Thursday, April 30, 2015

Speak Out on DAVID BARTON CORNEAL's Demand to Transform Dow Museum of Historic Homes Into Hotel In Historic Neighborhood


Next Tuesday (May 5th) at 2:00 PM the City of St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board will consider the application by Old Island Hotels Corporation to rezone nearly an acre of land currently zoned Historic Preservation 1 (HP-1) residential to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a commercial hotel and outdoor party venue (Item 8(b) on the agenda)
The applicant has been vague about where the 30 hotel guest parking spaces will be. The applicant and his staff of St. Augustine insiders haven't even considered where the 150 party guests not staying at the hotel will park.
If you think a hotel and party venue in a residential neighborhood is a BAD IDEA and sets a TERRIBLE precedent for all of St. Augustine's residential neighborhoods AND you aren't afraid of the threat of zombie Flagler College students renting out apartments at the refurbished Dow Museum houses, PLEASE ATTEND THE PZB MEETING AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
It REALLY, REALLY matters how many people show up and voice their opposition.
Protect our neighborhoods! Take a stand and make yourself heard!
(Thanks to David Lowther)

Speak Out May 11, 2015 At St. Augustine City Hall

Democracy is not a "spectator sport. " Become involved, come speak out on May 11th at St. Augustine City Hall at 5 PM about our fundamental rights to free speech, which are endangered and trivialized.
City Commissioners cabin public comment into three-minute segments at the beginning of meetings, except for second readings of ordinances and public hearings. But St. Johns County, St. Augustine Beach, Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County and other governments allow public comment on every agenda item. City procedural rules must be amended, as then-candidate Nancy Shaver supported in 2014.
Too often, groups of concerned residents must wait for several hours for agenda items of concern to be heard. Rather than rearranging the agenda out of courtesy, Commissioners March 23, 2015 refused Mayor Shaver's request, making citizens concerned about 450th contracting wait for several hours. This was rude.
On March 9th, Commissioner Leanna Freeman said, "are we adjourned? Are we adjourned?" and asked "Do I have three votes to move forward?" attempting to end Mayor Shaver's request for 450th contract review and audit. No-bid, sole-source, "emergency" 450th contracts require investigation.
Our City and County need Ombuds and Inspectors General and Public Liaisons.
Too many government officials are unfriendly, unapproachable, uncouth and unkind (unless you're rich). For example, Pennsylvania developer David Barton Corneal bought the Dow Museum of Historic Homes from the Daytona Museum, and on November 17, 2014, City Manager John Patrick Regan actually told First Coast News that he was "delighted."
The wealthy, developers , and government contractors /franchisees have dominated discussion and debate for too long. "We, the People" will no longer be bossed and bullied by threats, coercion, retaliation and intimidation -- a/k/a "Business As Usual." It's our government. Don't be misled by shallow, vapid, uninformed, conflicted half-truths from Record editorials and city commissioners.

ALL-WHITE SISTER CITIES EXCHANGE BETWEEN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA AND AVILES, SPAIN: CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT FILED WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH

Exhibit A -- All-white City of St. Augustine, Florida and St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. Delegation to Aviles, Spain, April 2015

The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc., City of St. Augustine, Florida and CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. --- Civil Rights Complaint re: Race Discrimination

Dear Attorney General Lynch:
Congratulations on your appointment and confirmation.  
Please direct the Civil Rights Division to investigate possible civil rights violations by Respondents, The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc., the City of St. Augustine, Florida and CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR.; Respondent Association's registered address for twenty years has been ℅ City of St. Augustine, St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King Street (Box 210), St. Augustine, Florida 32084.  See www.sunbiz.org 
1. A recipient of millions of dollars of federal funds, our City of St. Augustine, Florida (municipal government and recipient of millions of dollars in federal funds) and its alter ego, the St. Augustine, Florida Sister CIties Association, Inc. (non-profit "cultural exchange" group), and its longtime leader, ex-Mayor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. (LEN WEEKS) for:
A. Repeatedly sending all-white citizen delegations to Aviles, Spain;
B. Not sending African-American high school students to Aviles, Spain (while sending the wealthy, including at least one of Respondent WEEKS' own children).
2. Other than one former Commissioner, Errol Jones, I have found no documentary evidence of any African-American participation in this putative "cultural exchange."  Respondent City responded to my Request No. 2015-98 that it has no documents on civil rights compliance or any Mayor, Commissioner or staffer ever expressing any concerns about the all-white "cultural exchange."
3. Our City of St. Augustine provides the mailing address and funding and gives significant encouragement to this all-white group, with City funds subsidizing City Commissioners and former Mayors and Commissioners, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in travel, lodging, meals and entertainment for an all-white "cultural exchange."
4. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote from jail on June 11, 1964 that St. Augustine was "the most lawless" city in America.  
5. As a result of five decades of citizen efforts, our City is now finally but diffidently attempting to remedy environmental injustice and employment, housing, utilities, services and public accommodations  discrimination.
6.  This is too little, too late, however. We have waited long enough.  
7.  This is the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, our Nation's Oldest European-founded City.  
8. There may be further complaints and our city, St. Johns County and nearby City of St. Augustine Beach will be reformed, in Dr. King's words, "if it takes all summer.
9.  Exhibit A, above, was provided by Respondents to the St. Augustine Record and shows the all-white City of St. Augustine and St. Augustine, Florida Sister Cities Delegation to Aviles Spain "last week" (story below) on the occasion of dedication of a replica of teh 1812 Spanish Constitution Monument from our Slave Market Square to the City of Aviles, Spain.
10. Even in celebrating constitutionalism, on its 450th birthday, our Nation's Oldest European-founded City has resorted to apparently unconstitutional means -- a racially discriminatory delegation to our sister city in Spain.  Enough invidious discrimination.  Please bring an action for injunctive relief under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, made possible by the courage of local residents and other civil rights activists, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Robert S. Hayling, D.D.S., et al. 
11. The City Manager of the Respondent City of St. Augustine, Florida is John Patrick Regan, P.E..  The address for both Respondent City of St. Augustine and thSt. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. is St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.  
12. The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. registered agent for service of process, officers and directors are as follows 
Registered Agent Name & AddressKIRKER, LYNDA
3732 HARBOR DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Name Changed: 04/18/2012

Address Changed: 01/16/2014 
Officer/Director DetailName & Address

Title P

WEEKS, LEN 
62 HYPOLITA ST.
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Title VP

MCCORMICK, PENNY 
9224 JULY LANE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32080

Title RS

DONIE, DOWIE 
217 LYONS GATE
ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32080

Title T

KIRKER, LYNDA 
3732 HARBOR DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Please investigate and file an action for declaratory and injunctive relief under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
www.fourowls.blogspot.com
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084

904-377-4998

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

THE LAST JUNKET?: Fifteen one-percenters jet to Spain, some with our money (one last time?)




Record "contributed" photo of all-white City of St. Augustine delegation to Aviles, Spain includes HARB Vice Chair PAUL WEAVER III and ex-Vice Mayor DONALD CRICHLOW (both working for DAVID BARTON CORNEAL on efforts to privatize the former Dow Museum of Historic homes into a hotel in HP-1); ex-Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. (with crony CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, Jr., beneficiaries of no-bid, low-rent, below-market lease of city property at 81 St. George Street); Commissioners LEANNA FREEMAN and Vice Mayor ROXANNE HORVATH). Who paid for this trip? And what Sunshine violations occurred during their travel and partying?  Did they talk with the Aviles, Spain Mayor about her reportedly being under criminal investigation?  Did they talk about how to cover up the City's no-bid contracting for our 450th?

St. Augustine delegates present Aviles with Spanish Constitution Monument replica
Posted: April 29, 2015 - 8:08pm

By KIMEKO MCCOY
kimeko.mccoy@staugustine.com
St. Augustine’s Sister City — Aviles, Spain — was presented last weekend with a replica of the Spanish Constitution Monument.

