Columbia County Land Deal
$227,100 •
Business As Usual
Columbia County, FL (posted June 4,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
It’s business as usual in Columbia
County with County Manager Dale Williams once again
ignoring the county charter.
While
Florida and many states are reeling under fiscal
constraints, unemployment, cut backs in education and
layoffs, the county manager’s latest surprise is a
mysterious memo added to the agenda at the last minute,
recommending a $227,100 expenditure for a piece of
property somewhere in Columbia County on Birley Road.
It appears that Ben Scott, the county purchasing
director, negotiated with an unnamed person or persons
for the purchase of a piece of property for a community
center. In 2007 the county only required 3.1 acres for
the community center to serve District III. This could
be what the property is for.
Of course, there is no back up or supporting
information on the county web site, other than the
mysterious memo.
There is no indication of what district this supposed
to serve.
There is no parcel number or “owner” named. In the
past this was “code” for the county buying a piece of
property from one of the county manager’s friends.
There is no reason why the county needs to purchase
21.4 acres and the “extent” the easement.
There is no indication regarding the amount of
fencing; how much the fencing will cost or why the
property needs to be fenced.
There is no reason why the county has not negotiated
the culvert as a cost to the owner, if it that is what
is necessary to access the property, or whatever is
being accessed.
Without a parcel number; without an intersection;
without any landmarks it is impossible to know anything.
It is unknown whether the appraisal was from the county
property appraiser or from an independent appraiser – an
appraisal that should have been paid for by the owner
and would have been indeed, working for the owner.
There is no explanation, why in these hard economic
times, the county is recommending that this property be
purchased for 10% over the appraisal, or who recommended
that negotiations be commenced.
There is no explanation why the county didn’t not
request sealed proposals for county expenditure of over
$200,000 dollars
It is the County Manager's responsibility, in
accordance with the county charter, to assure that the
information containing answers for the above had been
posted on the county web site as back up material
supplied to the County Commission.
Unless County Manager Dale Williams discussed
the specifics of this land deal with each county
commissioner, rotating them one at a time in violation
of the spirit of the Sunshine laws of Florida, there is
no way the Columbia County Commission could know what is
going on.
Of course, there is once again no way for the public
to know what is going on.
It is business as usual in Columbia County Florida.
