Columbia County Unlawful Meeting Practices Continue
Columbia County, FL (Posted Oct 06, 2010 11:50 am)
Disdainful of the public and the law, Columbia County
Commissioner DuPree, center, shows his icy stare to the
public.
Columbia County's good old boys at the County Commission continue flaunting the law and making corn beef hash out of the principles of good government, as they continue their evil ways, secure in the knowledge that they have the Sheriff and the State Attorney in their hip pocket. Unlike Lake City, which conducts its meetings utilizing the principle that a "public meeting is a market place of ideas," the homeless County Commission has proven once again that when meeting in City Hall, the principles of good government don't rub off.
During the September 28th County Utility Committee meeting, chaired by Commissioner Jody DuPree, some folks were allowed to speak and some folks suddenly weren’t.
The meeting began with everyone being allowed to contribute or ask questions.
Commissioner DuPree told the attendees, "If you're gonna speak you're gonna address the board. Mr. Chambers ain't gonna be taking questions from the public." Sometime after that, the unpredictable Commissioner changed his mind.
The meeting progressed orderly, until Com DuPree saw that your reporter, who is also a property owner and resident of Columbia County, stood to ask a question.
At first Com DuPree looked away and addressed someone else. Then the Commissioner decided that he would only allow residents from Woodgate Village to speak "or anything ~inaudible~ that would be in this water system." (The quoted phrase is left out of the official minutes of the meeting).
A condensed timeline of the meeting to just after the incident can be found here.
The
thirty five second exchange between the Observer (Mr.
Lilker) and Commissioner DuPree resulted in Mr. DuPree
calling in the Sheriff. (emphasis added).
Mr. DuPree: Anybody from Woodgate Village that wishes to speak -- or anything ~inaudible~ that would be in this water system. (emphasis added)
Mr. Lilker: I want to speak about this rate increase.
Mr. DuPree: No sir.
Mr. Lilker: What do mean, no sir?
Mr. DuPree: You're not gonna speak ta nothin. You don't live in the system.
Mr. Lilker: I want to speak about the rate increase. That's why I came. I'd like to know on what grounds that we ~inaudible~ are gonna charge a rate increase.
Mr. DuPree: Have a seat Mr. Lilker. Have a seat.
Mr. Lilker: Why can't I just ask my question?
Mr. DuPree: You're not gonna be askin a question.
Mr. Lilker: You're not allowed to ask questions at these meetings?
Mr. DuPree: You're not. Have a seat.
Mr. Lilker: I beg your pardon?
Mr. DuPree: (Yells) Have a seat -- is what I said.
Mr. Lilker: I'll stand for now.
Mr. DuPree: Call the Sheriff's Department and have them send me somebody up here.
(Mr. DuPree addresses someone in the audience).
Mr. DuPree: Yes Ma'am.
Following this incident, a few more people were recognized to speak and then as Dan Houston, the water plant operator, who was directed to come to the meeting got up to leave, he raised his hand. Initially, Com DuPree didn't want him to speak. Mr. Houston told the Committee that there was no problem with the water quality in Woodgate Village and left.
SOP in Columbia County
As the Woodgaters left they voiced their shock and disappointment at the antics of Commissioner DuPree. Not one of them could understand why or how the Commissioner behaved the way he did or the reason why he called the Sheriff.
This irrational and Gestapo like behavior is of course, nothing new for Mr. DuPree, as he creates his legacy as one of the worst commissioners, not only in Columbia County, but in the history of Florida.
Laura Bradford summed it up best when she told the Observer, "It was just disgusting and uncalled for the way he spoke to you."
Standard Operating Procedure in Columbia County.
