Siplin's law office, wife get tax money: Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel reviewed state Senate spending records, property appraisals and campaign finance reports among other documents in reporting Orlando state Sen. Gary Siplin “steered thousands of dollars in taxpayer money toward his wife and his private law practice.” Notes the story: “Siplin has used public money to lease a building owned by his wife, paying higher rent than any other senator in Central Florida and spending more in recent months on repairs and maintenance than any other state senator, the records reveal. He also has used taxpayer funds to rent office space in the same building that he used for his law practice, the records show.” The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office launched a probe after reports “that Siplin paid more than $75,000 in campaign contributions to a company that authorities think might have been set up by his wife only days before the first check arrived.” The public records handbook explores property appraisals on Page 322 and campaign finance reports on Page 60.

Florida Sunshine Review:
Associated Press: State panel supports goal of Internet access to court records …
Palm Beach Post, by Dara Kam: Florida Supreme Court committee urges rules on data collection …
Associated Press: Federal prosecutor, Escambia Sheriff’s Office settle differences on how much information to release about arrests …
WESH.com, Winter Park: Florida ACLU makes public records request to help check out claims that citizens are being spied upon …

August 15, 2005

Ricky Williams’ NFL millions virtually gone: Public records can inspire interesting stories in sports as well as news. Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post taps court records, vehicle records, property records and more to help explain why Miami Dolphins star running back Ricky Williams returned to the team after a one-year retirement. Williams needed the money. The story says Williams earned more than $16 million in the NFL but is down to less than $230,000. “Williams was forced to make his holdings and debts public earlier this year when he was sued for child support by a woman in Hawaii, the mother of one of his three children. According to a financial affidavit submitted on his behalf on Jan. 11, 2005, he owes nearly $1.1 million, including unpaid child support, agent fees and taxes. And that does not take into account the $8.6 million that a federal judge said he owes the Dolphins for breach of contract after suddenly announcing his retirement a week before training camp began last season.” Williams is also paying child support for two of his three children to the tune of $100,000 a year. Williams might be down financially, but he looked great as usual running the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in NFL pre-season action on Saturday night. The public records handbook profiles civil court records on Page 82, property appraiser records on Page 322 and motor vehicle registration records on Page 290.

Records roll call:
Building permits: Dick Hogan of the Fort Myers News-Press on how national builders are dominating in Lee County’s housing boom …
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation regulatory records: Shannon O'Boye of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on the troubled past of a consultant on a Hollywood townhouse project …
Florida labor data: Derek Catron and Jim Saunders of the Daytona Beach News-Journal on how rapidly inflating house prices in Volusia and Flagler counties “don't promise prosperity for everybody” …
Court records, jail records: Lise Fisher of the Gainesville Sun about a former University of Florida employee accused of making a business of stealing gas from the university motor pool …

Florida Sunshine Review:
*Orlando Sentinel, by by Vicki McClure: Old FCAT exams to be made public (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Jeff Cull: Government lawyers asked a federal judge in Fort Myers to rule that it shouldn't have to turn over Federal Emergency Management Agency records sought by three Florida newspapers …
*Naples Daily News, by Anne Marie Apollo: Bonita fire commissioner questions an e-mail’s legality (*free registration required) …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Clerk keeps North Port city records open and available …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Josh Hafenbrack: State and Palm Beach County officials are pressing for additional layers of secrecy in the Scripps Florida project …
Palm Beach Post, by Dara Kam: “Digital birth ID” stirs privacy debate …

New and cool:
From the Naples Daily News: Link to Federal Emergency Management Agency searchable flood zone map …

August 10, 2005

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Sex offender Web site lacks key details, lawmaker says: Sometimes public records are the story and not just a means of reporting it. Stephanie Slater of the Palm Beach Post reports on concerns about the lack of crime details provided regarding people listed on the state’s sexual predator/offender database. U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is calling for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide more information on the site. Even though the FDLE has plans to offer more, the story says those still “would show no difference between a 19-year-old offender who had consensual sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend and a 19-year-old man who exposed himself to a 10-year-old boy. Both offenses qualify as "lewd/lascivious child u/16" on the Web site.” The story outlines the problems with the current site and the challenges the FDLE has in trying to overcome them. The site’s retrieval capabilities include searching by name and Zip Code. Among other details, the results can include a predator/offender’s picture and address. See the database for yourself. The public records handbook profiles the database on Page 341.

Florida Sunshine Review:
Florida Today editorial: Change Brevard school policies to safeguard student data …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Aetna Smith: Two Leon County schools to screen for sex offenders …
Leesburg Daily Commercial, by Nicole King: Blueways project prompts public records request …

August 8, 2005

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What lies beneath: Public records can literally take people beyond the surface of key issues. Ron Hurtibise of the Daytona Beach News-Journal used state records on gasoline discharges to determine that “thousands of Florida wells are contaminated by gasoline, threatening water supplies and raising concerns about public health.” The problem is especially serious in Florida because nine of 10 Floridians get their drinking water directly from the ground. Notes the story: “In 20 years, the state has spent $2.3 billion on cleanup strategies that often haven't worked. Old, steel gas station tanks, easily corroded in porous sandy soils, faithfully serviced generations of Florida motorists but paid no respect to the water supply vital to the state's growing population. Now, gasoline pools expand under neighborhoods where residents still drink water from wells. The problem will almost certainly grow as new leaks are discovered when property owners replace underground tanks on a massive scale to meet a 2009 deadline.” The story outlines the states cleanup efforts and cites an April report from the Sierra Club that puts Florida last among states in cleaned up sites. The story also includes sidebars and a link to a state database with reports on petroleum discharge projects.

7 schools cited for safety hazards: Public records can offer important details about the safety of public schools. Beth Kormanik of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville reviewed a school year’s worth of fire safety inspection reports to find that seven of Duval County's 162 schools were cited for "serious life safety hazards." Those included blocked exits, fire extinguisher problems and missing or inadequate signage. Some of the problems are fixed right away while others are harder to remedy. An operational audit released last month by the state’s auditor general noted some violations haven't been fixed for years. But school officials note it’s difficult to tailor some older buildings to fit newer codes. Some problems could take years to fix because of planning or cost issues, officials said. The story also takes a look at safety inspections in Northeast Florida counties surrounding Duval. The public records handbook covers fire safety inspection records on Page 151 and Florida Auditor General audit reports on Page 162.

August 7, 2005

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Records on a roll:
Court records, Federal Trade Commission statistics: Sylvia Lim of the Bradenton Herald on a Bradenton woman facing 50 third-degree felony charges related to identity theft …
Swimming pool inspection records: Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun on swimming pool inspections in Alachua County that show hotels and motels fare worst while pools in municipal and university buildings, health clubs and camps did much better …
Code enforcement records: Jeff Schweers of Florida Today on a gas station south of Cocoa Beach being cited four times in the past five years for violating the Marine Turtle Lighting Ordinance …

Florida Sunshine Review:
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Shannon O'Boye and Andrew Ryan: Broward Sheriff’s Office fires back at FAU professor for critical statements …
Associated Press: The U.S. attorney for much of north Florida has stopped working on cases with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office because he says it releases too much information to the public and press …
Lakeland Ledger, by Bill Bair: Frostproof mayor and councilman accused of possible illegal meeting with the city manager …
Florida Today, by James Dean: Brevard parents upset about access to public school student information …