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Lake City News 2022
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Council Orders
True Airport Appraisel For the Protection of All
Parties
December 30, 2022
5:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Walking into Lake City
City Hall on Wednesday night was like
walking into a crap shoot. On the special
meeting agenda was one item: the 12th-hour
contract of Columbia County’s third largest
employer, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering
Company (HAECO), which is located in Lake
City’s municipal airport (LCQ).
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December 28, 2022
3:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – HAECO, a worldwide player
in the Global Aviation MRO (maintenance,
repair, and overhaul) business, is on tap to
appear again in front of the Lake City City
Council. The subject: a controversial
two-decade-long contract that will
effectively end the possibility of any
realistic aviation-related economic
development at the Lake City Airport.
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December 19, 2022
6:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Every time one thinks Lake City can’t get
worse, it does. At approximately 12:20 pm
this afternoon, City Manager Paul Dyal's
proposed contracts were added to the City
Council agenda for inclusion in this
evening's 6 pm Council meeting.
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December 9, 2022
3:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – This past Monday evening,
the two new members of the City Council
doubled down on the continuing reluctance to
do a background check on Interim City
Manager Paul Dyal.
City Manager Paul Dyal’s biggest supporters in Lake City
are community activist Sylvester Warren, a
former North Florida drug kingpin, and Lake City
Mayor Stephen Witt, Mr. Dyal’s former bankruptcy
attorney.
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November 23, 2022
4:45 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday evening, meeting in
the School District auditorium to
accommodate
the turnout, two newly elected City Council
members took the Oath of Office. This is a
big deal. What does this mean?
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November 21, 2022
11:10 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City
Interim City Manager Paul Dyal, in 2018
and again in 2022, had his heart in
Alaska. Did he and Mayor Steve Witt
level with the City Council and the
public in the City’s search for a new
City Manager?
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September 21, 2022
07:45 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday night in City
Hall, three of the four members of a hobbled
City Council gave Interim City Manager Paul
Dyal three free passes: one on authorizing
four hours of pay to all City employees
without authority; another on ignoring
established City Personal Policy; and
finally, a pass on the alleged unfair
treatment of some women directors.
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Part II:
Lake City, Out of Control, a Youtube Star
September 8, 2022
08:50 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – After Councilman Todd Sampson
laid out his case against City Manager
Paul Dyal and Mayor Witt, everybody
weighed in. It was not pretty. Lake City
continues to enhance its negative
reputation throughout Florida.
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Part I: the complaints
September 7, 2022
7:00 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – A vote of confidence was
not coming Interim City Manager Paul Dyal’s
way last night. Future permanent City
Manager position put on hold. Councilman Sampson
asks for an investigation.
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September 2, 2022
10:00 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Just when you thought
City Manager Paul Dyal was out of surprises,
he surprises. In advance of a three-day
holiday for City workers, City Manager Dyal
decided to give the City four extra hours of
paid time off.
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August 17,
2022 07:45 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday evening, Interim
City Manager Paul Dyal got the nod to be Lake
City’s next City Manager. According to
Councilman Jake Hill and other supporters of Mr.
Dyal, “He don’t back down from the County.”
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August 15, 2022
01:05 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
For quite some time, Lake City Mayor Steve Witt
has acknowledged that Lake City has been a
laughing stock of Florida. His recent actions in
the year-long helter-skelter city manager search
have done nothing to dispel his
characterization.
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August 4,
2022 09:55 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Florida Gateway Airport, Lake
City’s municipal airport, and HAECO the Chinese
aerospace refurbishing company, have recently
become the epicenter of political activity in
Lake City. Everyone has been getting involved:
County Commissioners, a retired judge, City
Council members, the Interim City Manager, and
HAECO employees.
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Posted June
22, 2022 11:58 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Tuesday evening in City Hall, way down on the
evening's agenda, was the approval of a contract
between headhunter Colin Baenziger and the City
of Lake City. Not to be outdone by itself, just
when one might have thought Lake City couldn't
embarrass itself anymore – it did.