A St. Augustine delegation of 15 people went to Aviles to present the replica as a part of the gift exchange between the two cities.

In February, St. Augustine was presented with a scale model of the San Pelayo, which is the ship Pedro Menendez sailed on when he first landed in Florida.

Former St. Augustine Mayor Len Weeks is president of St. Augustine’s Sister City Association, a nonprofit organization, and was a member of the delegation that went to Spain. He said the obelisk unveiling ceremony was beautiful and well attended.

“People had been watching it and taking pictures of it all week, but they also came out for the dedication,” he said.

Former St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles was also part of the delegation and said he appreciates the historical connection between the two cities. City founder Menendez was from Aviles.

“I see just a reaffirmation of the relationship,” Boles said.

It was exciting to see the Aviles people excited about the replica, he said.

“For them, it’s almost like their Liberty Bell,” he said.

The unveiling program was from April 23-26 and included events such as a luncheon and visits to Aviles attractions.

The idea to present Aviles with the monument replica started in 2009 and came with a $50,000 price tag paid for by public and private funding.

To keep construction costs down, the replica was built in Aviles.

Weeks said the sister cities have exchanged a number of gifts, including the CaƱos de San Francisco replica, the mural on Aviles Street, the San Pelayo scale model and more.

450th Commemoration Director Dana Ste. Claire did not go on this particular trip but has been part of the conversation about the project and believes it adds another layer to the foundation of the relationship.

“We have developed a partnership with Spain, not only to express that important shared history but also to express the shared cultural programs and bring some of those to St. Augustine,” he said.

Ste. Claire said St. Augustine has benefitted from the relationship, with opportunities such as the Picasso art exhibit, Spanish Wine Festival and visits from tall ships.

“We share history and we share archaeology and we share culture,” he said.

As the relationship between the two grows, Weeks said more events are planned.

He said he is in the process of reviewing applications for the student exchange program between the two cities.

There are also plans in the works to bring Aviles musicians to St. Augustine for the September 450th celebration and create a historical picture book about the Sister City relationship.

“Lots of positive things happening to confirm our relationship,” Weeks said.

Anatomy of A Hatchet Job: St. Augustine Record Editorial, Deconstructed



http://staugustine.com/opinions/2015-04-25/editorial-time-put-distance-between-distraction-and-destiny-st-augustine?page=1#.VT54ZjpiNhA


Editorial: Time to put distance between distraction and destiny in St. Augustine
Posted: April 25, 2015 - 6:30pm



Meaningless quote:

“A good oxman does not quarrel with his ox”

— Unknown

Despair that democracy is breaking out (just as at Mosquito Control, where we stopped $1.8 million unneeded no-bid "sole source" helicopter)

Monday night’s city agenda, on its face, might be free of the tension and high theater we’ve witnessed over the past few months on the St. Augustine City Commission. Let’s all hope so.

Meaningless journalist babble:
The rift between commissioners and mayor isn’t imaginary, nor is it unprecedented in city politics. Winning elections can be heady stuff, and winners — mayors or commissioners — can get a little “mandate-creep” crawling around in their heads. The pendulum of politics here has swung wildly in the past, and manifested itself at the polls.

So democracy is "ugly?" What a misguided belief system!
Take, for instance, the Bridge of Lions restoration controversy or the parking garage proposal behind the Lightner building. Both of these made and melted political mini-cartels here. It was ugly then, and it’s ugly now.

Mayor Shaver committed truth about City Hall, and the Record's owners and controllers are mad as wet hens"
Mayor Nancy Shaver, whether intentionally or not, lit the fire when she chastised sitting commissioners publicly early in March. She went so far as to utter the “word-heard-’round-the-town” in relation to her fellow commissioners: “Embarrassment.”

Record has no idea what it's talking about, sends junior reporter to meetings, and never has anything intelligent to say; falsehoods about "group of hecklers" are libel and Lashon hara:
We’ve been watching this particular set of officials closely and do not remember anything remotely embarrassing in their actions or decorum. Conversely, the most notable embarrassment came at another March meeting of the city when a group of hecklers, made up predominately of the mayor’s election team, disrupted the meeting with catcalls and laughter. It was all mildly reminiscent of the street performers’ etiquette a few years back — and every bit as classy.

Cliches by the carload, reflecting shallowness:

Ms. Shaver has an agenda, and that’s fine. She is, historically, certainly not alone in that regard. But she needs to realize that it is no more important, smart or timely than those of her colleagues on the commission. They have a constituency of their own, and equal status on the board.
More libel and Lashon hara from Nancy Sikes-Kline, former speechwriter for hick hack ex-Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR.:
For her part, veteran Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline has publicly been the moderate voice in the political chasm. But she was candid with The Record in a conversation last week. She said the mayor needs training, available from the Florida League of Cities. She said a mayor needs to be a leader, not a lightning rod. A leader, she says, builds trust, credibility and sets an example. “That isn’t what’s happening on her watch.” Sikes-Kline was also cautionary. She said Shaver’s brand of veiled disrespect, condescension and intimidation tactics on fellow commissioners “only works once.”
Crybaby emotion from someone trying to stop investigations of City Hall waste, fraud and abuse, misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance:

“She needs to stop campaigning and start governing,” Sikes-Kline said. “It’s brewing an undercurrent of distrust.”

Smug, unsourced assertions of correlation (not causation) as to unnamed alleged sponsor pulling out from 450th -- unreliable hearsay -- accompanied by smug assertion ("it's not Watergate")
But the problem extends beyond the walls of City Hall. One former city official who asked for anonymity said “the acrimony is poisoning the 450th.” And we know of more than one sponsor involved in the birthday bash who’s pulled out because of the mixed signals coming from city government. This is both a celebration and a reminder of a heritage and culture unique in the U.S. It’s not Watergate.

Glittering dramatic generalities from the former Record fishing reporter -- suitable for framing from a newspaper called "The Mullet Wrapper" since Morris Communications Cartel bought it from the railroad in 1982:
City Manager John Regan has done a good job of inserting himself as a buffer to all the angst, falling on his own sword in the process. His efforts may be paying off. The rumblings we hear from within city government is that the rift is closing. The pendulum is arcing tighter. Egos are deflating. Claws are retracting. And that has to happen, honestly, if the wheels of governance are to move ahead.

Meaningless petulence:
From the most dispassionate and practical side of the situation, Shaver is hurting her own constituency. How far can she pursue her campaign platform without the support of any of her peers?
Meaningless pejoratives:
The coercive position from which she attempts to play “is a weakness, not a strength.” Sikes-Kline said. “It’s been such a distraction for everybody. We need to get on with it.”
Silliest. Record. Editorial. Ever.:
Indeed.

