Updated March 22, 2021 at 5:22 p.m. – MANATEE COUNTY – A Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation found no evidence that four Manatee County commissioners committed crimes or violated the Sunshine Law.
“In December, the state attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit requested FDLE’s assistance with reviewing a citizen complaint concerning allegations of Sunshine Law violations and possibly other law violations by several Manatee County commissioners. FDLE agents met with the complainant who alleged that Manatee County Commissioners James Satcher, George Kruse, Vanessa Baugh and Kevin Van Ostenbridge conspired to reverse a controversial land purchase and to fire the Manatee County administrator,” according to the case summary that FDLE spokesperson Jeremy Burns provided on Friday, March 19.
“FDLE initiated a preliminary inquiry to determine if any criminal violations occurred. After the review of records provided by the complainant and conducting several interviews, there was no information obtained to substantiate that a criminal violation occurred,” according to the FDLE case summary.
According to Burns, FDLE considers the investigation closed.
The investigation was conducted in response to a complaint filed by paralegal Michael Barfield.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed. It seems the standard in this jurisdiction requires a confession before a Sunshine Law violation is charged,” Barfield said when contacted Friday afternoon. “We will look at the preliminary investigation FDLE conducted. I don’t believe they conducted a full investigation. My understanding is they didn’t even interview Mr. Van Ostenbridge.”
Van Ostenbridge, Satcher and Baugh are still named as defendants in a related civil lawsuit that Barfield filed in early December regarding the commissioners’ compliance with the Public Records Act and the public records he requested of them and Kruse in late November.
Barfield said the FDLE findings have no impact on the civil case.
“In a criminal investigation, you have to prove that there was a criminal intent to violate the law and the burden of proof is ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’ Fortunately, a civil process does not require any intent. The standard of proof is much lower, and the judge makes that determination,” Barfield said.
Van Ostenbridge deposed
As part of the ongoing civil proceedings, Barfield deposed Van Ostenbridge under oath on March 12. Barfield said Van Ostenbridge did not invoke his Fifth Amendment rights or refuse to answer the questions posed to him – as was previously suggested in a motion that attorney Morgan Bentley filed on Van Ostenbridge’s behalf.
County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge has been deposed under oath regarding the still pending civil case. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We took Commissioner Van Ostenbridge’s deposition, and I am still waiting for additional records to be produced that I’ve been promised. There wasn’t anything terribly new in the deposition in terms of what we didn’t already know, but Mr. Van Ostenbridge did say he made the decision to terminate Cheri Coryea before he was sworn in on Nov. 17. He said he made that decision sometime between the 11th and the 13th of November,” Barfield said.
At the request of Bentley, the media was excluded from attending Van Ostenbridge’s deposition. Barfield said he will order and later place in the court records a copy of the verbatim transcript being prepared by the court reporter tasked with producing the official record of the deposition.
Barfield said he previously obtained email records that show Baugh, on Oct. 28, sent Van Ostenbridge, Kruse and Satcher a copy of then-County Administrator Cheri Coryea’s employment contract. Barfield said the emails containing Coryea’s contract included no additional comments from Baugh. The commissioners were subject to the Government in the Sunshine Law after being elected Nov. 3.
Barfield said he’s also still waiting on additional records to be produced by Baugh and Satcher.
“After I reach the point in time when I feel confident there’s no other records to recover, we’ll have time to review everything,” he said.
Additional investigations
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released any findings in a separate criminal investigation conducted in response to a criminal complaint Barfield filed regarding Baugh’s involvement in the pop-up vaccine distribution site she helped establish in her Lakewood Ranch district in February.
Baugh is also the subject of an unresolved ethics complaint that attorney Jennifer Hamey filed regarding the Lakewood Ranch vaccination site.
MANATEE COUNTY – While the Manatee County Commission continues its search for an acting county administrator, former County Administrator Cheri Coryea has had a few weeks to decompress and evaluate her next professional pursuit.
Coryea’s two-year tenure as Manatee County’s administrator ended on Feb. 23 when the county commission approved a $204,000 separation agreement.
Serving as neither termination nor resignation, the separation agreement ended the termination efforts previously pursued by Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse, Vanessa Baugh and James Satcher. The agreement also ended Coryea’s 30-year career as a county employee.
“I’m doing well. It still just feels like I am on vacation since I hadn’t had any time off for the last several years. After committing 30-plus years of my life to public service and being on the ready 24/7, it just doesn’t go away in an instant. I have the most amazing family and they have always been so supportive of the work and the time I have spent working on behalf of the citizens of Manatee County. I am extremely thankful to be spending some quality time with them,” Coryea said.
“I miss not seeing the staff each day. I could not have worked for, worked with, or led a more dedicated group of individuals. I know the county is in great hands and will be successful because of them. The programs and services put into motion will continue to serve the health, safety and welfare of the citizens well into the future,” Coryea said.
As for what comes next for her, Coryea said, “I am taking time to reflect and explore both public and private sector opportunities. I have experience in both areas. Most people know my public sector experience, but I worked in my early career in the private sector and have spent a great deal of my county government years focused on elevating the local economic position in Manatee County.”
During her 30 years with the county, Coryea also formed professional relationships with several chambers of commerce and business organizations.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for the private sector commitment businesses make in the success of their community and I always felt that I had the ability to bridge the works of both the public and private sector in a successful and positive way,” Coryea said.
“The extent of my work has created a lot of collaborative opportunities within the region, the state of Florida and across the country. As much as I’d love to continue working in Manatee County, I have no boundaries on where my future takes me and I am eager to continue to consider all of the options that come forward,” she said.
Lena Road controversy
When first proposing Coryea’s termination on Nov. 19, Van Ostenbridge mentioned the recent Lena Road property purchase that Coryea brought to a close before he, Kruse and Satcher were sworn in as new commissioners on Nov. 17.
After expressing his opinion that the $32.5 million the county paid for 161 acres of land, an access road and some utilities infrastructure was excessive, Van Ostenbridge alleged the Lena Road property purchase was grounds to terminate Coryea.
Kruse, Baugh and Satcher supported Van Ostenbridge’s motion to put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed and determined in early December, but Kruse later changed his mind and successfully brought those initial termination efforts to an end.
When interviewed last week, Coryea shared her perspective on the Lena Road purchase.
“On Oct. 13, the board of county commissioners culminated a two-year process of reviewing over 23 potential sites for relocating and expanding multiple efficiency of public service projects that would be able to address the expanding growth of population in Manatee County. The Manatee Sheriff’s Office fleet services complex was one of the main projects. Currently located on a 1-acre parcel in the southern part of the county, the Sheriff’s Office has long since outgrown this location and needed 10-20 acres for a new fleet facility that would last 50-75 years,” Coryea said.
