Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Asshole           Deltona City Commission

Last week, Deltona taxpayers learned the sobering news that the patented “Deltona Severance Enhancement” is being employed once again. 

For the uninitiated, it’s a lucrative strategy employed by senior administrators who have been stiffed, forced out, retaliated against, faced discrimination, or just see an easy mark in a city with no identifiable legal representation – who file lawsuits on their way out of the revolving door… 

For instance, you may remember the destructive saga of former City Manager Jane Shang, whose tyrannical reign ended following a long overdue vote of no confidence by the City Commission?

On her way out, Shang pulled the ripcord on a $286,881 Golden Parachute and left Deltona in flames…

In May 2022, the Deltona City Commission settled a lawsuit by former interim manager Marc-Antonie Cooper, who claimed racial discrimination after he was passed over for promotion in favor of yet another “interim” manager in Public Works Director-turned-Interim City Manager John Peters III.   

Mr. Cooper walked with $45,000.

Interestingly, at that same meeting, the elected officials added a 20-week severance package to Peters’ contract, which amounted to approximately $63,000 if he were to be fired without cause.

In September 2022, the City of Deltona paid former Human Resources Director Richard Adams $225,000, to settle a suit claiming retaliatory termination after Adams investigated Mr. Peters for “inappropriate and discriminatory” comments…

Remember? 

Last week, an informative article by The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Wild West Volusia reporter Katie Kustura confirmed what long-suffering Deltona residents had been dreading:

“Deltona’s former acting city manager and the former deputy city manager are suing their ex-employer.

John Peters III filed a breach of contract lawsuit regarding his employment as acting city manager, and Stacey Kifolo filed a lawsuit under Florida’s Public Sector Whistleblower Act.

Each is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages, according to court records.”

The facts spelled out in the respective actions are shocking – and provide a unique window into the dark dysfunction and gross mismanagement at play inside the cloistered walls of Deltona City Hall.   

Not surprisingly, among Mr. Peters’ claims is the fact that, although he was summarily forced out during a shambolic meeting in September 2022, the city has yet to pay the $63,416 in severance they promised.

The Kifolo case is something entirely different – and calls into question the City Attorney’s veracity and continued viability…

According to the report, “Kifolo was hired by Peters in August 2021 as deputy city manager. She said her work environment became more hostile when Peters left and Marsha Segal-George, one of the city attorneys, stepped into the role of interim manager.

Kifolo said she was retaliated against by Segal-George and a few of the sitting commissioners for raising concerns over the goings-on in Deltona including questions about the city pension plan, emergency services, and collective bargaining issues with the city firefighter’s union.” 

Although Segal-George’s odd term as interim manager ended on October 3, 2022 – with no official extension of her appointment by the City Commission – on October 5, 2022, Segal-George unilaterally suspended Kifolo, mysteriously accusing her of insubordination, but without explanation – after Kifolo filed a formal complaint with Human Resources the day before…

According to reports, Kifolo was later told by an outside labor attorney that Segal-George had accused her of failing to share an email regarding the firefighter’s contract – something Kifolo’s suit describes as “knowingly false.”

Shortly thereafter, like Frankenstein’s monster – Jim “The Chiseler” Chisholm was reanimated from retirement and brought in as the city’s umpteenth interim manager – confirmed in a shim-sham that bore no relation to a professional vetting process. 

Within days of his appointment, Chisholm further muddied the water when he “…told the commission Kifolo had not been suspended but placed on administrative leave without any disciplinary action, according to the lawsuit.”

“On Oct. 13, 2022, Kifolo submitted a follow-up complaint to HR detailing the hostile work environment and retaliation she’d experienced, the lawsuit states. She was fired on Nov. 16, 2022.”

In another strange twist, the controversial Marsha Segal-George – a former partner in the Orlando law firm that was terminated by the City of Deltona earlier this year – was (I think) reappointed to the City Attorney role with an hourly rate of $150.00.

I say, ‘I think,’ because, although most assume Segal-George is Deltona’s attorney, no one is sure a contract exists. 

I mean, Ms. Segal-George has all the earmarks of a city attorney – she sits next to Chisholm during meetings, shuffles papers, grunts, and nods at all the right times – but no one outside the inner sanctum in City Hall (including the elected officials) has seen her rumored employment agreement…    

Unfortunately, massive lawsuits, unchecked stormwater, increasing fees, obfuscating city managers, and dubious legal representation are the least of Deltona’s mounting problems.