Nancy Sikes-Kline Linked to Hyperscreens Contractor Through Junior Service League and Lighthouse Boards

Commissioner Sikes-Kline has served on the City's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee; Vice Chair of the Parking and Traffic Committee; and the Historic Architectural Review Board. She currently serves on the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization as Chair, the St. Johns County Cultural Resources Review Board and the University of Florida, College of Design, Construction and Planning, Department of Historic Preservation, Board of Advocates.
She is a native Floridian and has lived in St. Augustine since 1984. She received her bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Florida.
Her community involvement includes past President of Junior Service League; founding board member and past Chairperson of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum; the founding Chairperson of the Archaeological Maritime Program; past member of the FDOT Bridge of Lions Community Awareness Team; founding board member of the St. Augustine North Davis Shores Neighborhood Association, and is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of St. Johns County.
She has received her Certificate of Completion from the Florida League of Cities and Scott Daily Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials training program and completed training from the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council Training Institute. She is an urban land use planning consultant. Commissioner Sikes-Kline received the Leadership Award for Public Service from the Enterprising Women’s Leadership Institute, Inc. in 2011.
(city website)

Who owns/runs $400,000 no-bid VIC contractor, Hyperscreens, LLC? Close connections to Lighthouse and Junior Service League


HYPERSCREENS LLC
Reg Agent: KENNY, ROBERT L JR.145 HILDEN RD SUITE 111, PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081
Title Manager: HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC 145 HILDEN RD SUITE 111, PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081

HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC
Title MGR: KENNY, CLAUDIA S 145 HILDEN RD SUITE 111, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL 32081
Title MGR: CONLON, CHRISTOPHER 145 HILDEN RD SUITE 111, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL 32081
Title MGR: KENNY, R L 145 HILDEN RD SUITE 111, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL 32081

Christopher John Conlon
931 A1A Beach Blvd., # 205, St Augustine 32080
DOB: 10/30/1972
Manager, Head High Networks, LLC

Robert Louis Kenny, Jr
1204 Garrison Dr, St Augustine 32092
DOB: 09/29/1977
Manager / Registered Agent, HyperScreens, LLC

Claudia Susan Kenny
1204 Garrison Dr, St Augustine 32092
DOB: 10/28/1981
CEO, HyperScreens, LLC
Attorney at Law
Board of Trustees, St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum ( Starting June 2014)
Executive Board Member, Junior Service League of St. Augustine ( 2014)

CONLON, CHRISTOPHER
01/29/2013 - COURT JUDGMENT - Case# 2006-CV-450GP / LEE CO, GEORGIA

Kathleen M Conlon (I have found NO RELATION to Chris Conlon)
356 Village Dr
Saint Augustine, FL 32084-9067
Accts Payable Specialist
St. Johns County Sheriffs office


===============================
TIMELINE
===============================

10/23/1996 -- Steel Beach Productions, Inc.
Founded

ROBERT L KENNY, PRES
716 CHERRY ST
NEPTUNE BEACH, FL 32266

JOHN M PRESKI, VP
11382 BEECHER CIRCLE E
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32223

DAVID L TRAYSER, VP/T/S
2241 STAGGERBUSH DR
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32223

===============================

03/05/1999-- Steel Beach International, Inc.
Founded

ROBERT L KENNY, CEO
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

MICHAEL GILLIES, PRES/SEC
13244 PLEASANT GLENN CT
OAK HILL, VA 20171

===============================

01/12/2006 — Steel Beach International, Inc.
Annual Report

Nora Kenny (name change) Nora K Jenkins
Leeland James Whipple, Pres (deleted)

===============================

06/05/2006 - - CaptivEye, Inc.
Founded

KENNY, ROBERT LJR.
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

===============================

05/30/2008 - - HyperScreens,LLC
Founded (filed by Robert Kenny)

RA
KENNY, ROBERT LJR.
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

MGRM
CAPTIVEYE, INC
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

MGRM
HYPER, LLC
230 S JACKSON ST. SUITE 345
ALBANY, GA 31701

===============================

03/25/2009 - - HyperScreens,LLC
Annual Report (filed by Claudia Kenny)

===============================

05/04/2009 - - HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
Founded (Robert Kenny Jr, Reg Agent)

MGRM
ROBERY L KENNY JR.
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE, 305
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

MGRM
CHRISTOPHER CONLON
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE, 305
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

===============================

02/19/2010 - - HyperScreens,LLC
Annual Report (filed by Robert L Kenny)

Change of address
From
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256
To
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE, 305
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095
New Mailing Address:
PO BOX 59327
HOMEWOOD, AL 35259

MGRM
HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

MGRM
SCOTT M BRYANT AND COMPANY, LLC
1831 29TH AVENUE SOUTH, SUITE 200
HOMEWOOD, AL 35209

===============================

09/24/2010 -- CaptivEye, Inc.
Admin Dissolved for Annual Report

CEO
KENNY, ROBERT LJR.
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

CFO
KENNY, CLAUDIA S
8301 CYPRESS PLAZA DR. STE. 100
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256

PRES
PRIER, RON
1560 ADAMS TOWN RD.
BOWERVILLE, GA 30516

===============================

11/11/2011 — COULIST, LLC
Founded (filed by Claudia Kenny)

REG AGENT
CHRISTOPHER J CONLON
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

MGRM
HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095


===============================

08/27/2012 -- Steel Beach Productions, Inc.
Judgement
DE LAGE LANDEN FIN SERV INC ETAL
Case# 2011CA003225

===============================

09/28/2012-- Steel Beach International, Inc.
Dissolved

Mailing Address
3735 FRANKLIN RD SW
PMB 224
ROANOKE, VA 24014

KENNY, ROBERT L, CEO
13820 OLD ST. AUGUSTINE RD
SUITE 113 #515
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32258

KENNY, NORA G, PRES
13820 OLD ST. AUGUSTINE RD. STE 113 # 515
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32258

===============================

09/28/2012 — KENNY CLAUDIA
COURT PAPER
ST. JOHNS
Case# CA09-4257
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

===============================

07/25/2013 - - HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
Name Change (filed by Claudia Kenny)
To
HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC

===============================

09/27/2013 — COULIST, LLC
Admin Dissolved for Annual Report

REG AGENT
CHRISTOPHER J CONLON
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

MGRM
HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

===============================

01/09/2014 — UFALLA, LLC
Founded (by Claudia S Kenny)

REG AGENT

MGRM
HEAD HIGH HOLDINGS, LLC
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

===============================

03/03/2014 - - HEAD HIGH PROPERTIES, LLC
Founded (filed by Claudia Kenny)

MGRM
HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC
110 CUMBERLAND PARK DRIVE, 305
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32095

===============================

04/28/2014 - - Steel Beach Productions, Inc.
Florida Department of Revenue
Lien

===============================

05/30/2014 - - Steel Beach Productions, Inc.
Florida Department of Revenue
Satisfaction

===============================

06/17/2014 - - HyperScreens,LLC
Address Change (filed by Claudia Kenny)

From
100 Cumberland Park Dr, Ste 305
Saint Augustine, FL 32095

To
145 Hilden Rd, Ste 111
Ponte Vedra, FL 32081

===============================

02/18/2015 - - HEAD HIGH PROPERTIES, LLC
Annual Report (filed by Claudia Kenny)

Address Change

145 HILDEN ROAD
SUITE 111
PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081

MGRM
HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC
145 HILDEN ROAD
SUITE 111
PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081


===============================

03/04/2015 — UFALLA, LLC
Address Change (filed by Claudia Kenny)
To

145 HILDEN ROAD
SUITE 111
PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081

REG AGENT
HEAD HIGH NETWORKS, LLC
145 HILDEN ROAD
SUITE 111
PONTE VEDRA, FL 32081

"Sole Source" and "Emergency" Justification of $400,000 No-Bid Hyperscreen Contracts Does Not Pass the "Laugh Test" or the "Smell Test"



Signed in 2012 by Assistant City Manager TIMOTHY BURCHFIELD and City Manager JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E., the "sole source" and "emergency" memo (one page) does not pass the "laugh test" or the "smell test."

On July 9, 2012 -- with Commission William Leary on vacation in Montana -- Commissioners voted to spend $1,025,520 to renovate the Visitor Information Center for the ill-fated Picasso exhibit and other "museum-quality exhibitions."

On September 10, 2012, BURCHFIELD wrote REGAN that he had been "recently instructed to have the renovations completed by January 1, 2013. The remaining time for completion only allows for a [sic] three and a half months, while maintaining visitor services throughout the project."

BURCHFIELD continues, "One of the major aspects of the renovation deals with the expansion of technology and the purchase of certain hardware to house and run the technology. Time constrains on this project require a crashing of the critical path to ensure completion in a timely manner."