“Additionally, the public works department, the utilities department and emergency management need facilities located closer to the expanding growth in east Manatee County to reduce response times, wear and tear on equipment, mileage costs and access to thoroughfares.
“Finding up to 20 additional acres for the landfill transfer station alone is a $75 million savings and adds six additional years of life to the current landfill for a total of 22 years.
“After multiple briefings with commissioners throughout the two-year process, the Musgrave property became the best available site. The board approved the purchase of the 161-acre site for $187,000 per acre and just over $30 million. This cost, when compared to comparable sites recently sold within the vicinity of the location, was in line with the per-acre cost. Staff followed the directive of the board and brought this request forward for approval,” Coryea said.
Kruse-Whitmore meeting
During the commission’s Jan. 26 meeting, Kruse made a motion to again put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed and determined at a forthcoming meeting. Before making his motion, Kruse referenced a one-on-one meeting he had with Commissioner Carol Whitmore, which Coryea helped facilitate at Whitmore’s request. During that same discussion, Kruse also acknowledged his own extra-marital affair and mentioned a photograph of himself and another woman that was sent to Whitmore, whom he suggested might try to use the photograph to influence his votes. Whitmore later denied any such intentions. Without stating that Coryea also had access to that photograph, Kruse said the overall culture of the county administration was toxic and needed a change of leadership.
When asked about the Jan. 22 meeting of the county’s two at-large commissioners, Coryea said, “Requests from commissioners to assist with meeting scheduling is commonplace for the county administrator’s office. In this instance, one commissioner (Whitmore) asked for a meeting with another to discuss current topics of affordable housing and to share at-large commissioners’ observations. The other commissioner (Kruse) agreed. The scheduling, posting, recording and accessibility of the meeting all followed the existing guidelines, as confirmed by the county attorney’s office. For any citizen that may want to know what was discussed during that meeting, they can either read the minutes from the meeting or even listen to an audiotape of what the participants discussed,” Coryea said.
When asked if she ever saw the photograph of Kruse and another woman that was sent to Whitmore in late 2020, Coryea said, “No. I have not, nor have I had possession of the said photo or ever mentioned anything about it to Commissioner Kruse.”
Accomplishments
When asked, Coryea mentioned some of her proudest accomplishments during her time with the county.
“It was an honor to work with those dedicated heroes of Manatee County that have been on the front line fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic. I would have never thought 365 days later we would still be under a state of emergency. My full respect goes to our public safety and emergency management team, all of the medical providers, doctors, nurses, law enforcement and county department teams that have contributed to the current success of an ever-changing situation. Additionally, the community did a wonderful job in a difficult time,” Coryea said.
She also takes pride in being the first female appointed to serve as Manatee County’s county administrator.
She mentioned the completion of several community projects, including the Rubonia Community Center, breaking ground for the Lincoln Park pool, which has been promised for 40 years, completing the first phase of the Coquina Beach stormwater improvements and implementing the county’s new 311 system.
Regarding the challenges of serving as the county administrator, Coryea said, “It has of late seemed like there was never enough time to get everything you needed to accomplish done for the citizens. Making large-scale upgrades to a project, finding the funds, designing and constructing a project can take anywhere from three to 10 years. It is hard to explain that to a citizen or neighborhood that has been waiting for a long time. Many times the stakeholders that initiated the need for the project and won approval by the commission have come and gone by the time the project is finally completed.”
Coryea began working for Manatee County in 1989 as a contract manager in the Human Services Division. She then became the first children’s services coordinator when the ad valorem tax for children’s services was passed by a voter referendum in 1990. After seven years in that capacity, she became the Human Services Division manager.
In 2007, she was asked to develop a new department: Neighborhood Services. In 2017, she became a deputy county administrator and in 2019 the county commission appointed her to serve as the acting and then the permanent county administrator.
“My career at the county has spanned over 30 years and each new position had its challenges,” Coryea said, noting that she worked with 31 different county commissioners, seven different county administrators and responded to 23 different emergency activations.
Advice for successor
Coryea was asked if she had any advice for her yet-to-be-named successor.
“Each of your county commissioners is unique in their own right. Take time to get to know them and what is important to their constituents. Soak up as much government leadership, operations management and government financing training as possible. Rules, regulations and guidelines matter in government. You do not want to make decisions or use funds that have special uses only in categories that will require them to be paid back. Rely on the outstanding deputy county administrators and senior management – the department directors who are subject matter experts in their field and do all of the county operations’ heavy lifting. They know what they are doing,” she said.
“Get acquainted with the real people and businesses of Manatee County and you’ll learn quickly why this is a special place. Lastly, when it comes to county operations, your decision is usually the very last one. Use your very best judgment with the trusted sources listed above and you will succeed in making this community the best it can be,” she said.
MANATEE COUNTY – The League of Women Voters of Manatee County (LWV) no longer fully supports Manatee County becoming a charter government at this time.
On Tuesday, the League issued a written statement in response to the charter-related Anna Maria City Commission work session that took place on Monday.
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse has been leading the latest effort to make Manatee County the 21st chartered county in Florida and he initiated a preliminary discussion about a potential county charter during the Feb. 2 Council of Governments meeting.
As a non-charter county, the Manatee County government is structured, organized and operated according to state statutes. During the Council of Governments meeting, Kruse said the adoption of a county charter would allow the county’s registered voters to impose commission term limits, removal from office procedures, campaign finance restrictions and more if so desired.
During that meeting, several mayors, commissioners and city officials from Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Bradenton, Palmetto and Longboat Key expressed concerns and/or opposition to the pursuit of a county charter.
The city officials’ primary concern was the fear that the initial county charter could be written or amended later in a manner that would allow the county and the county commission to enact laws, regulations and codes that could potentially preempt and nullify city ordinances, regulations and codes – including those that pertain to land use, development and the use of public beaches.
In response to those concerns, Kruse claimed a “starter charter” could be written in a manner that would not supersede existing city laws, codes and regulations. He also said a starter charter could include a provision that would require at least 60% support from county voters in order to later amend it.
As part of the law firm that serves as the city attorney’s office for the city of Anna Maria, attorney Wade Vose has stated on more than one occasion that a 60% charter amendment threshold would violate the Florida Constitution.
The League of Women Voters’ written statement begins by addressing the 60% threshold.
