An error in a pension report rose to a criticism of Sarasota charter official from an outgoing commissioner Monday night. Commissioner Susan Chapman says the problems highlight continued problems with a hostile work environment under City Auditor and Clerk Pamela Nadalini.

Chapman drew attention to a $30-million bookkeeping oversight in audits of the city’s pension plans. While noting that the problem was in record-keeping—the error does not cost the city anything and the $30 million remains in place—she says the matter incites a lack of confidence in city government. “What is the potential negative impact of this technical weakness?,” Chapman said at a Monday meeting. “How is this related to high turnover in pension administration? How does it relate to repeated complaints about a hostile work environment?”

Nadalini says the mistake has been corrected and measures have been put in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. She fervently denied any accusations of hostility in her offices. “Nobody in my office has been treated in an illegal or harassing or hostile manner or in a discriminatory manner,” she said Monday. “All I expect of employees in the City Auditor and Clerk’s office is for them to work hard and be assured if in fact there are problems or concerns, they bring them to my attention.”

The pension employee responsible for the audit is on leave right now, Nadalini says.

The problem marked the most recent point of tension between Nadalini and Chapman. The commissioner more than two years ago ago pushed for the city’s information technology department to be moved out from Nadalini’s control and under City Manager Tom Barwin. That department a few years prior had been moved under Nadalini’s auspices during an investigation into IT practices under former city manager Bob Bartolotta.

Responses to the audit varied among commissioners. Mayor Willie Shaw stressed that the bookkeeping error seemed to have little long-term consequence. “No funding was lost, no monies were lost,” he says, suggesting the problem was not systemic or at an executive level but with an individual working in the office. But Commissioner Suzanne Atwell said she worried about morale and turnover within the office.

Chapman recently lost a bid for re-election and will leave the commission in May, but says she’d like questions answered. “Even though I'm the lamest of lame ducks, I still have a fiduciary responsibility,” she says. 

Clever Rose introduces Taylor & Tessier to Sarasota—a jewelry line inspired by nature’s beauty and the colorful landscapes and textures that make Colorado the perfect vision behind these artful designs. Each piece is carefully handmade in Aspen and formed through a combination of hide and exotic leathers, wire wrapping, coral, precious metal and semi-precious gemstones and crystals for a look that is modern and organic, not to mention complementary to the fashion styles found in Clever Rose Boutique. Sarasotans may prefer the sand on Siesta Key to snow on mountains, but we sure do appreciate jewelry inspired by it.  

Photo courtesy of Clever Rose

Clever Rose, 533 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-321-4628.

Elegant and delicate jewelry has recently overshadowed gaudy gems dripping from fingers and lobes, with brands such as Brooklyn-based Catbird propping up the more refined options. Jewelry designer Tai is cut from the same cloth, her tiny gold and silver creations the epitome of understated style. Her earrings stand out with designs incorporating itty-bitty diamonds and stones—showcasing everything from five-fingered hamsas to geometric shapes, each earring can be mixed and matched with others from the collection or worn alone in a second or third piercing. Head to INfluence Style to start your collection.  

Photo courtesy of INfluence.

INfluence Style, 474 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, 941-343-2315.

Williams Parker attorney Kimberly Page Walker recently participated as a speaker at Cumberland Advisors’ and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s Financial Literacy Day. Walker spoke on a panel focused on women’s financial issues, including risks, opportunities and ways that women can protect themselves financially. Walker is a board-certified expert in labor and employment law and chair of Williams Parker’s labor and employment practice. She represents employers, including private, public, for profit and not-for-profit entities, in employee-related litigation and provides practical, effective risk management advice. 

Williams Parker

The season for growth kicked off with solid sales at Neal Communities, one of southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilders, with 96 home sales in March and 306 total sales for its first quarter. Last month, Trulia reported that national housing inventory hit its lowest level on record in the first three months of the year – down 5.1 percent from this time last year. Forty-four of the builder’s 96 home sales last month were move-in ready inventory homes. Overall, 45 percent of total sales in 2016 were inventory homes. Grand Palm, the builder’s master-planned community in Venice, Fla. continued its leading sales position for the builder with 16 new homes sales in March. Another popular community for the builder is the 1,000-acre gated community of Boca Royale Golf & Country Club in Englewood. With five new models unveiled last month, Boca Royale welcomed seven new home buyers. The Estuary, Neal Communities’ newest neighborhood in West Bradenton, began offering presales to its VIP list last month, which resulted in eight new home sales, and will officially open with a new model in May. Neal South, the company’s division covering Lee and Collier Counties, experienced a noticeable uptick in March with 31 sales, a more than 50 percent increase for the region compared to February. In 2016, Neal Communities broke all of the company’s previous sales records, ending the year with 1,109 sales and 1,129 closings totaling over $430 million in communities from Hillsborough to Collier counties, representing a 13 percent increase in closings compared to 2015. 

Neal Communities

Last Friday, SRQ Media hosted its inaugural SMARTgirl Leadership and Mentorship Summit at the Hyatt Regency engaging 84 girls from the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of Gulf Coast Florida and the Sarasota YMCA with 23 mentors representing our region’s many diverse industries such as engineering and software development to law enforcement, photography and medicine. The luncheon consisted of a curated mentoring program aimed to engage the young women in soft skills training, mentorship and career imaginings. Participants heard from keynote speaker, Sandra Stone from USF Sarasota-Manatee as well as 4 alumni speakers representing each participating organization; all emphasizing that we have the power to thrive in any industry through empowerment, tenacity and spitfire determination.

We would like to thank the Hyatt Regency, Seaside Bank, USF Sarasota-Manatee, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and PSAV for investing in 84 futures and creating a dynamic day for each of these young women. 

For a full gallery of photos from the SMARTgirl Luncheon click here.  

SMARTgirl