Letter: Plan for buildings conflicts with study
Reed K. Taylor
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 02/05/09
Editor: I attended last week's St. Johns County delegation meeting and was taken aback -- as I think Senator Jim King was as well -- by St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles' request to allow the city to extend long-term contracts to entrepreneurs wishing to occupy the state buildings recently offered to the University of Florida for stewardship. (He also is asking the state to give the city a 99-year lease on those buildings).
His request is at direct odds with the strategic plan being finalized this week by the UF which offers a seemingly viable plan to build an interpretation center which will then provide a revenue source for UF to rehabilitate and maintain these properties for years to come. I have been closely watching this strategic plan develop during the past year with the input of many St. Augustine residents, vendors, government officials and UF faculty.
I question why Boles took this opportunity to undermine the great effort and time being put into this well thought out plan which is to be presented this week to our area legislators and others across the state. Personally, I would like to see UF have a long-term, high quality, and educational partnership with our historic city rather than sell ourselves out to the highest bidder and possibly be stuck with a tacky T-shirt shop for 99 years.
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1 comment:
High-quality management reveals misconduct and double-dealing, so HIGH QUALITY management is not favored by the individuals I know running the City of St. Augustine Government.
The city took over the historic properties with the very expectation of putting money in the pockets of their commercial landlord friends, City Board officers all.
Of course the city's bad management made city insiders money while running down the properties and badly managing everything in the process.
Boles is paying back his campaign donors with city power and influence. I trust Senator Jim King was not pursuaded or amused.
I suggest to you sir that Mayor Boles may not be looking out for the citizens of st. Augustine but his downtown friends, clients and fellow conspirators, perhaps?
Perhaps Mr. Taylor, you will look over campaign donors on the elections web site and the city's list of Board members and do your own math.
roger_jolley@yahoo.com
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