On July 25, 2014, the 25-year old lease between the City of St. Augustine and Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. and ex-Mayor LEONARD CLAUDE WEEKS, JR. gets renewed for another five years. No disclosures of how much money they're making on the sublease to FLORIDA CRACKER CAFE and SAVANNAH SWEETS. No apology for conflict of interests. Only patronizing statements from BOLES, to the effect that this is the best "public-private partnership" ever. As former Mayor George Gardner wrote in St. Augustine Report: "Sweet deal."BOLES and WEEKS have made $2-3 million from this crony capitalist deal, forged under a former City Manager who was married to then Election Supervisor Penny Halyburton.
This stinks.
WEEKS and BOLES are business partners.
WEEKS is appointed by BOLES to serve as chair two (2) city boards -- Parking and Traffic Committee and Historic Architectural Review Board.
WEEKS long chaired the Historic Area component of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce.
WEEKS is a contractor and developer, involved in the proposed demolition of 80 Markland Place.
WEEKS is also one of BOLES' appointees to the Visioning Committee, who left yesterday's meeting early to attend to business.
In effect, WEEKS is a lobbyist.
WEEKS is business partner of the Mayor in a lucrative lease from the City of St. Augustine, one that they sublease to the actual owners of The Cracker Cafe and Savannah Sweets.
The lease is poorly drafted, with no remedies for the City. It is the worst commercial lease ever, favoring the favored tenants -- the Mayor and ex-Mayor, who have refused to answer questions or provide their sublease.
This subtle corruption of our government by self-seeking public officials and their "insider" deals is indefensible: it must be ended at once.
Enough.
Ask Messrs. WEEKS and BOLES to disclose their sublease terms.
Ask them to end the lease.
Now.
Otherwise, their $1332.21/month lease will continue for another five (5) years.
To Messrs BOLES and WEEKS: you have made $2-3 million from this unseemly "public-private partnership" deal to provide bathrooms.
George Gardner calls it a "sweet deal."
May we have it back, please?
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