JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., Mayor of St. Augustine.
Photo Credit: Greg Travous (and Hans Holbein the Younger)
WILLIAM B. HARRISS, City Mangler
Photo Credit: J.D. Pleasant
This is why downtown merchants backed the election and re-election of JOSSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR. See below.
"Entrepreneurs?"
Don't make me laugh.
Ex-Mayor Len Weeks?
Weeks needs 99-year leases?
That's obscene.
How exquisitely selfish, self-indulgent and rapacious, like a Banana Republic.
How dare these Banana Republicans -- like BOLES and ERROL JONES a/k/a "ERRONEOUS JONES" even think of abusing the public trust for their private profit thattaway.
As Jefferson said, "A public office is a public trust."
So are public lands.
This land is our land.
Not LEN WEEKS.
Not JOE BOLES.
Not WILLIAM HARRISS.
The alternative to BOLESVILLE is a St. Augustine National Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Highway. There is no substitute.
BOLES' own mother supports the park, despite his despicable attempt to hit her with his own peevish gag order. As Maurine Boles said to a mutual friend, despite BOLES' pressures, "I still support the park."
See more on the St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Highway further below.
A handful of downtown landlords/multi-store merchants have been taking up the leases for the State properties and then making a fortune sub-letting, raising retail rents on their fellow merchant friends.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile the city sstaff running the state properties couldn't afford upkeep on the buildings while these merchant princes made royal profits.
Now the mayor is paying back his backers for their financial help this last election; the downtown area Chamber of Commerce officers who happen to also serve on volunteer and apointed city Boards and own one or more of these leases ALL JUST HAPPEN to show up on the Mayor's donation page from the three-way Primary race August 26, 2008.
A 99-year lease means Len Weeks, Mike Pounds, Richard Pinto and a handful of others, cronies of the Mayor will be able to pass on to their great-grand-children the Mayor's awesome gift.
Of course it is an obscene gesture if any of our alert citizens notice. Its done at the expense of all Floridians and of course the people of St. Augustine.
roger_jolley@yahoo.com
http://www.staugustine.com/stories00/052800/city_business.shtml
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The St. Augustine Record
Web posted Wednesday, October 06, 2004
When does city business become personal?
Some see fine line between the two on city board
By TIFFANY MERLO
Staff Writer
Three businessmen, a lawyer and a retired National Guardsman make up the St. Augustine City Commission.
Each brings a different type of expertise to the board. For example, Mayor Len Weeks says one contribution he makes to the commission is his knowledge of downtown. He owns eight pieces of property there.
‘‘It’s an asset that I am here (downtown)... to really know what goes on,’’ he said.
Weeks’ eight downtown properties include his home, office, a restaurant and other storefronts that he leases. Weeks also runs Florida Cracker Cafe out of a city-owned shop on St. George Street.
But some are wondering at what point commissioners’ involvement becomes a matter of self-interest rather than a focus on St. Augustine’s best interest.
Commissioner Susan Burk asks herself this question to determine if she has a conflict of interest prior to voting on any issue: ‘‘Will it impact me more than an average citizen?’’
Burk, a lawyer, owns six pieces of residential property in St. Augustine, none of which are located downtown. Burk is also part owner of a new law office on San Marco Avenue.
She seeks to ‘‘avoid the appearance of impropriety,’’ and recognizes that being a property owner, especially downtown, could affect the judgment of a commissioner.
‘‘It would be real difficult to say it didn’t,’’ said Burk.
When asked if she would vote on the street performer issue if she were a St. George Street shop or restaurant owner, Burk said she would not. However, it may not be necessarily be unethical, she said.
Burk said it just goes back to the appearance of impropriety.
In the street performer debate, in which the commission recently voted to ban performers and artists from St. George Street, Burk said economics is at the center of the argument.
Therefore, it would have an economic or monetary impact on those who own businesses on St. George Street and in the surrounding area.
Commissioner Bill Lennon, who owns two pieces of property in St. Augustine — one a business, the other his home — thinks that Commissioner Mark Alexander, who manages downtown’s White Lion Cafe and Pub, and Weeks should not have voted on the recent sidewalk cafe ordinance because of a conflict of interest.
Lennon had proposed that the city allow sidewalk cafes in St. Augustine, especially on St. George Street, to give the place a European feel and offer people something to do in the evenings.
The effort was denied in a 3-to-2 vote with Lennon and Burk voting in favor of the sidewalk cafe ordinance.
Lennon said Weeks and Alexander voted against the idea because sidewalk cafes would have been competition for their downtown businesses.
Lennon also owns a property in St. Johns County.
Alexander responded that his decision to vote against the sidewalk ordinance was one simply based on bad timing. Since the commissioners had just voted to ban street performers from St. George Street, allowing tables and chairs in their place seemed wrong.
