TRANSPARENCY GIVEN….TRANSPARENCY TAKEN AWAY….
Dear Readers…
With the long awaited transparency supplied by the Town of including the Agenda backup material to all residents before the Commission meetings…it will no longer be necessary to put it all on this site…. A quick link (previous post LBTS agenda/meetings category)…and interested citizens will be able to see what the Commission sees before they start each meeting…It provides all of us the details of what they are voting on….something that was severely lacking in the past…due to innumerable examples of a disconnect to fully disclose those details to the listening public….
Now this writer can just highlight certain agenda items of interest or concern…and then you the reader can take a look to see if you agree or disagree…taking away the Mc-“slapps” and Mc-“rants” …of who is not telling the truth….or Commissioner Silverstone’s ongoing comments filled with accusations that you the readers do not have all the facts!…
Unfortunately…as transparency is now given with backup materials online (long provided in other communities)…it has glaringly been taken away with the 2009 4th of July event co-chaired by Vice Mayor McIntee and his BFF Comm. “Jimmy” Silverstone…contained in New Business agenda item 16 g…
16g. Commission approval of $40,000 (excluding fireworks) for Town Sponsored Special Event, July 4th Beach Blast Celebration 2009, July 3 and 4, 2009, $20,000 Town, $20,000 donations authorization for Town Manager to execute Contracts/Agreements, and waiving procurement Purchasing Policy related to the event (Vice Mayor McIntee)…
BC-Where to begin….How about last year…when the Co-Chairs Comms. Dodd and Clottey were consistent and diligent about posting all meeting to discuss the 4th event to honor Sunshine rules and to open this Town event to all residents to hear and participate in……Fast forward …the 2009 co-chairs VM McIntee and Comm. Silverstone…NOT ONE MEETING POSTED…but according to the backup material for this item on the agenda …it’s virtually done…planned with the invoices all in!…
1. It is stated to be a Town-CIC-VFD event…
BC- When was that voted on?…
4. It is stated Marc Furth is the Coordinator…
BC- When and how was that decided?….
3. It is stated there will be 100 volunteers…
BC- Again when was that decided?….
4. They have diagrams of the event by Marc Furth…
BC- Who was with Marc when that was decided?….
5. Included in the backup it says the food concessions/ T-Shirts profits will go to a non- profit organization…Is that the VFD?
BC-If so, when was this decided and by whom?…
6. Included are for the following…
A. A confirmation food ordered from Aruba Beach Cafe for $3179.21 on 3/18/09 with memos written on the bottom by Peggy Mohler Fiancee’ of Co-Chair Comm. Jimmy Silverstone…
BC- Who decided to order from Aruba and when?/ Were offers made to other Town restaurants…or bids put out?
B. A Use of Equipment Agreement for U.S. Food service for a 28′ trailer for Aruba Beach Cafe & Town of LBTS on 3/17/09…
BC- Who decided to use this vendor and that it would be the Town & Aruba and when was the decision made?….
C. Tents and Events estimate…with the contact number for Marc Furth (Coordinator) for a 50×75 tent on 3/17/09 for $3,732.50…
BC- Who decided to have Marc Furth contact the vendor and when?….
The General liability Indemnification was signed by VM McIntee and notarized by Town Clerk White on 3/30/09…
After looking at the backup in Town Hall this writer looked at the “board” for any new items…and this is what was included…
An RFP for Fireworks Display…It said it was advertised on 4/9/09…HUH?….
This writer looks everyday at the Sentinel Public Notices and did not recall this RFP…So I went to the reception desk to ask…Town Clerk White came forward in a very “brusk” manner and acted as if she had no idea what I was talking about!…I told her it was on the “board” with her name…She came to look and said it was not for bid…HUH?…I said “it’s an RFP”…She looked at it and said I needed to contact Assist. Town Manager Olinzock as stated on the RFP…I asked again where it was advertised…she responded on the “board” and on the Town website ( a check on the website did not show it)…and walked away…
Dear Readers…
Shades of the Town Manager’s hiring practices…limiting responses ….controlling those responses…and although it may be “legally allowable”…it stinks as a practice done by the Town!…
It stated “All questions for scheduling inspection of proposed display site shall be directed to the Assistant Town Manager”…HMMM…
BC- I have asked 2 of the members of the Commission if they know where the display site is…They do not…The Pier is not the site….and a barge is not the site…so why is it the Assist. Town Manager knows where the display site is but Commission and residents do not?….
We have heard …and VM McIntee certainly “showed his cards ” with his questioning of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rep. at the 3/24/09 meeting…when he asked about special events towards the beach…and was met with the response the DEP would need to be involved…that the Mc-Furths are thinking of fireworks shot off from the beach by Minto…(also interesting due to the Commission imploring the BSO in 2008 to stop beachgoers from shooting off fireworks!)
BC- When and where was this discussed?…Was it discussed with Minto?…If so who discussed it on behalf of the 4th of July Committee and the Town?…Any calls since that meeting to the DEP?…By whom?…
By all appearances of the goings on so far…there is certainly the smell…the strong smell of Sunshine being ignored by the Co-Chairs for the LBTS 4th of July celebration!..
After “skirting” yet again another State complaint…this time with the Florida Elections Commission (previous scoops post)….Where these “2 Hats” WERE FOUND to have NOT followed the rules of being co- campaigners and paying 50-50 upfront as required …. (shown in the FEC investigative conclusion)…..it appears now as Co-Chairs for July 4th,2009…they are either following suit…with Comm. Silverstone in the highly unlikely position of being completely left in the dark from the decisions made by his BFF VM McIntee and also his Fiancee’ along with Marc Furth…or these two Commissioners are making decisions without following Sunshine!….Either way…with the RFP on the “board” in Town Hall and being in receipt of the July 4th backup materials…the Town Manager appears to be complicit…For it was she that was so adamant about the proper Sunshine procedures being fully complied with by the “Broom Boys” predecessors in 2008!…
More to come…….
Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops