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Posted June
7, 2022 03:05 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Over the past few months, when talking about
Lake City, Mayor Steven Witt has not been shy
about mentioning, “Lake City is a laughing
stock.” Years of out-of-control meetings and a
city manager search that has gone off the rails
has folks all over Florida shaking their heads
in agreement.
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Posted June
6, 2022 04:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
The saga of Lake City’s City Manager woes
continues tonight at 6 pm. Once again, on the
agenda is Headhunter Renee Narlock. This time
Ms. Narlock is re-presenting two prior
candidates and one new one.
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Posted May
20, 2022 008:45 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – The
sideways procurement of its headhunter,
the enhanced level of secrecy encouraged
by the City Attorney, and the general
incompetence of the City Council have
left Lake City reeling, dysfunctional,
and unable to find a city manager.
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Posted May
4, 2022 02:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday evening, the Lake City City Council
re-thought its salary requirements for a city
manager. Mayor Witt and Councilman Hill and
Jefferson had changes of heart and upped the
salary ante from $120k a year to $140k to $160k.
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Posted
May 2, 2022 02:50 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
At 6 pm this evening, the City Council will be
discussing its vacant city manager position
again. Flailing around like a fish out of water,
anything could happen: at the Mayor level, the
Councilman level, and from the public.
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Posted
April 27, 2022 07:45 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
The Lake City City Manager search continued last
night with the City Council further away from
hiring a City Manager. With the Council minus
one council member and apparent new hiring
ground rules, more 2-2 deadlocks may be on the
way. That is, if the City finds anyone to apply.
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Posted
April 26, 2022 11:15 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – The Lake City City Manager
search may come to a merciful end this
evening after the City Council meets to
discuss the offer of retired army
colonel Glen Adams.
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Posted
April 19, 2022 11:35 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
After Monday night in City Hall, Lake City is
still without a permanent city manager. Unless
one believes in miracles, it will not have one
anytime soon. Lake City has been without a
permanent city manager since last June.
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Posted
April 18, 2022 03:00 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
The Lake City City Manager Search is in
overtime. This morning, Councilman Todd Sampson
threw a “Hail-Mary” pass. He wants the City
Council to reach back out to former Army Colonel
Glen Adams with a contract offer.
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Posted
April 12, 2022 06:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Yesterday evening, Jim Hanson, Senior Advisor
Florida City and County Management Association
(FCCMA), told the City Council, "Lake City has a
long history of professional management until
the last couple of years. I guess that's why I
am here tonight – to try to help you.”
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Posted April
10, 2022 07:00 pm | Part II –
Part I
LAKE CITY, FL –
The withdrawal of the County 5 from the City
Utility Advisory Board, where County-City
elected leaders discuss City-County utility
service, “will not affect public safety,”
according to Interim City Manager Paul Dyal.
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Posted
April 5, 2022 10:35 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Interim City Manager appointment Mike Williams
declines returning to Lake City. Mr. Williams
wanted unanimious approval – didn't get it.
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Posted
March 29, 2022 02:15 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
On Sunday afternoon, March 27, Interim City
Manager Paul Dyal told the City Council he wants
'out.' In an
undated letter to the Mayor and Council Members,
Mr. Dyal told the Council that he would
“like to step down as the City's Interim
Manager."
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Posted
March 26, 2022 09:28 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last Monday evening, Lake
City’s infamous City Council met. At the helm of
Lake City’s public safety departments were a new
Police Chief and a new Fire Chief. On the
evening’s agenda: zero-zip-nada, not a single
word about the appointments.
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Posted
March 8, 2022 03:28 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The Lake City City Manager
search drags on. Last night, almost nine months
after her name first came up, headhunter Renee
Narloch told the City Council she “received some
new applications.”
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On the Agenda
for This Evening – Zero Info
Posted
March 7, 2022 12:45 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The Lake City City Manager
search continues this evening without a
scintilla of information about the search with
the agenda, other than Renee Narloch “will
participate by Zoom.”
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Posted
March 2, 2022 07:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Each year, Lake City Police
Department (LCPD) Accreditation Program Manager,
Officer Greg Burnsed, ensures the department's
policies and procedures are current with all
changes and suggestions from the Commission for
Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA).
