All entries filed under “Government”

Doug Logan, city homelessness director, submits resignation amid transparency concerns

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Friday Feb 12, 2016 7:04 pm

Amid controversy about the handling of a Housing First effort, the City of Sarasota’s top official tasked with finding solutions to homelessness has submitted his resignation. Doug Logan, director of Special Initiatives on Chronic Homelessness, will leave his post in the next two weeks. “Given the current set of circumstances, my ability to do what I felt needed to be done was compromised,” Logan told SRQ. “It was time for me to return to the private sector.”

City Manager Tom Barwin said the decision for Logan and the city to part company was mutual. Logan has come under intense scrutiny following the public release of a report marked “confidential” and other communications with administration that discussed the formation of a private organization that could rally funds and support for a housing effort. If an entity is determined to be created to serve in an advisory capacity on public policy, Florida’s Sunshine Law could force many communications into a public domain.

“We came to the conclusion that, based on some of the things that were happening, someone in the community was most likely going to insist that any private not-for-profit that emerged to take on Housing First and do some of the heavy lifting that needs to be done would be challenged as a public agency if there was a hand by any governmental employee involved with catalyzing such an effort,” Barwin said.

While Barwin said he did not want to identify any individual, the personnel decision and the release of Logan’s communications comes following a public records request by Michael Barfield, a paralegal for the Law Office of Andrea Flynn Mogenson. Following news of the resignation, Barfield said Logan’s departure would have no impact on whether a nonprofit formed based on city direction will ultimately have to operate in a public domain. “If Doug Logan left the city a week ago or two weeks ago, it doesn’t make an entity not subject to the Sunshine Law when the idea and purpose for the creation originated from none other than Tom Barwin and Doug Logan,” Barfield said.

Logan, though, said many nonprofits operate in cooperation with government without being bound by the Sunshine Law, “and with good reason.” “The county has a public facility in [Nathan] Benderson Park, and they have a Benderson Park foundation,” he said, referring to the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates. He said if such organizations had to deal with the same level of scrutiny and transparency as Florida government, it could complicate a number of matters, particularly private fundraising. And he said recent heated discussions of his communications with Barwin verify that. “Nobody wants to get involved in the circus of having to deal with these laws.”

Both Barwin and Logan suggested attempts to force a Housing First outside entity to operate within the Sunshine Law were intended to undercut such efforts entirely. “I’ve served in three states. I’ve helped to incorporate 501c3 private organizations because of a need to do it,” Barwin said. “Everywhere else, this is considered a good, healthy thing and smart collaboration.”

Barfield, though, said he has no problem with Housing First or the creation of a nonprofit. “What I do oppose is not having transparency for the solution, or any component of the solution, for addressing the homeless problem, which is the No. 1 problem facing the city. There is simply no excuse and reason why we shouldn’t be transparent,” he said.

Logan said he still had a passion for solving the homeless crisis. As he pursues solutions as a private sector person, he hopes nobody challenges his participation. Any organization created does not exist, and efforts discussed while Logan was a city employee won’t be the genesis of a group, he said. Anything created from this point on should not be bound by discussions that occurred before. But he acknowledged legal dispute over certain matters. “I may have to go back to teaching,” said the former adjunct professor and sports commissioner. “It may be, for some godforsaken reason, that I can’t invest in my energies and passion. But think of the motivation of people who want to keep me from doing that. Why is someone motivated to stop me from trying to stop homelessness?”

Barfield for now hopes city commissioners still question whether Barwin has been operating transparently enough within a government organization. “Why are city commissioners not asking Mr. Barwin the question of how this could happen yet again?,” he said.

Manatee Approves Plan to Phase School Impact Fees Back Into Effect

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Thursday Jan 7, 2016 11:21 am

Manatee County Commission voted to phase school impact fees back into effect for the first time since 2009, but members criticized a plan by the School Board to connect the rate to an upcoming referendum on a sales tax next year.

Manatee commissioners on Tuesday morning voted 5-2 in favor of restoring the fee, but charging it at a 50-percent rate and phasing it in over two years. At full strength, the fee for a new single-family home would be $6,475.

County Commissioner Betsy Benac, who supported the action, stressed it was the School Board that supported that level of fee, and that the county commission needed to support that board’s stance. “We have no super-authority on this,” she said. “We are not the ones charged with setting the school fee,” she said. “We are charged with collecting it and sending the money to the School Board.” 