BURCHFIELD goes on, "After discussions with Terry Healey our intention is to integrate the additional technology with preexisting in the Visitor Information Center. We feel all the technology on the same platform under one contract is beneficial to the City in the long run. Because Head High Holdings LLC designed and designed and installed the current technology and they are capable of developing and providing the additional technology I request a sole source contract for technology, hardware and associated assets. Additionally, the short time given to complete the project limits our ability to guarantee a quality product by January 1, 2013. Therefore, I am requesting the contracting of Head High Holdings LLC be classified as an emergency contract."

BURCHFIELD concludes, "By signing below signifying your concurrence we will be able to proceed and accomplish our goal of a January 1, 2013 completion date."

BURCHFIELD and REGAN both signed.

Mayor Shaver, citizens, the City Commission, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney will be interested in their specious illogic and failure to discuss any details of the "technology," failure to consult the GSA schedule on technology purchases, failure to define requirements, failure to adhere to minimum purchasing ethics standards, and award of the contract to cronies of the ancien regime.

Why Do the Hick Hacks Rage?



What's going on here?  When a coverup-prone Republican newspaper and two Republican elected officials unite to try to defeat the public interest, you know that "We, The People" are winning.

Sunday's Record editorial, Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline and Commissioner Leanna Freeman are uninformed and misguided, defending Crony Capitalism with fear, smear and shibboleths. No one believes them -- other than a few self-interested crony capitalists.

The Record misrepresented the views and voices of respected citizens, including people whose families lived her for some 237 more years than Director of Audience/Editor KATHY NELSON and Publisher DELINDA FOGEL, who caterwaul at First Amendment protected activity and direct Opinion Editor JAMES SUTTON to write garbage. I feel sorry for Mr. SUTTON, a real journalist, who has written great stories as Editor and good editorials as Opinion Editor. It's time for NELSON and FOGEL to resign in disgrace.

Some of the two Commissioners' friends are JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. and CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR., ex-Mayors in cahoots on "milking the cow" of City properties, contracts and favors.

Color these two Commissioners misguided and mistaken. In fact, when I first met Nancy Sikes-Kline on the campaign trail at a tapas bar, I asked her about the City's dumping of a landfill in a lake. She responded, "Oh, it was a mistake." Gullible. Loyal to JOE BOLES and LEN WEEKS and the City Hall bureaucracy.

I admire loyalty. I like Commissioners Sikes-Kline and Freeman. I feel both grateful and defensive about both of them, who both stood up and voted against Mayor BOLES' excessive 450th budget.

As to Commissioner Leanna Freeman, I have referred clients to her, admiring her legal skills. Her analysis of the 7-Eleven case was exquisite and correct. Full disclosure: as Vice Mayor, she wrote a nice letter of recommendation to the UF Environmental Land and Land Use Planning Law LL.M. Program for me (one of some 52 such letters, and counting).

But loyalty to corruption is loyalty to corruption. Let Mayor Shaver do her job without fear, favor or heckling from hick hack sad sacks nostalgic for the days of personalism, cronyism and no-bid contracts. Enough gooberishness.

Commissioners Freeman and Sikes-Kline had nothing substantive to say about policy differences: they carp about personalities, the stuff of Dynasty mud fights and Fox News. It's time for policy discussions, charter amendments and government reform.

In the immortal words of William F. Buckley, Jr., "To the devil with the complaint."

Mayor Shaver's First Quarterly Report



“Democracy can be noisy messy and complicated, but it is forthright and honest, and encourages people to pay attention and consider the views of others.”

–paraphrased from “American Democracy”



Once a quarter, I’ll be sharing with you the progress we’re making on what you asked for—solutions to congestion, tackling our roads, water, sewer and stormwater shortfalls, and updating our zoning–and along the way, deliver good governance and transparency. And the good news is—we are making genuine progress in a very short period of time.

First, thank all of you for the new energy and active participation you are bringing to City Hall and our City. I hear from you at coffee’s and walks around our City, meetings with your organizations, in e-mails, on the street, and in the grocery store. We now have two new neighborhood associations contributing to the dialogue. A group of business people who drive our tourism economy are working on a proposal to “reimagine” our Visitor Information Center after the 450th with an eye toward a better experience for our visitors. All good.

Your entire Commission and the City staff are focused on delivering information to you that you deserve and improving our governance:

Public comments in Commission meetings are responded to by City staff
Commission agendas are published close to week in advance so we can all see what’s coming and be prepared to weigh in
Budget performance is reported monthly so we know better where we stand
450th finances on the City website as suggested by Commissioner Neville
We’ll be reviewing our contracting to ensure we have the best practices in place, and have set the right policies. (That was a little “noisy and messy” but we all got to the right decision.)
And your Commission has made some tough decisions—with most of our votes unanimous. Our lively and thoughtful discussions are a far cry from a “rubber stamp” (and as one resident told me “It’s the best TV in town.”) We all work hard and each bring unique skills and experience to representing you.

Here’s where we are with tackling our “big three”:

Our infrastructure:
We have our first ever assessment –and a grade of C- overall. And we know the price tag to get up to speed- $140,000,000. Our next job is to understand what we can spend, and establish priorities. An improved budget process will be underway soon—and your participation in how your tax dollars are spent is vital, so watch for the meeting schedule.

Zoning:
Planning and Building is on the road to each neighborhood with a zoning workbook, gathering your input, which is so important. Neglect of our zoning has cost us a lot in legal fees. Updating zoning along with our comprehensive plan, is vital to protecting and preserving our livability (and our property values).

Congestion:
We have the narrow streets of a City in Europe—but we have our American cars, and we have our visitors, even if they are just coming from Nocatee. We’ve had many studies, a committee on parking and traffic and have made some progress, but we all know we have a lot of work to do. Every person in this City has an idea or a solution– including every one of your Commissioners—and the truth of the matter is that some of them may be “spot on”. But without a comprehensive plan that includes all the piece parts of getting around town–cars, parking , pedestrians, bikes, pedicabs, carriages and more—we don’t know if these ideas fit well.

As an example of unintended consequences, a neighborhood street was recently paved. Good, right? Except that the potholes had served as a “traffic calming” device, sort of like speed bumps, and now the problem of high speed traffic needs to be addressed.

That said, we do have some quick wins in the works.

We are making progress on a better approach to truck deliveries and have a study underway with the Northern Florida Transportation Planning Organization (which Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline chairs), part of which included a survey of our businesses.
Our garage filled up 77 days last year, and we now have an overflow parking plan that uses 500 spaces in non-profit lots, and a 511 number for parking information.
So what’s next?

The Commission agreed at its last meeting to develop a comprehensive plan, and identify quick wins for piloting with citizen input.

A good approach might look like this—and we’ll look to the City staff to move this effort forward as quickly (and wisely) as possible.

Partner with experts to help build a plan
Identify the most promising quick wins to pilot from the many ideas we have
Organize City staff so we have a centralized team focused on all aspects of mobility
They say that your budget reflects your values—and the Commission has agreed that solving congestion and improving our infrastructure will drive our City budget for next year. Big issues, big dollars and hard choices—but together we can make real progress.

Thanks for everything you do!

Nancy

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Commissioner Freeman's Ukase

Letter: Problem-solving will trump personalities on the St. Augustine City Commission
Posted: April 27, 2015 - 10:24pm


LEANNA SOPHIA AMARU FREEMAN, Esquire
(HCN)


By Leanna S. A. Freeman
Editor: My jaw dropped when I read Sunday’s editorial about the City Commission — on which I have been so honored to serve for over six years. I had no idea this story was in the works.

First, I was completely, yet pleasantly, surprised to read that The St. Augustine Record had any concept of what is really happening at City Hall. Secondly, I was impressed that my fellow commissioner, Nancy Sikes-Kline, was willing to articulate on the record our current predicament. Her frank comments took strength, courage and good old-fashioned “chutzpah.” Bullying tactics and intimidation efforts are at an all-time high, and I hope that her comments do not prompt personal attacks. Today’s atmosphere is new to those of us who have for years expressed differing opinions and participated in emotional debate: But who, at the end of the meeting, wished our colleagues a “good night” and meant it.

