Kim Scott: Fox guarding hen house??

[JaxUnicorn]

From this morning's Rules Committee meeting minutes:

Public Comment - John Mancusik and Kim Pryor of Preservation SOS expressed opposition to the appointment of Kim Scott as Director of the Regulatory Compliance Department based on her administration of the Municipal Code Enforcement Division, which they believe has violated federal grant guidelines and other regulations in the process of demolishing structures in the city. Council Member Lee requested the Office of General Counsel and the City administration to prepare written responses to the allegations made by Preservation SOS so that the factuality of the issues can be decided once and for all.

One would think that the "factuality of the issues can be decided once and for all" would have been done BEFORE approving Kim Scott's appointment...we've only been telling them about it for at least 2 years!

[vicupstate]

What is the Environmental Control agency of FL andthe Feds saying about this situation?

[sheclown]

the city is being investigated

[sheclown]

http://www.coj.net/city-council/city-council-meetings-online/2014-council-video-archive.aspx

Rules committee 4/14 --

The video of public comments starts at 1:56

[sheclown]

Redman:  "where any of these houses that got demolished -- were they condemned because they were a hazard to the community?  They wouldn't be demolished unless they were a hazard...we have some...they are dangerous and can't be tore down because of the pressure from our organization."
[2:05]

Lee: .... "federal guidelines, state guidelines, city guidelines sometimes differ.... supersede one another....it could be that condemnation ...then NSP funds could be used....I would suggest before accusing an entity -- know what the law actually says....I'm going to ask administration to respond... Ask OGC......If condemnation is there....based on the speakers comments...dollars cannot be used for demolition....I wanna know if NSP dollars can be used for demolitions...If they were used for demolition...were they used within the law.....Can NSP 1 and 2 be used for demolition if condemnation occured prior and its been cited and gone through the process  3.) If existing structure whether it is a home or ....and it is a historical site...is there a requirement that the site be preserved even if it has been condemned....or does the historical designation of the site....If it has been deemed historical...does the condemnation language fit in there that allows for demolition...The reason for that is we need to put this to bed.  Many of these complaints are they coming from...absentee landlords...
[2:07]

What is particularly disturbing is when council doesn't even understand the questions....

Oooph Da.

[sheclown]

Lori Boyer mentioned open investigations during the rules committee.  These differ from the open case that we have found.  Anyone have info, or know how to get info on these open investigations against MCCD?

[avs]

They know about open investigations and they still voted to move her forward??

[JaxUnicorn]

Apparently so....

[strider]

As Stephan and a few other have told us, the Mayor's office campaigned heavily for this appointment and they did so partly by making us standing up and speaking nothing but a personal attack against Kimberly Scott by Preservation SOS.  When you watch the video, it is evident that the fix was in and everyone made sure they piled on the praise.  They did not have to do that, they could have just voted, but kissing up to the politic pressure was what was required of them. Even the questions seemed structured when you view the video and what little I overhead being said to Ms Scott by Ms Boyer prior to the meeting now makes sense.  Ms Boyer seemed to be giving Ms Scott prior notice of the questions she would ask but also giving assurance that it was all OK. And, of course, it was. 

The only thing Ms Boyer seemed able to get in was that fact of a continuing investigation and that meant little as can be seen by the vote.  The entire federal funding thing was completely ignored and even council members who have blasted Ms Scott in the past sung her praises.  It was above all else a lesson in Jacksonville politics.

2015 is an election year and while I now know getting good people who care about having a properly run city in office is unlikely, I will commit to working for a couple of good people who have a chance.  And hoping that at least change of any kind will be better than what we have now.

[sheclown]

And here is the Daily Record reporting on the subject:


http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542708

Then came Kim Scott's turn.

The almost 30-year veteran and former head of the Municipal Code Compliance Division is serving as the acting director of the Regulatory Compliance Department, a promotion with responsibilities that include oversight over her former division and several others.

But, concerned residents have accused Scott of improperly managing situations in the compliance role, which led to questions by council members during the half-hour or so interview.

Most of the discussion revolved around a May 2011 partial demolition on University Boulevard and whether proper asbestos procedures — notifications, oversight and disposal among other concerns — were followed.

Scott said the project was declared an emergency on a Friday and that the city's procurement, building inspections and environmental quality areas were notified. Work started on a Saturday and the rush was because it was in close proximity to an elementary school, day care facility and roadway.

Any asbestos-related case requires a supervisor but because of short notice, an environmental quality employee filled in, Scott said. The employee could have stopped the demolition if anything was wrong.

There was also the question about the contractor, who may or may not in 2011 have had the qualifications to handle and dispose of asbestos materials. The contractor does now, but several years ago is in question, which led to council member Bill Bishop asking who oversees such specifications.

Procurement manages the process and works with a requesting agency or department, which provides the needed technical certificates or licenses for a job, said Greg Pease, procurement chief.

Scott called it a collaboration, but never heard from procurement about problems.

"This particular issue seems to be passed back and forth," Bishop said.

He also questioned whether the contractor properly disposed of the materials. The contractor did, according to a city official, by putting it in Trail Ridge Landfill. But whether the materials were put in the right area is undetermined and there was no paper trail, Bishop said.

"If they just stuck this stuff in a landfill, then we have a problem here," he said.

Council member Lori Boyer also questioned Scott about oversight and conflict of interest — the Environmental Protection Board has actions pending against code compliance, which Scott oversaw. Now, Scott would oversee both.

