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:

To Johnny Bledsoe

April 27, 2009

This was your non-answer to the question I [for The Shadow] requested which was to forward to me the instructions that Mr. Gummey was given as the negotiator for the City in resolving this law suit:

[your response] “Regarding negotiating parameters related to the Alexander vs. City of NSB case, the mediation was conducted as stipulated by the parties involved.”

Mr. Gummey had either written or verbal instructions from his employer. I request what these instructions were and want a copy of them. If they were verbal, I want to know how they were obtained and from whom and when. Your non-answer is just more of the effort of the City to deny information to the taxpayers.

JLITT

The Shadow believes that the reason for the secrecy is that it is an admission that this ordinance was invalid, despite Gummey’s “advice”, and that the sop to those who want no further building on the beach is a failure. It is also ironic that the Alexander beach front property is on Hill Street.