Century Responds To Records Request On Urban Development Center’s Loan Repayment

February 13, 2024

The Town of Century on Monday responded to a February 7 public records request regarding a payment that the CEO of the Urban Development Center said she made toward what started as an unsecured $61,925 loan for the YouthFirst Century program that suffered a complete funding cut by the Escambia County Children’s Trust (ECT).

Last Tuesday, Jessca Griffen told the Century Town Council by phone that she had made a $20,000 payment to the town. Our public records request to the town for any proof of the payment (such as a copy of the check or deposit slip) remained ignored until February 12.

Monday, Town Clerk Leslie Howington provided copy of a $20,000 cashier’s payable to the Town of Century from The Urban Development Center.

Last year, Escambia Children’s Trust (ECT) awarded a contract to the Pensacola non-profit Urban Development Center for “YouthFirst Century” to serve 750 youth ages 11-18 over a three-year period at a total cost of $1.2 million. In reality, they only reached 30 children in their targeted ages of 11-18.  They requested to lower their target age group to just 5-years old, but that was also denied by ECT.

The Town of Century  fronted an unsecured $61,925 loan  to UDC to purchase items like computers and workbooks. Previously, Griffen stated another $20,000 was previously repaid to the town, according to audio from a council meeting. However, public records requests by both NorthEscambia.com and Rick’s Blog to the town produced no documentation of the payment.

Griffen had proposed that the remaining $41,295 be repaid by December 31, 2023, but that deadline was missed. She requested an extension to March 31, 2024.

UDC has been reimbursed $164,903.50 by ECT through October, according to records from the taxpayer funded Escambia Children’s Trust, but those funds were not used to fully repay the Town of Century.

UDC has requested a $189,256.70 reimbursement for their first year of operation, despite reaching just 56 children, with less than 30 of those in the target age range. That equals $6,308 per targeted child in the 11-18 age group.

Pictured top: A copy of a $20,000 loan payment from The Urban Development Center. The account numbers were redacted by NorthEscambai.com. The Urban Development Center’s Dr. Jessica Griffen introduces YouthFirst Century to a group at the Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church in Century in February 2023. NorthEscambia.com file photo. click to enlarge.

Comments

7 Responses to “Century Responds To Records Request On Urban Development Center’s Loan Repayment”

  1. David on February 14th, 2024 9:58 pm

    Century is just a way to wash the money.

  2. David on February 14th, 2024 9:49 pm

    She lists university of West Florida as a sponsor. I’m sure they would not accept a cashiers check as proof of money they contributed.

  3. David on February 14th, 2024 8:50 pm

    Makes you say hmmmmm. They have a CEO, they have paid a bunch of folks and paid for what they say are workbooks but have to pay with a cashiers check?????? Either they have bounced checks or they are covering where the money went. You need to find out where the money came from to fund the cashiers check. Call Wells Fargo to find out who paid for the cashiers check.

  4. Citizen on February 13th, 2024 11:48 pm

    Doesn’t pass the sniff test IMO

  5. Ed on February 13th, 2024 4:15 pm

    Grifters gotta gift. Taxpayers gotta pay.

  6. tax payer on February 13th, 2024 12:35 pm

    Want to see where it was deposited into TOC account. You can VOID a “cashier’s check. I have had to do it before!!!!!!!!!

  7. JTV on February 13th, 2024 11:00 am

    I still smell a whole bunch of Hoodwinkery.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News