Busted! Feds Audit Jax After Kim Scott Demolition Spree

[Metro Jacksonville]

Busted! Feds Audit Jax After Kim Scott Demolition Spree



Following the hue and cry surrounding the lightning demolitions of several historic properties in the historic Northside, a group of historic preservationists looked into the source of funding for Kim Scotts apparently unappealable decisions to demolish dwindling historic stock.  What they found was unsettling, and the result was a federal look into the way that Jacksonville has been handling federal funds.  What they found can only be described as widespread mishandling of procedure as well as expenditure of monies and we have copies of the actual report back to the City.  Join us for compelling details after the jump.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-jun-busted-feds-audit-jax-after-kim-scott-demolition-spree

[BridgeTroll]

No comment from Scott? 

[finehoe]

From todays Times Union, Steve Patterson Reporting:  Read the entire article, its great.
http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-06-11/story/hud-jacksonville-owes-feds-160000-rules-violations-when-demolishing#cxrecs_s

"I'm really appalled to know this," Councilman Johnny Gaffney said when a reporter asked him about the money the city would have to repay.

The city can't afford to lose money because it's not on top of its game, said Councilwoman Lori Boyer.

"It's just so unacceptable that we have one instance after another where we are failing to perform," she said, a day after council members fumed over extra costs the city faced to manage the loss of water taxi service.

The final cost of the HUD findings isn't clear yet.

Sadly, it would seem our esteemed Council is only concerned about the monetary losses to the city, not the historical losses.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

I think they are going to use what we label as demolition by neglect as an excuse to protect the interest of the public which is horse caca in my opinion.

What are the possible ramifications to the city if they are found to be at fault?

[strider]

As to the demolitions, they have been found at fault.  First, they were forced to admit they did not follow proper procedures for two emergency demolition now HUD has officially found 13 demolitions that must be paid back.   Preservation SOS knows of 164 demolitions that the city could also be on the hook for.  However, I suspect HUD would much rather leverage this to insure the city cleans up it's act so here's hoping the city cooperates better with HUD than they typically do with anyone at all.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

As to the demolitions, they have been found at fault.  First, they were forced to admit they did not follow proper procedures for two emergency demolition now HUD has officially found 13 demolitions that must be paid back.   Preservation SOS knows of 164 demolitions that the city could also be on the hook for.  However, I suspect HUD would much rather leverage this to insure the city cleans up it's act so here's hoping the city cooperates better with HUD than they typically do with anyone at all.

Awesome information thank you!

[Debbie Thompson]

"Demolition by Neglect" should even not be a term that is used.  Neglect doesn't demolish houses.  To my knowledge, historic houses in the National Register Springfield Historic District (and anywhere else for that matter) aren't simply falling over by themselves.  It takes hours of an excavator gnawing at them piece by piece.

This term is used by demolition happy people at COJ to blame the owners for their decision to demolish an historic home.  The owners may be responsible for neglecting the property.  They are generally not responsible for the demolition.

In fact, when an owner requests a demolition within the Historic District, the request is generally supposed to be denied by the Historic Preservation Commission. 

At times, MCCD has been doing an end run around HPC by calling their demolition activities "emergencies" when no emergency existed.  (2nd and Liberty - house had been reframed inside.)  And throwing their activities in the face of HPC by refusing an HPC request to simply stabilize a gable instead of demolishing a house on E. 2nd Street.  The MCCD rep told HPC no, the house was coming down.  And they demolished it 12 hours later as an" emergency" refusing HPC's request to simply stabilize the gable (the only safety issue) instead.

[jaxlore]

wow this is obscene.

[JaxUnicorn]

Through my work with Preservation SOS I have solid evidence of almost $500,000 in NSP1 funds used to demolish historic structures without following the federal guidelines. Money that will have to be returned to the Federal Government.  I have the list of properties and written verification from Florida's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) that no Section 106 reviews were completed.  There was $1M in NSP1 funds...and $400,000 in NSP3 funds...and God knows how much CDBG funding...my research continues.

I've spoken about this in front of City Council numerous times. I spoke at the Rules Committee meeting AGAINST Kim Scott's promotion to Director of Regulatory Compliance.  Asked them how they could possibly promote a woman into a position of complying with federal regulations when she has not been able to follow them as they relate to demolition.  They did not want to hear it.  All they had was praise for the mighty Kim Scott.  We have shared the information with the media.  All the information shared by myself and other members of Preservation SOS have fallen on DEAF EARS. 