Scott said a state ethics panel could review any ethics issues, but Boyer said she didn't want to be "punting" all environmental quality issues to the state.

okay -- there was trash, but we can't find it.

okay -- couldn't find an inspector, but we had someone there

okay -- the contractor wasn't licensed but it wasn't my fault

okay -- I'll be in charge of the people who are investigating me

-----------

And us, these "concerned citizens", have a personal agenda?

The Rules Committee sold out. 

[Cheshire Cat]

^And that dear friends is the brick wall that local politico's put around their favorite insiders, in this case Kim Scott.  Politics in jacksonville for some is only about getting paid and that requires having the right friends in the right departments.  Scott knows how to play the victim game and she has those who are willing to play it with her.  This is nothing new but speaks volumes to the underlying dysfunction in this city when it comes to building, redevelopment and preservation.  The departments are often not well run, skirt protocol and process and when questioned about their actions, bury the truth in a barrage of words and rhetoric.  In order to get the attention of city leaders this needs to go to the feds and a full inquiry into how federal funds were handled as well as why after all the problems with ash in many of these communities, everyone seems to think asbestos is not a problem.  As far as Kim Scott saying procurement hired the contractor, she left something very important out of that statement to council.  As things stands, Scott is the person selecting the contractors and procurement basically rubber stamps her choices as it does with all contracts funneled to procurement by Scott.  She has a free hand in all this and we apparently have city leadership that is willing to take her word that everything is peachy keen.  It simply is not. 

[sheclown]

They know about open investigations and they still voted to move her forward??

Jacksonville Council panel backs Kim Scott's promotion to compliance director

By Steve Patterson Mon, Apr 14, 2014 @ 2:34 pm | updated Mon, Apr 14, 2014 @ 3:10 pm

The longtime head of Jacksonville's code-enforcement division won a City Council panel's support Monday to become director of the Department of Regulatory Compliance.

Before the unanimous vote, members of the Rules Committee questioned Kimberly Scott for about a half-hour, mostly about an environmental citation the Municipal Code Compliance Division received in 2011 over a city-ordered demolition of an Arlington restaurant with asbestos in it.

"You've got to be either real good or real bad," Councilwoman Denise Lee told Scott during the questioning. "This is the first time I've heard a director quizzed like this."

The full council will consider the appointment when it meets next week.

The restaurant, King Dragon at 1126 University Blvd. N., already had been partly demolished by contractors working for the owner, but they left the job mid-way and the city hired another contractor, Michael Lloyd Hauling, to finish the job.

The city's Environmental Quality Division cited the company, saying no one on the job had certification for asbestos removal that the law required, and cited Code Compliance, where Scott had been chief since 2007, for having hired the company.

Scott told the committee the company was hired through the city's Procurement Division, and that she didn't directly know whether the company was properly certified in 2011. A copy of Lloyd's training certificate is in city records now, but that was issued in 2013.

Councilwoman Lori Boyer said she was concerned about how Scott would handle cases brought in the future by the city's Environmental Protection Board, saying she understood the board to be pursuing new issues involving the Code Compliance.

The compliance director oversees both the code compliance and environmental quality divisions, the latter of which serves as staff to the unpaid Environmental Protection Board.

"I certainly understand your concerns," Scott answered, and said she had been looking into handing off enforcement to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection if a conflict of interest arose.

Other council members lauded Scott, a 29-year city employee who they said had shown conviction by standing up to complaints about building-code citations issued in other parts of town.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, she'll tell me no if she believes she's right," Councilman Richard Clark told the committee. "I don't know that we can find a better person for this job."

Scott had been faulted earlier by neighborhood activists who had complained about her use of demolition in historic neighborhoods, and some of those told the committee again Monday they thought she was a bad pick for the director's job.

"A leader should lead by example," said Kim Pryor, a member of the historic preservation group Preservation SOS, who said Scott had ducked responsibility for hiring Lloyd's company. "You need to question those other departments."

Steve Patterson: (904) 359-4263

[sheclown]

^And that dear friends is the brick wall that local politico's put around their favorite insiders, in this case Kim Scott.  Politics in jacksonville for some is only about getting paid and that requires having the right friends in the right departments.  Scott knows how to play the victim game and she has those who are willing to play it with her.  This is nothing new but speaks volumes to the underlying dysfunction in this city when it comes to building, redevelopment and preservation.  The departments are often not well run, skirt protocol and process and when questioned about their actions, bury the truth in a barrage of words and rhetoric.  In order to get the attention of city leaders this needs to go to the feds and a full inquiry into how federal funds were handled as well as why after all the problems with ash in many of these communities, everyone seems to think asbestos is not a problem.  As far as Kim Scott saying procurement hired the contractor, she left something very important out of that statement to council.  As things stands, Scott is the person selecting the contractors and procurement basically rubber stamps her choices as it does with all contracts funneled to procurement by Scott.  She has a free hand in all this and we apparently have city leadership that is willing to take her word that everything is peachy keen.  It simply is not. 

Very well explained Diane.

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks Gloria.  Time to shift gears and work around local government.  Talk to the feds and if necessary talk to someone at the SAO about the concerns with regard to potential unfair or illegal influence when it comes to how Scott's contracts are awarded.  City council members have dropped the ball on this in a big way and made it into a power struggle between a city department and the people those departments are supposed to serve.  We pay the dadgum bills and this type of response to a very real concern should rise above friendships in City Hall. 

[Charles Hunter]

Very disappointed, especially in Lori Boyer and Mayoral Candidate Bill Bishop.  Seems he could have staked out a difference from Mayor Photo-Op by voting "no" on this.  Especially as it was obvious she was going to get enough votes ... then, if (when) the fecal matter hits the ventilator, he could be on the side of the angels.