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Posted
February 25, 2022 1:50 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Tuesday’s City Council
meeting once again lived up to the deteriorating
reputation of Lake City being a community where
City Council meetings teeter between civility
and insanity. Only one person was asked to
leave, and that was by the police. The reason:
packing a gun.
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Posted
February 5, 2022 08:50 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The Lake City City Manager
search begins again with the withdrawal of City
Manager candidate Thomas Thomas of Chicago.
Monday evening, during the City Council meeting,
the Council will be discussing its next steps.
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Posted
February 4, 2022 09:35 am
LAKE CITY, FL – The continuing saga of
Lake City’s City Manager search continued with
City Manager finalist Thomas Thomas emailing
City Attorney Fred Koberlein, Jr., with his
counter-offer.
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Posted
January 31, 2022 07:35 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Saturday morning, at the unheard of time
of 8 am, the City Council met again to
discuss the hiring of veteran city
manager Thomas Thomas of Chicago. The
Council managed to get a counter
proposal worked out. When it will be
memorialized in writing and available is
unknown. The Council wants the Thomas
response by Wednesday.
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Posted
January 27, 2022 01:10 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – On Wednesday, January
26 at 2:02 pm, Lake City City Manager Candidate
Thomas Thomas threw down the gauntlet, rejecting
the offered City salary, evaluation terms,
moving expenses, annual leave, and a little
more.
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Posted
January 26, 2022 06:21 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The saga of the Lake City,
City Manager search continued Monday night with
the cancellation of the special meeting to
discuss tentative contract terms for the City’s
number one candidate Thomas Thomas of Chicago.
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Posted
January 21, 2022 12:20 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The tortuous seven-month
route to a permanent Lake City City Manager may
have finally come to an end on Wednesday
morning. Thomas Thomas was the City Council's
number one pick to take the helm of the Lake
City Ship of State, a ship taking on water –
fast.
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Thomas
Thomas Part I
Posted
January 19, 2022 08:20 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall, City
Manager candidate Thomas Thomas met with the
public to introduce himself and answer
questions. As in the
meet & greet with candidate Glen Adams,
only a handful of Lake City’s 12,000 appeared,
and they were mostly the same as the previous
event.
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Posted
January 17, 2022 06:30 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – A little over one week ago,
City Manager candidate Glen Adams
entered into legendary territory when he
appeared in Lake City with his handler,
headhunter Renee Narloch of Narloch &
Associates. Lake City’s City Council was
not prepared to play hardball...
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Posted
January 12, 2022 07:00 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – This past Saturday morning,
January 8, the City Council met in a special session to
interview City Manager candidate Glen Adams, the
newly discovered X-City Manager of Santa Fe,
Texas. The Saturday morning meeting
continued the Friday evening meet & greet, where
Mr. Adams met with a handful of community
members.
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The Adams
interview begins in City Hall at 10:30
am
Posted
January 8, 2022 08:25 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall, City
Manager Candidate Glen Adams met with the public
to introduce himself and answer questions. Lake
City, with a population of 12,000, could only
summon 10 members from the public to meet this
candidate.
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Posted
January 5, 2022 11:04 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Last week, the City knew a
wrench had been thrown into its plans to hire a
city manager. The City knew both finalists would
not be attending the planned meet and greet and
interview session planned for January 7 and 8.
The Mayor didn’t say a word at Monday’s Council
meeting. The City Clerk didn’t alert the public
until Tuesday afternoon, a day after the Council
meeting.
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Posted
January 3, 2022 10:10 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Tonight, the City Council is
meeting for its first meeting of the year. This
coming Friday evening, the Council will be
meeting to eat cheese and rub some flesh, "meet
& greet," and then on Saturday morning do
something else: exactly what is anybody's guess.
The subject is not on this evening's agenda, and
like almost everything else this City Council
has done – there is no plan.
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Posted
December 31, 2021 07:15 pm.
LAKE CITY, FL – As 2021 fades into the
sunset, the number one story in Columbia County
was its County Seat – Lake City. While most
folks may have never heard of Columbia
County, everyone recognizes Lake City as
one of the most recoginzed geographical
locations in the state.
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