Well guess what...Sheclown and I went to the federal funding source - HUD.  We sat down with them and told HUD what the City of Jacksonville is doing with the Federal grant funds.  And they listened...intently.  And then HUD performed an audit, the results of which you see on this thread.  Mind you, this is only the tip of the iceberg.  They did a very small audit.  The mis-use of Federal tax dollars, which by the way is OUR (citizen) money, extends way beyond the realm of demolition.

[Scrub Palmetto]

As to the demolitions, they have been found at fault.  First, they were forced to admit they did not follow proper procedures for two emergency demolition now HUD has officially found 13 demolitions that must be paid back.   Preservation SOS knows of 164 demolitions that the city could also be on the hook for.  However, I suspect HUD would much rather leverage this to insure the city cleans up it's act so here's hoping the city cooperates better with HUD than they typically do with anyone at all.

Will there not be a more thorough investigation to find out exactly how much federal money the city needs to return? I would think there would be an obligation to do this, whether or not the more important end goal is to ensure the city learns from its mistakes. If there are indeed 140+ more demolitions that broke the rules, that's a hell of a lot of free federal money the city gets for bad behavior, if HUD doesn't fully investigate this.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

As to the demolitions, they have been found at fault.  First, they were forced to admit they did not follow proper procedures for two emergency demolition now HUD has officially found 13 demolitions that must be paid back.   Preservation SOS knows of 164 demolitions that the city could also be on the hook for.  However, I suspect HUD would much rather leverage this to insure the city cleans up it's act so here's hoping the city cooperates better with HUD than they typically do with anyone at all.

Will there not be a more thorough investigation to find out exactly how much federal money the city needs to return? I would think there would be an obligation to do this, whether or not the more important end goal is to ensure the city learns from its mistakes. If there are indeed 140+ more demolitions that broke the rules, that's a hell of a lot of free federal money the city gets for bad behavior, if HUD doesn't fully investigate this.

I think its like 30 million or more.

ouch!....

on a separate note great work preservation sos on Getting this matter the attention it deserves! I do admire Gloria as an activist and person in general I'm sure all the people she has on her team are of the same caliber. You guys rock.

[funguy]

It's a shame the city didn't take down twice as many homes as it did. If the city had perhaps Springfield could finally become a viable investment area. I guess what the residents of Springfield prefer is to continued throwing good money into large square footage pretentious money pits.. Thirty years ago I said Springfield would be a viable investment five years down the line..How wrong I was thirty years later it still a mess...

[DDC]

It's a shame the city didn't take down twice as many homes as it did. If the city had perhaps Springfield could finally become a viable investment area. I guess what the residents of Springfield prefer is to continued throwing good money into large square footage pretentious money pits.. Thirty years ago I said Springfield would be a viable investment five years down the line..How wrong I was thirty years later it still a mess...

{sliding behind my chair out of the line of fire.....}

[Noone]

Through my work with Preservation SOS I have solid evidence of almost $500,000 in NSP1 funds used to demolish historic structures without following the federal guidelines. Money that will have to be returned to the Federal Government.  I have the list of properties and written verification from Florida's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) that no Section 106 reviews were completed.  There was $1M in NSP1 funds...and $400,000 in NSP3 funds...and God knows how much CDBG funding...my research continues.

I've spoken about this in front of City Council numerous times. I spoke at the Rules Committee meeting AGAINST Kim Scott's promotion to Director of Regulatory Compliance.  Asked them how they could possibly promote a woman into a position of complying with federal regulations when she has not been able to follow them as they relate to demolition.  They did not want to hear it.  All they had was praise for the mighty Kim Scott.  We have shared the information with the media.  All the information shared by myself and other members of Preservation SOS have fallen on DEAF EARS. 

Well guess what...Sheclown and I went to the federal funding source - HUD.  We sat down with them and told HUD what the City of Jacksonville is doing with the Federal grant funds.  And they listened...intently.  And then HUD performed an audit, the results of which you see on this thread.  Mind you, this is only the tip of the iceberg.  They did a very small audit.  The mis-use of Federal tax dollars, which by the way is OUR (citizen) money, extends way beyond the realm of demolition.

+1 The Feds do listen.

[sheclown]

The Feds do not want Jacksonville to lose any funding -- nor does anyone I know want this to happen.  What would we lose?  After school care for children at risk?  That hardly seems a goal worth pursuing. 

What we all do want is the respect which is due our older homes.  In and out of the historic districts.  A recognition that the craftsmanship and the materials are far superior to what is available today.  And an understanding that in this "sustainable" conscious world, a house already built is the greenest of all.

What needs to happen with this respect is a willingness to MOTHBALL all structures 50 years or older.  Additionally any action taken against a house 50 years or old should have to have some sort of sign off from the historic planning department, IMHO.  Which means more staff for that department.

Save the houses.