Our View: Dire Failures In Century’s Charter Review Process, But It Can Be Salvaged
June 4, 2023
There have been dire failures in the process to rewrite Century’s charter, but the process can be salvaged moving forward.
A recent charter review committee meeting was held “to review the final draft of the Proposed Charter”, according to a public notice. The town clerk said the notice was posted outside town hall and “shared around town” on May 1, and we have photographic proof that it was posted at least at town hall by May 2. But the media was notified until after our questions, two days prior to the meeting.
“To review the final draft of the Proposed Charter”, the advertised purpose of the meeting, was not the focus of the meeting. Most of the meeting centered around discussion of, an approval of, a July 29, 2022, “Final Report” from the charter review committee memorandum – not the draft charter. The public had no way of knowing that a nearly 10-month old document would be discussed, certainly not keeping with the spirit of Florida’s Sunshine Law. The draft of the charter was discussed only briefly and approved only at the insistence of the town clerk.
NorthEscambia.com has made numerous public records requests in reference to charter documents over the years. We’ve attended essentially every minute of every charter review meeting in person on or the phone over the past several years.
We were blindsided by this recent poor notice, not because we were left in dark, but because the citizens of Century were left in the dark as to what the charter committee was doing. Citizens deserve to know, and the town has a legal responsibility to make that happen.
Our records requests have been answered with various versions of the draft charter, while other versions were being read aloud from at council and charter review meetings. Less than a week before the meeting, we were provided yet again with the wrong version, but received a new version less than three days prior.
The “Final Report”, ultimately the focus of last week’s meeting, was never provided to us or the public. During the meeting, it was referred to as the “memorandum”, but the contents were never spoken aloud.
We questioned why during the meeting and were told it was the clerk’s fault for not providing the requested material.
In an unusual move just before the end of the meeting, NorthEscambia.com made a verbal public records request of each member of the charter review committee in possession of this ‘memorandum” and draft charter to provide us with a copy, citing Florida Statutes Chapter 119 “Public Records”. At that point, charter review committee chair Mary Bourgeois provided her physical copy, and we advised the other members that our request had been fulfilled.
The committee was meeting to approve the draft charter because last summer they finished what was their last meeting to date without ever formally approving their work product. The draft and the memo were forwarded to the town council by their consultant. The council sent it off to their attorney who returned a version that dropped a strong mayor and instead opted for a town manager without any power for a mayor.
The council rejected the attorney’s version, deciding to start over with a review. Somewhere along the way, someone decided to call the charter review committee back in to bless the final draft from last year.
To put it frankly, in our opinion, parts of the process have failed, but the end result is going to be the important part.
Let’s be super clear. Century’s current charter is a relic of days gone by, some 40 plus years of days gone by, and must be updated if the town is to survive.
The charter is the incorporation document for the town that outlines its powers and duties. After state law, the charter is the rule of the land in Century. The charter review committee was tasked with a rewrite, or updates, beginning meetings in 2019 with hopes of potentially making the ballot in 2020. The pandemic dashed those hopes.
After the pandemic, the charter review committee went back to regular meetings, but the town council was forced to cut the number of members due to lack of participation from 11 to six so they could have a quorum (majority) of members.
The town council’s work to review the charter section by section has made remarkable progress, thanks to their hard work and the groundwork of the charter review committee. Charter review members put countless hours into their draft not only in meetings but also in research.
NorthEscambia.com will continue to follow the progress. We expect the process henceforth to remain fully in the sunshine and abundantly clear to citizens.
The future of Century hangs in the balance.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Look For International Paper With Rebrand, Updated Logo
June 4, 2023
International Paper recently announced as new logo as part of a company rebrand.
As IP celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, the company said the rebrand “highlights the resilience of International Paper, the sustainability of its mission and its commitment to creating what’s next”.
Pictured: International Paper Pensacola Mill employees wearing t-shirts with the new company brand. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Utilities Lifts Boil Water Notice Along Jacks Branch Road
June 4, 2023
Molino Utilities has lifted a boil water notice that was issued Thursday along Jacks Branch Road.
The advisory was in effect for the 2000 block of Jacks Branch Road south of Lavanda Lane.
The water in the area was turned off during a scheduled outage Thursday morning for a leak repair.
Homer-Happy Wahoos Rout Shuckers 11-2
June 4, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos hit a season-high four homers in a blowout 11-2 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night.
Patrick Monteverde (W, 6-1) allowed just an unearned run over 5.0 innings to earn his league-leading sixth win, lowering his season ERA to a league-best 2.16 in the process.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Blue Wahoos manufactured the game-tying run against Shuckers starter Nick Bennett (L, 2-2) with a José Devers double and a Griffin Conine RBI infield single. An inning later, Victor Mesa Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI single to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead.
Will Banfield greeted Biloxi reliever James Meeker with a solo homer to lead off the fourth, and Devers launched a three-run blast in the fifth for his first homer of the season. Conine capped the five-run fifth with a solo blast of his own, extending the lead to 8-1.
Dane Myers added an RBI single in the sixth, and Mesa highlighted a four-hit, four-RBI night with a two-run shot to right field one batter later.