While the editorial outlined the current makeup and distrust involving the new mayor, everyone should be reminded that remaining productive under challenging circumstances is a part of any successful organization. We are a board of residents who love the city of St. Augustine and have committed ourselves to improving and protecting the historic city for which we are privileged stewards.

We sometimes need reminding that all commissioners are equal. However, our somewhat new election process, (which could probably use changing) may lead voters to think otherwise, and I believe this has contributed to some of the problem.

We have a dedicated and hard-working staff. And, with input from our neighbors, you can be assured that we are hard at work and focused — not on personality issues but on how we can problem solve and improve. There are so many current projects (both city and private) that The Record should have no problem filling its pages with meaningful news coverage. When we have unbiased coverage of a variety of topics, readers will stop relying on opinion blogs to tell them what is important.

In the meantime, we have a lot to look forward to, and it is our job to remain focused on our many tasks and to move forward with positive improvements.

St. Augustine



Freeman is a St. Augustine City Commissioner and an attorney at law.

OPINIONS
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seminolesam
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seminolesam 04/28/15 - 08:54 am 10Excellent points, Commissioner Freeman!
Thank you for your service....and I hope a collegial and more productive environment will develop.

LocalColor
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LocalColor 04/28/15 - 09:01 am 01To correct a problem...
...you must correct the flaws that caused and are maintaining said problem. In this instance, that is most certainly *not* our new Mayor Nancy.

The Muse
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The Muse 04/28/15 - 10:34 am 24Problem solving
If you really want to solve a problem, you just get to it- you don't go running to the paper to say bad things about someone. That's not courage and it is not integrity. It's just whining and drama. I have never heard Mayor Shaver say one thing bad about any of the commissioners. Suck it up and put your mind to business instead of being dramatic.

Nigel
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Nigel 04/28/15 - 12:57 pm 01From Outside Looking in
The city commission seems more and more like a reality TV show with each opinion piece. Any chance they could get on the Lifetime channel?

Is it the government the city deserves?

Sunday, April 26, 2015

$400,000 Hyperscreens, Money-Losing Outsourced Menendez Noche de Gala, Other 450th Contracts Stink On Ice



Embattled St. Augustine City Manager JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E. and his tatterdemalion smokescreen do not fool anyone.
$400,000 Sole Source Hyperscreens: United States General Services Administration was never consulted. No one tried Best Buy or other commercial vendors. Not sole source. "Sole source" memo not supplied. How many purchase orders? Where is "sole source" memo electronic version? Who wrote?
Menendez Noche de Gala: A money-losing "benefit" that "benefitted" whom? No other Florida city has galas. We have two. One percenters give themselves free tickets. How degenerate, gauche and louche, honoring founding human rights violator who slaughtered how many people?
What is the "St. Augustine Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.?" Incorporated April 14, 2010 by JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR., DANA STE. CLAIRE and JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E. Listed as St. Augustine Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.beneficiary of Galas 2011-2014. Records, please.
Now.
JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E., Gang of Four and Record: Please cease and desist from flummery.
Now.

Warren Clark Art Documents St. Augustine History -- VCB Does Something Right!

A window into Florida's past
Posted: April 25, 2015 - 10:31pm

By LAURA HAMPTON
laura.hampton@staugustine.com
On any given day, a walk down St. George Street can lead to the discovery of many historical facts, figures and legends. Lately, though, this has become even more true.

As a mission of passion and compassion, local artist Warren Clark has created 45 historic illustrations in celebration of St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary. The illustrations, made into posters, hang in the windows of businesses and retail shops throughout St. Johns County.

Simple and effective, Clark’s illustrations feature colorful, cartoon-like drawings and short, engaging text to capture compelling stories in St. Augustine’s history.

“His style is reminiscent of the old Ripley’s Believe it or Not! cartoons back in the ’50s and ’60s,” said Joel Bagnal, owner of Joel Bagnal’s Goldsmith shop on Aviles Street. “I’m just very impressed with his work.”

Clark has been developing his style for a long time. Though there were no formal art classes at Loretto Elementary School in Mandarin, Clark and other students found a way to make art.

“A bunch of us were always drawing in class,” Clark said. “Then we went our different directions.”

Though Clark was an art major in college, his career was in the ministry. After serving as a pastor in Argentina and Peru, he found himself back in Florida 20 years ago.

As he explored the region, he came across treasures on the beach — artifacts and pieces of pottery. As fascinating as those pieces of history were, Clark discovered the true treasure was the story. He began to hatch a plan.

“How could I communicate those to people who could care less about history?” Clark wondered. “What I hit on was cartoons.”

With the help of a partner, Bob Lewis, he created Lewis and Clark Explorations. The cartoons ran in 50 newspapers around the state in the early 1990s.

Those historic cartoons provided a foundation for Clark’s recent project. Upon retirement four years ago, he visited with representatives from the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. They liked what they saw.

“We knew from the beginning that the work Warren Clark was doing was a new way to tell the stories of Florida’s Historic Coast,” said Rick Hensler, director of Promotions and Strategic Alliances at the VCB. “We were proud to help Warren get started by commissioning 10 illustrations a year since 2012.”

Each year since 2012, Clark has added to his collection of historical illustrations. Working with the VCB, he focused on important anniversaries in the region — 200 years since the Spanish Constitution of 1812, 500 years of La Florida, 50 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and St. Augustine’s 450th.

As with any large-scale endeavor, however, help comes from many sources. In addition to the VCB, Clark credits Compassionate St. Augustine with helping him achieve his goal of sharing the history of St. Augustine with as many people as possible. When he asked for volunteers to help him distribute the posters, the folks from Compassionate St. Augustine and others responded.

“I had about 20 people taking these out, and now they’re from the World Gold Village down to Matanzas Inlet,” Clark said. “They’re all over the place.”

Clark also enlisted the aid of historians to fact-check his work.

“The Historical Society has saved me a bunch of times from making big historical errors,” Clark said.

Though Clark intended to give locals a deep sense of appreciation for the region and its history, his work has expanded to an international audience.

“The city of St. Augustine presented the city of Aviles, Spain, with a set of six illustrated tiles in Spanish when we became the first Compassionate Sister Cities in the world,” Hensler said.

That Spain should be included in Clark’s project is fitting, since the four pillars of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 are incorporated into a message prominently displayed on each poster:

“Learning from our past. Lifting up a vision for our future: Freedom, Democracy, Human Rights, Compassion”

To request a poster for public viewing in an office or place of business, email rwc904@gmail.com or go to warrenclarkhistory@etsy.com.

GALA BLASPHEMY, SACRILEGE: Democratic State Committeeman WILLIAM C. McCORMICK Cast As "Pope" in City of St. Augustine's Money-Losing No-Bid Contract Corrupt $195/person "Gala"



Would the Presidential Inaugural Gala have someone dress up as the Pope, or even Rev. Billy Graham? Tacky, tawdry.
By casting a layman, former University of Florida School of Pharmacy Dean and University of Houston School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. WILLIAM C. McCORMICK, Pharm. D. as "the Pope" in its money-losing "Gala," our out-of-touch City of St. Augustine management shows:
1. Anti-Catholic insensibility, bigotry and just plain ignorance.
2. Why WILLIAM C. McCORMICK and our St. Johns County Democratic Executive Committee were so all-fired defensive about WILLIAM BRUCE HARRISS, ex-City Manager, and all his works and pomps.
3. Why the Democrats were so nastily and bitterly anti-Park, insulting those of us who wanted the Democrats to endorse the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore.
4. Why the Democratic Executive Committee is so hateful toward me and other reformers.
The SJC DEC are hick hacks who supported Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR.
Sick.
BILL McCORMICK is part of the St. Philistine Gang of Four who run the St. Johns County Democratic Party, running it into the ground (it is now a third party, coming in after Republicans and "Others," with only 23% of the vote.
Sad.
BILL McCORMICK once heckled me from the audience when I questioned state officials about a plan to designate only part of the Matanzas River as protected, questioning why it ended before the upper reachers, sewage-polluted by the City of St. Augustine.
Smarmy.
Bossy BILL McCORMICK exemplifies the type of academic dictator that necessitates faculty unions, graduate assistant unions and student unions.
Watching mean 'ole, silly 'ole, supercilious Dr. WILLIAM C. McCORMICK, Pharm. D. appease, praise and curry favor with St. Johns County Commissioners reminds me of what LBJ said about watching a duck try to make love to a football.

