Tuesday, December 04, 2018

St. Augustine Beach Follies





At last night's St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting, Mayor Undine Celeste Pawlowski George stated she had unilaterally removed from the agenda of the November meeting an item about the no-bid, $1/year least to St. Augustine Beach Civic Association for a garage next to the St. Augustine Beach Pier Park a/k/a "St. Johns Ocean and Fishing Pier Park."  

Mayor Undine George said the police did not need it, and she did not "want to rub salt in [SABCA's] wounds" since the County did not renew its lease for the Farmer's Market.  

In fact and in reality, the SABCA garage lease has EXPIRED.  See correspondence below.  

The purpose of the lease no longer exists.

It was a breach of fiduciary duty when entered into.

When a dodgy 501(c)(3) and its officers act like they are the government of St. Augustine Beach, throws its weight around opposing reformers, supports corrupt Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, and generally acts like a bumptious bully, anything can happen, including corruption.

JFK said "there are three things in life that are real-- God, human folly and laughter.  The first two are incomprehensible, so we must do what we can with the third."

We're laughing at Mayor Undine George and her ineffectual favoritism toward the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association, a dodgy 501(c)(3) which once denied membership to her and her husband, former Mayor Edward George.

With a "Mayor" like that, St. Augustine Beach is a laughingstock.  It's bad enough that the City Manager, BRUCE MAX ROYLE, falls asleep in meetings, and ignores an expiring lease to favor his pals at the Civic Association.  

But to Mayor George, let me ask, "Do you even remember when you sold out?"




-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin
To: comugeorge ; commkostka ; comrobrien ; comdsamora ; commengland ; mroyle ; braddatz
Cc: sabcivic ; rvbailey ; mrbailey ; sheldon.gardner ; jim.sutton ; hardwickra ; sgarysnodgrass ; judgelitt10 ; waltbog
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 5:11 pm
Subject: Request No. 2018-520: Expired SABCA garage lease; St. Augustine Beach City Manager sleeping during Commission meetings; National search.


































Dear Mayor George, Vice Mayor England, Commissioners Kostka, Samora, and Mr. Royle:
1. Please place the enclosed expired St. Augustine Beach Civic Association (SABCA) garage lease on the agenda for the next St. Augustine Beach Commission meeting.

2. Please send me a copy of any document notifying St. Augustine Beach City Commissioners that the SABCA garage lease has expired.
3. It was a breach of fiduciary duty for the City of St. Augustine to enter into the no-bid $1/year lease and to renew it repeatedly, amidst hectoring and harassment by angry SABCA members, including nonresidents.  The enclosed no-bid lease was no model of legal draftsmanship by your former City Attorney, DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT and St. Johns Law Group, conflicted counsel for BOTH the City of St. Augustine Beach and developers.
4. It was a breach of fiduciary duty for City staff not to notify Commissioners that the SABCA garage has expired.
5. The purpose of the garage lease (Farmer's Market) no longer exists -- SABCA lost its Farmer's Market contract earlier this year when St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners rightly ordered competitive bidding for the first time in twenty (20) years -- SABCA was the lowest-rated bidder.  
6. Do I understand correctly that SABCA has some three (3) subleases for the garage that were never approved by City Commission? Who is using the garage space today?  Please arrange a site visit tomorrow.
7. Curiously, the no-bid $1/year SABCA garage lease gives SABCA's address as 2200 A1A Blvd -- St. Augustine Beach City Hall.  Government documents show that SABCA often gave the current City Hall as its address.  Is SABCA paying rent at City Hall?  Did it ever pay rent at City Hall at any time? 
8. Before City Hall moved to its current location, SABCA gave the prior City Hall building as its address.  Did SABCA  ever pay rent at the old City Hall address?

9. Please direct SABCA to vacate the garage.  Its lease has expired and the purpose for the lease no longer exists.
10. It is not "rubbing salt' in SABCA's "wounds" for the City of St. Augustine Beach as a municipal corporation to preserve and protect the rights of its citizens to City property.  (hat was Mayor George's dicta expressed at the December 3, 2018 meeting in Commissioner comments, expressing the reasons for her pulling and deleting a prior agenda item on the SABCA lease, sua sponte.
11.  Commissioners, please do your jobs without fear or favor of a dodgy unaccountable 501(c)(3), from this day forward.  
12. At last night's (December 2, 2018) Commission meeting, City Manager BRUCE MAX ROYLE was asleep.  Ms. Rosetta Bailey pointed this out, several times during her public comments on Embassy Suites.  I thought perhaps Mr. ROYLE had suffered a stroke.  Mr. ROYLE has written in his monthly newspaper column of his propensity to sleep in meetings.  None of you have ever addressed this habit of sleeping on the job, even in City meetings, correct?
20181203_181432.jpg