During the regular City Commission meeting on Monday evening (which are increasingly rare, with meetings unilaterally cancelled by the Interim City Manager – and certain elected officials showing up only when they feel like it – a classic element of The Chiseler’s patented strategy of orchestrating the public’s business behind closed doors), things quickly dissolved into contretemps, criminal allegations, and wild histrionics from the dais.

In other words, it was a typical Deltona City Commission meeting…  

To her credit, the intrepid Commissioner Dana McCool did her level best to represent Deltona taxpayers with logic and a level head – fighting valiantly to reduce the fiscal and traffic impact of increased development in the proposed Deltona Village BPUD (she was overridden in the attempt) – pressed the tough questions regarding service levels during the debate of fee increases and demanded transparency during the upcoming budget process (please don’t hold your breath, Ms. McCool).      

Then, things got interesting…

During his final comments, Commissioner Jody Lee (a/k/a Jody Lee Storozuk?) recounted a cryptic tale of a recent behind-the-scenes meeting between unnamed developers, Mr. Chisholm, and a mystery sitting commissioner to discuss electing “likeminded” candidates who could help facilitate future development projects. 

Yeah.  You read that right.

According to Commissioner Lee, City Manager Chisholm “didn’t like the conversation” and walked out of the meeting…    

In exposing these “shenanigans” (his descriptor, not mine), Commissioner Lee went on to decry the “good old boy” system in Deltona and encouraged his “colleagues” not to “get in bed” with developers.

Damn.  If true, that’s disturbing.

In my view, Commissioner Lee owes his constituents the facts in support of these spurious allegations, rather than allow more instability and speculation. 

Then, things took a more ominous turn when Mayor Santiago Avila leveled credible allegations against Commissioner Tom Burbank citing systemic violations of Florida’s Sunshine Law as, despite repeated warnings, he continues to disseminate emails to his fellow elected officials discussing issues which could foreseeably come before them for action.

The very definition of a Sunshine Law violation.

More disturbingly, Mayor Avila stated that Commissioner Burbank thumbed his nose at State Attorney R. J. Larizza – apparently making fun of Mr. Larizza’s office for not acting on previously alleged Sunshine Law violations. 

In turn, Mayor Avila insinuated that Burbank – who was previously censured by his “colleagues” for publishing hateful slurs against a Deltona resident – was misusing his position by engaging in the political persecution of outspoken citizens and critics.   

Things ended with Mayor Avila angrily asking, “If R. J. Larizza is listening, maybe he should look into it,” before abruptly gaveling the contentious shit-show to a close…

Wow. 

I don’t know if Mayor Avila’s entreaty to Mr. Larizza was a challenge – or a cry for help? 

Look, by any metric, Deltona is a city in crisis.

In my view, it is high time for outside intervention from state and federal authorities responsible for protecting the public trust and ensuring the proper stewardship of public assets, funds, and services.

From the vantagepoint of over thirty years in local government, this madness should not be permitted in a modern municipality – and the good citizens of Deltona have been victimized long enough.

Asshole           Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation

Those high-flying globetrotters over at TVEDC – that redundant public/private scam that throws our hard-earned money around to bring all those “high paying jobs” you hear so much about (but never materialize) home to the “Fun Coast” – recently accompanied Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry on a junket to Budapest.

That’s right.  Budapest…

According to media reports, Team Volusia’s President and CEO for Life Keith Norden led a group to the Hungarian Summit 2023 earlier this month – ostensibly an economic/cultural/educational confab “…bridging the gap between the two countries in business and higher education.”

A similar “summit” was held in Daytona Beach last year, sponsored by something called HungarianHub, a not-for-profit operated by Piros Pazaurek, a local resident who claims the title “Honorary Consul of Hungary in Central Florida.” 

Which makes sense, I guess.   

I am certainly no expert on international business affairs – so, perhaps there is a Hungarian logistics company looking to cram an industrial warehouse offering $15 an hour scutwork at the increasingly crowded interface of zero-lot-line subdivisions and gridlocked thoroughfares in Daytona Beach?

Because that seems to be TVEDC’s stock in trade…

This week, our jetsetters over at Team Volusia are enjoying the sights and sounds of Paris in Spring at the International Paris Air Show…

How fun! 

How’s by you?  Yeah, I know…

Now, I have no idea what Norden and Company hope to lure here from Le Gai Paris! – but under the current process, we could be vying for a massive distribution center, a modern manufacturing operation, or a toxic waste incinerator – because any endeavor will be cloaked under a secret squirrel code name requiring our elected officials vote in the blind to authorize a lucrative publicly funded incentive package. 

