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Letter to the editor

Pinellas' real estate division flawed

A consultant cites serious areas of concern in the current system.

By THERESA BLACKWELL, Times Staff Writer
Published January 17, 2008

The consultant report was ordered after the County Commission voted in June to pay Jim Smith $225,000 for land his office valued at roughly a quarter of that amount in 2006. Read the report (PDF)
	[Jim Damaske | Times (2007)]

CLEARWATER - Morale is low. Intimidation levels are high. And the available technology is poor.

These are just a few of the findings by a consultant who examined Pinellas County's real estate division and made recommendations for improving it.

The consultant, UGL Equis, was hired in the wake of Pinellas County's controversial purchase of Property Appraiser Jim Smith's flood-prone lot.

In a draft report, the consultant identified several serious areas of concern:

-Real estate functions are sprinkled all over the organizational chart.

-The staff is plagued by poor communication and technology tools.

-The staff is also intimidated by the perception that if it doesn't handle something right, the repercussions may go all the way to the County Commission.

-Fast-tracking of projects exposes the county to risk, which may be due to "lack of professional industry understanding at the board level."

-Leadership fails to communicate a clear vision to the staff.

-A general pattern of distrust, blaming others and weak collaboration exists.

-Performance measurement is weak.

-The staff lacks confidence in the accuracy of available computer data.

"You can clearly see from the report that good management is not in place," said Greg Johnson, the appraiser who reviewed the appraisal of Jim Smith's Tarpon Woods lot. "We deserve better."

After extensive interviews, workshops and employee surveys, UGL Equis recommended that all the county's real estate functions should be consolidated into one division. The new unit would include real estate, survey and mapping, facility planning and operation, leasing and building design.

County Commissioner Karen Seel has suggested creating an employee ombudsman. "An employee should never have any hesitation about contacting a commissioner if they think anything is unethical or improper," she said.

Not all of the news is bad. The report says the real estate staff is experienced, county leaders are open to self-examination and both staff members and leaders are committed to improving the way they function.

"Perhaps this all happened so that we could all move forward and have a much better process," Seel said. "I never would have wanted this to happen, but it did. I want to make sure we correct all the deficiencies and have a much better county for it."

The report was ordered after the County Commission voted in June to pay Smith $225,000 for land his office valued at roughly a quarter of that amount in 2006. The deal led to a grand jury probe, the firing of County Attorney Susan Churuti and the resignation of Administrator Steve Spratt.

The county paid UGL Equis $252,000 to prepare the report.

Assistant County Administrator Mark Woodard said the report is a good starting point for a panel charged with examining the county's real estate practices and making recommendations to county commissioners.

"In order to chart a course for improvement, you have to know your current location," he said. "What's really important is what actions you take to improve your processes."

The draft report sets out a three-year plan for making improvements. But some problems that figured prominently in the purchase of Smith's land were not addressed, including how effectively the county handles appraisals. Appraisers have said the county gives them insufficient information for appraising land, among other problems.

Another question is whether the county's staff adequately reviews appraisals or whether dedicating a staff member to reviewing appraisals would be advisable.

"Everything within the county government needs to be reviewed," Johnson said. "But this is a good start."

Theresa Blackwell can be reached at tblackwell@sptimes.com or 727 445-4170.

[Last modified January 17, 2008, 00:52:00]