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Joe's Hit Records!
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HOT!: Catch the latest Florida open government news with The Florida Sunshine Review ...
Open records and meetings links, resources.
November 29, 2005
 So easy it’s shocking: Police reports and procedural records aid Latisha R. Gray of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about how Sarasota police are quick on the draw with Tasers “and policy allows it.” The story says police have used Tasers on 104 people since officers began carrying them six months ago. “The Sarasota Police Department has a fairly loose Taser policy compared with many departments. Officers here have used Tasers on suspects who were running away, on people with disabilities and on some handcuffed suspects, something many departments don't allow. They also don't limit the number of times an officer can shock a suspect.” Authorities defend the Taser use as safe and effective in decreasing officer injuries. This story also links to various police reports in which Taser use is a key element. The public records handbook covers police reports on Page 23.
Women find niche in Florida farming: U.S. Census data helps Jeff Libby of the Orlando Sentinel nail a trend about “the growing ranks of women farmers in Florida who are finding niche markets as the agricultural mainstays of citrus and cattle decline.” Florida’s female farmers tend to be farming organic, setting aside chemical-based pesticides and relying less on conventional methods and setting aside chemical-based pesticides. From 1992 to 2002, the story says, “the number of women working as the principal farm operator on Florida farms jumped by 67 percent, from 4,851 to 8,116, according to the most recent census data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During the same decade, men running farms increased by just 18 percent, to 35,965.”
Florida Sunshine Review:
Fort Myers News-Press editorial: FEMA’s refusal to provide information is a matter of open government and accountability that should interest all Americans …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Jeff Cull: News-Press will appeal a decision by the federal government to conceal customer surveys of hurricane victims after last year's devastating storm season …
Lakeland Ledger, by Dana Willhoit: Polk County obsenity case raises First Amendment issues about Internet pornography …
November 28, 2005
Dade retiree windfall: sick days: Payroll and sick time records examined by Jack Dolan and Scott Hiassen of the Miami Herald reveal that since 1993 “Miami-Dade County has paid more than $42 million to employees for sick time they never used – a benefit almost unheard of in the private sector, where unused sick days generally expire at each year's end.” Those retiring with big checks for unused sick time include Miami-Dade County attorney, Robert Ginsburg at $371,655; Assistant County Attorney Robert Krawcheck at $336,455; and former police director and now Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez at $217,622. County officials say the policy is part of an attractive benefits package that helps local government compete with private businesses for high-quality workers. Notes the story: “Since 2003, 19 top executives have walked away with sick-pay checks of more than $100,000. The list includes former Fire Chief Antonio Bared, who received $171,288; former Deputy Police Director Steven Rothlein, who got $167,830; and former Assistant County Manager Barbara Jordan, who collected $104,919. Jordan is now a county commissioner. The average sick-time payout among the county retirees over that time was $21,554, county records show.” The public records handbook profiles employee personnel records on Page 239 and state and local government payment records on Page 72.
More records that rock:
Congressional legislation: Anthony Mann of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on pending legislation in Congress that would require evacuation plans to include information about accommodating household pets and service animals …
Prosecutor case records: Dan Christensen and Sara Olkon of the Miami Herald on documents released by state prosecutors in the case against three men charged in the gangland-style execution of self-made Greek millionaire Gus Boulis …
County and state statistics on AIDS: Donna Wright of the Bradenton Herald on how the number of AIDS cases in Manatee County continues to climb. The county now ranks 10th in HIV infections among Florida’s 67 counties …
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation data: Robin Benedick of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on how rising insurance costs and taxes are being blamed for a surge in South Florida rent prices …
Florida Sunshine Review:
Fort Myers News-Press, by Melanie Payne: Federal Emergency Management Agency refuses newspaper’s request for storm questionnaire results (* free registration required) …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune editorial: Why limited access to gruesome evidence in the Carlie Brucia murder case is important …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Cindy F. Crawford: Cities work to open path to public information, such as e-mails …
Palm Beach Post editorial: Using police cameras to patrol public streets raises privacy issues that must be debated in public …
