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JADE JACKSON LLOYDMadeira Beach's new guard accuses the old of impropriety. But the former commissioners and others say it's all mudslinging.
MADEIRA BEACH - At Tuesday's commission meeting, two decisions left residents fired up.
First, the commission received the lawyer's findings on the Board of Adjustment but tabled discussion until a 1 p.m. Monday workshop.
Then, commissioners voted 4-1 to remove Tim Adams, a member of the Planning Commission, after hearing allegations that he had verbally attacked a city employee.
On the surface, the tabling of an agenda item and the dismissal of a board appointee seem like routine local government fare.
But in this city, which underwent a regime change in March, the actions speak to a growing chasm between the commission and some vocal opponents.
During their campaigns, commissioners Len Piotti and John Wolbert railed against a history of back-alley politics and wink-wink deals they say plagued the city. Since their election, though, they have been accused of "tearing down" people's characters and being "vultures."
Wolbert said that's because the community "has condoned bad behavior for a little bit too long."
"Poor Commissioner (Charlie) Parker has been outvoted time and time again on matters that should not have happened," he said Friday. "But the members of the commission condoned it."
Now, many votes find Parker, Piotti and Wolbert on the same side.
Joe Jorgensen, the former Board of Adjustment chairman, was accused of a conflict of interest in his dealings while on the board. He said everything that's happened since the campaign has constituted an active attempt to "destroy people's reputations."
Commissioners launched a probe into the Board of Adjustment. But before any findings could be made, they voted to deactivate the board, replacing the seven-member body with a special master.
Tuesday's discussion began when Piotti voiced concerns with the agenda's use of the word "investigation."
"I think people need to understand we are not here to investigate," he said Tuesday. "I think we should postpone the item because it wasn't announced properly. We're not here to investigate. The proper term is "evaluate.' "
Parker moved to remove it from the agenda. Mayor Tom DeCesare agreed and the item was tabled.
A nine-page report compiled by attorney Robert Walker concluded that "in none of the three projects reviewed was it clear that any special or unique personal gain resulted," though the "appearance of a conflict arose."
The fact that the attorney did not find criminal wrongdoing did not deter Piotti, because he said the issue has always been ethics.
"We're not talking about corruption," he said Friday after reviewing the report. "We're talking about unethical behavior."
Dennis Reynolds, a former board member, accused Wolbert and Piotti of impugning his character. "You've vilified my name and now I want to get back my name," he said.
"They have not been able to come up with one concrete charge against anybody," Jorgensen said. "What that tells me is they lied to the people to get elected. I think they should resign or get a recall."
Wolbert said board members violated Florida statutes, despite the lawyer's findings.
"This is what we raised our right hands for," he said. "If we don't have government that follows the rules, we might as well go back to the wild, wild West."
After shelving the Board of Adjustment discussion, Parker brought up a fight at Monday's Planning Commission meeting. Parker said Adams bullied Paula Cohen, the community development director.
"In all the time I've known her, I've never seen her so upset," Parker said Tuesday.
Adams had requested information from the city regarding the site plan and construction of the former Village Landing diner and felt it was being withheld from him. He voiced this at the meeting and Cohen responded, the two of them arguing and talking in circles about the building.
Adams, 38, called Cohen to apologize before the commission meeting Tuesday. Interim City Manager Mike Maxemow mentioned the apologies at the meeting.
The commission moved forward anyway, with the mayor leading the charge for Adams' removal. Commissioners say Adams verbally abused three other city employees on previous occasions and they would accept no more of his "attacks."
Adams said he has "never, ever accosted anybody in the city" and described efforts to terminate him as "payback, plain and simple."
"I know their dirty little secrets," he said Friday. "I don't think I did anything improper. I brought some things to the table for my Planning Commission members to review."
Adams, who would have 15 days to respond to the letter, said he has no plans to contest it.
Some at Tuesday's meeting accused commissioners of letting "a few businessmen do all their thinking" for them.
Wolbert said their claims about Piotti and him being in cahoots to bring people down are unfounded.
"We did run a parallel campaign," he said Friday. "There's no disputing that, but we're not out to get anyone. We're out to fix the problems in Madeira Beach and there are a lot of them. We are addressing them, and we are not finished addressing them."