In this political environment, where oversight is abhorred – anything is possible…

As a result, in Volusia County, our “economic development” efforts have become a bad “Let’s Make a Deal” episode – where elected officials are asked to give away our money on dubious corporate welfare schemes with little, if any, prior knowledge of what is behind door number three.

That’s wrong.  But nobody who should seems to give two-shits.

According to the excellent reportage of Charles Guarria in Hometown News Volusia, perhaps some public good may inadvertently come from Mayor Henry’s jaunt to Budapest:   

“The mayor referred to the cleanliness of Budapest. He noted how trash is hardly seen when moving about the city. Mayor Henry intended to speak to Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony to gain an understanding of how they keep the city clean. He will share his findings upon his return.

Mayor Henry also was part of a group that toured an Audi manufacturing plant, a university and a public school. Daytona Beach was gifted a statue by representatives of the Hungary government. The statute will be on display at a yet-to-be-determined location. Mayor Henry said the Hungarian Summit “has been great.”

Great…

Angel               First Step Shelter Board

In March, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that the First Step Shelter Board was considering an aggressive idea hatched by Director Victoria Fahlberg that would have established “on-site rental housing” to warehouse clients who require on-going support and cannot be placed in permanent housing.

According to the report:

“The concept being explored involves locating a dozen mobile home-like structures on the open land about five miles west of Interstate 95 and in a corner of the shelter parking lot.

The 12 trailers would be subdivided, and there would be space for a total of 33 tenants.

The people who live in the trailers would enter a lease agreement with First Step. Their rent would be based on what they can afford, and they would still be able to use the shelter’s meal program, transportation service, medical clinic, and washers and dryers.”

At the time, the First Step Shelter estimated the cost to renovate and reconfigure surplus portable classrooms no longer needed by Volusia County District Schools at $100,000 each…

To their credit, last week, the First Step Shelter Board made it clear they are not interested in establishing rental housing at the site. 

Smart move.

In my view, expanding services just when the program is beginning to show signs of progress has a feeling of too much, too soon – an overly ambitious move – given that the shelter has yet to stand on its own financially…  

Fortunately, things appear to be looking up in the hinterlands off US-92. 

According to the News-Journal, of the 960 people served by First Step over the past four years, a respectable half of those have gotten off the streets and into permanent housing, with 90% of those still having a roof over their heads. 

In addition, the First Step program recently grew from helping about 40 people at a time to 60. 

Although that remains far below the one hundred active clients we were promised, it shows improvement. 

Earlier this year, the News-Journal reported that First Step now has a whopping annual operating budget of $1.46 million, most of which is still annually subsidized by Volusia County and Daytona Beach taxpayers ($400,000 each).   

Look, from the inception of the First Step Shelter – the arithmetic never made sense. 

Hell, nothing about this enigmatic program was ever made clear to the average Volusia County taxpayer.  We were originally sold on a 24/7 come-as-you-are homeless shelter – but got an incredibly expensive “shelter in name only” instead.   

In February, a Mardi Gras themed black-tie soirée billed as “The Mayor’s Gala” was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort – complete with a juggler, magician, and stilt-walker. 

The “gala” generated just $272,797 in private funding, which netted $234,319 after the lavish party expenses of $38,478 were settled – which, according to my math, means the First Step Shelter fell short of its original $250,000 fundraising goal. 

Yet, when the idea of permanent rental units was floated earlier this year, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, who also serves as president of the First Step Shelter Board, was “…confident that $400,000 could be raised to renovate the first set of trailers.”

How?

Many in the community were not so confident that a rental program could be sustained with private donations alone…

Fortunately, it appears Mayor Henry has cooled to the notion of permanent rental housing at First Step. 

According to a recent article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in the News-Journal:

“I’m not in a rush to construct out there. There’s a lot of different models that could work.”  Henry said he wants to stay focused on the shelter’s main commitment to help people get into housing in other parts of Daytona Beach.

“I don’t want to be in a place where we become something new,” Henry said. “I want to be even greater for our central mission.”

In my view, board member and former Ormond Beach City Commissioner Dwight Selby was more to the point, “…this is a great idea someone should do,” but not First Step Shelter.”

“This is mission creep,” Selby said. “We’re not engaged in permanent supportive housing.”

In my view, the First Step Shelter Board should realize that it is going to take more than jugglers and magicians to raise desperately needed private support – especially for a complex program that remains a mystery to many taxpayers.

