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1. TEARING DOWN THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL
Not an issue for the City of New Smyrna Beach unless they do not like rats and intend to put money down the rat holes to fund the Marine Discovery Center forever. Secondly, an expensive and not easy job since it is laced with asbestos. If the MDC is in charge we can just see the cloud of asbestos wafting over Quay Assisi. Third, the City does not own it and has no responsibility to tear it down. The people who have the responsibility seem to be broke. They could not even put up $10,000 and asked the City last July to lend them the money.
Well, it is the State's responsibility to get the EPA permits, level it using only approved contractors, and having it put in a qualified landfill. Issue a condemnation notice and make the State do it. By the way, if it has rats, you know real ones, make the State exterminate them. The rats will not get copper poisoning since the copper has already been stolen we are told.
2. NEW RESTAURANT ON CANAL STREET, OR IS IT THE OLD ONE?
In less than two years it appears that a restaurant on Canal Street has morphed (failed) ---Italian, Mexican, and now Thai? Perhaps one serving all three cuisines at the same time could make it at that location. Is it open at night so that the patrons can see the plastic Christmas tree? The Shadow's question is how much CRA money has been spent to foster this location as a restaurant? And then, where will it place its ads? We bet on the Observer if CRA money is involved.
3. CITY MINUTES, AUGUST 10, 2010
Well, five months late is better than 6 months!! What a way to run a business.
NOT TO WORRY, IT IS ONLY TAXPAYER MONEY
December 20, 2010
SANTA TOLD YOU TO AVOID NEW SMYRNA BEACH BECAUSE OF A RUMORED FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
1. NEW OFFERINGS OF DOCTORATE DEGREES FROM INTERNET DISTANCE LEARNING UNIVERSITY
INTERNET DISTANT LEARNING UNIVERSITY has announced that its recent offerings of Doctorate Degrees to Volusia County, Fl, residents has been a huge success, and that it has awarded degrees to the following individuals upon completion of all course material and a fly over its campus (in Lower Slabovia). This is not part of our full academic program, but are mini courses for highly educated elected or appointed government officials. They are a credit, to the high standards INTERNET demands of its graduates.
A. City Manager Pam Brangaccio: Doctorate of Non Compis Mentis for paying consultants to manage the city, denigrate her Management Responsibility and Continue to spend Taxpayer Money with abandon.
Upon completion of one week of intensive night computer work and a thesis of no less than 300 words nor more than 400. [READ MORE]
2. SETTING THE STAGE FOR REFORM
A recent BLOG stated that all of the recent denials by the established bureaucracies when complaints were filed with Florida State bodies responsible for oversight and spending tax money showed that the petitioners were wrong. The Shadow does not believe that the City functionary (if he or she was one) who wrote the Blog understands that none of the complainants were expected to win at the in-house bureaucratic appeal level. The exercise was to define for the new Governor the enormity of the problems he faces in trying to bring fairness to state government and to halt the gross mismanagement of tax money.
Each of the filings was predicated on the assumptions that they would be denied. It is difficult to determine which was worse: [READ MORE, LINK 1, LINK 2]
3. FIRE STATION 23
The City in its totally wasted “visioning meeting” last Wednesday (where they hired a facilitator” from Seminole County to show them how to run a meeting), put on the top of the burner an effort to have the County turn over County Fire Station 23, which is on the North side of Willard . The Shadow believes that the real underlying reason motivating the City is that unless the City staffs this station they will have to dismiss a larger number of unneeded firemen---almost 15 if they go to a 2 to a shift staffing.
The County has and is going to a staffing pattern of only two to a shift in all but 6 of its 23 current stations. This reduces the number of fire department employees by more than 50 in a two year period. Attrition has not gotten the numbers down as low as the County needed by the County. There were 13 more than needed in October of 2010. If the City is forced, and the budget says they should be forced to reduce this staffing pattern to County levels, it would have to reduce staff by about 15 slots minus the few retirees that have occurred when several of the DROP fireman retired this year. If station 23 is given to the City, the County may need to find jobs or retire a bunch more of its employees and the City hides its refusal to deal with what to do with these unneeded fire department personnel.