But County Commissioner Charles Smith, a dissenting vote, disagreed mostly with a School Board plan to tie a reduction of fees to a renewal vote regarding a schools sales tax expected in 2017. The plan is to attach to that referendum a commitment to cut the school impact in half should the sales tax pass. “I really want to School Board to get as much money as possible,” he said. “But this is troubling to me.”

Sarasota County, City leaders to explore integrated plans that include housing, 'triage' center

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Friday Nov 6, 2015 12:46 pm

At the end of a sometimes tense and sometimes concillatory meeting of Sarasota city and county commissioners, officials committed to exploring ways to help the chronically homeless both through options like permanent housing (often called Housing First) and a short-term triage center (often labeled a come-as-you-are shelter.)

"Everybody is frustrated. All want a solution," said Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson. "We're closer now to a solution that we were a year and a half ago."

City officials for the first time in more than a year said they could support the opening of a triage shelter for the chornically homeless to be taken to before being sent to other appropriate services, but stressed there are still srong points of disagreement on location. Still, city commissioners unanimously supported moving ahead with combined efforts with the county to look at all options. "We all know where we are," said Sarasota CIty Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie. "We also know as a body we can't do this ourselves."

The city a year ago took on a posture of exploring housing options but not opening a new shelter, and Mayor Willie Shaw reiterated he is deeply concerned about opening a shelter in north Sarasota County. Several speakers who live in the Newtown area also voiced strong opposition to a shelter being put there, because while many social services are based there, adding a shelter could contirbute to blight.

County Commissioner Paul Caragiulo, who served on the city commission until his election to his current post in November, said that the city and county need not to focus in ways to integrate a city-backed housing program and a county-supported triage.

But while both boards ultimately voted unaimously to move ahead with county and city staff jointly exloring solutions, there concerns expressed from both governments. County Commissioner Charles Hines said he worries further delays will broadcast the boards are still incapable of solving the problem together, and suggested that the county may want to simply move forward with plans for a shelter. City Commissioner Susan Chapman reiterated that a majority of city commissioners remain opposed to seeing a shelter open within the city limits, and wants that kept in mind by staff as plans for a triage center are explored.

Sarasota County votes against extension of Downtown Sarasota CRA

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Thursday Sep 24, 2015 4:32 pm

A special taxing district credited with turning Downtown Sarasota from blighted ghost town to thriving cultural center will sunset next year.   A long-running debate between city and county... More »

Uber Will Face no Regulations in Sarasota- And Soon Neither Will Taxis

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Tuesday Sep 8, 2015 8:23 pm

Sarasota City Commissioners voted unanimously tonight to allow Uber to operate its ride-sharing service in the city limits without having to adhere to any local regualtions. Taxi cab comapnies had lobbied... More »

Sarasota Backs New Uber Rules

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Monday Jul 6, 2015 9:06 pm

A new set of regulations governing Uber drivers and other similar services was passed unanimously by Sarasota City Commissioners tonight, but officials said they still want to conduct further research... More »

Sarasota Hires Soccer Executive to Handle Homeless Efforts

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Monday Jun 8, 2015 12:14 pm

Doug Logan, a sports executive who served as CEO for Major League Soccer and USA Track and Field, has been hired by the City of Sarasota as director of Special Initiatives on Chronic Homelessness. "I'm... More »

Barwin Discusses City Plan For Homelessness (extended interview)

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Tuesday Apr 7, 2015 10:39 pm

The Sarasota City Commission this week approved an eight-point plan to address homelessness, including exploring a Housing First policy and private sector support to tackle issues facing the chronically... More »

Bayfront 20:20 Implementing Principles Discussed

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Tuesday Jan 13, 2015 10:47 pm

Cultural institutions on the Sarasota Bayfront are making plans for future growth and Sarasota city officials may be have started moving forward with ways to chart the waterfront’s future. There... More »

Normile, Zimmerman named to Sarasota City Commission

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Wednesday Nov 19, 2014 3:05 pm

Eileen Normile and Stan Zimmerman were named to the Sarasota City Commission. "This was no easy selection because of the quality of the applicants," said Commissioner Susan Chapman. Sarasota City Commissioners... More »

Sarasota County Approves Fiscal Neutrality Change

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Wednesday Oct 22, 2014 8:00 pm

Sarasota County Commissioners just approved a change in fiscal neutrality that loosens requirements on developers. The board voted 4-1 in favor of the change. The change is the most prominent of amendments... More »

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