‘‘He (Lennon) should make his comments known at the table’’ said Alexander, who pointed out that he doesn’t own any property downtown.
Alexander’s mother, Emily, owns the White Lion Cafe and Pub.
Alexander said the law clearly states that a commissioner must stand to make a financial gain in order to abstain from a vote.
‘‘You can’t opt out of a vote just to get out of the heat,’’ he said.
Aside from the sidewalk cafe vote, Lennon agreed.
‘‘They (Weeks and Alexander) are a part of the commission. They deserve to make a vote,’’ he said, explaining that being a businessman shouldn’t stop a commissioner from voting.
Weeks said one of the requirements to be on the commission is to live in the city, and he just happens to be in the downtown historic district. As for the eight pieces of property he owns downtown, which include his home and contracting office, Weeks said he has worked hard since his college days to acquire the property.
‘‘I take a lot of risk and I believe in this city,’’ said Weeks, adding that he pays taxes and makes mortgage payments to manage his investments.
Those investments motivate him to continually upgrade the city.
‘‘My decisions are made in the best interest of everybody,’’ he said.
As for the street performer issue, Weeks said his businesses continue to flourish each year regardless of whether or not street entertainers are on St. George Street.
Weeks said he simply sees a ‘‘bigger picture for St. Augustine than one street.’’ Prior to the St. George Street ban, Weeks said the atmosphere on the street was going downhill and the flea market environment was hurting the town’s tourism industry.
‘‘I’m not against street entertainers. I’m against them all gathering in one area,’’ he said, adding that the Plaza de la Constitucion is a much better choice.
Commissioner Raymond Connor said he concentrates on the welfare of St. Augustine residents. He owns two pieces of property in St. Augustine — his home on South Street and another on Alcazar Street.
Connor does think that owning a number of downtown properties might shape a commissioner’s decision in certain matters.
‘‘You cannot help it ... It’s got to have some effect on their thinking some time,’’ he said.
Connor yields to City Attorney Jim Wilson on those matters.
To qualify for a conflict of interest, there must be a ‘‘direct financial interest,’’ said Wilson.
For example, on the street performer vote, Wilson said no one knows the financial effect that the performers and artists have on store owners. In fact, Wilson said, some performers say that merchants will be hurt — not helped — without their presence.
Therefore, to say that Weeks shouldn’t vote because he has a business on the street makes little sense.
‘‘I don’t see the relationship,’’ he said.
Attorney David Wasserman, of Orlando-based Wasserman & Walters, sees a connection and plans on investigating whether or not an anti-trust violation has occurred.
Wasserman said that in the preamble of the street performer ordinance it clearly states that the merchants pay rent while the performers do not.
‘‘They are trying to eliminate the competition,’’ he said.
In his personal view, Wasserman said it’s great to have businessmen in office. However, on certain issues, Wasserman said it’s important for those same businessmen to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Wasserman said for the mayor of a city, who owns downtown businesses, to participate in passing an ordinance that eliminates competition amounts to the abuse of power and impropriety.
He said the mayor should maintain the respect of his fellow commissioners and the community.
Wasserman is also preparing a federal lawsuit against the city on behalf of performers and artists who are banned from St. George Street. He is representing one-man-band performer Jeff Masin and others who have been warned, ticketed and arrested for violating city ordinances against public performances on the historic street.
Jane Cole, a street artist, said she doesn’t understand how Weeks can own so many businesses downtown and then vote on removing street performers and artists from that same area.
‘‘I feel it is a conflict of interest. I feel it is blatantly illegal,’’ she said.
Roger Jolley, a civic activist, said there are many residents who think Weeks has a conflict of interest, but are afraid to speak out.
‘‘The use of power to intimidate is not forgotten in St. Augustine,’’ he said. ‘‘The atmosphere of fear has been generated and a few people benefit from it.’’
Jolley said that since Weeks is a downtown restaurant owner and commercial landlord, the street performer ban on St. George Street conflicts with his business ventures.
The street performer ordinance seeks to protect the downtown businesses and merchants, he said.
Jolley pointed out that Weeks also hosts the St. Augustine & St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Historic Area Council at the Florida Cracker Cafe. The Historic Area Council hired attorney Mac McLeod to propose earlier this year a ban on street performers on St. George Street.
Although that exact ordinance wasn’t passed, a version of it was — and took performers and artists off St. George Street. Jolley said he believes that Weeks prompted the council to hire McLeod to write the ordinance.
‘‘He (Weeks) works through the Historic Area Council,’’ said Jolley.
Weeks is a member of the Historic Area Council.
Paul Williamson, with the chamber, said there are 180 members in the Historic Area Council, which includes more than St. George Street merchants. It includes a variety of individuals in the downtown area, he said.
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