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September 29, 2004  Out-of-state roofers can apply in Orange: Licensing records reviewed by Jack Snyder of the Orlando Sentinel indicate few out-of-state contractors so far have accepted Gov. Jeb Bush’s invitation to pitch in and help out with hurricane repair work in Central Florida. The governor signed an executive order Sept. 14 easing the way for local governments to issue licenses to out-of-state contractors. But, so far, records show only two special licenses issued in Seminole County and four in Osceola County with officials in Orange and Lake counties yet to report any, although that picture could change soon. The story explains the requirements the contractors must meet. In Seminole County, for instance, an official said, “We won't issue a license to someone from a state that doesn't require a license.” The public records handbook profiles Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licensing files on Page 172 and occupational licenses on Page 302.
September 27, 2004 Court records show caregiver's differing stories: Court records obtained by Jon Burstein and Paula McMahon of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel shed new light on the case of Rilya Wilson,
the little girl in custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families who has been missing since 2002. Even before the state discovered Rilya was missing, caregiver “Geralyn Graham had offered friends and relatives an explanation for the girl's apparent disappearance at odds with what she later told authorities, according to court records. Police reports detail that sometimes she claimed to people that she willingly let the girl go up to either New York or New Jersey with an unnamed friend.” Graham has said Rilya was taken by DCF worker for a medical exam and never returned. The contradiction is among 511 pages of court documents released by prosecutors in the kidnapping and aggravated child abuse case brought against Graham last month relating to Rilya’s treatment before she vanished. The documents detail efforts by Miami-Dade police detectives to determine what happened to the girl, who was 4 at the time she disappeared. The public records handbook profiles criminal court records on Page 103.
September 24, 2004 Andrew’s lessons help save homes: Damage reports and property records allowed Chris Davis and Matthew Doig of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to answer a huge question: How did new Florida building codes prompted by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 hold up to Hurricane Charley? Very well, apparently. “An analysis by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune found that homes and businesses built before Andrew were eight times more likely to be destroyed than newer buildings. Of the 1,030 buildings destroyed, only 20 were built after Andrew. Even newer mobile homes seem to have sustained less damage than their older counterparts.” The newspaper reviewed damage reports generated by Charlotte County and Punta Gorda inspectors for more than 12,000 buildings and then matched them with property records to determine a building's age and value. The story notes that the “analysis is preliminary, and there may have been building codes and construction practices in place before Andrew that made a difference.” Expect to see other newspapers in storm-ravaged areas doing similar stories in the near future. The public records handbook profiles property appraiser records on Page 322 and deeds on Page 113.
September 21, 2004 Businessman arrested in gouging case: Public records factor prominently in some follow-up stories about Florida’s recent hurricanes. A police report and a lawsuit drive this story by Alicia A. Caldwell about the arrest of a Volusia County businessman “on charges that he was selling generators at highly inflated prices and misleading buyers about how many appliances they could power.” Gary D. Altman, 60, faces a charge of fraud and a related lawsuit alleging price gouging from the Florida Attorney General’s Office, which has now filed nine price-gouging suits since Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency on Aug. 10 in anticipation of Hurricane Charley. The story quotes the police report as saying Altman had an advertisement that showed the "list price" of a generator as $1,492. Altman told an investigator that he was selling the generators for $863 as part of a "hurricane sale." “But the same small generator had been selling in Central Florida for about $400 before Hurricane Charley hit Florida. Altman's company, E Z Ryder Motors, was selling the same product on the online auction site eBay for $599.” The public records handbook explores police arrest records on Page 23, civil lawsuit case files on Page 82, and Florida Attorney General active consumer-related investigations on Page 160.
September 20, 2004 Plans point to new future for site of city landmark: Public records are an important source of information about potential changes to community landmarks. Zoning records and property appraisal details obtained by Janet Zink of the St. Petersburg Times fuel this story about changes the owners have in mind for Malio’s Steak House, a South Tampa restaurant and night club famous for hosting power brokers, sports figures and Hollywood stars. “James Shimberg Jr., an attorney for the restaurant, last week asked the city to rezone the property so a 40,000-square-foot office building and 4,500-square-foot bank can be built in its place. The Tampa City Council is scheduled to review the request Dec. 9.” Notables who have spent time at Malio’s during its 35-year history include Burt Reynolds, Michael Jordan, John Travolta, Rudolph Giuliani and Muhammad Ali. New York Yankees owner and Tampa resident George Steinbrenner has his own booth with a phone. As might be expected, long-time patrons aren’t thrilled about the proposed change. The story notes the Hillsborough County property appraiser values the Malio’s property at $1.5-million. The public records handbook profiles zoning records on Page 382 and property appraisal records on Page 322.
September 1, 2004 Scripps reveals spending details in its first report: New government deals with private businesses can result in new public records. Cadence Mertz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Scripps Florida just filed its first annual report
as required under the research institute’s development deal with the state for Palm Beach County. Details provided to the Scripps Florida Funding Corp., which oversees the state’s $369 million investment into the future research facility, include “more than $550,000 spent on equipment for offices and labs in Palm Beach County; its top two professors earn an average of $260,000; and administrators earn nearly $87,000 on average.” The story notes Scripps' responsibilities are somewhat limited as the institute still is getting started and won't have permanent headquarters until 2006. Scripps Florida Funding Corp. will give Scripps more than $20 million in its first year in Florida. The corporation is due to report to the state Dec. 1 about the institute's performance.
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