Friday, August 04, 2017

No Increase in Building Fees for 21 Years: CORRUPTION IN ST. AUGUSTINE




Our badly mismanaged City of St. Augustine has not increased fees for building permits in 21 years.  

The low fees are a sign of corruption.  

St. Augustine has no impact fees.

The absence of impact fees are a sign of corruption. 

We subsidize developers.  

They don't pay the cost of the staff time invested in inspecting, approving and vetting their projects.  

Why should they?  

They think that they own City Hall.  

They think that they own four out of five Commissioners.  

They appear to dominate, control or substantially influence dupey DAVID DOUGLAS BIRCHIM, City Planning and Building Director, dopey City Manager JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E., duplicitous TIMOTH BURCHFIELD, et pals.   

That's why the Directors sit at the back of the City Commission meeting room, laughing and telling jokes, ignored by Commissioners who know where their bread's buttered.  Sick twists.

So on Tuesday, August 2, 2017, I suggested that building fees be calculated based on staff time -- the way they do with Open Records requests.   

While several PZB members seemed intrigued, cognitive miser DAVID DOUGLAS BIRCHIM, our estimable Planning and Building Director, pooh-poohed the idea (after I left the podium, natch).  There's not a creative bone in his body, apparently.  Sad.

Oh, and Little Davie wants future increases approved by resolution, not ordinance.  

Because in the corrupt City of St. Augustine, Florida, We the People are not permitted to speak on resolutions.  Or first readings of ordinances.  Or presentations.  Or anything but general public comment or second readings of resolutions.  Because that's how corrupt former City Manager WILLIAM BARRY HARRISS wanted it, and apparently still wants it.  This is what HARRISS wrote to Commissioner Roxanne Horvath at 11:01 AM on Sunday, July 9, 2017 about one of his pet lobbying projects, the San Marco Hotel, which may never be built as approved by Commissioners because it's physically impossible:


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