A.J. Puk made his third rehab appearance for the Blue Wahoos in the eighth, retiring the first two batters he faced before Tristen Lutz hit a drive to the right-center gap. Mesa was injured in a collision with the wall, allowing Lutz to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Sean Reynolds came in to get the final four outs of the game for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos gained a game in the South Division standings, and are now 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday
No Arrests In Triple Shooting Last Week At Cantonment Park
June 3, 2023
There have been no arrests made in the shooting of three people last Saturday night during a “May Day”gathering in Cantonment.
The victims were two females both age 18 and a 21-year old male. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said all three were transported to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.
The shootings were reported about 9:10 p.m. in the area of Carver Park on Webb Street where the suspect opened fire into a crowd, striking the victims. The event was not sanctioned or approved by the community association that manages the park or Escambia County Parks and Recreation.
The Sheriff’s Office estimated about 2,000 people were in attendance. None of the bystanders provided witness information to deputies.
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or call Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
‘Strange Bulge’ In Escambia Woman’s Pants Leads To Meth Arrest
June 3, 2023
The Atmore Police Department says a “strange bulge” in an Escambia County (Florida) woman’s pants led to her arrest on a methamphetamine related charge.
Sydni Weatherholtz, age 30 of Pensacola, was charged with unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to police.
About 7:35 p.m. on May 31, Atmore Police Narcotics Agents conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to signal during a turn onto Highway 21. Officers said Weatherholtz was a passenger in the vehicle.
“While speaking with Weatherholtz an officer noticed a strange bulge in her pants. Upon further investigation Waetherholtz was in possession of approximately 14 grams of a clear crystal-like substance that field tested positive for Methamphetamine,” Atmore Police Sgt. Darrell McMann said.
Ribbon Cutting Held For Escambia’s Newest Elementary School
June 3, 2023
A ribbon cutting was held Friday for Escambia County’s newest public school.
The new Pleasant Grove Elementary School campus is located on Sorrento Road just west of Blue Angel Parkway.
It’s the first new school in the Escambia County School District since Beulah Middle and Kingsfield Elementary opened back in 2018.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Myers Homers Twice, But Blue Wahoos Fall 10-7 To Biloxi
June 3, 2023
Dane Myers continued his hot hitting, homering twice and driving in five in a 3-for-5 night, but the Pensacola Blue Wahoos squandered an early lead in a 10-7 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday.
The game turned in the bottom of the fifth, as Biloxi scored five runs against starter M.D. Johnson and reliever Will Stewart (L, 2-1). The Shuckers needed only one hit, a Zavier Warren two-run double, thanks to four walks, a hit batsman, and a throwing error.
Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first against Shuckers starter Carlos Rodriguez as Myers sent a three-run homer out to left-center. They added another run in the third on a Cody Morissette RBI single and two more in the fourth on Myers’ second homer of the night, a two-run blast.
Biloxi chipped away in the fourth, drawing a pair of walks against Johnson before Wes Clarke hit a three-run homer to draw the score to 6-4. Morissette hit another RBI single in the fifth to give Pensacola a seven-run lead, but Biloxi’s big inning followed.
Johnson walked the first two Biloxi batters in the fifth before departing. Stewart, who had not allowed a run in 11.1 Double-A innings, allowed Warren’s double before loading the bases with a hit batsman and a walk. Clarke then drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Felix Valerio hit a potential double-play grounder that instead allowed the Shuckers to take a 9-7 lead. Nasim Nuñez’s low throw to first skipped out of play, scoring two runs and capping the five-run frame.
A.J. Puk allowed a pair of singles in his second rehab appearance, but wriggled out of the jam thanks to a strikeout, pickoff and popout to throw a scoreless eighth.
The Shuckers got effective long relief from T.J. Shook (W, 2-1) before Abner Uribe (S, 4) worked a spotless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the South Division standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi with 20 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.
written by Erik Bremer
Escambia Extension To Host Small Farm Workshop
June 3, 2023
Do you want to start a farm but are not sure where to start? Or just want to learn more about Florida programs that can help with your current operation?
Escambia Extension will hold a Small Farm Workshop for Emerging Farms on June 13 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 3740 Stefani Road in Cantonment.
Topics will include loan and cost share programs, soil fertility, agritourism, small ruminant livestock and marketing.
The cost is $15. To register, or for more information, click here. Lunch will be provided.
Register Now For Tate Cheerleaders’ Lil Aggies Summer Camp
June 2, 2023
Registration is continuing for the Lil Aggies Summer Cheer Camp.
The camp will be held 8 a.m. until noon on June 26-28 in Tate High School’s Fryman Gym. The cost is $80 per athlete.
For a registration form and more information, click or tap here.
The Lil Aggies Summer Cheer Clinic will teach athletes proper stretch techniques, sideline cheers and chants, proper jump techniques, motion placements, as well as stunting and tumbling skill building. There will also be fun, games and engaging activities. A snack and drink will be provided each day.
The registration deadline is Thursday, June 23 and available spaces are filling fast.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.