Fearing Disclosures and Violations, County Commissioners' Text Messaging Now Blocked

UPDATE: St. Johns County Commission Vice Chairman Henry Dean texted me in response to this article: he does not take either his personal or government cellular telephone meetings because it is "distracting." So, I reckon at least one Commissioner who wasn't using text messages at Commission meetings to avoid and evade Sunshine laws. Commissioner Dean has not disabled texting on his cellular telephone, so if you need to reach him, his number appears below with those of other Commissioners.

If we had a zealous State's Attorney, we'd have an investigation of how it is staff always know how Commissioners are going to vote -- could it be illegal "polling" by the County Administrator and County Attorney, following in the ugly leaden footsteps of the likes of GEOFFREY DOBSON and WILLIAM BARRY HARRISS? You tell me.

Six government cellular telephone lines associated with five St. Johns County Commissioners are now blocked from text messaging, effective June 14, 2017, at an additional monthly cost to the County. County documents were provided on September 1, 2017 establishing that Board of County Commissioners "Manager" Melissa Lundquist made the change -- still awaiting further documents on the origin of this request.

Earlier this year, I asked for text messages from several local officials, including County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK.  "MIKEY THE WEASEL" WANCHICK's reflexive response to many citizen requests is to demand money for search time.  He hates accountability.

Blocking County Commissioner text messages now obviates the necessity of bringing criminal charges or civil litigation over possible Sunshine violations using text messages during meetings, e.g., to communicate with one another or with County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK, the circus ringmaster, a close crony of Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, f/k/a "HOAR."

There's some sensitivity about text messages, ever since I discovered this one, from Sheriff DAVID SHOAR's henchman, WILLIAM BARRY HARRISS, ex-City Manager of St. Augustine, to St. Augustine City Commissioner Roxanne Horvath, about KANTI PATEL's misbegotten San Marco Hotel Planned Unit Development:

Certain local public officials have been nervous as a whore in church about text messages since.

Text messages on private cellular telephones are public records, as the California Supreme Court ruled in the San Jose case.

Now, if we could only open up to public observation our five white male Republican Commissioners' subsidized free lunch breaks, where only staff attend (and sometimes a corporate lobbyist invited by County Attorney PATRICK FRANCIS McCORMACK, et al.).

At St. Augustine City Commission, City Commissioners now take their now-healthy dinner break quickly, behind closed doors, with only staff present. Under prior Mayors, City Commissioners recessed for lengthy porcine dinner breaks, with no time limit or announcement to the public of when they'd be back. In the past, apparent Sunshine violations were reported to me by two news reporters who were in attendance, one from Folio and one from the Record, involving pending matters and public comment speakers.

St. Augustine Beach Commissioners take no dinner breaks during meetings, having planned their days accordingly.

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James K. Johns, Chair
Commissioner, District 1
P: (904) 209-0301
C: (904) 615-7437
E: bcc1jjohns@sjcfl.us
Commissioner Johns' web page

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Jeb Smith
Commissioner, District 2
P: (904) 209-0302
C: (904) 325-4182
E:  bcc2jsmith@sjcfl.us
Commissioner Smith's web page.

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Paul M. Waldron
Commissioner, District 3
P: (904) 209-0303
C: (904) 436-3973
E: bcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.us
Commissioner Waldron's web page

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Jay Morris
Commissioner, District 4
P: (904) 209-0304
C: (904) 814-9403
E: bccd4@sjcfl.us
Commissioner Morris' web page.

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Henry Dean, Vice-Chair
Commissioner, District 5
P: (904) 209-0305
C: (904) 325-3924
E: bcc5hdean@sjcfl.us
Commissioner Dean's web page

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