“Let us start with the poison pill for Manatee County charter government. State regulations require changes to a county charter be voted with a 50% + one person approval. A county is not allowed to put that bar at 60% or 66%. This makes changes to a charter fairly easy to pass,” the LWV statement says.
“Monday, Anna Maria hosted a work session with Wade Vose, an eminently qualified attorney who has worked extensively on charter revision commissions, and on other charter related issues. His presentation was only to point out the risks to municipalities of charter. It had none of the advantages (which are still significant) that are the reason the League of Women Voters of Manatee County supports charter.
“The major fear of the municipalities is preemption of their regulations and ordinances by the county, especially land use preemption. This can easily be rectified with a provision in the charter that states that the county cannot override any municipal provisions,” the statement says.
“Now we come to the reason that the Manatee charter government will not fly under current state regulations. The state has dictated that a charter county must have 50% + one person to change the charter and this restriction makes it too easy to change the charter. Even if a provision is put in the charter prohibiting the county from overriding city ordinances, the cities will not want, nor should they, to take any chance that at some future election that provision would be eliminated.
“An example: Manatee becomes a charter county and has a provision that the county will not override municipal ordinances. Four Seasons wants to put a resort hotel in Anna Maria. They could do massive advertising and give large infusions of money to commissioners’ campaigns. With only 50% plus one needed to pass, they could use their influence to get this provision voted out of the charter. Then the commission could allow the resort hotel on the grounds that we should allow people to do what they want with their property and it will bring jobs.
“As much as the League supports charter government for Manatee County for all the flexibility and citizen input it allows, until the State of Florida allows charters to have a higher threshold for changes to the charter, the risks of manipulation and undue influence are too high,” the LWV statement concludes.
Wednesday morning, Kruse sent Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy an email regarding the Monday work session he attended in person.
“I’m standing down on my charter discussions for Manatee County until we can more comfortably ensure, through legislation, that the municipalities are adequately and permanently protected via verbiage and vote thresholds currently unavailable in Florida. Thank you for having me at your city workshop on Monday,” Kruse said in his email.
MANATEE COUNTY – County Commissioner George Kruse last week called for County Administrator Cheri Coryea’s termination.
During the discussion, Kruse admitted having an extramarital affair, saying that Commissioner Carol Whitmore’s knowledge of the affair factored into his decision to publicly acknowledge it, and he used the word “blackmail” when doing so.
These events transpired during the Tuesday, Jan. 26 Manatee County Commission meeting. In response to Kruse’s public comments, Whitmore retained Sarasota attorney Brett McIntosh.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the commission voted 4-3 in support of Kruse’s motion to put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed at a future meeting.
Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and James Satcher supported Kruse’s motion. Whitmore and commissioners Reggie Bellamy and Misty Servia opposed it.
Coryea’s termination will be discussed and likely acted upon during a special county commission meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17. The meeting will take place at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto and will start at 1:30 p.m.
County Administrator Cheri Coryea is facing termination once again. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In November, Kruse, Baugh and Satcher supported Van Ostenbridge’s motion to put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed and potentially acted upon in January. In December, the commission unanimously supported Kruse’s motion to reconsider that November decision and they rescinded the termination efforts.
Meeting fallout
Tuesday’s revelations and actions were partially inspired by the public fallout that followed the Friday, Jan. 22 meeting that Whitmore and Kruse had at Whitmore’s request. That meeting took place in a conference room on the fifth floor of the Manatee County administration building in downtown Bradenton. Whitmore requested the one-on-one meeting with Kruse so he could share with her his knowledge about affordable housing and how to fund it.
Coryea, Director of Financial Management Jan Brewer and Vickie Tessmer, from the Clerk of the Court’s office, were asked to attend the 8 a.m. meeting. Tessmer took minutes and recorded the meeting. After learning of the meeting that morning, Van Ostenbridge arrived at 8:18, according to Tessmer.
The meeting was noticed at the county’s online calendar and on the county bulletin board. The meeting agenda was not posted at the county website where agendas are typically posted and Baugh, Bellamy, Satcher, Servia and Van Ostenbridge were not directly notified.
Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh believes county staff will continue to carry out their duties despite the disruption. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In response to how that meeting was noticed and conducted, Baugh placed a discussion item on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. The discussion began with Van Ostenbridge expressing concerns that his appearance may have constituted a Sunshine Law violation because his name was not included in the notices. Satcher also voiced displeasure about not being notified.
Regarding compliance with the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law, County Attorney Bill Clague said, “I am comfortable that all of the participants have complied with the Sunshine Law with respect to this meeting. The fact that a meeting satisfies a Sunshine Law doesn’t necessarily mean it follows all of our practices for transparency or public participation. These kinds of meetings are very rare in the county. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve dealt with this in 24 years of practice.”
Clague said he was consulted in advance regarding the meeting format but was surprised he and his office were not notified of the exact time and date.
Regarding future meetings of this nature, Clague said, “There is no protocol in place right now for how they should be handled. If the board wants to direct the county attorney’s office to put one together, we are certainly prepared to do that.”
After further discussion, the commission unanimously supported the following motion recommended by Clague: “I move to direct the county attorney’s office to draft a resolution establishing protocols for meetings between commissioners to discuss business of the county outside of meetings of the full board or other established boards on which they serve, to include a requirement for other commissioners to be invited to attend, and for attendance by an attorney from the county attorney’s office.”
Kruse speaks
Kruse then spoke at length and began by saying, “First and foremost, I do want to sincerely apologize to the people of Manatee County and my fellow commissioners for the nature of how the meeting on Friday went down. I was told by the county administrator that everything was going to be properly noticed and handled appropriately. While I do believe it was legally and statutorily compliant, I realized the optics were terrible and that was certainly not the intent.
County Commissioner George Kruse discussed his own affair when seeking the termination of the county administrator. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I realized this was incredibly poorly handled. My first thought was honestly one of surprise that a 30-year public sector employee and a four-term commissioner could so carelessly structure this meeting to result in now rightfully deserved backlash. I chalked it up as carelessness until I was passed troubling information this weekend which leads me to believe there may be more to it than sheer ignorance,” he said.
After pausing for a deep breath, Kruse said, “I would never bring my family situation up on this dais, but in this case I will for the good of Manatee County. Late last year, I did the absolute worst thing a person can do to someone they love – and she’s in the audience right here. I had a short but nonetheless real affair. I’m not going to make excuses for it, nor am I going to ask any of you for forgiveness. Fortunately, because my wife has patience and the heart of a saint, we’re doing fine and we’re working through this together.”