13. Mayor George, you never asked Mr. ROYLE last night if he was ill or needed a break after he sat sleeping for several minutes.  Why?
14. If Mr. ROYLE reported to me, I would have a candid conversation with him about his health, and whether he is up to the job.  This is basic management skills, and a matter of basic human empathy and kindness. 
15. Please commence a national search for a new City Manager.   No more excuses are desired or required.  Letting a lease expire without advising you is a firing offense.  It is time for BRUCE MAX ROYLE to go, after 30 years.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998





-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: braddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>; mroyle <mroyle@cityofsab.org>
Cc: jpwilson <jpwilson@cityofsab.org>
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 4:20 pm
Subject: Re: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park


Dear Ms. Raddatz and Mr. Royle:
Please answer the question.  
Who decided not to tell Commissioners the lease has expired? Mr. Royle?
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998


-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly Raddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
To: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 4:17 pm
Subject: RE: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park

Mr. Slavin:
After a reasonable review, the City has no responsive documents for your request.
Sincerely,
Beverly Raddatz, MMC
City Clerk
City of St. Augustine Beach
2200 A1A South
St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080
(904) 471-2122  FAX (904) 471-4108
Confidentiality Notice: This Email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited, and that you have received this E-Mail and any accompanying files in error. You should notify the City of St. Augustine Beach immediately by replying to this message and deleting them from your system. City of St. Augustine Beach does not accept responsibility for changes to E-Mails that occur after they have been sent.



-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: braddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 2:45 pm
Subject: Fwd: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park

Dear Ms. Raddatz:
Who decided not to tell Commissioners the lease has expired? Mr. Royle?  Please provide documents.

Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998


-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly Raddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
To: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 2:40 pm
Subject: RE: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park

Mr. Slavin:
The lease speaks for itself.  I have provided the lease which you requested.
Sincerely,
Beverly Raddatz, MMC
City Clerk
City of St. Augustine Beach
2200 A1A South
St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080
(904) 471-2122  FAX (904) 471-4108
Confidentiality Notice: This Email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited, and that you have received this E-Mail and any accompanying files in error. You should notify the City of St. Augustine Beach immediately by replying to this message and deleting them from your system. City of St. Augustine Beach does not accept responsibility for changes to E-Mails that occur after they have been sent.
From: Ed Slavin [mailto:easlavin@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2018 2:35 PM
To: Beverly Raddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
Subject: Re: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park
Dear Ms. Raddatz:
Do I understand correctly that the SABCA lease has expired, and a key term is no longer met -- SABCA lost the Farmer's Market contract.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly Raddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
To: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 7:50 am
Subject: RE: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park
Mr. Slavin:
Please see attached per your public records request.
Sincerely,
Beverly Raddatz, MMC
City Clerk
City of St. Augustine Beach
2200 A1A South
St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080
(904) 471-2122  FAX (904) 471-4108
Confidentiality Notice: This Email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited, and that you have received this E-Mail and any accompanying files in error. You should notify the City of St. Augustine Beach immediately by replying to this message and deleting them from your system. City of St. Augustine Beach does not accept responsibility for changes to E-Mails that occur after they have been sent.
From: Ed Slavin [mailto:easlavin@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2018 10:19 PM
To: Beverly Raddatz <braddatz@cityofsab.org>
Cc: Comm England <commengland@cityofsab.org>; Comm Kostka <commkostka@cityofsab.org>; Comm George <comugeorge@cityofsab.org>; Comm O'Brien <comrobrien@cityofsab.org>; Comm Samora <comdsamora@cityofsab.org>; rvbailey@aol.com; Jim Wilson <jpwilson@cityofsab.org>; craig.richardson@staugustine.comjim.sutton@staugustine.comsheldon.gardner@staugustine.com; Robert Hardwick <hardwickra@sabpd.org>
Subject: Request No. 2018-519: SABCA subleases for City garage at St. Augustine Beach Pier Park
Dear Ms. Raddatz:
Please send me SABCA's City garage subleases and City approval for them.  Please place this item on the agenda for January meeting.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998




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