COTTRELL denies owning real property, denies being married, and falsely states he is no longer a member of the Civil Service Commission. Please see below.
Who is STEVEN LEE COTTRELL?
Previously Important Person (PIP)?
Self-identified ex-Mayor of "a California city."
Sharing ill-informed loopy opinions about our government in the St. Augustine Record.
States he was formerly Mayor of "a California city," but does not say which one.
Why?
The unnamed city was Nevada City, California with barely 3000 souls.
Served on the largely-ceremonial St. Augustine Civil Service Board since January 2012.
Lists his address on City website as 137 1/2 King Street (above the Butterfield Garage Art Gallery) and on February 4, 2013 sent a letter asking to be appointed to a City Commission seat from that address (Apt No. 5).
COTTRELL now denies that he owns homesteaded property at 317 FIRST ST, SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL, 32084-7301 (VILANO OAKS) purchased for $639,000 on March 24, 2006 on the unnamed barrier island south of Ponte Vedra Beach.
COTTRELL now denies that he is Treasurer of VILANO OAKS, where his wife DIANNA LYNN DANNER COTTRELL has hosted a block party exclusively for residents that cost more than $5022.81 for 120 attendees ($23.89 per person)(That's some party).
COTTRELL admits he is author of e-book, "21 TIPS FROM AN IRISH BARTENDER," STEVEN COTTRELL boasts of working in California bar tending for two decades.
STEVEN LEE COTTRELL lamely denies that he declared a fatwa against St. Augustine's reform Mayor, Nancy Shaver.
STEVEN LEE COTTRELL calls our Mayor's position "ceremonial."
I don't recall ever seeing COTTRELL at any City Commission meetings.
I don't recall ever seeing COTTRELL speak at any City Commission meetings.
Dodgy Civil Service Board member STEVEN LEE COTTRELL -- he now claims he is no longer a member -- demands we re-amend our City Charter to require that City Commissioners -- not the people -- elect our Mayor.
St. Augustine residents have been electing our Mayor for decades, having rejected the good-ole-boy system twice.
The first Charter Amendment was after our Commissioners elected and unelected (in evident Sunshine violation) our first woman Mayor in the 1980s.
The second Charter Amendment was in 2006, because voters had to "Vote twice," once for Commissioner and once for Mayor, making it confusing. Voters now vote every two years for the Mayor, who occupies seat three.
COTTRELL wants to yank Mayoral elections away from the voters and hand it to Commissioners. Why?
Voters would again get the shaft, as they have so often in our past.
See photo below of COTTRELL at "The Mine Shaft" in Nevada City, California.
3 comments:
Ed:
It would be foolhardy of me to argue with an attorney, but it is my understanding that “fair use” relates to portions of something written, not the full text. And even if you do have the right to lift material from The Record and put it on your blog word-for-word, I don’t understand why, as a courtesy to the newspaper, you would decide to leave out the attribution. That said, however, I appreciate the modification to your blog posting.
But what I do not appreciate is your sloppy research. Being a gentleman, however, I will correct some of your errors before you go the mic some night at a city commission meeting and make a fool of yourself.
1): There may well be someone named Steve Cottrell who owns a nifty $639K homestead on an unnamed barrier island near here, but it ain’t me, partner. Fact is, I own no property in St Johns County or anywhere else. (Thank goodness a person no longer has to own property in order to vote, or to have a newspaper column).
2): I am not Treasurer of Vilano Oaks or any other organization. Now or ever.
3): I am single, and have no idea who Dianna Lynn Danner Cottrell is, nor have I ever been involved (or invited, for that matter) to a $5K block party –– here or anywhere else. I am, however, engaged to the love of my life, but her name is not Dianna.
4): My name is not Steven Lee Cottrell. Actually, my mom and dad named me Stephen, not Steven.
5): I will turn 73 this summer and have absolutely no interest in ever again running for public office. So, no, I am not going to use the column for the “start of a political campaign.” Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. And if you look at the letter I sent the city when I applied for Bill Leary’s vacated seat, I clearly stated that I would serve out his term but not seek election. Also, since for the time being, at least, I will be writing opinion pieces for The Record, I will certainly not be active in the 2016 city election.
6): Not sure what the heck you mean by calling me a “Dodgy Civil Service Board member,” but I no longer serve on that board, as your comments suggest, nor do I serve on any other city board. I served for two years and resigned prior to the 2014 city commission election because at that time I anticipated being active with someone’s commission campaign. That did not materialize, but I knew that the ethical thing to do was step down if I planned to become politically active in a city commission campaign. (I’m sure the City Clerk still has a record of my resignation and the reason why I thought it was appropriate to step down at that time).
7): I certainly haven’t declared some kind “fatwa” against the mayor as you indicate. I do, however, believe that mayors of St. Augustine serve a ceremonial role and have no legislative power. If they do have some legislative power I’m unaware of, please correct me. But signing proclamations, chairing meetings and representing the city at social functions and other gatherings is “ceremonial” to this observer.
8): I am very proud to have been a city councilman for sixteen years in Nevada City, CA, and in all communications with city hall and city commissioners have used the Gmail address exnevadacitymayor. I thought for the column, however, that using my secondary address of cottrell.sf would be best. (I can certainly change that for my next column if you think it would be a better address).
Now aren’t you glad I corrected those errors for you before you stood up during Public Comments and thoroughly embarrassed yourself?
Best,
Steve
P.S. Thanks for posting the cover of my book. Might help sales. Lord knows, I could use the royalty checks.
1. How many City Commission meetings have you attended in St. Augustine?
2. What made you write your first column, calling for abolition of an elected Mayor?
3. What have you accomplished in life?
4. Did the Record post and advertise the job for your column?
5. Did you give the Record a list of proposed columns?
6. Are you in the states today and planning to attend the Commission meeting?
7. I plan on quoting you and asking (again) for fair public comment rules.
8. Why didn't you respond to earlier inquiries or respond to this previously?]
9. You are still listed as a member of the do-nothing civil service board.
10. Why do you contend you have not been a member of that board since 2014?
11. Which Commission campaign(s) did you anticipate becoming involved in in 2014?
12. What agreements, understandings and relationships do you have with the ancien regime?
13. Have you stated re: Mayor Shaver that you intended to work for her defeat? Why?
14. Who put the fox in your bosom? Why do you hate Mayor Shaver and eschew democracy and reform?
15. Who was confused about your Record column on my blog? Why was your first communication with me an attack, when I agreed with you on expanding public comment? What was your agenda?
16. Why was your very first column in opposition to democratic election of mayors in St. Augustine?
17. What do you think of corruption and the FBI investigation?
18. What is the purpose of your column?
19. Did someone recruit you or suggest that you write a column? Who, why and for what purpose?
20. Will we ever see you at a government meeting in St. Augustine, Florida, ever?
21. Again, the current Civil Service Board website states that the members include:
Steve Cottrell
137 1/2 King St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
22. There is a presumption of correctness in government records, such as Board rosters and deeds. Correct? Please e-mail me a copy of any resignation letter you sent or send to easlavin@aol.com
23. Has any public official in St. Augustine ever had a regular Record column since Officer Joe retired?
Thank you.
Cordially,
Ed Slavin
Waiting for COTTRELL to answer basic questions. What do you reckon?
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