“Why do I come up here and tell you this private and seemingly unrelated information? Well, because while it was going on, one commissioner, Carol Whitmore, knew about it. Rather than ignore something that didn’t pertain to her, I’ve learned that she actively acquired pictures from while we were out in public. I’ve now learned from people I trust that she’s actively spreading this information, even though she knows it’s over. I believe her intention for obtaining the pictures was to use them to manipulate votes on this board.
“As my wife knows about it, and it is in fact over, the only blackmail she hoped to achieve would be a public embarrassment that would inevitably trickle down to my 11-year-old daughter and my 14-year-old son. What I did to my family is inexcusable, but it doesn’t affect the county or you the citizens. I felt it necessary to get this out there now ahead of time, before there’s even a shadow of a doubt regarding my stance on anything,” he said.
Kruse, who took office on Nov. 17, said, “These past two months have shown me exactly how this county has run in the past – and unfortunately, in the present. It’s run by people wanting for absolute power at any cost.”
He then referenced the previously rescinded efforts to terminate Coryea and her two-year tenure as county administrator.
“Seven weeks ago, I gave this administration the benefit of the doubt to achieve the agenda the majority of Manatee County wants and deserves. I still think we would get a good portion of that work accomplished. What I do not think will change, however, is the toxic culture that doesn’t put the people first. It has now been two years with this administration, so at this point what we see is what we’ll get.”
After noting that his request for the audio recording of the Jan. 22 meeting be posted in the county’s online archives had not yet been fulfilled, Kruse proposed Coryea be put on termination notice for a second time.
“This needs to change now, even if it leads to short-term disruptions I was previously hoping to avoid. I no longer believe that meeting quantitative benchmarks can ever give me assurance or comfort in the continuation of a fundamentally flawed system. I am, therefore, once again bringing up the motion to notice the termination of the county administrator pursuant to the contract and I will leave it up to the will of this board to determine whether recent actions deem this with or without cause,” Kruse said.
Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh then called for a five-minute recess, which then turned into the commission’s lunch break.
During the break, Whitmore was asked about Kruse’s allegations. She said the picture was sent to her unsolicited and that she deleted it and did not pass it around. Whitmore would not divulge the name of the woman in the photograph.
Whitmore responds
When the meeting resumed, Whitmore spoke first.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore disputes the allegations made by George Kruse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“First of all I want to be very clear, Carol doesn’t break laws and I’m ethical,” she said. “I was sent a picture maybe two or three months ago. Mr. Kruse was somewhere with another party. It was really very benign, but everybody’s making a big deal out of it. To me it was nothing. It was just two people sitting there talking.
“When he came by my office one day, I said I want you to know that there’s some people in town that are sending pictures around about you. I said I could care less what you do with your personal life. I said you do have the most powerful job in Manatee County and you’ve got a family.
“So, time passed. I saw the picture and I never did anything with it. So then, I get somehow involved with the other party and I hear it’s all over. Then I see him again and I said I heard everything’s all over and that’s good. He said yep, he’s going to work it out. I said that’s good and that was more or less it,” Whitmore said.
“Mr. Kruse mentioned that I was passing it around the community. Those pictures have gotten around the community. I have had close friends that I said something to and I said it’s over,” Whitmore said.
Regarding Kruse’s use of the word blackmail, Whitmore said, “What you said is a terrible accusation and it’s not true.”
Regarding Coryea’s proposed termination, “To pull Cheri into this? First of all, it’s not related. I asked her, as one of her seven bosses, to pull a meeting together. She passed it on to our clerk and our agenda coordinator. I asked for her and Jan to be at the meeting and that was it,” Whitmore said.
When contacted Wednesday regarding Kruse’s public statements, McIntosh said, “Carol Whitmore would never engage in blackmail. The allegation is false and, frankly, is slanderous. One hopes that Commissioner Kruse’s comments were an emotionally-charged mistake and it’s too early in the process to make any further determination on whether any next steps will be needed.”
Termination discussion
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy said the commission’s focus should be on providing COVID-19 vaccinations to county residents, including those in his district.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy wants the county and the county commission to stay focused on COVID-19 vaccinations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Whatever direction we go, with or without the county administrator, what are we going to do about getting these people vaccinated?” he said.
“If we move forward with this, this will be a disruption of business at the highest level,” Servia said. “I’m not just talking about Cheri. We’re talking about the whole structure underneath Cheri. I do understand everybody having an opinion about county leadership, I just ask you to think about the timing of this.”
Sharing a differing opinion, Baugh said, “I don’t believe this affects COVID. I don’t believe this county will not continue to move forward. If that’s the case, we have a bigger problem than we thought. Your county does not run just because of your county administrator. It runs because of all the people, including this board.”
Van Ostenbridge then said, “This board, under this administration, I think is hopelessly divided. I don’t see another path forward other than to part ways with the administrator. When I met with her before (in November), I asked for her resignation and said I would make a motion to honor her severance package if she would resign. I’m still good for my word. If you will offer your resignation, I will immediately make a motion to honor your 20-week severance package in your contract. You’ve been a longtime employee in this county, 30 years, and I think you’re entitled to that.”
Post-meeting comments
After the meeting, Kruse was asked why he acknowledged his affair when addressing his concerns about Coryea and the Jan. 22 meeting.
“There’s two reasons. One, I was looking for a real example of how toxic this culture is. And somebody who literally is sitting on pictures of a sitting commissioner and making veiled threats with these pictures is a toxic culture. The second thing is, she (Whitmore) was starting to spread it around.
“I couldn’t wait three months or six months or a year and be voting on things like Animal Services and vote the same way as Carol. Or I vote something down and so does Carol. I’d never live down that sneaking thought in the back of peoples’ heads that those votes were because of something that was hanging over my head. It’s something I needed to get out anyway. She had information and I don’t know what she was going to do with it.”
Kruse said his female companion and Whitmore communicated during the holidays: “I had the other party to this situation sending me text messages worried that we were being blackmailed or were going to be. That was based on conversations she had with Carol.”
Kruse said Whitmore never showed him the photograph and he had not yet seen it.
“Today was the first time I found out it was in a bar. She had it and never sent me the picture and never told me what it was. In my mind, that’s something she was holding for herself at some point in time.
The Sun later spoke with several people who’ve seen the photograph of Kruse and his companion. Some said they were shown the photograph and others said they received it and deleted it. One person familiar with the photograph said it was taken in late November at Peggy’s Corral, a bar in Palmetto. Another person said additional photos of the couple were taken that day. To date, The Sun has not seen or obtained any of those photos.
