Thursday, September 21, 2017

There's no public participation in hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning in St. Johns County, Florida -- no public hearings, no democratic planning process

Hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning must involve everyone, particularly low-income people, people of color and persons with disabilities, particularly the hearing-impaired. Our local governments lack a welcoming spirit. Enough insensitive top-down fatwas from fatuous poohbahs and lugubrious goobers like Sheriff DAVID BERNARD SHOAR and County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK.

St. Johns County SHERIFF DAVID SHOAR, who changed his name from "HOAR" in 1994
(Historic City News photograph)














Really putrid and pitiful that there's no public participation in hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning here.

Read my response to the County's stunning admission earlier today:


-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: bcc1jjohns <bcc1jjohns@sjcfl.us>; bcc2jsmith <bcc2jsmith@sjcfl.us>; bcc3pwaldron <bcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.us>; bccd4 <bccd4@sjcfl.us>; bcc5hdean <bcc5hdean@sjcfl.us>
Sent: Thu, Sep 21, 2017 3:17 pm
Subject: Why no public participation in St. Johns County hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning? (See SJC BoCC response to Request No. 2017-562)











Dear Chairman Johns, Vice Chairman Dean, and Commissioners Morris, Smith and Waldron:
1. Our St. Johns County hurricane disaster and evacuation planning has NO public participation.  See below, SJC BoCC September 21, 2017 response to my Request No. 2017-562.

2. Why is there no public participation in hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning in St. Johns County?  
3. Please place this urgent matter on the agenda of a future Commission meeting and kindly direct the formation of an advisory committee to assist the Commission and the Florida State House of Representatives Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness, to which Rep. Paul Renner has been appointed by Speaker Corcoran.

4. Please place the County's hurricane, disaster and evacuation plan on the agenda for at least four  public hearings.
5. Please assure meaningful and equal opportunities for public participation from everyone in the county on hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning, particularly including low-income people, people of color, and people for whom English is their second language.  This is essential to comply with the First and Fourteenth Amendments and with Article I, Section 24 of our Florida Constitution.
6. Our all-Republican, all-white and all-male St. Johns County Commission (and certain other local governmental units) lack a truly welcoming spirit.  
7. Public participation is discouraged, in so many ways.  Free speech rights are routinely chilled. 
8. Nothing I have seen since 1999 proves this more than the SJC BoCC's response today to my Open Records Request No. 2017-562 -- there are no records on any public participation on disaster and evacuation planning!  
9. This undemocratic situation is unacceptable, must be ended and remedied at once.  
10. Please respond today to discuss.
Thank you. 
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin
To: bcc1jjohns ; bcc2jsmith ; bcc3pwaldron ; bccd4 ; bcc5hdean
Sent: Thu, Sep 21, 2017 3:39 pm
Subject: Re: Why no public participation in St. Johns County hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning? (See SJC BoCC response to Request No. 2017-562)

Dear Chairman Johns, Vice Chairman Dean, and Commissioners Morris, Smith and Waldron:
Please be sure to include persons with disabilities --- particularly including the hearing-impaired -- in public participation for hurricane, disaster and evacuation planning.
Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
-----Original Message-----
From: Betty Dixon <bdixon@sjcfl.us>
To: easlavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Cc: Regina Ross <rross@sjcfl.us>; Diane Lehmann <dlehmann@sjcfl.us>
Sent: Thu, Sep 21, 2017 9:49 am
Subject: Response RE: Request No. 2017-562: Public participation in disaster and evacuation planning
Dear Mr. Slavin,
After a reasonable review, the County has found no records responsive to your request. However, if you’d like additional information please visit our website at http://www.sjcemergencymanagement.org/cemp.html.
Thank you,
Betty A. Dixon
Legal Services Specialist
Office of County Attorney
500 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, FL. 32084
Office: 904-209-0817
Email: bdixon@sjcfl.us
This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying it contains information intended solely for the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may include confidential information. This information will be made available to the public upon request (Florida Statute 119.01) unless the information is exempted according to Florida law. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information contained herein is prohibited by Federal Regulations (42 CFR Section 481.101), HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and State law. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or a person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that you must not disseminate, copy, use, distribute, publish or take any action in connection therewith. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information is subject to prosecution and may result in a fine or imprisonment. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. If you have received this communication in error, do not distribute it. Please notify the sender immediately by electronic mail and delete this message. Thank you
From: Betty Dixon
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2017 10:15 AM
To: easlavin@aol.com
Cc: Regina Ross <rross@sjcfl.us>; Diane Lehmann <dlehmann@sjcfl.us>
Subject: Acknowledgement RE: Request No. 2017-562: Public participation in disaster and evacuation planning
Dear Mr. Slavin,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your public records request.  St. Johns County will determine if it has any records that are responsive to your request.  If any such records are located, we will compile them and redact any exempt material prior to providing them to you.  Should it be determined that the nature or volume of the public records requested requires the extensive use of information technology resources, or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance, or both, then we will first respond with an estimate of the additional charges for the actual costs incurred, and whether a deposit will be required.  In such instance, the records will be compiled only after you approve the charges and the County receives any required deposit.  Payment for the total or remaining costs can be made when the records are available.  If the actual cost is less than your deposit, you will be refunded the balance.
Thank you,
Betty A. Dixon
Legal Services Specialist
Office of County Attorney
500 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, FL. 32084
Office: 904-209-0817
Email: bdixon@sjcfl.us
This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying it contains information intended solely for the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may include confidential information. This information will be made available to the public upon request (Florida Statute 119.01) unless the information is exempted according to Florida law. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information contained herein is prohibited by Federal Regulations (42 CFR Section 481.101), HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and State law. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or a person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that you must not disseminate, copy, use, distribute, publish or take any action in connection therewith. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information is subject to prosecution and may result in a fine or imprisonment. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. If you have received this communication in error, do not distribute it. Please notify the sender immediately by electronic mail and delete this message. Thank you
From: Ed Slavin [mailto:easlavin@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2017 8:58 AM
To: mroyle@cityofsab.org; Michael Wanchick; jregan@citystaug.com; tohclerk@windstream.net; xueamcd@bellsouth.net; sjpubrec@stjohns.k12.fl.us;  erw@sgj-airport.com; Patrick McCormack; dgalambos@citystaug.com; scottopengov@eog.myflorida.com; nshaver@citystaug.com; Commissioner James K. Johns; comrobrien@cityofsab.org; jpwilson@cityofsab.org; ilopez@citystaug.com
Cc: Commissioner Henry Dean; thomasfreynolds@yahoo.com
Subject: Request No. 2017-562: Public participation in disaster and evacuation planning
Good morning:
1. Please send me any documents reflecting any public participation in disaster and evacuation planning, including any public hearings.
2. If none exist, please so state today.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,


at

No comments:

Post a Comment