You will note two extra things. Not one official has said a word about the loss of public safety when the unneeded staffing was changed. Also note that they apparently have not renewed the demand for Silver Sands station 21 to be transferred. The simple reason for that is probably because the Silver Sands station has been running with only 2 to a station for a long time.
BLOGS
Date: 
12/16/2010, 9:40 am
12/16/2010, 9:40 amName: Interesting comments
Interesting commentsIf "gadflies" are pushy and condescending where does that leave the rest of NSB citizenry? I put most between sheep and zombies. People who are crazy enough to step out and say no are punished both by the special interest groups being rewarded and our tax & spend leadership. None of the people or entities getting sweetheart deals can stand up to the light of day. Marilyn Lindley and her group have literally STOLEN 4 or 5 million dollars for golf. Not golf for everyone, but golf for a few. Steve Dennis, Judy R, our boy Mayor and the rest need to be shown as what they are. I applaud the gadflies. Any citizen who stands up to the good-old boys is our friend. For the past two years these people have raised our taxes (YES rollback is a tax increase) and spent our reserves. Next year real estate values are going down. (Slightly edited)
Date: 12/17/2010, 9:29 pm
12/17/2010, 9:29 pmName: Concerned Citizen
Concerned CitizenDear City Mgr Pam:
This week was the third time I saw one of your fire truck go to a medical emergency at someone's house and arrive five minutes after EVAC. Isn't this against your announced policy to send fire trucks to home medical emergencies (with no fire) only when they can get there before EMS?
Date: 12/17/2010, 12:42 pm
12/17/2010, 12:42 pmName: ACA
ACAWhy would anyone have a meeting at ACA [Atlantic center for the Arts]? Their vision is they want everyone to pay so they can play. Before MDC came to town the ACA was biggest bunch of moochers we had.
Date: 12/15/2010, 5:22 pm
12/15/2010, 5:22 pmName: To 972
To 972Why should the "gadflies" as you refer to them even go anymore? Or anybody else for that matter.
No Commissioner on the City Commission listens to anybody anymore as they and their overpaid City manager, think they know it all and have their own special interest groups to answer to.
The "gadflies" are, to the best of my information, are swarming for an all out attack via the legal system. Who knows maybe even a recall for the boy mayor and others may be afoot.
But then it is Christmas and all such action is put aside to celebrate the season. But wait till January....... Maybe even FDLE may arrive to assist the boy mayor with his weight loss program, e.g., getting rid of the extra weight from cash in your pocket or is that just kudos from the MDC and Judy from Oz land?
Only the Shadow knows!!!!!!!
Date: 12/15/2010, 2:02 pm
12/15/2010, 2:02 pmName: Getting the skinny
Getting the skinnyAny news on mayor taking business from local health clubs? Was it a rumor or just another way to crush hard hit taxpayers with tax funded operators? There has been at least 4 fitness centers go out of business in the last five years maybe Mayor Barringer can kill another one
Date: 12/16/2010, 6:46 am
12/16/2010, 6:46 amName: Anyone?
Anyone?Anyone else seen the real estate tax collection shortfall projections for Volusia County?
If any have, including our esteemed County and City elected, I don't know how they can keep giving money away for non essential pet projects in the face of the looming shortfall.
If groups like MBS, Wildlife Foundation, Chamber, Anglers...were true citizens they would not be filching from the public purse.
MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER SALARIES
We know they do not pay a cent for maintenance or upkeep at the Indian River Park (Saxon) and we know that they have paid big salaries to their managing directors using tax money. Rumor has it that they paid the last director somewhere between $70,000 and $80,000 a year, but since they make no reports to the City Commission and are not audited, we do not have specific knowledge. Could some one help! How about transparency?