The fact is, building public confidence will require transparency – less bashing of critics and belittling those with questions – and more community outreach, education, and explanation.    

That begins by sharing a broader understanding of First Step’s core mission, a strategic plan for meeting its expanding needs, and clarification on why the reasonable goal of assisting one hundred clients remains so elusive?   

Asshole           Volusia County Council

I had a rather animated conversation this week with a young man of immense potential who is considering a 2024 run for local political office. 

Because I consider him a friend, I did my best to talk him out of it…

When the potential candidate persisted in asking for advice, I suggested that he and his wife sit down somewhere quiet, take out a sheet of paper, and write a single sentence across the top summarizing why he wanted to put his family through the meatgrinder of what passes for a “Fun Coast” political campaign.

I told him the justification could be anything from “I want to create a better community for my children,” “I want to help my rich friends in the development community get richer by building more apartments,” “I like it when important people laugh at my jokes,” or “I’m concerned about our environment and drinking water” – all of which are tried and true reasons to run for office.   

Then, I asked him to list all the things he was willing to sacrifice – reputation, time with family, financial and personal privacy, friendships – including walking the slippery slope of bending one’s personal ethics in an era that demands absolute fealty to those who fuel political campaigns with massive contributions while expecting a return on investment…

Our discussion turned to how elected officials, even those who enter politics for all the right reasons, quickly become everything they hated – taken in by the constantly expanding “system” – ultimately becoming indentured servants of the bureaucracy.

In time, the people who elected them (and pay the bills) are slowly perceived as a necessary nuisance – a noisy hindrance to be suppressed and ignored – all while the bloated bureaucracy continues to metastasize like a malignant tumor…

And that was when one man’s noble desire to serve collided with one of the most insurmountable conundrums of our time – one that has been made virtually impossible for even the most altruistic elected official to change – especially when square pegs of independent thought are quickly pounded into the round hole of conformity.

There is no denying, in Volusia County, bureaucratic expansion has become parasitic – no longer rational, functional, or governable – slowly exsanguinating its host – and our elected officials are unable or unwilling to control it, especially now that they are beholden to the senior ranks for access and information.

A disturbing example of Parkinson’s “Law of Multiplication of Subordinates” occurred this week when County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald announced the appointment of Joseph DeMore, the former warden of Butler County Prison in Pennsylvania, as our new Corrections Director effective July 13. 

What?  You didn’t know there was a “nationwide” search underway to recruit a new Corrections Director?

Me neither…

Regardless, Director DeMore was approved by unanimous vote of the Volusia County Council on Tuesday – now that the ugliness that necessitated his hiring is comfortably out of sight and out of mind…

According to reports, he will be paid $148,000 to start, and – as self-described “beach people” – DeMore and his wife will realize their decade-long dream of moving to the area. 

I don’t know Director DeMore – I’m sure he is an experienced professional – well equipped to manage and oversee the Corrections Division.

But so was “interim” Corrections Director Steven Smith…

As I understand it, Smith will return to his role as Volusia County Jail Warden, and will now report to DeMore, who will report to Public Protection Director Mark Swanson, who will report to Deputy County Manager Suzanne Konchan, who (I think) reports to The Wreck, whew…

Yeah.  I know. 

Although the mere thought of crippling nausea prohibited me from watching the meeting (which ended just shy of 3:00am) – I’ll just bet that during Tuesday’s welcoming ceremony no one on the dais bothered to ask The Wreck why Volusia County could not promote a middle manager from within?

Or inquired of Director DeMore, as a seasoned penologist, to publicly explain his thoughts on placing inmates in four-point restraints in the nude – a disturbing practice reminiscent of Abu Ghraib – that The Wreck cited as one reason for the controversial termination of former Corrections Director Mark Fowler. 

Look, none of this is Director DeMore’s fault – hell, he just got here – and no one wants to upset the pageantry and backslapping that accompanies welcoming a new senior administrator to the fold with uncomfortable questions from our elected representatives, eh?   

But a cursory check of govsalaries.com for 2021 (the latest year available) requires you go 122 employees deep before you reach someone making below $100,000 – not including benefits… 

As we begin the “budget process,” it is time for our elected officials (each of whom bills themself as a “fiscal conservative,” yet prove, time-and-again, they wouldn’t know a real fiscal conservative if one jumped up and bit them on the ass) to start the process of “right sizing” this out-of-control bureaucracy in an environment where Volusia County taxpayers still earn far below the state and national average. 

