logo

Stew Lilker’s

Columbia County Observer

Real news for working families.  An online newspaper

Florida News

North Florida Broadband Authority: Bradford County Says "No Mas" – Pulls Out


Bradford County Commission Chairman, Ross Chandler, asks for a motion to remove Bradford County from the North Florida Broadband Authority.

BRADFORD COUNTY, FL – In 2009 the North Florida Broadband Authority was established with $30,000,000 of Obama Stimulus Money for the purpose of bringing internet service to the underserved rural areas of North Central Florida. In the summer of 2011, with the broadband project almost a year behind and with no customers, the Dept of Commerce shut down the project due to serious and rampant allegations of waste, fraud and abuse, and questions about the project's sustainability. With the project spiraling out of control, whistle blowers stepped forward. One of them was Bradford County's representative on the NFBA, IT expert Chris Thurow. Today at 9:45 am, after the written recommendation of Bradford County Attorney, Will Sexton, the Bradford County Commission voted unanimously to withdraw from the NFBA.


Bradford County Attorney, Will Sexton, was troubled by what he saw at the NFBA.

In a letter to the Bradford County Commission (the Commission), Mr. Sexton, who became Bradford County's NFBA representative after the illegal removal of Mr. Thurow by the NFBA for "not being a team player," told the Commission that he believed the NFBA had strayed from its "guiding principles."

Mr. Sexton told the Commission he had "concerns over the viability of NFBA.”

Mr. Sexton explained that the NFBA staff continued "to direct much of the activity of the NFBA without consultation from the entire NFBA Board or, at most, with the support of a generally complicit NFBA Board and/or chairman."

Mr. Sexton told the Commission about the recent ordering of the Board's legal counsel to stay away from meetings.

He wrote:

 ... a number of major actions were taken by the Board without legal advice or counsel (a fact never mentioned by Ms. Sucara), General Manager Sucara and Chairman Langford already had a replacement counsel selected, without any input from the board and without any competitive bidding. (Editor's note: This is against the federal grant procurement guidelines.)

Mr. Sexton told the Commission that he thought the NFBA was misusing the Federal Grant funds to expand the network, rather than provide "middle mile service."


Bradford County's IT expert, Chris Thurow, was thanked by the Bradford County Commission for his hard work on the NFBA.

Mr. Sexton was concerned about the $750,000 of NFBA debt with TD Bank. He didn't believe this debt served the best interest of Bradford County or its citizens. Mr. Sexton explained the NFBA debt to TD Bank this way:

"[It is] in the form of a maxed-out line of credit with TD Bank, which it currently cannot pay and for which there does not appear to be a certain plan or ability for repayment."

Mr. Sexton also mentioned that NFBA contracts are now being awarded without the benefit of competitive bidding and that it is unclear whether the project is sustainable for the long term, in spite of a staff "that continually states that all will be fine."

I cannot, as Bradford County's representative on the NFBA Board, recommend to you that such assurance is sufficient so as to warrant our continued belief that the project is now or ever can be a success.

Attorney Sexton – Recommends Protecting the Citizens of Bradford County

The federal grant requires that over $9 million in matching assets, pledged by NFBA member governments like Bradford County, actually be utilized by NFBA. In the event that they are not, the member governments may be liable for a portion of the $9 million in the form of a cash payment. Based upon the information I have seen, and the repeated threats by NFBA staff, it is questionable in my mind that NFBA will be able to meet that requirement and the potential liability created by that scenario concerns me.

Advancing the Principles of Bradford County and Its Citizens

Mr. Sexton advised that he gave the situation serious thought and consideration:

I do not believe there to be any other way to advance the principles in which this county and our citizens believe and to protect this county from the ongoing liabilities associated with continued participation in the NFBA. Simply put, the NFBA is moving in a direction far different than that for which it was originally designed and far different that for which Bradford County initially signed-on.

Bradford County Commission Acts


County Manager Brad Carter was on top of the NFBA situation.

The Bradford County Manager, Brad Carter, has kept the County Commission appraised of the NFBA situation for some time. Mr. Sexton's letter to the County Manager and the Commission was dated March 20th. It gave the Commission plenty of time to consider the facts. Mr. Sexton recommended Bradford County withdraw from the NFBA.

Before the vote, Commission Chair Ross Chandler said, "I think it is in the best interest that we do this."

Commissioner Doyle Thomas said, "I'd like to thank Mr. Thurow for his early input and advice. He's seen things coming down the road and I'd like him to know that I appreciate his work on this."

Commissioner Eddie Lewis referring to Attorney Sexton, It Director Thurow and County Manager Carter, said, "We sure thank you all for keeping us out of that spot."

One minute and forty nine seconds after Bradford County Attorney Will Sexton began addressing the Bradford County Commission, the Commission unanimously voted to withdraw from the NFBA.

Comments  (to add a comment go here)

On April 3, 2012, Citizen49a wrote:

"Protecting the Citizens of Bradford County" What a novel concept! As a long time resident of Columbia County I was under the impression that the County Commission was constituted to drum up, enable, support, and endeavor to conceal ongoing efforts to prey on the citizens of the county, for the benefit of a tiny class of lawless criminals who style themselves our "leaders" here.