November 24, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Fernandina Beach News-Leader, by Glenda S. Jenkins: City Clerk Cassandra Mitchell draws heavy criticism for inadvertently disclosing employee Social Security numbers in response to a public records request …
Fernandina Beach News-Leader, by Glenda S. Jenkins and Michael Parnell: City Clerk Cassandra Mitchell suspended with pay pending a State Attorney's Office investigation into her release of employee Social Security numbers …
Naples Daily News, by Jessie L. Bonner: A dispute threatens the future of Florida Gulf Coast University’s student newspaper (* free registration required) …
Sarsota Herald-Tribune, by Tom Arthur: Media can see sealed evidence in the Carlie Brucia murder case, judge says …
Associated Press: Attorney General Charlie Crist asks the Florida Supreme Court to reconsider a lower court ruling that allows the media to review sealed crime-scene photos and video in Carlie Brucia's slaying …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, by Doug Sword: Accusations of collusion and violations of the state's Sunshine Law taint the image of a key panel responsible for planning Sarasota County's growth …
November 23, 2005
Report reveals depth of dumping scandal: What a public record says can be the talk of a county. An internal audit obtained by Brad Schmidt and Jim Schoettler of The Florida Times-Union said “egregious management breakdowns, blatant neglect and possible corruption in Clay County government preceded an illegal dumping scandal, resignations of senior managers and an $8.8 million cleanup to be paid by taxpayers.” The 58-page report prepared by the county auditor comes amid a state and federal corruption probe of Clay County government. The audit “indicates that many of the county's recent problems were created by an unqualified and manipulative department head who operated with ease under a negligent county manager. The inquiry also holds county commissioners responsible for ignoring repeated warning signs of problems in the powerful Public Works Department while blindly trusting their county manager and public works director,” the story said. Among other items, the audit references the improper use of county employees on private property, inappropriate business relationships and the creation and destruction of employee leave slips. See the report in its entirety or just the highlights.
More records a go-go:
Jail records: Brian P. Watson of the Fort Myers News-Press about a former Fort Myers mentor arrested on child pornography charges …
Special taxing district application: Paul Quinlan of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on a builder seeking to create a special taxing district that would help enable a 1,919-home development on about 250 acres in Venice …
November 22, 2005
Records at work:
Judicial Qualifications Commission records: Rene Stutzman of the Orlando Sentinel on complaints against Seminole County Judge John Sloop, who faces possible removal from the bench …
State attorney prosecution records: Dave Balut of WTSP, Channel 10, Tampa-St. Petersburg on new details released by prosecutors in the murder case against John Couey, the man accused of kidnapping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Citrus County last year …
State high school graduation statistics: Michael Stewart of the Pensacola News Journal on Escambia County being among 39 Florida school districts that posted an increase in percentage of high school students who graduated in the last school year …
November 21, 2005
County wastes millions of gallons: Public records of all kinds can have value. A water flushing report obtained by George McGinn of the Charlotte Sun Herald indicates nearly “20 million gallons of water a year are wasted as Sarasota County pumps it into a field just north of the South Resource Center.” The wasted water from the dead-end pipe is enough to provide water each year to 210 homes, the story says. The story explains how this scenario developed and what one official says is going to be done about it.
They can build roads but not good wetlands: Wetland mitigation records from the Florida Department of Transportation aid Matthew Waite and Craig Pittman of the St. Petersburg Times with this story about how Gov. Jeb Bush’s $3 billion plan to build more roads to ease congestion would also wipe out thousands of acres of wetlands. “The Department of Transportation will spend millions to try to make up for the destruction. But the DOT has spent millions on similar projects in recent years that did little to offset damage. The DOT destroys more wetlands than any other state agency. When the DOT has tried to make up for the damage by creating wetlands, the agency has run into expensive problems. When it has paid other agencies to do the work, the money has been spent on projects with only a tenuous connection to balancing out wetland losses.” Wetlands destroyed are supposed to be replaced under a federal “no net loss” policy, but this latest installment on wetlands destruction by the Times shows yet another way that doesn’t always happen. The Times series has revealed that 84,000 acres of wetlands have been lost in Florida since 1990. It’s practically impossible for the DOT to build new roads in Florida without disrupting wetlands along the way. The public records handbook profiles DOT project files on Page 201.
