or his former bosses over there.
Just give me a call on my CRA funded cell phone and I will just hop in my car at the unimproved City lot on Columbus and come a’running...
Your Trusted Servant and Taxpayer
NSB Norman Normal -
P.S. I saw some of the "greats of the City" smozzing each other in front of the OM bar the other night; the Loots, Bob and Michele, Eleen Stakenmoneyup, and Judy Sailorwife, all just the best of friends it appeared. Nancy Hangemup was not there, so I guess those Columbus folks did not measure up to the "greats" standards. Amazing how alcohol can bring out the "truth" in folks. See you at Peanuts, the beer is cold there and their facilities are permitted.
Attention Pat Rice, Editor, Daytona Beach News Journal: You and the NJ recently did a powder puff piece on the Waterfront Loop in NSB, but it failed to note at the end of this alleged piece of “news” that the NJ received advertising money at the same time for Christmas on Canal. Even Fox News notes where its money comes from. The Shadow thinks your failure here is not a good sign for independent journalism.
NJ Cub Reporter Mark Johnson does another powder puff article on the CC meeting, but talks about the parking problem on Columbus Ave, when the real story was about the CRA ethics issues, which he wrote on the following day and the NJ made that one hard to find. Another example of advertising winning out over the news. Hope they did not slip on the "soap flakes" on Flagler,; maybe we should call it "soap suds" reporting. Pat, We are still looking forward to some real reporting by real investigative reporters on the antics down herfe in New Smyrna Beach.
The Shadow Comments on the Decline and Fall of Objective News Reporting
Date: 12/2/2011, 5:46 AM
Name: Pagano
While Pagano sits red faced at the commission meetings, the drunks are hanging out on Flagler.
Date: 12/1/2011, 7:11 PM
Name: 531
I said I was there and the crowd was not big and it sure was not 3,000 dollar big. our grifters forget, after the tree lit up - THERE WAS NO WHERE ELSE TO GO DOWN THERE AFTER ALL THEIR SPENDING
3,000 dollars stolen FROM OTHER PEOPLE FOR THAT GARBAGE is over
Date: 12/1/2011, 5:35 PM
Name: news
Check out today's HOMETOWN NEWS...not one mention of the CRA debacle!! See byline for other NSB news!!!!
Date: 12/1/2011, 5:08 PM
Name: Actually
Actually, Dale wrote: "Funding for Christmas on Canal was made possible through a $3,000 grant from the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority"
"made possible". How true that is!
Canal Merchants are broke and relying on taxpayer funded welfare. Think about that when you pay or deliver taxes.
Date: 12/1/2011, 4:58 PM
Name: $3000
CRA gave $3000 TO advertise FOR Canal Street Merchants.
Nowhere in those ads does it promote the concept of Community Redevelopment...all they promote is sales for Canal Merchants. That does not directly benefit the community.
Date: 12/1/2011, 4:49 PM
Name: Why?
Why can't the Canal Merchants pay for their own advertising?
How many heads stayed in beds because of the $3,000?
In order to break even, SVAA needed to attract about $50,000 in overnight stays revenue or about 500 room nights or about 70 room weeks or 16.6 room months.
Think it happened?
Date: 12/1/2011, 4:42 PM
Name: Thanks Dale
From NSBNEWS, Dale Smith:
"Funding for Christmas on Canal was made possible through a $3,000 grant from the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority, with the hope of attracting out-of-town shoppers, and with several thousand more from the Community Redevelopment Agency, with Canal and Flagler Avenue as its core areas."
SVAA gave $3000 with the hope of attracting out-of-town shoppers...WHAT?
several thousand more $$ from CRA...
Cindy, Deb, Nicole, Tony...they are all criminals.
Think we will see an audit ready financial report on Christmas on Canal?
Is there a real head count for the 45-minute Christmas tree lighting?
Thanks Dale
Date: 12/1/2011, 12:25 PM
Name: Agreed!
to Over 60 voter.
We feel your pain. We also reside north of Flagler and have complained about bars, traffic, speeding, etc. All falling on deaf ears. It is basically their mantra that " They" must tolerate ANYTHING for $$$/business. Of course THEY don't tolerate it WE do!! If it WERE in their neighborhood you can be sure it would be addressed.
They don't want to ticket someone for breaking the law in the area because they might not return to spend their $$$.. so it is just overlooked.
The residents DO NOT MATTER only supporting the business/merchants matters to the commission.
Their answer is ALWAYS..you should expect it because you live in the business area. Well, all I can say to that is... many of these homes have been here since the early 1900's. Have these businesses been here that long?
Part of the problem (especially parking) is that the city has allowed businesses that are too large for the area to move into buildings that were never intended to support a business of the size now in them. Parking requirements have been "relaxed" ( not requiring enough ON SITE (of some businesses) parking to support the business. Businesses now depend on the city ,other businesses, right of ways, etc. to provide parking for THEIR customers.
Thus, we now have a parking problem.
But that's ok because we can lease parking indefinitely to give immediate (but temporary) relief. After all...it's only money (taxpayer money!)
We can vote in new people (and should). However, is anyone going to stand for the PEOPLE and not just the businesses $$$$?