MANATEE COUNTY – County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge has provided paralegal Michael Barfield with a call log that details calls made and received on his personal phone.
As the District 3 county commissioner, Van Ostenbridge represents Anna Maria Island, Cortez, the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key and west Bradenton.
Van Ostenbridge provided Barfield his phone records last week in response to the public records request Barfield made on Nov. 20.
As of Monday afternoon, Barfield said he had identified most of the calls listed in Van Ostenbridge’s call log, but he was still reviewing those records.
Van Ostenbridge’s phone log reveals who he talked to, when he talked to them and for how long, but it does not provide any details on the content of those phone conversations.
The Florida Sunshine Law prohibits members of the same county or city commission from discussing official or foreseeably official county business in any setting other than a properly noticed public meeting. The Sunshine Law does not prohibit members of the same elected body from discussing matters unrelated to their official government business.
Van Ostenbridge and Baugh calls
Van Ostenbridge was elected on Nov 3.
According to the call log he provided to Barfield, Van Ostenbridge and Baugh communicated by phone 15 times between Nov. 4 and Dec. 1. Their calls totaled 129 minutes and ranged in length from one minute to 23 minutes.
Van Ostenbridge and Baugh spoke for 17 minutes on Nov. 5, 23 minutes on Nov. 12, 14 minutes on Nov. 13, 10 minutes on Nov. 16 and for six minutes and 11 minutes on Nov. 18.
One day later, during the special county commission meeting Van Ostenbridge requested, Van Ostenbridge made a motion to put County Administrator Cheri Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed on Jan. 6.
Baugh, Satcher and Commissioner George Kruse supported the motion made by Van Ostenbridge with no advance notice given to the public. But on Dec. 10, Kruse withdrew his support for further discussion on Coryea’s termination and those efforts have now ceased.
During the Nov. 19 meeting, Baugh also introduced a county resolution pertaining to commission meeting procedures, which was adopted by the same 4-3 vote with no advance notice given to the public.
When contacted Monday, Van Ostenbridge provided the following response via text message: “Vanessa Baugh is a very good friend and we speak regularly. I turned over all my calls with the other commissioners in the spirit of transparency. I did not discuss county business on any of those calls.”
County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh has provided paralegal Michael Barfield with a copy of her personal call log. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted Monday, Baugh provided a similar response: “Just personal conversations between two people who became friends on the campaign trail. We campaigned very closely together and forged a friendship.”
Calls with other commissioners
According to Van Ostenbridge’s call log, he engaged in five phone conversations with Satcher between Nov. 7 and Nov. Nov. 24. Those calls totaled 39 minutes and included a 21-minute call on Nov. 7 and a 13-minute call on Nov. 24.
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge initiated two phone conversations with Commissioner Misty Servia: a nine-minute call on Nov. 8 and a 13-minute call on Nov. 17 – the same day Van Ostenbridge, Satcher and Kruse were sworn in as commissioners.
Regarding her phone conversations with Van Ostenbridge, Servia said, “I endorsed Kevin and we had a friendly relationship, with messages of ‘Congratulations on being sworn in,’ and, ‘Are you getting settled into your new office?’ I wanted to see him grow and succeed. It goes without saying that I was extremely disappointed when he suggested firing our county administrator, and I had no idea that he planned to do that just hours after being sworn in.”
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge engaged in three phone conversations with Kruse between Nov. 4 and Dec. 1, for a total of 15 minutes.
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge initiated a one-minute call to Commissioner Carol Whitmore on Nov. 16 and Whitmore initiated consecutive one-minute and five-minute calls to Van Ostenbridge on Nov. 18.
Additional calls
Private citizens who do not hold public office or work for a local governmental agency are not subject to the Sunshine Law, but Van Ostenbridge’s call log provides additional insight into those he’s in frequent contact with.
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge and developer Carlos Beruff had nine phone communications for a total of 67 minutes between Nov. 11 and Nov. 21.
The pair spoke for 15 minutes on Nov. 11, for 17 minutes at 7:25 p.m. on Nov. 17, for seven minutes at 1:24 p.m. on Nov. 19 and for a total of 14 minutes on Nov. 20 during three consecutive calls that occurred between 6:39 a.m. and 7:17 a.m.
According to Van Ostenbridge’s call log, he spoke to developer Michael Neal six times for a total of 91 minutes between Nov. 12 and Nov. 20; and to developer Pat Neal three times for a total of 21 minutes.
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge and Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown engaged in 10 phone conversations for a total of 80 minutes between Nov. 16 and Nov. 20.
According to his call log, Van Ostenbridge and campaign supporter Bob Spencer, from West Coast Tomato, spoke nine times for a total of 55 minutes.
Barfield comments
When contacted Monday, Barfield commented on the calls made between commissioners.
“They would have you believe that all these calls were completely about friendship, but it appears they were taking steps behind the scenes to terminate Cheri Coryea, and to bring forth Commissioner Baugh’s resolution,” Barfield said.
“There’s still pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that are missing. Unfortunately, the picture coming into focus raises very troubling concerns about commissioners routinely chatting with each other on key dates surrounding the efforts to terminate the county administrator,” Barfield said.
Paralegal and Sunshine Law expert Michael Barfield continues to investigate the private communications of four Manatee County commissioners. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Barfield also commented on some of the other phone calls that took place.
“When you start piecing everything together, it tells me there are some key people acting as conduits between the commission, as well as the commissioners talking among themselves,” Barfield said.
Barfield said he was still reviewing the call log he received from Baugh on Christmas Eve. His partial review of Baugh’s calls between Nov. 3 and Nov. 11 indicate Baugh engaged in four calls with Van Ostenbridge and 12 calls with Kruse during that period.
According to Barfield, attorney George Levesque, from the GrayRobinson law firm in Tallahassee, is representing Baugh, and attorney Morgan Bentley is representing Van Ostenbridge.
MANATEE COUNTY – Private meeting notes and text messages disclosed in a public records request reveal more about County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s failed efforts to terminate County Administrator Cheri Coryea.
As the newly-elected District 3 commissioner, Van Ostenbridge represents Anna Maria Island, Cortez, west Bradenton and Longboat Key.
During the Manatee County Commission’s Tuesday, Nov. 17 work session, Van Ostenbridge requested a special commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19. He said the purpose of that meeting was to discuss the county’s response to a potential COVID-related federal shutdown. When requesting the special meeting, Van Ostenbridge gave no indication that he also intended to propose Coryea’s termination.