Money-losing GALAS EXPOSED: RECORD Gets It Mostly Right!



Noche de Gala: A benefit for historic preservation?

By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
The Noche de Gala has been billed as a fundraiser for historic preservation in St. Augustine, but city officials said the event made little to no profit most years.

The black-tie gala celebrates the birthday of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, St. Augustine’s founder, and has attracted Spanish officials and local dignitaries.

The gala began as a way to wine and dine people, shine a light on the city’s historic preservation efforts and gain support for historic properties, said Tim Burchfield, assistant city manager.

“It was normally pretty much a break-even endeavor,” Burchfield said.

The city has run the event since the late 1990s, and Burchfield said part of the gala’s purpose was raising funds.

“Now over the years we never got any of those people that wanted to stroke a check, but the gala kept going on,” Burchfield said. “And, to be honest with you, the vast majority of years that thing didn’t make money. It lost money.”

Burchfield said the procession leading to the gala some years added to the expense.

The issue of the city’s involvement with the Noche de Gala is set to be discussed during current budget talks. In recent months, spending for the 450th anniversary celebration and management of contracts related to the 450th, including the gala contracts, have come under increased scrutiny. The mayor and some residents called for an audit of those contracts recently, but the focus turned away from the 450th to broader improvements in the city’s contracting processes.

A review of public records by The St. Augustine Record and interviews with current and former city officials found:

■ The gala has been held since the 1990s, with the city paying expenses up until 2011. In more recent years, the costs for the gala and related expenses ranged from about $46,000 to about $72,000. Tickets purchased by gala attendees ($195 each this year) and sponsorships helped offset most of the costs of the gala.

A former city official has said before that the city had made a profit of up to several thousand dollars in a few years in the early to mid-2000s. But current city officials could only point to one year they knew for sure there was a profit — and that was for $2,907.17 in 2011. The city could not provide an accounting of what was gained or lost in other years without doing extensive research.

■ The city paid a total of about $51,000 for tickets for city officials, their spouses and other guests to attend galas between 2005 and 2015.

■ News releases and other materials describe the gala as a fundraiser with proceeds supporting historic preservation. Some current and former city officials, however, say it wasn’t intended to make money, while others say it was at least supposed to break even. But if the city included the overhead costs it took for the years it produced the event, one city official said, the gala never made money.

■ The city signed sponsorship agreements with the Casa Monica to produce the Noche de Gala, which included the use of parking lots and the 450th logo, starting in 2012. Officials said the agreements covered through 2014. But a drafted agreement to produce the 2015 gala was never signed, even though the Casa Monica produced the event this year.

■ In years when the contract was signed, the Casa Monica agreed to gift any proceeds to the city to be earmarked for preservation of the Lightner building. However, this year the Casa Monica gifted proceeds of $4,000 to about $6,000 to the Lightner Museum, which is separate from the city.

City officials say the gala has been about more than raising funds.

“The gala allows the city to broaden awareness of its heritage, emphasizing the role that Spain and Spanish settlers played in establishing the first permanent European Colony in what is now the United States,” according to an invitation for the 2009 gala kept in city clerk records.

The invitation for the 490th birthday of Menendez describes the event as “a grand masked ball,” featuring magicians, tarot card readers and 16th century musicians. Guests were to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Lightner ballroom and “dinner and dessert on the mezzanine and lower tier ... drinks and dancing until midnight.”

It also says: “Your participation helps us to celebrate our history, and your purchase of a ticket contributes to preserving our historical resources.”

Awareness of the city’s historic properties has led to some work at the Lightner building and elsewhere in the city, said City Manager John Regan. The Lightner building was Henry Flagler’s Alcazar Hotel.

Still, the future of the gala is in doubt.

The city stopped hosting the gala during the recession, Regan said. He said it’s his understanding the Casa Monica isn’t interested in hosting it again.

Whether the gala will continue, and in what form, is a question to be answered by commissioners. They have expressed support for continuing the gala, which some said is useful for building relationships.

Some residents, however, questioned the cost of the event and its benefit to the city.

“Why pay for an event that is supposed to be a fundraiser when you are losing money on it?” asked Sigrid Pilzuhn, a Davis Shores resident. “Events like that should not lose money ... (without raising money) it’s basically nothing more than a social event.”

Officials didn’t expect the gala to make a profit, said Mark Litzinger, director of the city’s finance department.

“It was always expected to break even,” he said.

But if personnel costs were factored into the city’s expense to produce the event, “It never made any money whatsoever,” Litzinger said.

Historic preservation

The Noche de Gala had several purposes, and fundraising for historic preservation was just one of them, said Bill Adams, former director of the historic preservation and heritage tourism department.

It was about celebrating Menendez’s birthday and the city’s relationship with Aviles, as well as developing enthusiasm for historic preservation.

“It was intended to be a fundraising device as well,” Adams said.

The department ran the event until 2011, when the city eliminated the department.

The city spent thousands each year for the gala — more than $68,000 for the 2011 event — and sometimes for related events.

After the 2011 event, the city signed a deal allowing the Casa Monica to produce the event at the Casa Monica’s own expense.

The agreement allowed for the Casa Monica to use city streets, parking lots and the city’s 450th anniversary logo. And it received Tourist Development Council funds for the event. It received about $2,800 in TDC money for the procession and related costs in 2012, according to documents and Glenn Hastings, executive director of the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. And it received about $6,352 in 2015.

The TDC money comes from funds set aside for arts, culture and heritage expenses, Hastings said.

The event has been supported by local residents since it began.

John Fraser, general manager and owner of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, has attended the event with his wife.

He said his business has sponsored the event, including $5,000 sponsorships.

“I kind of assumed that there was something left over after the event,” Fraser said. “I’m disappointed that more had not gone to the cause it had meant to help.”

Helene Sullivan, of St. Augustine, said she has attended the Noche de Gala with her husband for more than a decade since about 2001. They saw the event advertised and thought it would be fun.

“We loved the idea of this whole thing,” she said.

It was an opportunity to get dressed up and go to what was, in some years, a lavish masked ball, she said. Also she thought it supported preservation of historic resources in the city.

“I just assumed that there was some kind of profit,” Sullivan said.

The expenses for the city were not limited to production of the gala.

The city has hosted a Spanish delegation, and Spanish officials have attended the gala. In 2011, the city wrote a check for $1,253 for the Spanish delegation’s stay at the Casa Monica Hotel during the time of the gala, according to Meredith Breidenstein, deputy director of St. Augustine’s finance department. The city paid for that expense from the special events budget in the general fund.

The city continued to spend money on tickets for city officials, their spouses and other guests to attend after the Casa Monica Hotel took over production of the gala. The city paid about $51,000 combined for Noche de Gala tickets for events from 2005 to 2015, according to records from the finance department.

The city’s unwritten policy has been to encourage officials to attend certain events to represent the city, Regan said.

Regan said the cost of sending city leaders to the gala and other events should be considered in comparison to the overall city budget. The city spent more than half a billion dollars keeping everything running since about 2005, Regan estimated. And of that, about $51,000 was spent on Noche de Gala tickets.

