SPAR revolt?

[Jth]

I have to agree with Chris.  Stephen, you can do better than that.  Provide the factual documented information to back your accusations.  That's what I was getting at earlier and still believe this argument needs to validate it one way or the other.

Lake, I have made no accusations,  firstly.

Second, I have already substantially answered the questions you printed, which were easily taken from the various threads.

I am not the one who supported demolitions, nor was I aware that the demolitions would then be purchased by the developers in the neighborhood, and I have nothing to prove.

The appearance is there of collusion, and SPAR needs to provide the proof that there was none.

Why exactly have Louise and Claude been silent on this issue?

It seems as though a statement would have cleared this up the first day if none of this was true.

What is pissing them off is their own emails.

Why did Louise try to undercut the Historic Preservation Officer?
Why is the organization advocating the demolition of structures that the HPO deems salvageable?
Why did SPAR continue to accept money from the developers after it was clear that they were financially benefitting from SPARS support of the demolitions?  Why didnt SPAR simple let SRG administer its own 'police fund'?

Why is SPAR targetting an individual and slandering him across the city to force him to abandon his properties and investments into the neighborhood
Why is Louise similarly undermining Jason Teal because he told her the law doesnt allow her to do that?

Why is she demanding that the City Council person draft legislation which will affect the entire neighborhood, without telling anyone in the neighborhood what that is?

Why is SPAR in the business of this secrecy, negative actions, attacks, and the like?

All this controversy over these subjects, and no legitimate answers or explanations about them.

If the truth is somehow contrary to the witnesses of a dozen people and the content of the emails--which are hardly open for interpretation, why not simply explain?

In any case, there is the question of leadership.   If all this is just a figment of the imagination of so many people in both springfield and downtown, why is this organization simply letting the neighborhood polarize instead of simply coming clean, saying whats so and moving on?

I think the answers are obviousl

Stephen,

Claude and Louise are silent because every claim you've made is baseless and full of conjecture. If your "arguments" had any substantive merit they would be on the front page of MetroJacksonville right now, as I know you have tried to have them published there.

Just because something is floated out onto the internet does not mean its credible and worthy of being addressed.

If you are so sure about all of the accusations you have thrown out there, go interview Sean Kelly, Councilman Gaffney, Joel, Jason Teal and all the other actors in your play and have them go on the record to corroborate your ideas. Until then it is just baseless conjecture and not worthy of being addressed.

If you truly care about the well being of Springfield, go all in on the formation of "SHARP". That would be a lot more productive for the community than going on an anti-SPAR witch hunt and trying to draw negative attention to the neighborhood.

[fsu813]

stephen,

you must have been good at the early 90's video game "Deflector".

[Jth]

jth.  If by 'baseless' you mean supported by their personal emails, and the direct witness of dozens of people, then I concur.  Obviously that whole silly floating in the internet thing is kindof important to them since they shut down your own forum to prevent people from talking about it anymore.

There was discussion within our board as to whether to print on the front page, not really any of your business, btw..  But I concurred with the opinion that it was being substantively handled in our forums which have heavy readership.  Unlike your fantasy version where there was an 'attempt' to print something that was denied, it simply isnt at that point yet.   So, while im sure the arthur conan doyle novels are interesting, you should read them closer.  Sherlock, you arent.

As an employee of SPAR, thanks for your input.  What, the receptionist was too busy to type up something?

The real answer is that Louise and Claude cannot answer these questions.  Nice try jeremy, but FAIL.

There was no discussion within the board of MetroJacksonville whether or not to print the information on the front page. You wanted to put the information there and the others thought it was baseless and without factual evidence. I was told this firsthand by someone who would know.

Classy post by the way.

[sheclown]

I would like to see factual documentation that Stephen is boring.

[Dan B]

I didn't say anything about the by-laws. I also didnt say anything about the personal attacks. I am equally frustrated at SPARs inability to follow its own by-laws. SPAR is weaker today as an organization because of this inability, and the tendency to circle the wagons when one if its own board members calls this type of stuff into question is frustrating to watch, especially when one WANTS to see the organization thrive.

It does seem to me, however, that you have made it just as personal. Pointedly so, in-fact. Threats of dragging "Springfield through the mud" is a pretty bold thing to proclaim. You can claim the high road if you want, but anyone who has any sort of knowledge of whats going on here knows your just as dirty.

The thing that nobody seems to be talking about is, this has nothing to do with the houses that were deemed legal last year. This is all over the issue of what is a legal use of a single family house.

The questions being asked right now of the city, while perhaps uncomfortable for you, and controversial to others, are legit questions raised as a direct result of your actions. You have effectively martyred yourself for the cause.

For the record, I am against any change to the number of unrelated people living in a house, because of my personal experiences in the Navy. The issue at hand is not roommates, but businesses or non-profits using single family, residentially zoned houses to house people.

Dan
I agree with you whole heartedly.

I will now duck as I will be jumped on now as a "newbie" or "sock puppet".  

I am just another Dan that lives in the hood.  Been here for a long time and was once on the SPAR board.

Hey Danno! And while you may be accused of being a newbie, this is only because you havent posted regularly since MetJax days, but I think most on here remember you fondly!

[sheclown]

Hooplady, if you are who I think you are, and you say that there is nothing wrong with the 990s, then I will close my mouth on this after I make one last statement.

Some of you, who have been on the board, have said in private that you are concerned about the muddy record-keeping.  I understand not wanting to discuss it here, but you need to make sure that financial records, of all things, are perfectly clear.  Do it in the privacy of the SPAR building, if you want, but do it and don't let fear or intimidation keep you from the records.

If this had been done years ago, when the concerns were first brought up, it would not be an issue now.