With no advance notice given to the public, Van Ostenbridge then made a motion during the Nov. 19 meeting to put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed and voted upon on Jan. 6. Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse and James Satcher supported the motion.
Text message records obtained as part of a public records request made by paralegal Michael Barfield reveal that Van Ostenbridge discussed the Coryea termination efforts with developer Carlos Beruff and others in advance of the special meeting at which he intended to call for Coryea’s termination.
Van Ostenbridge’s efforts to terminate Coryea came to an unexpected end on Thursday, Dec. 10, when Kruse made a motion to reconsider the Nov. 19 motion and end the Coryea termination efforts. The commission supported Kruse’s motion with a 7-0 vote.
Private meeting notes
Before the Nov. 19 special meeting took place, Van Ostenbridge requested and received a private meeting with Coryea at 7:30 a.m. that morning in Coryea’s office.
Coryea’s notes include a transcript of a voicemail message Van Ostenbridge left her and a printout of the text message exchange they had regarding the requested private meeting.
“I just wanna talk about how things are going so far and a little bit about the (special) meeting before we get there,” Van Ostenbridge said when requesting the private meeting.
According to Coryea’s handwritten notes, Van Ostenbridge began their meeting by saying, “I liked you before, when I met with you during the campaign, but when you closed on that property (Lena Road) I changed my mind. You should have waited for this new board because I had already spoke out against it and you should have stopped it.”
On Oct. 13, the previous county commission approved the $32.5 million purchase of a 161-acre property in east Manatee County at S.R. 64 and Lena Road. The closing for that sale took place on Friday, Nov. 13, four days before Van Ostenbridge, Kruse and Satcher took office.
The Lena Road property was purchased with the intent of creating a Central County Complex that provides a district office for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and additional facilities for the county’s Public Works Department and Utilities Department.
According to her notes, Coryea responded to Van Ostenbridge’s comment by saying, “The board (of county commissioners) took two votes on this property, both passing. I’m responsible for carrying out the directives of the board.”
Van Ostenbridge then asked about the closing date.
“Based on the decision of the board, the closing was to occur anytime between 10/4/20 and 12/16/20 – when the due diligence had been successfully completed. It was completed around Nov. 2 or 3. Property Management Department proceeded with scheduling closing,” Coryea said, according to her notes.
Van Ostenbridge asked who approved the Nov. 13 closing date.
“I did. The previous board approved this action two times and the closing occurred during their terms,” Coryea said, according to her notes.
According to Coryea’s notes, Van Ostenbridge then said, “I am here to ask you for your resignation.”
County Administrator Cheri Coryea took this note during her private meeting with Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. – Manatee County | Submitted
In response, Coryea said, “You will be disappointed to hear I will not be submitting my resignation. I won’t be resigning.”
According to Coryea’s notes, Van Ostenbridge then shared his intentions for the Lena Road property.
“I intend to parcel out the property into small parcels and will sell them off at a loss and that will embarrass the previous board and you. I might keep a sliver for something. I have the votes,” he said, according to Coryea’s notes.
County Administrator Cheri Coryea took this note during her Nov. 19 meeting with Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. – Manatee County | Submitted
The Florida Sunshine Law prevents city and county commissioners from privately discussing any matter that could foreseeably come before them for official action or vote.
At that time of his meeting with Coryea, Van Ostenbridge, a Realtor with Boyd Realty, had been in office for less than 48 hours and had participated in one county meeting.
According to her notes, Coryea responded to Van Ostenbridge’s Lena Road comments by saying, “I had offered to provide a full briefing to the new commission on this project and many others that the board wanted. We were instructed in Jan. 2018 by the previous board to begin looking for a large parcel to co-locate needed services closer to population growth. We briefed each board member five times since then.”
In June, the commission received a third-party appraisal that valued the Lena Road property at $18.4 million.
“The board was aware of the appraisal price that was a market appraisal targeted at housing, not public use, ” Coryea wrote in her notes.
After further discussion about the Lena Road purchase, Van Ostenbridge said, “I intend to make a motion at the meeting today to ask for you to be terminated,” according to Coryea’s notes.
County Administrator Cheri Coryea rejected Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s request for her resignation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to her notes, Coryea then questioned the true intent of the private meeting.
“When you asked me for this meeting this morning you said it was about the special meeting agenda item (a federal shutdown). I prepared a motion for it. Did you need it?” Coryea said, according to her notes.
“No, I don’t believe I need anything,” Van Ostenbridge said, according to Coryea’s notes.
“So, this meeting this morning was not to talk about that?” Coryea said, according to her notes.
“I’m all set for the meeting,” Van Ostenbridge said, according to Coryea’s notes, which indicate the meeting ended at 7:48 a.m.
Van Ostenbridge responds
When contacted Friday afternoon, Van Ostenbridge was asked about his meeting with Coryea.
Regarding Coryea’s notes that state he asked her to resign, Van Ostenbridge said, “That captures the spirit of what I was saying. I told her that she knew the incoming board was adamantly against the purchase. We felt that it was a drastic waste of taxpayer money and each of us made that clear during the campaign, including in public comments during meetings.
“I told her I had lost trust and confidence in her and I asked her for her resignation. I then said I scheduled the meeting with her as a courtesy, to alert her of my intention to make the motion to terminate. I was attempting to give her an opportunity to resign and spare her and the county the indignity of the debate which was sure to follow my motion,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Van Ostenbridge was asked if he felt a new commissioner, who had been in office less than 48 hours, had the authority to ask the county administrator to resign without first discussing it with the commission as a whole during a public meeting.
“When I put my hand on the Bible, I became a full commissioner. There’s no orientation period. I was doing it as a courtesy because I had made up my mind I was going to make the motion to terminate. I officially made up my mind on Friday (Nov. 13), when the deal was closed. I had sought the counsel of many business leaders in town, as well as friends of mine, even my parents, leading up to that time. When she closed the deal on Friday, I started letting some people know that I had made up my mind,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Van Ostenbridge was asked if any of those he sought counsel from were sitting county commissioners or future county commissioners who had not yet been sworn in.
“Absolutely not. I have not committed a Sunshine violation,” he said.
When asked about his alleged intentions to sell the Lena Road property at a loss, Van Ostenbridge said, “I said that I felt there was value in the property that abutted the landfill. I told her that was the most valuable to the county and the least valuable to the open market. I wanted to keep that, but I wanted to sell off the rest because I didn’t want to be saddled with the unnecessary improvements that would be needed on the rest of the property. The county overpaid for the property, so obviously when I go to sell it I’m not going to get market value. I told her that if we sold that off it would be at a loss, and the responsibility of that loss would fall on the previous board,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Van Ostenbridge denied telling Coryea he had the votes to sell the Lena Road property, which Coryea wrote in her notes.
