Monday, October 17, 2016

ILLEGAL INJUNCTION AGAINST TOM REYNOLDS BY ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH MAYOR O'BRIEN; NO RESPONSE ON UNPERMITTED POLLUTION

In response to  government watchdog Tom Reynolds' National Response Center complaint about pollution by Mayor RICHARD O'BRIEN's resort this morning, there has been retaliation.

St. Augustine Beach Mayor RICHARD O'BRIEN hired real estate lawyer Bill Curtis to obtain an injunction barring Tom Reynolds from City Hall during the October 17, 2016 City Commission meeting (tonight), accusing Mr. Reynolds of "stalking" for criticizing him and admitting the hoses used to dispose of water into the City's storm water system.

As to whether any permit was sought, still no response from O'BRIEN.


-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin
To: comrobrien ; mroyle ; hardwickra ; parkerja ; braddatz ; serdelyi ; jimwil03 ; comasamuels ; comugeorge ; comsgsnodgrass ; commengland
Sent: Mon, Oct 17, 2016 1:51 pm
Subject: Re: Request No. 2016-420: National Response Center Report No. 1161722, any NPDES & Section 404 permits for ocean pollution by GRACIE HOLDING LLC, BEACH DEVELOPMENT LLC, LaFiesta, 810 AIA Beach Blvd

Dear Mayor O'Brien, et al.
1. Did you, your wife Lauren and your LaFiesta Inn and Suites have a permit when your employees began this dumping?
2. Have you ever applied for a permit for such dumping, which allegedly destroyed a dune?
3. Have you consulted any environmental lawyer or criminal defense attorney?  Who? 
4. Are you relying upon your Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination to avoid answering my Request No. 2016-420?  
5. Governments do not have Fifth Amendment rights -- only people.
6. You as a person may have the right to remain silent, but we sincerely wish you wouldn't.
7. The public interest in your actions affecting our beach and ocean requires full disclosure.  Now.  The election is on November 8th.
8. Will you please respond to my Request No. 2016-420 before 4 PM?
9. Mr. Tom Reynolds has filed National Response Center Report No. 1161722.
10. Please preserve all city, corporate and personal records for review by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998


-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: public.services <public.services@dep.state.fl.us>; foia-saj saj@usace.army.mil
>; comrobrien <comrobrien@cityofsab.org>; mroyle <mroyle@cityofsab.org>; hardwickra <hardwickra@sabpd.org>; dshoar <dshoar@sjso.org>; mwanchick <mwanchick@sjcfl.us>; pmccormack <pmccormack@sjcfl.us>; jimwil03 <jimwil03@yahoo.com>; cmulligan <cmulligan@sjso.org>; mcline <mcline@sjso.org>; NRC <NRC@uscg.mil>
Sent: Sun, Oct 16, 2016 11:13 pm
Subject: Request No. 2016-420: NPDES & Section 404 permits for ocean pollution by GRACIE HOLDING LLC, BEACH DEVELOPMENT LLC, LaFiesta, 810 AIA Beach Blvd

Good evening:
1. Please send copies of any NPDES, Section 404 or other environmental permits applied for or obtained by, or notifications made by or on behalf of:
GRACIE HOLDING LLC,
BEACH DEVELOPMENT LLC,
d/b/a "LaFiesta Ocean Inn and Suites," owned and controlled by St. Augustine Beach Mayor Richard O'Brien and his wife Lauren Ringhaver, to discharge thousands of gallons of alleged pollutants, from their resort location at 810 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine Beach, Florida 32080, October 8, 2016 to the date of your response:
A.  onto our St. Augustine Beach; or
B.  into our Atlantic Ocean; or 
C.  into local sewers or storm sewers.
2. Please send me any legal research, federal police or sheriff or local prosecutor investigations, reports, correspondence, photo or video surveillance or documentation concerning:
A.  the nature, extent, effects, chemical and biological composition, and resolution of the alleged pollution; and 
B.  citizen protected activity in reporting the alleged pollution to SABPD, et al.
C. SABPD referrals to FDEP, EPA, the State's Attorney, Sheriff, or any environmental crimes unit.
3. Please be sure to include any communications with, investigations of, or interactions with local government watchdog Thomas F. "Tom" Reynolds, Jr. in response to Mr. Reynolds' protected activity under the First and Ninth Amendments and environmental law, to make reports of alleged pollution, whether by SAPD, county, city, security, legal or other personnel.
4. Please respond to me by Noon on October 17, 2016.
5. Mayor O'Brien and St. Augustine Beach Commissioners:
A. Please place Mr. Reynolds' specific beach and ocean pollution concerns on the St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting agenda on October 17, 2016 at 6 PM.  
B. Please place the public's reasonable expectations of probity, and maladroit SAB and SABPD responses to citizen and employee protected activity on pollution concerns on a future Commission agenda. SAB is a customer service organization and must act like one. 
C. You will kindly recall that circa 2011, St. Augustine Beach Commission voted to reject my modest proposal for a whistleblower policy, patterned after the one unanimously adopted by Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission of St. Johns County.
D. Never again should our citizens perceive they are being discouraged, intimidated or given inaccurate, misleading, discouraging, false or intimidating misinformation in response to pollution concerns, which must be acted upon without fear or favor of influential persons.
E. Please make the overhead projector available during the October 17, 2016 6 PM meeting so that Mr. Tom Reynolds, et al may share color photographs of the alleged pollution in quo, and to question Chief Robert Hardwick, Commander James Parker and Mayor Richard O'Brien about the events of October 8-16, 2016 at the 810 A1A Beach Blvd property.
F. Please direct the City's Information Technology staff to make certain that all available photos and videotapes will be viewable in the meeting room and to viewers of the meeting on cable television and internet streaming video during the meeting.
G. Please cease and desist from any perceived efforts by SAB, SABPD, et al. to chill, coerce, intimidate or retaliate against Mr. Reynolds' protected activity in reporting alleged ocean pollution by the Mayor of St. Augustine Beach, Florida, Mr. Richard O''Brien, his wife and their corporations.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998

1 comment:

Warren Celli said...

With Saint Augustine city sidewalks still cluttered with yet to be picked up rusting paint cans, compromised pesticide containers, and all sorts of mold and filth covered, flea and bacteria breeding and hazardous containing materials, etc,, etc., that are spreading gross destruction into the environment, it is truly heartwarming to see the city's precious resources diverted to expensive big crews and big bucket trucks used to string lights in the city plaza for the rich merchants garish and self serving nights of lights celebration.

Maybe an old fashioned holiday celebration would be better received this year?

Maybe an old fashioned, "Lights off for the environment celebration!" would be better understood and supported by the public.

What a shame we are not all in this "together".

What a shame our self serving city leaders have made us Saint Augustine stupid!

What a shame and embarrassment our self centered wealthy elite are.

Does this knowing and willing diversion of limited resources from environmental clean up to merchant greed gland stimulation constitute a violation of the criminal provisions of the clean water act?

A failure to protect the environment?

I think so!

What do you reckon?