[strider]

There is absolutely nothing wrong as far as the law and the IRS is concerned about listing a bunch of stuff as "Other".  The fact that most non-profits we have checked break it out proves nothing but that SPAR Council is not very transparent.  It is the circumstantial evidence that surround this issue that makes us question the easy answers.  Want this 990 issue to go away?  Provide the community to which the organization claims to represent honest answers to the questions and it can be put to bed.

So, Sheclown, I disagree with the stance that this should be handled any way but very publicly.  The 990 ‘s and the information they are based on are indeed public record and everyone who SPAR Council claims to represent should have full access to that information.  Much of this kind of stuff (not being transparent) is done without malice, to that I will agree.  It doesn’t make it right and it certainly opens everything up to a negative interpretation.  And Alex, someone once on  the board told me those security fund numbers recently.  If they are incorrect, please provide the correct numbers.   

[Dan B]

Hooplady, if you are who I think you are, and you say that there is nothing wrong with the 990s, then I will close my mouth on this after I make one last statement.

Some of you, who have been on the board, have said in private that you are concerned about the muddy record-keeping.  I understand not wanting to discuss it here, but you need to make sure that financial records, of all things, are perfectly clear.  Do it in the privacy of the SPAR building, if you want, but do it and don't let fear or intimidation keep you from the records.

If this had been done years ago, when the concerns were first brought up, it would not be an issue now.

Gloria, every year I was on the board one of the people I trust most in the world was working the books, and we went through yearly audits because our city grant at the time required it. This does not say that I am happy with the level or clarity of communication to the community, or how every issue is handled, but I feel pretty confident that the books were not being cooked.

I cant speak to what has happened since the spring of last year, when I stepped down due to family illnesses, but from 2005-2008, I was at almost every monthly meeting, and VERY involved int he organization.

[strider]

Claude and Louise are silent on these issues because they have no good answer.  We have seen their attempts at answers before and there is seldom much truth in them. It is odd that I, for one, get dragged through the mud regularly but if I do the dragging in defense of myself and more importantly, the innocent people effected by this harassment, then I am doing wrong.  Has any of you ever gone to Louise and Claude and said, you shouldn’t say that the overlay says four or five unrelated adults can't live together in a single family house because it's not true?  How about, as code enforcement has checked that rental house three or four times, perhaps it is actually legal and we shouldn't harass the tenants anymore? I suspect the answer is no.  Rather, many of you jump on that band wagon and  promote the lies and innuendo rather than try to stop it.

Until  SPAR Council learns to begin using the truth rather than it’s lies to further whatever their current unfounded complaint is, they risk getting the community dragged through the mud.  Sheclown, for instance, has no choice.  She asks questions, gets an answer and then later learns that answer was a lie.  She cares about Springfield, but realizes that Springfield has been here a long time and it will be here a long time after we are all gone.  It can handle the mud slinging  but the innocent people who will be effected by these issues can not. We both will defend them and will do what it takes to get the truth out there.  It appears that SPAR Council may have indeed been doing more harm to this community than all the mud slinging on both sides combined.

And Stephen, I've had those kinds of phone calls from Louise myself, though not over this issue yet.

[sheclown]

Thanks Dan.  I'm good with that.

[sheclown]

Okay, so if there are no financial irregularities on the 990s, why not just list "crime fund" or "lawn service" as expenses?  Why not do as the other community non-profits do?

How is that NOT a valid question?

Sure it is. Its not the one that has been asked, but it is a valid question.

Are you offering up your guys to do this sort of work?

We helped in one cleanup with Doug doing Ionia Street. I think Matt McVay was running it.  It was a great experience for them, especially to go to ShantyTown afterward for the cookout and to be a part of the neighborhood.

I have volunteered them several times since, but we haven't coordinated anything and I always get the feeling that we are not wanted.  We were scheduled for the last cleanup, but then it got moved and it was too much to reorganize it for the guys again.  We have volunteered for the community garden, the one that Ray is doing.

If you do want our guys, let me know.  They want to be a part of this neighborhood.  And we would love to get involved in something positive.

[FinnegansWake]

There is NOTHING unexplained in the budget. Every month the board gets a full breakdown of what is happening with the budget. These mysterious "other expenses" are security fund.

Think what you will about me, but Phil Collins was the treasurer for my entire time on the board, and he can attest to the accounting from 2005-2008, which seems to be whats being called into question.

Really?  So then that would be easy to find, and account for, right?

Phils a good guy, Im sure he can tell everyone himself.

Someone emailed me and said I was being summoned.

I don't have the energy to read everything in this thread, plus I really need to get back to work, however...

- I was the Accountant for SPAR for...I don't know...2 years?
- The books were not "cooked".
- The books were audited by a CPA and found to be "A-OK"
- I'm trying to remember the whole Security Fund scenario...but I believe those funds were to be kept totally separate from the other funds...and they were.
- the Board got a financial report with individual copies passed around, every meeting, and any questions were addressed prior to the end of the meeting. This was true under my rein, and later when I became VP and someone else took over the accounting.
- I'm not on the Board anymore...I served my 3 years and retired to my chalet on Laura St.

Peace,
Phil

[sheclown]

just to add, several people commented that it was great to have them there.

Thanks Matt. 

[FinnegansWake]

I guess... I don't remember what was put on a 990 form, 3+ years ago. Seriously? I can barely remember to lift the lid when I piss.

When the Security Fund was set up there were people who loved the idea, and people who hated the idea.

"Great...let's supplement our crime fighting" vs. "Screw that...I already pay taxes to pay for crime fighting."

Personally I fell into the "Screw that..." camp...

But whatever...if someone wanted to pay into a fund to help with crime let them...

[AlexS]

And Alex, someone once on  the board told me those security fund numbers recently.  If they are incorrect, please provide the correct numbers.   

I don't have the security fund numbers. So I can't provide any corrections.