Bocc Info Request

From: Penny Stanley ([email protected]) To: Brian Blake Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:47:33 PM Subject: RE: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents Mr. Blake, The answer to your questions that are highlighted in yellow is “NO RECORDS WERE GENERATED FROM THESE SOURCES”. THANK YOU, PENNY STANLEY ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

From: Brian Blake [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:53 PM To: Dale Williams; Dewey Weaver; Stephen Bailey; BCC Website; Scarlet Frisina; Jody Dupree Cc: Penny Stanley; ColumbiaCty-Clerks Off.- Dir.of Fin.- Chad Crews; ColumbiaCty-Clerk of Court P.DeWitt Cason; ColumbiaCty. - Attorney Marlin Feagle Subject: Re: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

Mr. Williams and the CCBOCC,

I am restating my question to all of you, based on the one and only response I have received, which was from Mr.

and only response I have received, which was from Mr. Williams. I have changed Mr. Dupree's comments, highlighted in blue, as letter points A, B, C, & D for clarity.

A. Comm. Dupree says the CCBOCC is not merging with Alachua/Bradford as many suspect B. Columbia and Union are merging with the Suwannee/Hamilton region C. The deal and agreements are made and have already been approved in Tallahassee D. The entity is already in place to receive funding and start delivering the services on 1 July, 2009

I have highlighted the Sumshine Law request in yellow. Mr. Williams, I did not imply you denied knowing about the complaints, that is an entirely different email chain. Again I must ask; are any of you denying any knowledge of items 1 - 4, highlighted below in yellow? Are you saying that none of this exists?

1. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with the Suwannee/Hamilton Workforce Board (aka RWB6) with regard to providing necessary services to a region as a local One Stop provider and

Employer’s Service Center operation 2. Any and all communications the CCBCC has had with surrounding RWBs 8, 9 and 10 regarding the same information as set forth in #1. 3. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with surrounding counties’ Chambers of Commerce regarding the same information as set forth in item #1 4. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with Workforce Florida Inc, Agency for Workforce Innovation, State of Florida Legislative representatives, and Governor Charlie Crist’s office with regard to the restructuring of RWB 7, aka, Florida Crown Workforce Board’s assigned counties, Columbia, Union, Dixie and Gilchrist, or any thereof 5. Please provide detailed information as to who or what ‘the entity’ is that will be in receipt of said funding and providing services on July 1, 2009 Mr. Williams, you have claimed you have no knowledge of item 5, but, do the Commissioners have knowledge of it? I have received no response on behalf of the Commissioners. The documentation they may have related to this is still public information and deliverable under Sunshine Law requests, even if they choose to personally ignore my questions.

Since Commissioner Dupree has stated items A - D as a fact to a Columbia County resident directly, and several others who overheard the conversation indirectly, I still require the documentation or dates of meetings (and the names of those attending the meetings) that was involved in setting these events into motion; the agreements necessary to impliment these plans with the other counties; and the apporoval from Tallahassee.

It does not matter if these talks/negotiations/plans took place using County Office resources or personal email, fax, phone, etc... (which is ethically questionable and probably illegal), this information must still be released to the public upon request. If you are not the custodians of this documentation, then the BOCC's must be using personal resources to conduct county business and it is incumbant upon them to enter said documentation into public record. If this information does not exist, that means Commissioner Dupree has lied to a Columbia County resident, at the BOCC meeting location. Therefore, his statement must be rescinded to those whom it was made. Thank you, Brian Blake

From: Dale Williams To: Brian Blake ; Dewey Weaver <[email protected]>; Stephen Bailey <[email protected]>; BCC Website ; Scarlet Frisina <[email protected]>; Jody Dupree <[email protected]> Cc: Penny Stanley ; ColumbiaCtyClerks Off.- Dir.of Fin.- Chad Crews ; ColumbiaCty-Clerk of Court P.DeWitt Cason ; ColumbiaCty. - Attorney Marlin Feagle Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 5:14:09 PM Subject: RE: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

Mr. Blake: I have not denied any knowledge of received complaints. You have been forwarded the copies we have on file. My staff and I are only responsible for the records in which we are the custodians. Dale Williams

From: Brian Blake [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:56 PM To: Dale Williams; Dewey Weaver; Stephen Bailey; BCC Website; Scarlet Frisina; Jody Dupree Cc: Penny Stanley; ColumbiaCty-Clerks Off.- Dir.of Fin.- Chad Crews; ColumbiaCty-Clerk of Court P.DeWitt Cason; ColumbiaCty. - Attorney Marlin Feagle Subject: Re: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

Mr. Williams,

Again, Thank you for your time in respinding to these questions. I am going to assume that you are denying any knowledge of items 1 - 4 as well, as they are different from my previous request regarding complaints against FCWB. Since Commissioner Dupree has stated items 1 5 as a fact to a Columbia County resident directly, and several others who overheard the conversation indirectly, I still require the documentation that was involved in setting these events into motion; the agreements necessary to impliment these plans with the other counties; and the apporoval from Tallahassee.

