30-a beach looks like tent city

[GoodWitch58]

FOIA requests are Federal only. I did get a copy of one of his invoices from purchasing. Was told that there was no contract. Turned it over to someone else at the WCTA to follow up with during the budget scrubs, and they found someone that had a copy of the contract that was posted. The invoice I saw was pretty detailed. If it does not get posted I will try to find my copy and change it to a pdf and post.

Florida Public Records Law should get you a copy of almost anything:

Florida Guidelines

 

[Dia]

What exactly does a code enforcement person do to earn $50K a year? Isn't that a higher salary than our sheriff's dept and teachers start at?

Bidding war - I'll ride around all day in a souped up John Deere or tricked out pick-up for 49K a year!

I'll be your assistant & ride along with you! (our teachers in Walton County start at 34,700 w/ a bachelor's degree)

 

[Geo]

Scooter remember this when election time comes up. And ask any candidate for re-election if it is true rather or not we pay a guy $35 to be the multi use path consultant, and he rides the path on his bike, and reports to public works.

If any tell you it is not true, let me know and I will email you the contract. I have faxed a copy to each of them and all are aware. I have had one tell me it is cheaper than hiring somebody to do it, this guy is on an open ended contract.

In the spirit of full disclosure- I personally know this gentleman. He is a tremendous guy and a steward of our area...

I think you guys are really jumping to conclusions. You acknowledge that you do not know the scope/value of the services he provides to us. But yet you express in certain terms that what he does is of no value, that we are being fleeced, that he is billing for things he shouldn't, that he and/or the people who contracted with him should be removed, etc.

$35 an hour for a consultant is a bargain in any industry, sector, etc.
It IS cheaper and arguably smarter to use him than to pay a full time employee, cover benefits, etc.

Looks like a witchhunt, ya'll. You've got the wrong guy, though...

 

[GoodWitch58]

my concern is not with the person who is doing the job....but with the people who approved it.

 

[scooterbug44]

I am not singling this person out - I'm asking the same questions about Code Enforcement, Commissioner benefits, etc.

I also volunteered to reduce my trash pickup to 1x a week to save the county money too.

 

[Geo]

my concern is not with the person who is doing the job....but with the people who approved it.

Ok. Because it is scandalous that decison makers decided to hire a seasoned professional at a great rate to provide a service to us that is of value? Because you would prefer that a committee of 8 full time paid employees start out with a formal RFP. That they get overwhelmed with bids from people who want to get paid "to ride their bike all day" so they turn over the process to be managed by a consulting firm who bills $150/hr. and takes 3 months to find us someone qualified who would do it for $2 an hour less?
(All of which would cost us triple in a year what we pay the guy we use now)...

 

[Geo]

I am not singling this person out - I'm asking the same questions about Code Enforcement, Commissioner benefits, etc.

I also volunteered to reduce my trash pickup to 1x a week to save the county money too.

You personally might not be singling him out. But he IS being singled out here. I saw his name and contract posted here along with a call for his position and the people who hired him.

Looks like he is being singled out to me. In a thread about? I have to go back and look at the title...

EDIT: About tents on the beach

 

[GoodWitch58]

Ok. Because it is scandalous that decison makers decided to hire a seasoned professional at a great rate to provide a service to us that is of value? Because you would prefer that a committee of 8 full time paid employees starts out with a formal RFP. That they get overwhelmed with bids from people who want to get paid "to ride their bike all day" so they turn over the process to be managed by a consulting firm who bills $150/hr. and takes 3 months to find us someone qualified who would do it for $2 an hour less?
(All of which would cost us triple in a year what we pay the guy we use now)...

No, not for any of those reasons. Geo, might you be reacting to the fact that youknow the individual and like him...while others may be reacting to entirely different things? My question, like many of the others posted here, has to do with whether or not there isn't another way to handle the perceived problem, without hiring anyone else.

I paid no attention to his name, and if you say he is a good guy, then I believe you; I would feel the same, no matter who it was.

I just have a problem with government decisions being made outside the Sunshine Law; and this is twice in the last 30 days that something like this has come to light--not because anyone in leadership at the County government was overseeing contracts and disbursements, but because a member of the public asked for the information--

 

[Geo]

Geo, might you be reacting to the fact that you know the individual and like him...while others may be reacting to entirely different things?

Yes on both. And I believe my points were necessary to provide some balance since it seemed only the view that heads should be rolling was being represented...

I have nothing else to add.

 

[maxman]

Go for it...get them where it may hurt $$$$$
They are not listenning to the locals, maybe you can make the point.Sorry for your experience, but it may take many of you to change things. Pls come back.

I just got back to Ohio from my long awaited trip to 30A, and I must say I was never so disappointed in my whole life at the state of the beach! I hadn't been down since 07, and was flabbergasted at how much worse it has gotten in 2 years! What the HE@# is wrong with people??????? Is acting all white-trashy the new way to be these days?? I will absolutely be writing your county commissioners to voice my concerns as a PAYING visitor and hopefully someday a tax paying resident of the area! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT I say!! I wish I'd had a machete or some big ol wire cutters with me! I had to make do with with a plastic bag. Not the way I had planned on spending my vacation at the beach, picking up other people's droppings!