“I never said that. At the end of the conversation, I said maybe you have the votes, maybe I have the votes and we’ll see in a couple hours,” Van Ostenbridge said, referring to his intent to pursue Coryea’s termination.
Van Ostenbridge’s statement contrasts with Coryea’s notes, in which the alleged comment about having the votes appears in conjunction with the discussion about selling the Lena Road property.
Van Ostenbridge confirmed that he told Coryea he would seek her termination.
“I said I’d be giving her notice of a hearing for termination at the special meeting,” he said.
Van Ostenbridge texts
Late Friday afternoon, in response to his public records request, Barfield received copies of Van Ostenbridge’s text message exchanges from Nov. 3 to Nov. 20.
Barfield confirmed that developer Carlos Beruff is the “Carlos” and “CB” that appears in some of the text message exchanges Van Ostenbridge produced.
Paralegal Michael Barfield, who serves as the president of the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is independently investigating the actions of county commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse and James Satcher. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to those records, Beruff sent Van Ostenbridge a text message at 6:51 a.m., less than an hour before his Nov. 19 private meeting with Coryea.
“Good morning you all set,” Beruff wrote.
“All set. Meeting with Cheri at 7:30,” Van Ostenbridge replied.
This is one of several text message exchanges Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge had with developer Carlos Beruff. – Michael Barfield | Submitted
On Sunday, Nov. 15, Beruff sent Van Ostenbridge a link to a Bradenton Times story that included the headline: “Are special interests gunning for County Administrator?”
That story notes Beruff and other members of the development community pushed for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance President Dom Dimaio to succeed retiring County Administrator Ed Hunzeker in 2019, rather than Coryea.
“We have a leaker,” Van Ostenbridge wrote in response to Beruff’s text about that story.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, as part of the same text message exchange with Beruff, Van Ostenbridge wrote, “We have a special meeting on Thursday, after the port meeting. Carol took the bait.”
That message appears to refer to acting Commission Chair Carol Whitmore supporting Van Ostenbridge’s request for a special meeting discussion about a potential federal shutdown.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, Beruff initiated a text message exchange with Van Ostenbridge that began with a link to an East County Observer story about the county’s plans to build a solid waste transfer station on the Lena Road property.
“You may have missed this last week, but it basically says that they bought something they don’t need for 17-20 years,” Beruff wrote.
“They did all they could to saddle us with this (expletive) we don’t want. At least they’re done. Nothing left for them to do,” Van Ostenbridge replied.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, Beruff sent Van Ostenbridge a text message that said, “Good morning, take a look at this and see what you think. Call me when you get a chance.”
Attached to Beruff’s message was a Microsoft Word document titled “ManCo BOCC (Board of County Commissioners).docx.” The contents of that document are not known and Barfield said he has not received it.
“That looks good. I only want to drop the mention of masks. That is too much of a 50/50 issue. Call you in a few,” Van Ostenbridge wrote in his response to Beruff.
Van Ostenbridge’s text records also include an exchange he had with someone named Bob, whose initials are BS.
“We have a special meeting on Thursday after the port meeting. Carol took the bait,” Van Ostenbridge wrote.
“I watched you. Smooth baby,” Bob replied.
“Acted like I was stumbling through it, ha-ha,” Van Ostenbridge wrote.
Barfield said he did not yet know Bob’s identity.
On the evening of Nov. 19, Van Ostenbridge received a group text message from Chad Choate, a financial advisor at the Edward Jones office in Bradenton. Choate is Facebook friends with Van Ostenbridge and has posted county commission-related comments at Van Ostenbridge’s Facebook page.
“How long has she been county admin,” Choate wrote in his text message to Van Ostenbridge.
“2 years. She’s been a county employee for over 30 years. A 30-year bureaucrat. It’s time to put a private sector person in charge,” Van Ostenbridge replied.
“Yeah, who replaces her,” Choate wrote.
“Put your name in when the spot opens up,” Van Ostenbridge replied.
MANATEE COUNTY – Led by County Commissioner George Kruse, the Manatee County Commission has ended its efforts to potentially terminate County Administrator Cheri Coryea.
On Nov. 19, Kruse joined commissioners Vanessa Baugh and James Satcher in supporting Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s motion to put Coryea on notice that her termination would be discussed and voted upon on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Toward the end of Thursday’s land use meeting, Kruse delivered an unexpected speech that concluded with him making a motion to reconsider that Nov. 19 action.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but at the time I voted for it to allow for dialogue, and for myself to do my proper diligence and get it to a finality,” Kruse said.
“I promised everybody at that meeting that I would talk to everybody. In these last three weeks, I’ve canceled a trip out of town. I’ve talked to five mayors. I’ve talked to literally every single department head. I’ve talked to business leaders, associations and I’ve spent probably four to five hours one-on-one with Cheri going over everything I want in Manatee County, how she envisions Manatee County and if we could work together.
“But I also promised on my campaign that there’s certain things I would do as a commissioner for the citizens of Manatee County. I promised I would work on lowering taxes and fixing our quality of life with some of the reserves we’re sitting on. I promised that we would push for less regulations and more efficiencies in government. And I said that I would work on cleaning up the departments and how we handle hiring, because in some cases it looks like there’s a bit of cronyism in the seniority versus merit. I also wanted to add a sense of private sector conservatism to our county,” Kruse said.
“I didn’t campaign on the promise of firing one person. I campaigned on a promise of improving the lives of 410,000 people in Manatee County, but I did not promise to come in here as an agent of chaos. I promised to come here as an agent of change. In my opinion, the best interest of Manatee County – both for my supporters and the people who didn’t support me – is to get these changes moving quickly and efficiently. I do not inherently believe that delaying these important items 12, 18, 24 months while we rebuild our government makes sense for anyone. It was not a fundamentally sound reason to do so. It would burn half my term and eliminate half my agenda just to get back to a perceived better square one,” Kruse said.
“I’ve taken over and I’ve run businesses in the past. I’ve worked with and molded many people without similar ideologies as me into successful teams. If I felt, after all of my meetings these past three weeks, that would not be the case here, I would whole-heartedly push towards January 6 and terminate our county administrator.