In my view, it is unsustainable and immortal for our elected officials to permit this top-heavy monstrosity to continue hemorrhaging more of our hard-earned tax dollars funding redundant positions.

Quote of the Week

“New District 5 Councilman David Santiago has missed four of the 11 regular Volusia County Council meetings that have occurred since he joined the governing body this year while his six fellow council members have had near-perfect attendance.

This has not gone unnoticed. Deltona City Commissioner Dana McCool, who lives in Santiago’s district, recently raised the issue on “The Smoking Truth” podcast, which she cohosts.

“I want to understand, when is it ethically and responsibly wrong for an elected official to miss meetings that they were elected for?” she asked. “And I love this person but I want it answered to the constituents because I deserve better in District 5.

Santiago says he has had good reasons for missing those meetings and said he doesn’t plan to miss any more. He also noted the council’s job goes beyond the dais, including serving on committees.

“There’s countless discussions and meetings and conference calls and constituent services that happen throughout the week,” he said in a phone interview.”

–Journalist Sheldon Gardner, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Councilman Santiago has missed 4 of 11 regular meetings; county has no policy on absences,” Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Hey, Volusia County taxpayers, guess what?

We deserve better for our $51,292 a year…   

And Another Thing!

“Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu said she would like to see a grocery store at Daytona Entrada because it would benefit those who live along ISB, west of I-95. That includes the future residents of the planned 1,600-home Waypoint community south of the intersection of ISB and Tomoka Farms Road.

“It could help divert traffic from LPGA Boulevard (to the north) as well as Beville Road (to the south),” she said.”

–Daytona Beach Commissioner Stacy Cantu, as quoted by business editor Clayton Park, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “A huge project is being planned at Daytona’s ‘gateway.’ Here’s what we know about it,” Friday, June 16, 2023

I’m sorry.  But that doesn’t make sense to me… 

How about you? 

What do the claustrophobic residents of the Halifax area think? 

Do you believe the proposed “Daytona Entrada” – a massive 121-acre development that promises to shoehorn another 208 rent-to-own townhomes, 359 apartment units, and nearly 115,000 square feet of commercial space on already overcrowded LPGA Boulevard west of that two-lane Monument to Mediocrity at the Tomoka River pinch point – will “divert” traffic from LPGA Boulevard and Beville Road, or add to it? 

I’m asking. (Because no one in a policymaking role cares what you think…) 

I find it interesting that whenever I speak to our new neighbors in places like Margaritaville and Mosaic – or the frustrated residents of the LPGA community – they’re scared shitless about what the future holds as their elected officials commiserate with them – then continue to rubberstamp more, more, more development in this asinine shove ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound bag growth management strategy. 

According to the News-Journal, the Daytona Entrada project could include a “large anchor tenant” (even as many of our current “anchor tenants” are rapidly closing their doors in established shopping centers along ISB), along with more fast-food restaurants, and “shops.” 

I found it interesting that when the developer was asked why they selected the area at LPGA Boulevard and West ISB, they cited pie-on-the-sky plans by FDOT and Volusia County to “eventually” widen LPGA – now that explosive growth has been allowed to outpace transportation infrastructure:

“It’s really the entry point to Daytona,” said (Jawaad) Khanani (of Elevation Development, LLC) of the site. “It’s already got a lighted intersection and we feel the growth there is definitely advantageous for our project.”

“We also really like the planned infrastructure improvements,” he added, referring to plans by the Florida Department of Transportation and Volusia County to eventually widen LPGA Boulevard west of I-95 from two to four lanes.

There is no telling when those road improvements will actually happen.

Funding has yet to be secured for the road-widening project, which would include a new interchange where I-95 and LPGA Boulevard connect as well as a new four-lane Tomoka River Bridge.”

Again, I’m not an expert – but I am skeptical that adding more development along a two-lane roadway already described as “critical” by both public and private transportation experts will help alleviate the growing problems on LPGA Boulevard.

In fact, Maryam Ghyabi-White, Central Florida’s preeminent traffic engineer, who has been working hard to find solutions on LPGA Boulevard, said in a prophetic 2021 interview with The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“I have moments, really angry moments where I say, ‘This shouldn’t be that way. How can we approve all of these projects knowing we didn’t have the capacity? Who does that?’ But, again, I advise myself not to look back.”

Earlier this year, Ms. Ghyabi-White advised that construction on the LPGA interchange and improvement project was not expected to begin before 2028 – with completion taking an estimated 30-months… 

Good luck, residents of Boomtown Boulevard and beyond.

You’re gonna need it…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, kids!