“So my point is, it’s a very, very small amount of money,” Regan said, in comparison to the entire city budget.

Cost versus benefit

The last time the city produced the event in 2011, it made a profit of about $2,900. The total cost of the event was $68,122.83, and revenue was $71,030, according to data provided by Breidenstein.

A story in 2008 in The Record said the city considered dropping the gala after a few years of it barely making a profit. At the time, Catherine Culver, current Federal 450th Commemoration Commission executive director, said the gala made a profit of between $1,000 and $5,000.

But the city wasn’t able to immediately provide an exact accounting of what the event made, or lost, other than in 2011.

Getting data on the total revenue from the gala for just one year would take extensive research because officials would have to go through receipts and check bank records, Breidenstein said.

However, the city provided an estimate of what the gala made or lost for a few years prior to 2011. That estimate showed a profit of about $3,000 for 2008 and losses of between about $1,000 and $2,200 for 2007, 2009 and 2010. The amounts could be wrong, however, because some of the estimates might include revenue for other events because of the way the city kept the records, Breidenstein, said.

Proceeds in 2011 went to the historic preservation and heritage tourism fund, which supported historic properties such as the Spanish Quarter.

Based on heritage tourism financial statements, the city spent about $30,000 on capital improvements to historic buildings and structures in fiscal year 2011, according to Breidenstein. The heritage tourism fund was supported in part by the general fund in 2011.

Regan said commissioners have previously expressed concern about the costs of the gala.

Officials worked hard try to make it profitable and gain support for preservation projects, Regan said.

“It’s a very hard gala to do a good job in fundraising,” Regan said.

People stepped forward to rehabilitate the Flagler-era fountains in the city as a donation related to the gala. The city estimated the cost to restore the fountains would have been about $7,000 per fountain. The contractors came forward after the city announced plans to use gala proceeds to restore the fountains.

And while there is no direct link with the gala, the state of Florida has given more than more than $1 million for roof repairs to the Lightner building, Regan said. He said that’s in part because former state Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart saw the need for historic preservation when he attended the gala.

Joe Boles, who served as mayor for eight years until the end of 2014, said he did not recall that the gala was intended to be a fundraiser. The focus was on celebrating the city’s founder. Also, the city is not in the fundraising business, he said.

“I think that’s what it was for, was to have an event that could develop some community pride about our historical nature,” Boles said. “That’s why I think it’s always (been) a successful event.”

But former St. Augustine Commissioner Bill Leary, who lives in California, told The Record recently that he learned around the time when he was elected in 2010 that the gala had not been making money for historic preservation.

“Which it was being advertised to do,” he said. “And I was quite concerned about that.”

He told Regan about his concerns.

Leary said the tickets were expensive, above what the average resident could afford, and he said he was concerned taxpayer dollars were being spent for the benefit of the few. Leary said he wanted to cut costs so there would be a benefit to historic preservation. A lot of the money went to food and beverage costs, he said. He suggested the city put major expenses out to bid to reduce costs and increase the possibility of it actually making money for historic preservation.

Regan said commissioners’ concerns led to a push for more sponsorships to make the event profitable.

No signed agreement The city signed agreements with the Casa Monica that officials say covered the hotel hosting the Noche de Gala through 2014.

The Casa Monica also hosted the 2015 event, but no contract was signed for this year, said Tim Fleming, deputy director of general services.

Mayor Nancy Shaver said the city’s contracts with the Casa Monica were one of her concerns. She said she knew it had been promoted in the past few years as a benefit to the Lightner Museum. So she wanted to see a detailed listing of revenues and expenses for those years involving the Casa Monica contracts.

“And when I actually looked at both the contracts and asked if the true-up had been done, it had not been,” Shaver said.

Even without a contract, the Casa Monica could still use certain things including city streets, Burchfield said. The city works with other events to arrange for use of city right of ways.

The city’s contracts with the Casa Monica for the 2012 through 2014 galas say that the Casa Monica will gift all proceeds from the Noche de Gala to the city after all expenses are taken out. The funds would be used for repair and maintenance of the Lightner building, according to the agreement. But the city has not seen a profit since the Casa Monica Hotel began producing the event, Regan said.

However, the Lightner Museum did receive a profit from the event this year, said Robert Harper, director of the Lightner Museum. He initially said the museum received about $4,000 from the Casa Monica but later said the amount was about $6,000.

Shaver said she had not been told that the Lightner Museum had received funds from the Casa Monica this year from the gala, but she was happy to hear the event made a profit.

Regan said he hadn’t heard either, but he was also glad to hear it.

An invitation for the 2012 gala and an RSVP card for the 2014 gala said proceeds will subsidize the restoration of the Lightner Museum.

The museum is supported in part by admission fees and is separate from the city, Harper said. He said he could not recall a time other than this year when the event had made a profit for the museum.

The Lightner building and museum are separate. The entire Lightner building was left in trust to the city, Burchfield said, and it is overseen by a board.

The city occupies space in the building but doesn’t pay a fee, officials said. However, the city pays for maintenance and repairs (between $130,000 to $183,000 a year from 2011 to 2014) on part of the Lightner building, which is also City Hall.

So far this year, the city has spent more than $66,000 on repair and maintenance of City Hall.

The future

The future of the Noche de Gala is unclear.

Regan said it is his understanding that the Casa Monica is not interested in producing the gala anymore. Casa Monica officials did not comment on the issue.

Regan sent an email to Shaver in November, explaining some details about the gala and the Casa Monica.

“It was (sic) not worked well for the Casa Monica and I am pretty sure they would like to get out of it for 2016,” he wrote.

Regan said galas are hard to produce, with little or no return. He said he plans to bring up the future of the gala to the City Commission during budget talks, which are underway. The talks will likely focus on whether the city wants to produce the gala in a different form, or whether the city wants to outsource the event.

“We’re at an important decision point,” Regan said. “The last time we were at this decision point, the commission basically wanted to outsource the gala.”

Regan said he recommends that the city continue to find someone in the private sector to host the gala.

Commissioner Todd Neville, who was elected to the commission in 2014, said he has attended the event and has not considered the event to be a fundraiser.

“I’ve always viewed it as a celebration of our city’s history,” he said.

Neville said he would like to see the event continue, and he is in favor of outsourcing the event because that is not the kind of work city employees do on a daily basis.

Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline said the event was successful at “raising friends” for historic preservation.

“I would love to see it continue to happen,” she said.

Shaver said she thinks the gala’s future will be a question for the commission. The bigger policy question is whether the city is in the event-creation business, she said. Shaver said she believes if run properly, the Noche de Gala could be a great benefit to a nonprofit.

“Let’s look forward,” Shaver said. “It’s a great tradition. The city is not in the business of event management, so I’m really hopeful that other groups in the city will see the benefit of continuing it. We rarely get the chance to have a fundraising event that has the kind of heritage it does.”

Commissioner Leanna Freeman said the event celebrates Spanish history and has raised awareness among political representatives about the city’s need for historic preservation. She also pointed to the more than $1 million from the state for the Lightner building.

Freeman said if the Casa Monica doesn’t want to host the event, she wants to find a way to keep it going.

“But I would really hate to see it die,” Freeman said.

Record Editorial Energumen Strikes Again: WRECKORD Gets It Wrong!



