OSHA Asked to Investigate Ex-Mayor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. Over Colonial Building Collapse

The United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been asked to conduct a criminal, civil and administrative investigation of local employer CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, Jr. (LEN WEEKS CONTRUCTION) for the September 25, 2014 collapse of an historic building at 62 Spanish Street, the Don Pedro Fornell home.

The building was a national treasure and no demolition permit was approved before WEEKS' construction crew intentionally caused its collapse by digging trenches on all four sides against City orders.

While no workers were hurt in the September 25, 2014 building collapse, the building, at Spanish and St. George Street, borders two busily travelled streets and could easily have hurt or killed workers and tourists.

OSHA civil fines may be appealed to an independent administrative law judge and presidentially appointed commissioners of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

I made the OSHA investigation request after learning of the building collapse, caused when WEEKS allegedly disobeyed instructions from the City of St. Augustine concerning the historic building, which he destroyed while supposedly reinforcing its foundation. After the building collapsed, the City of St. Augustine approved its demolition after consulting a history expert.

Built in 1804, 210 years ago, the former home of Don Pedro Fornell was a national treasure from the second Spanish period. It was known to have a fragile foundation built of coquina and oyster shells.

WEEKS is the cause of the building collapse through reckless, intentional actions, it appears.

WEEKS allegedly dug trenches 360 degrees around the building, without permission of city officials. He was supposed to wait for word as to when to excavate trenches around only one side at a time, in order to dig two foot trenches to lay a concrete collar to reinforce the building.

WEEKS is holder of a valid general contractor's license that expires August 31, 2016 (number CGC011558); he also has a real estate license that expired in 1994 (number 391461).

WEEKS earned a Master's Degree in Construction at the University of Florida.

WEEKS is also partner with St. Augustine Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. in the building at 81 St. George Street, subject of our investigation and reports in FOLIO WEEKLY concerning the no-bid lease of a City building since 1989. The prime commercial rental property was sublet to their former business, FLORIDA CRACKER CAFE and to SAVANNAH SWEETS, without ever having permission from the City to sublet after they sold the business. In building 81 St. George Street, WEEKS was issued shutdown orders for the City of St. Augustine for construction without a permit. The records are on file at the St. Augustine Historical Research Library at Aviles Street and Artillery Lane.

WEEKS is also Chair of the St. Augustine Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB), with suzerainty over historic buildings such as the one he destroyed on September 25, 2014.

WEEKS is also Chair of the Parking and Traffic Committee of the City of St. Augustine.

WEEKS is also a member of the St. Augustine City Visioning Committee.

WEEKS has long resided in a different city, the City of St. Augustine Beach, Florida, where he recently served on the decennial Charter Review Committee.

WEEKS owns, individually, corporately and with his parents, many historic downtown buildings, collects many rents from shops and restaurants.

An oligopolistic commercial landlord, WEEKS has long advocating criminal arrests and criminal prosecution of artists and musicians for painting, singing, playing music and performing on St. George Street. WEEKS is responsible for enacting several ordinances found to have violated the First Amendment. As Mayor, WEEKS caused many arrests, and was cruelly unfair to citizens seeking to testify against his artist and musician suppression ordinances, which have unconstitutional criminal penalties.

Now, WEEKS' partner, Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, Jr. faces a tough uphill battle in the November 4, 2014 Mayor's election. As a result of his intentional actions less than six weeks before that election, it now appears that WEEKS could be prosecuted, convicted and incarcerated for criminal violations of federal occupational safety laws and criminal conspiracy to violate St. Augustine's rigorous historic protection laws.