LSHA: Foot Dragging, No Planning, and an Amateur RFP Leave the LSHA and the Public in La-La Land. The Recent Implosion At FAMU – Silencio
August 16, 2024 11:40 am | 3 min read
Photo: Carol M. Smith, Samuel H. Coleman
Memorial Library | Columbia County Observer
graphic
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Monday evening, the Lake Shore Hospital met for what should have been a twenty-minute meeting. After two hours, it ended. The Hospital Authority has been without a hospital for almost four years.
In 2005, the Florida legislature reestablished and redefined the legislation establishing the Lake Shore Hospital Authority. The legislation required that one member of the Authority Board "shall be a physician engaged in the practice of medicine at the Lake Shore Hospital."
The Hospital has been vacated – shut down for going on four years.
Governor DeSantis' Board has been operating outside the law for almost four years. Neither the Gov. nor the board seem to care. During the past four years, the Authority has spent over $3 million of the public's money servicing its empty buildings.
In the beginning of April 2024, the Authority published its third RFP looking for proposals for the vacated hospital properties and the monolith it calls home. The vacated hospital building was not included on the list of available properties.
The RFP is undated. Authority Manager Williams historically has had issues dating documents. The return date for the RFP was April 24.
Among the responses to the RFP was one from Florida A&M University. It did not make a detailed response. The University's response was three sentences in response to questions posed in the RFP.
1. The RFP asked for the intended uses of the Authority buildings. The response: pharmacy education and health care services.
2. The RFP asked for plans to increase the availability and accessibility of health care in Columbia County. The response: pharmacists and student pharmacists would provide needed education/resoures (sic).
3. The RFP asked for a statement regarding healthcare experience. The response: pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare provider (sic) to the communities.
On May 9, 2024, Authority Manager Dale Williams reported that a proposal was received from Florida A&M (FAMU) and that he did not have a day or time for an additional discussion with FAMU.
The proposal was the three italicized sentences above.
On June 1, 2024, Dale Williams reported: "Dr. Spates, Dean, FAMU has not had the opportunity to visit the LSHA Campus; however, she recently advised she would schedule a visit soon."
It is unclear what "soon" means in the world of Dr. Spates.
At the July 8 Authority Board meeting, Manager Williams presented the same update as he did in July.
Trustee Don Kennedy asked Manager Williams to contact FAMU for an update.
On August 1, FMAU Dean Jocelyn Spates sent an email to the Authority Board. It said, "Hello Board Members, Please see the attached letter of interest for the Lakeshore Housing Authority Board to consider.”
The "Lakeshore Housing Authority" is not a misprint.
FAMU was asking for all the Authority
buildings and money ($20 million in cash).
It appears that Columbia County residents may still be paying taxes to the Authority in the FAMU plan.
On August 2, Dale Williams' administrative assistant sent an email to FAMU Dean Jocelyn Spates asking if she could attend the August 12 Board meeting.
She couldn't.
On August 4, Florida A&M's President Larry Robinson's resignation became effective.
Dean Spate did attend the Authority’s August 12 meeting virtually.
Dean Spate did not mention the recent scandal at FAMU, although the ongoing turmoil at the University may have been a reason for FAMU's non-visit.
FAMU: Cloaked in Scandal
The Chronicle of Higher Education and the Tallahassee Democrat have been detailing the recent $237 million donation debacle at FAMU.
Florida A&M University’s interim President, Timothy Beard, demanded the immediate resignation of many of the senior leaders in his cabinet, effective August 13, in an effort to restructure the "leadership, vision, and strategies” of the historically Black institution. (The Chronicle)
"The decision comes about a month after the previous university president abruptly resigned and less than a week after an extensive report found that the University rushed the vetting process of a botched $237-million donation made during its spring commencement. The University’s vice president for advancement also resigned in May." (The Chronicle).
Epilogue
FMAU does not seem well placed to take over the Authority and all its money.
How much Dale Williams knew about the continuing FAMU debacle is unknown, and Dean Spates was not talking.
The Authority, which time has passed by and has outlived its usefulness, continues to bleed about $50k a month with no end in sight.
