1. I appreciate one City of St. Augustine, Florida Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) member filing financial disclosure forms. Thank you, Jeremy Marquis, for promptly complying with the reasonable expectations of probity, filing a disclosure form earlier this week with our City Clerk's office (not yet received by the Supervisor of Elections office as of 3:25 PM). Four HARB colleagues must also file disclosures.
2. Unfortunately, ISABELLE LOPEZ (Assistant City Attorney), responded as requested to RONALD WAYNE BROWN (City Attorney) in his improper written request for "some protection" from the Florida Ethics Commission, to wit by making one telephone call. "Protection?" For whom, from whom? As directed by CA BROWN, ACA LOPEZ made a brief telephone call to the Florida Ethics Commission. She states she took no notes, received no written "opinion," but then extravagantly proceeded to misrepresent matters today to our City Manager, JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E., to the materially false and misleading effect that the Florida Ethics Commission gave an oral "opinion" that no disclosures are required from HARB members. In the word of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, this reflects, at best, "terminological inexactitude."
3. The Florida Ethics Commission does not give oral "opinions" and did not give one on HARB. In fact, in a 31-minute conversation yesterday, Florida Ethics Commission General Counsel Chris Anderson confirmed the Ethics Commission has not issued an "opinion
" on HARB, but that a 1979 "opinion" under the prior statute requires disclosures for a similar board.
4. The Florida Ethics Commission does not issue oral "opinions." Hence, ACA LOPEZ' statements to CM REGAN today are "inoperative," in the infamous words of Ronald Louis Ziegler, President Richard Milhous Nixon's press secretary. ACA LOPEZ, the new City Attorney-designate, is an embarrassment to our City of St. Augustine and all of its residents.
5. In some fifty (50) years, there is no evidence that any City Attorney ever researched this issue. HARB members have the power to accept or reject building demolition and decide what colors are painted, what kind of pavers are used, what type of balconies may be erected, etc. They are plainly covered by the plain meaning of the statute.
6. Rote, reflexive resistance to public requests for ethical disclosures of financial interests are beyond the pale of our Nation's Oldest City. Reliance on governmental guesswork to excuse nondisclosure is unacceptable. Such low-quality legal work is beneath the standard of care, and must be ended at once.
7. Do ACA LOPEZ's material misrepresentations of both law and fact to our City Manager violate both federal and state laws? Is this what we expect from a City Attorney ? "Counting to three" may have been the standard under Messrs. GEOFFREY DOBSON and RONALD WAYNE BROWN. It is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated. Legal scholarship and independent legal advice is both desired and required. Now.
8. The questionable no-bid lease with the City of St. Augustine, Florida for commercial property at 81 St. George Street, and the nondisclosure of financial interests by HARB Chairman CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, Jr., have both been referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Why? Because you, Mayor, ex-Mayor, current City Commissioners and HARB members gave us no other choice.
9. The City Commission ignored, flouted and disrespected my respectful written requests for a public hearing before renewing the lease of valuable City-owned property to Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. and former Mayor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR.
10. Not one Commissioner asked a question or made a motion or showed any interest in the BOLES-WEEKS deal, which is estimated to have profited them some $2-3 million since July 25, 1989.
11. The City has stonewalled some requests for information. Messrs. BOLES and WEEKS refused to provide a copy of their sublease. Mayor BOLES publicly stated at the City Commission meeting on July 14, 2014 that this is the best-ever public-private partnership.
12. The two inept City Attorneys in quo have been diffident and uncommunicative, refusing to obtain the sublease.
13. The FBI will review these matters pursuant to federal criminal law, since you have all refused to engage citizens asking questions, which continue with the possible renewal of the no-bid lease today, for another five (5) years.
14. Please preserve all paper, electronic and physical evidence, including computer evidence on your hard drives, E-mail, PDAs, and otherwise, both at the City, private offices, homes, cars, boats and the offices of your respective counsel, partners and consultants.
Herein faileth not. Govern yourselves accordingly.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
904-377-4998
ISABELLE LOPEZ
(Historic City News)
RONALD WAYNE BROWN, ST. AUGUSTINE CITY ATTORNEY, WANTS "PROTECTION" FROM FLORIDA ETHICS COMMISSION FOR CALLS FOR DISCLOSURE BY HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS FROM WHOM FOR WHOM?
PHOTO CREDIT: 1565TODAY.COM/BRIAN JAMES NELSON
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