Wetlands: Taking a pass: Speaking of wetlands, The Florida Times-Union editorial page used comprehensive plan amendment records and rezoning documents to nail this piece on how the Jacksonville City Council “routinely approves rezonings for new projects with barely a hint that marshes, creeks and bogs exist on the sites. Nor does the council typically consider if wetlands should be preserved or altered.” Given the heavy state and federal regulation of wetlands, the council and the mayor’s administration for years have taken a hands-off approach to wetlands regarding rezonings. The city lacks an inventory of wetlands and also has no priority list for those worth saving. The city has no one who walks a proposed site for rezoning to assess wetlands on the property, the editorial notes. Those gaps and others “mean city planners, the City Council and the public are lacking key details when deciding how growth should shape Jacksonville.” The public records handbook covers comprehensive land use plans and amendment records on Page 90 and zoning applications on Page 382.
Records roundup:
Voter registration records: Joe Follick of the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group about how Republicans have made registration gains in 54 of 67 counties since the 2000 election, although more Democrats continue to be registered overall …
Autopsy report: Henry Pierson Curtis of the Orlando Sentinel about an autopsy report that shows a 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy died at Disney from a heart condition …
Campaign spending reports: Tim W. McCann of the Bradenton Herald on the biggest spenders in the quest for a Bradenton City Council seat …
Prescinct and poll worker records: Patrick Petersen of Florida Today on the cost per voter to Brevard County communities for the Nov. 8 municipal elections …
Florida Sunshine Review:
St. Petersburg Times, by Candace Rondeaux: Hillsborough County judge slaps gag order on attorneys in the LeFave teacher-student sex case, despite protests of media …
Palm Beach Post, by S.V. Date: State lawmaker asks Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist to investigate claims by Gov. Jeb Bush's press office that a proposal to restructure a voucher program did not exist, even though a top Bush aide had a copy …
Palm Beach Post, by S.V. Date: Attorney General’s Office turns down lawmaker’s request to investigate the governor’s press office, saying the attorney general doesn’t have the legal authority to “to investigate or prosecute alleged violations of the public records law” …
November 18, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Associated Press, by Mike Schneider: Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist seeks to block access to crime scene and autopsy photos and videotapes involving 11-year-old murder victim Carlie Brucia …
St. Petersburg Times, by Candace Rondeaux: Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office seeks a gag order against the defender of Debra Lafave, a Hillsborough County teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student …
November 17, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Lakeland Ledger editorial: Florida’s public records law seems to apply to everyone in Florida except Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton …
Independent Florida Alligator: Why aren't UF administrators bending backward to give public records to students? …
November 16, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Florida Times-Union, by David DeCamp: Mayor John Peyton’s public records deemed private for more than a year by the Duval County clerk of court and Duval County property appraiser …
Florida Times-Union editorial: Lack of access to Jacksonville mayor's public records is a bigger deal than it might first appear …
Palm Beach Post, by S.V. Date: Gov. Jeb Bush’s office had voucher proposal despite two weeks of denial that it did …
Florida Times-Union, by David Bauerlein: State to unveil cell phone traffic service …
News4Jax.com: Modern technology helps protect children from sexual predators …
November 15, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Independent Florida Alligator, by Justin Richards: University of Florida professor refiles lawsuit regarding public records complaint against UF President Bernie Machen …
Palm Beach Post editorial: Let the public have information about doctors as voters intended in approving a constitutional amendment …
Florida Times-Union editorial: It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to force a public agency to release public information …
November 10, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Robyn Shelton: New Web site lets consumers check and compare performance records of Florida hospitals …
St. Petersburg Times, by Phil Davis: Language at Port Richey meeting makes it unsuitable for TV …
November 5, 2005
Florida Sunshine Review:
Fort Myers News-Press, by Jeff Cull: Judge refuses request by newspapers to release names and addresses of FEMA aid recipients …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Melanie Payne: Press freedom takes a hit with FEMA ruling, some say …
Fort Myers News-Press: FEMA still fighting a lawsuit regarding its aid records by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel …
Associated Press: Florida Supreme Court rejects “privacy” as a reason to bar cameras in the courtroom …
Associated Press: Florida Supreme Court says Social Security number need not be supplied when seeking compensation for on-the-job injuries …
*Florida Times-Union, by Brad Schmidt: Clay County high school principal withheld published copies of the student newspaper to eliminate article about homosexuality (*free registration required) …
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