It does not matter if these talks/negotiations/plans took place using County Office resources or personal email, fax, phone, etc... (which is ethically questionable and probably illegal), this information must still be released to the public upon request. As with my previous request, I will be forwarding this chain to the appropriate people in Tallahassee for investigation into possible Sunshine Law violations on the part of the BOCC.

Thank you,

Brian Blake

From: Dale Williams To: Brian Blake ; Dewey Weaver <[email protected]>; Stephen Bailey <[email protected]>; BCC Website ; Scarlet Frisina <[email protected]>; Jody Dupree <[email protected]> Cc: Penny Stanley ; ColumbiaCtyClerks Off.- Dir.of Fin.- Chad Crews ; ColumbiaCty-Clerk of Court P.DeWitt Cason ; ColumbiaCty. - Attorney Marlin Feagle Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 12:02:16 PM Subject: RE: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

Mr. Blake: I really don’t know what else I can tell you or send you. I have responded to your requests for public records. I do not know of an entity that will be receiving a contract as requested in Question 5. As soon as I know, I will be glad to announce it. Dale Williams

From: Brian Blake [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:35 AM To: Dewey Weaver; Stephen Bailey; BCC Website; Scarlet Frisina; Dale Williams; Jody Dupree Cc: Penny Stanley; ColumbiaCty-Clerks Off.- Dir.of Fin..- Chad Crews; ColumbiaCty-Clerk of Court P.DeWitt Cason; ColumbiaCty. - Attorney Marlin Feagle Subject: Re: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

I realize everyone at the County offices must be busy. I am as well, trying to ascertain what Comm. Dupree was talking about regarding the request below in yellow. However, a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer is not too difficult to send out in response to a Sunshine Law request status inquiry. My request stated that I'd like to pick up this requested information today at 11am. Will it be ready? This is information the people of Columbia County are entitled to have. Please respond ASAP so I will know if I can go pick the information up today as requested.

Thank you,

Brian Blake

From: Brian Blake To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 12:00:51 PM Subject: Re: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

Good morning, Since my first Shunshine Law request was 'delayed,' I would just like

Since my first Shunshine Law request was 'delayed,' I would just like to verify if the information I requested in my Sunshine Law request below, as submitted on March 11, 2009, will be ready for pickup tomorrow as requested. Also, if some of the information requested, as laid out numerically below 1 - 5, does not exist, I would like written confirmation in each case.

Thank you,

Brian Blake

From: Brian Blake To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 10:36:50 AM Subject: Sunshine law request based on Comm. Dupree conversation contents

To: All Columbia County Commissioners Dale Williams, County Manager Penny Stanley Good morning, I will be in shortly to pick up the information I requested last Friday regarding complaints against Florida Crown Workforce Board (FCWB). However, I now have a new request based on some information from a discussion that took place after the last BOCC meeting on 3/5/09. This conversation was between Commissioner Jody Dupree and someone else. This conversation was overheard by several individuals, and the

following statements made by Commissioner Dupree sound like facts: A. Comm. Dupree says the CCBOCC is not merging with Alachua/Bradford as many suspect B. Columbia and Union are merging with the Suwannee/Hamilton region C. The deal and agreements are made and have already been approved in Tallahassee D. The entity is already in place to receive funding and start delivering the services on 1 July, 2009 Do tell… Contrary to Commissioner William’s supremely flawed opinion, the most important entity in Columbia County is the people who have elected you into office. Therefore, the most important entity in Columbia County, the people, has a right to know what in the world Commissioner Dupree is talking about. In the spirit of cooperation and sharing information, please provide the necessary information to satisfy this Sunshine Law request: 1. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with the Suwannee/Hamilton Workforce Board (aka RWB6) with regard to providing necessary services to a region as a local One Stop provider and Employer’s Service Center operation 2. Any and all communications the CCBCC has had with surrounding RWBs 8, 9 and 10 regarding the same information as set forth in #1. 3. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with surrounding counties’ Chambers of Commerce regarding the same information as set forth in item #1 4. Any and all communications the CCBOCC has had with Workforce Florida Inc, Agency for Workforce Innovation, State of Florida Legislative representatives, and Governor Charlie Crist’s office with regard to the restructuring of RWB 7, aka, Florida Crown Workforce Board’s assigned counties, Columbia, Union, Dixie and Gilchrist, or any thereof 5. Please provide detailed information as to who or what ‘the entity’ is that will be in receipt of said funding and providing

services on July 1, 2009 I would like this information ready to be picked up no later than Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 11am. I will be hand carrying a copy of this request for time stamping, and request mine also be stamped. Thank you,

Brian Blake Fort White, 719-4275