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Contractor vows to put the EDC out of business
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET © St. Petersburg Times, published January 12, 2001 CRYSTAL RIVER -- After publicly attacking the Economic Development Council in several paid newspaper advertisements in recent weeks, contractor Scott Adams came to Thursday's council meeting announcing his intention to shut down the group. Adams believes that the council, a public-private organization that receives county funding to promote business growth, has violated the state public records law by failing to name a records custodian. He also charged that the council has helped certain businesses skirt the permitting process, while refusing to help him fight the county over required permits that he believes his logging business does not need. Adams said he has been gathering evidence of those and other "dirty deeds," and plans to file a lawsuit that would seek to stop county funding of the council. "We are all grown human beings and we're responsible for our actions, and if you do something criminal, then it's criminal," Adams said. Council members declined to respond to most of Adams' allegations, although they did address the public records issue. Interim executive director Brett Wattles read aloud from a Feb. 3, 2000, memo from County Attorney Larry Haag that states the records must be accessible to the county but are not necessarily subject to the state's public records law. Council members named Wattles the records custodian at Thursday's meeting. Wattles said former executive director Rick Jensen had been the records custodian during his tenure, although neither the bylaws nor Jensen's employment agreement specifically state that. Wattles said his office already has provided records that Adams requested, but Adams has never picked them up. "What is the issue here?" Wattles asked. "We're willing to show you everything you want to see about this organization." Adams said he cannot accept records that do not come from the official custodian. Despite periodic outbursts from Adams, council officials pressed forward Thursday with efforts to revamp the embattled organization. Treasurer Bruce Schultz said he wanted to schedule a public forum, perhaps early next month, to gather ideas from county officials and residents on what form the council should take. Wattles also said staffers are compiling a wealth of information about the county, from listings of vacant buildings to descriptions of local job-training programs, to help growing or relocating businesses. "We want to demonstrate to outside companies (that) this is here to support you," Wattles said. Yet the questions and comments from several critics dominated much of the meeting. Jim McIntosh, who represents the coalition of civic groups in the Citrus County Council, asked whether it was appropriate for Jim Neal to serve as the council's attorney at the same time he represented Pro-Line Boats in its application for a council grant program. The council hired Neal in October to handle the repeated records requests by Adams. The following month, Neal came before the County Commission as Pro-Line's attorney, seeking a $250,000 grant under a program created by the council. "I don't know whether this is a conflict of interest or a sweetheart deal, but it has an odor," McIntosh said. Council members said they saw no conflict. Because Neal was once a council board member and had done legal work for the group before, Schultz said, "it was logical we would continue to use him." The council was out of answers by the time Heatherwood resident Joyce Valentino asked what the group had learned from its mistakes and what improvements the restructuring would bring. Vice president Fred Clark suggested the board respond at its meeting next month because he had to leave in a few minutes for another appointment. Clark chairs the marketing and public relations committee. "If you want the support of the public, we don't want to hear that you've got to go to another meeting and that you're going to cut the public short," Valentino said. President Bill Sullivan invited Valentino to participate in any public forums the group might hold on its restructuring efforts. Wattles handed his business card to Valentino and offered to speak with her at any time.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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