You cannot hope to bribe or twist
(thank God!) the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man will do
unbribed, there’s no occasion to.
--- Humbert Wolfe


The same wretched WRECKORD editorial process that resulted in calling Nancy Shaver an "upstart" and advocating for "business as usual" in endorsing the ancien regime has struck again.
In a lying borderline libelous editorial today, the Record attacks Mayor Shaver and her supporters for wanting answers about no-bid contracts, including the 450th.
"Not Watergate?"
This is from the newspaper that covered up for every single scam and scheme, from dumping a landfill in a lake to the Sheriff's and State's Attorneys' coverup of the fatal September 2, 2010 shooting of Michelle O'Connell in the home of Sheriff's Deputy JEREMY BANKS.
To whom do they think they're talking?
KATHY NELSON, DELINDA FOGEL: The Wrecking Crew running the St. Augustine Record never comes to government meetings, and has no standing to distort what happens.
I've only had some 65 letters and columns in the Record, which defended me against a former mayor's attack by November 19, 2006 editorial.
I've only helped with more than 33 community victories since 2005.
I've only been attending and speaking at City Commission meetings for ten (10) years. I only went to school for 22 years. I only worked for three United States Senators and two federal administrate law judges.
I've only been editor of one little 'ole newspaper, which won declassification of the largest mercury pollution event in world history (Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant, exposed corruption in Anderson County, Tennessee, helping elect and re-elect reformers and indict and convict Anderson County Sheriff DENNIS O. TROTTER.
KATHY NELSON hung up on me when I questioned the wisdom, ethics and efficacy of her unlawful firing of reporter Peter Guinta. She has not spoken to me since that time. She has a well-deserved reputation as petty and vindictive in "her" newsroom, which she has deprived of older journalists, systematically committing age discrimination.
Rather than cover the news, The WRECKORD too often covers up, for corrupt officials and developers.
Pitiful.
Pathetic.
Not journalism -- this KATHY NELSON even insulted New York Times investigative reporter Walt Bogdanich as"parachuting in" for investigating Sheriff DAVID BERNARD SHOAR, with an editorializing "news" story that said he "had no regrets" about not "making friends" with SHOAR.
Under its current wretched mismanagement, the WRECKORD is the pits. Stick to columns about your father and golfing, KATHY NELSON: no one cares what you think about our local City Hall.
HERE IS The Record's stinky editorial, and comments:


Editorial: Time to put distance between distraction and destiny in St. Augustine
Posted: April 25, 2015 - 6:30pm





“A good oxman does not quarrel with his ox”

— Unknown

Monday night’s city agenda, on its face, might be free of the tension and high theater we’ve witnessed over the past few months on the St. Augustine City Commission. Let’s all hope so.

The rift between commissioners and mayor isn’t imaginary, nor is it unprecedented in city politics. Winning elections can be heady stuff, and winners — mayors or commissioners — can get a little “mandate-creep” crawling around in their heads. The pendulum of politics here has swung wildly in the past, and manifested itself at the polls.

Take, for instance, the Bridge of Lions restoration controversy or the parking garage proposal behind the Lightner building. Both of these made and melted political mini-cartels here. It was ugly then, and it’s ugly now.

Mayor Nancy Shaver, whether intentionally or not, lit the fire when she chastised sitting commissioners publicly early in March. She went so far as to utter the “word-heard-’round-the-town” in relation to her fellow commissioners: “Embarrassment.”

We’ve been watching this particular set of officials closely and do not remember anything remotely embarrassing in their actions or decorum. Conversely, the most notable embarrassment came at another March meeting of the city when a group of hecklers, made up predominately of the mayor’s election team, disrupted the meeting with catcalls and laughter. It was all mildly reminiscent of the street performers’ etiquette a few years back — and every bit as classy.

Ms. Shaver has an agenda, and that’s fine. She is, historically, certainly not alone in that regard. But she needs to realize that it is no more important, smart or timely than those of her colleagues on the commission. They have a constituency of their own, and equal status on the board.

For her part, veteran Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline has publicly been the moderate voice in the political chasm. But she was candid with The Record in a conversation last week. She said the mayor needs training, available from the Florida League of Cities. She said a mayor needs to be a leader, not a lightning rod. A leader, she says, builds trust, credibility and sets an example. “That isn’t what’s happening on her watch.” Sikes-Kline was also cautionary. She said Shaver’s brand of veiled disrespect, condescension and intimidation tactics on fellow commissioners “only works once.”

“She needs to stop campaigning and start governing,” Sikes-Kline said. “It’s brewing an undercurrent of distrust.”

But the problem extends beyond the walls of City Hall. One former city official who asked for anonymity said “the acrimony is poisoning the 450th.” And we know of more than one sponsor involved in the birthday bash who’s pulled out because of the mixed signals coming from city government. This is both a celebration and a reminder of a heritage and culture unique in the U.S. It’s not Watergate.

City Manager John Regan has done a good job of inserting himself as a buffer to all the angst, falling on his own sword in the process. His efforts may be paying off. The rumblings we hear from within city government is that the rift is closing. The pendulum is arcing tighter. Egos are deflating. Claws are retracting. And that has to happen, honestly, if the wheels of governance are to move ahead.

From the most dispassionate and practical side of the situation, Shaver is hurting her own constituency. How far can she pursue her campaign platform without the support of any of her peers?

The coercive position from which she attempts to play “is a weakness, not a strength.” Sikes-Kline said. “It’s been such a distraction for everybody. We need to get on with it.”

Indeed.



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JoeJoe
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JoeJoe 04/26/15 - 09:14 am 01The folks at the Record need to get over the fact
that their man Mr. Boles lost. That is also the problem with most of the other commissioners. Now the Record and the other commissioners are trying to blame the failing 450th debacle on the incoming Mayor??? That is downright slimy in my opinion. I was not convinced Ms. Shaver was the savior of the city, but some of those current commissioners need to be taken down a notch or 2. Let us not forget what led to Mr. Boles to being fired by the voters after 8 terms in office.

captdave
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captdave 04/26/15 - 09:23 am 11This argument sounds vaguely
This argument sounds vaguely familiar to a recent presidential election. We won, you lost, we have a mandate to hell with anybody else. Yes Shaver won by an extremely small margin. She needs to step up and be a leader for everyone and not a divisive figure. She only needs to look to the president to see how well that failed strategy worked. Anyone wish Joe Boles were back?

LocalColor
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LocalColor 04/26/15 - 09:43 am 00Another anonymous hatchet job?
An unsigned editorial is worth less than the paper on which it's printed and this cheap shot is worth less than that. Mayor Shaver has voiced the voter's opinion of St. Augustine's good-ol-boy-(and gal) junta and its minions in city government. That's what we elected her to do and continue doing. Here's hoping she keeps up this good and absolutely necessary work!


Bob Fliegel 04/27/15 - 12:53 pm20Assessing the influence of the Record's editorial(s)
The significance of the Record's editorial is dependent on two factors.

First, and on the most elementary level, whether the readership and most City commissioners believe the editorialist has made a persuasive case.

But secondly, and perhaps more importantly, whether the latter believe the Record's opinion worth heeding, either because a) they respect the newspaper's institutional position on local issues or b) its publisher has real juice in influencing the behavior of City officials. Since I don't think b) is operative here in St. Augustine, editorial influence comes down to cogency of argument and respect for the Record as a worthy community stake holder, to whether the editorial board of the Record is seen to have the standing to admonish or challenge local government.

HappyKitty
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HappyKitty 04/27/15 - 08:24 am18A. Nobody wants ole
A. Nobody wants ole backslappin', gladhandin' Joe Boles back except for the good ole boys, who think it's perfectly ok to get screwed over as long as one of their own is doing the screwing.

B. Sikes-Kline would be serving her office better to take this issues up with the mayor personally, instead of talking about her like she's the new girl at school.


The Muse
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The Muse 04/27/15 - 02:24 pm 37MEOOOWWWW
Goodness gracious---- I agree with HappyKitty that comments by Sikes-Kline were inappropriate. And catty! NOT the way to foster good working relationships!
She may have some rough edges, but Mayor Shaver is smart, honest, and looking to bring efficiency and transparency to the city government. She is looking for ways to make infrastructure improvements, curtail unnecessary revenue expenditures, and create new opportunities. I applaud her efforts!



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