These clowns in local government make a big show of trying to attract business and jobs to this area. I have a big clue for them. Businesses prefer to locate in areas where they know the law and know the law is enforced, not where an ongoing carnival of ripoffs, embezzling, misappropriation, and favoritism is the general order of business.

But of course, that doesn't matter because in fact they don't give a damn about attracting business and jobs. They only want to fatten their wallets at taxpayer expense.

This work by the Columbia County Observer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

Meeting Calendar
No need to be confused - Find links to agendas and where your participation is welcome.
 
 

Make a comment • click here •
All comments are displayed at the end of the article and are moderated.
(1 comment)

 
 
Links to the NFBA series:

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Baker County becomes the 7th north central Florida county to pull out of Obama stimulus funded NFBA

(Part XXXVII) (February 19, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Feds put failing stimulus funded NFBA on life support. 3yrs and $28+ mil later, 60 customers and no revenue model.
(Part XXXVI) (February 15, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Former Board Clerk sues NFBA for wrongful termination and violation of her constitutional rights
(Part XXXV) (January 30, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: $30 mil later N. Central Florida Regional Planning Council - clueless
(Part XXXIV) (January 25, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: After General Counsel's response, FL's Public Record Laws remain the latest casualty
(Part XXXIII (b)) (January 8, 2013)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: FL's Public Record Laws the latest casualty
(Part XXXIII) (January 6, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Foot dragging, lack of info cause Suwannee Cnty to call "strike 3" on the NFBA – They're out
(Part XXXII) (January 3, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Suwannee County tells the NFBA – One more strike and you're out
(PartXXXI) (December 20, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Wracked by gross mismanagement from the feds on down, the NFBA has become the poster child for non disclosure
(Part XXX) (December 18, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: More bad news. Last Mile Wifi CEO, "I knew they were going to extort me."
(Part XXIX) December 10, 2012

North Florida Broadband Authority: NFBA failed to make the grade in Gilchrist County
(Part XXVIII) (November 29, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Columbia County Pulls Out of Obama Funded Stimulus Project
(Part XXVII) (November 2, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: The NFBA road show traveled to an unprepared Columbia County with misinformation, half truths, and just plain lies
(Part XXVI) (Posted October 9, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Woebegotten Stimulus funded authority gets another black eye. No one bids to service the $30 mil 14 county network.
(Part XXV) (Posted October 1, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Auth: Another County pulls out. Dixie says throwing away money a major issue.
(Part XXIV) (Posted September 13, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: NFBA road shows moves to Lake City for a double dose of free money
(Part XXIII) (Posted September 5, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Secrecy and a lawyer's spread sheet. It's business as usual at the NFBA.
(Part XXII) (Posted August 22, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority:  Mainstreet Broadband, NFBA's touted business partner, goes bust
(Part XXI) (Posted August 2, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Two cities say "no mas." Refuse free tower space to NFBA
(Part XX)  (Posted July 26, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Taylor County Says Goodbye, "I don't think our county should be involved."
(Part XIX) (Posted April 18, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Perry Pulls Out, City Manager tells Council, "It's just out of whack"
(Part XVIII) (Posted April 11, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Bradford County Says "No Mas" – Pulls Out
(Part XVII) (Posted April 4, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Operating in the shadows with the help of the Feds, the NFBA saga continues
(Part XVI) (posted March 29, 2012)

Lake City, City Manager Wendell Johnson looks to make White Elephant deal with troubled North Florida Broadband Authority
(Part XV) (Posted Feb 28, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Propped up by the Feds, financed by the American People - Who can you trust?
(Part XIV) (Posted Feb 25, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." Not for them

(Part XIII) (Posted Jan 13, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
A Lawyer's Dream. A Look At The Numbers
(Part XIIb) (Posted Dec 29, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
A Lawyer's Dream. Money Is No Object
(Part XIIa) (Posted Dec 28, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Feds come to town – Working under the cover of darkness was their MO

(Part XI) (Posted November 23, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Feds continue investigation - Interim GM rehires resigned firms employees

(part X) (Posted Nov 11, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: "The greatest threat to this project is the Government"
(Part IX) (Posted November 2, 2011)

• Federal grant for broadband access in rural Louisiana rescinded: Could the North Florida Broadband Authority Be Far Behind?
(Posted October 28, 2011)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Redefining "Good Business Sense?"
(Part VIII) (Posted October 25, 2011)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Feds resume funding – Put small vendors first
(Part VII) (Posted October 20, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Small vendors in big trouble | NFEDP/FSU's Hendry may resign (Part VIb)  (Posted Oct 14, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Blood in the street (Part VIa)  (posted Oct 13, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: "I don't want to die on principle and not have broadband." (Part V)  (posted Oct. 6, 2011)

NFBA future in limbo - Fed keeps funds locked down - Suspend project  (Part IV) (posted Sept 28, 2011)

The North Florida Broadband Authority. Its world was about to change (part III)  (posted Sept 16, 2011)

"I think we have a failure to communicate." The N Florida Rural Broadband saga continues (Part II)  (posted Sept 14, 2011)

Feds close spigot on $30 million broadband stimulus grant. 15 north central Florida counties waiting for money to flow again
(Part I)  (posted Sept 12, 2011)