“However, I believe I can achieve the actual results that I promised without this unnecessary disruption. And if 12 months from now the changes I promise you are not made for the benefit of Manatee County, then I will personally be the one to make the next motion for termination. But I’m hopeful that will not be the case,” Kruse said.
Cheri Coryea will continue serving as the county administrator. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I’m well aware of trading one opposing group for another, and I’m sure my Facebook is already starting to light up, but many of you who supported me and elected me did so because you trusted my judgment and my experience. If I can accomplish our overriding goals with our current administration, then I’ve kept my promise and I made Manatee County a better and more conservative place to live. All I ask is that you trust my judgment. That goes for the citizens of Manatee County and the members of this board. We would be better as a community with the full support, even if begrudgingly given, to allow this board and this administration the opportunity to achieve all that you elected us to do,” Kruse said.
“I’d like to formally make a motion to reconsider the Nov. 19 decision to start the termination process of County Administrator Cheri Coryea,” Kruse said when concluding his speech.
With no hesitation, Commissioner Reggie Bellamy seconded Kruse’s motion.
Commissioner’s comments
“I’m tongue-tied,” Commissioner Carol Whitmore said.
Commissioner Misty Servia then said, “I want to say to the new board: You guys have us on our toes because there is a surprise at every meeting.”
She then said, “Thank you, George. I think your motion today was a responsible one. I think that it was the right thing to do. I think that it was the most business-oriented decision to bring forward. I have been so concerned about what’s going to happen to our county government with the chaos that’s been created, and it was created unnecessarily because things were moving perfectly. I’ve never worked with a such an efficient county administrator.
“I thank you so much for listening and representing the entire county. It was very wise of you. You have helped this county to move forward in a positive direction. And I think what you’ve just done is brought this board together. We have to be together in unity to move forward and get the business of our county done. And for anyone who has a concern about anything our county administrator is doing in terms of management style, I am open to hearing that, and I am open to any changes that are meaningful and well described,” Servia said.
Speaking next, Van Ostenbridge said, “I thank Commissioner Kruse for the diligence he put into this and the seriousness with which everyone has taken this. I did run as an agent of change, but I did not run as an agent of chaos. If we don’t have the votes, we don’t have the votes. You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some. If the board is not as conservative as I thought it was, then that’s OK. I don’t enjoy the turmoil that it’s created within the county. Whichever way the vote is going to go, I’d like to put the turmoil to an end so that we can move on.”
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge initiated the efforts to terminate Cheri Coryea. Joe Hendricks | Sun
Baugh said she seconded Van Ostenbridge’s Nov. 19 motion because she believed further discussion about the county administrator was needed.
“Misty, I appreciate your comments, but not everything in this county is run properly. There’s many changes we need to look at and I’m hoping with Cheri maybe we can do it. If not, then I will not be happy,” Baugh said.
“Does that mean make a major change? No, maybe it means that the county administrator is willing to change how things have been done here in the county. We’ll have to see,” she added.
Baugh addressed a rumor regarding the Nov. 10 farewell ceremony for departing commissioners Betsy Benac, Steve Jonsson and Priscilla Trace. The rumor alleged Baugh suggested to ceremony attendee and DeSoto County Economic Development Director Tara Poulton that there might soon be a job opening in the county administration.
“It is a silly rumor and whoever started that really should be ashamed, because it’s not true,” Baugh said.
When contacted Wednesday afternoon, Poulton was asked about Baugh’s alleged comments at the ceremony.
“It was such a casual conversation. She said something to the effect of, ‘You never know, we might have a position open.’ There was no mention of any specific position opening up,” Poulton said.
When asked if she’s had any contact with Baugh since then, Poulton said, “No, none whatsoever. And I have no intention of applying for the county administrator’s position if it opens up.”
During Thursday’s discussion, Satcher addressed speculation that there was a coordinated effort to terminate Coryea – speculation that prompted paralegal Michael Barfield to submit individual public records requests to Satcher, Baugh, Kruse, Van Ostenbridge and Jonsson.
“I pastored a church when I was 25 years old. When I was witness to someone, I’d tell them about the Lord and I’d invite them to church. They’d say I’m not into organized religion, and I’d say well this is the place for you because we ain’t organized around here. I think it’s kind of humorous that people might be accused of planning when I don’t know if anyone knows what’s coming,” Satcher said.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy praised Kruse for his insight and willingness to listen to everybody.
“As commissioners, we all have that ability to set upon a county administrator our expectations as far as what we want and how we want our county to be ran,” Bellamy said.
He also said he’s concerned about public sparring that’s taken place and the negative impact that’s had on the community.
Misty Servia expressed praise for George Kruse and Cheri Coryea. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Servia noted that when she was first elected in 2018, she wanted to conduct a national search for retiring County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.
“I did not support Cheri Coryea. I said we need to make sure we’re getting the best county administrator, instead of just promoting from within. What I have learned since that time is that Cheri Coryea is the best county administrator I’ve ever worked with. I’ve been in county government for 30 years. I have worked in county government for 18 and with county government in the private sector for 13, and I’ve never worked with anyone who is as effective and as hardworking as Cheri Coryea,” Servia said
At the end of the discussion, Kruse said, “I’m making a motion to reconsider the previously approved motion from Nov. 19.”
The commission unanimously approved Kruse’s motion.
Coryea did not attend the land use meeting. When contacted Thursday evening, she politely declined comment on the commission’s decision.
Barfield investigation
When contacted Thursday evening, Barfield was asked what impact the commission’s decision might have on his public records request and his investigation of the records produced.
“I’m going to take 24 hours at least and think about it. My records requests stand and I expect full compliance. I’m not willing to compromise on that,” Barfield said.
MANATEE COUNTY – County Commissioner George Kruse’s personal call log indicates he has had numerous private phone conversations with commissioners Vanessa Baugh, James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge since being elected.
It is not illegal for members of the same elected body to communicate by phone, text message or email, but it is a violation of Florida Sunshine Law if they discuss anything that has, will or could foreseeably come before them as official county business.
On Tuesday, Dec. 8, Kruse provided paralegal Michael Barfield with a call log and a copy of a text message exchange he had with Satcher. Kruse produced those records in response to the public records request he received from Barfield on Friday, Nov. 20.
Baugh, Satcher, Van Ostenbridge and former commissioner Steve Jonsson received similar records requests and were originally given until Friday, Dec. 4 to respond. Barfield made his records request according to Florida’s Public Records Act.
According to Kruse’s call log, he had, or attempted to have, 16 telephone communications with Baugh during the Nov. 3 to Nov. 20 timeframe specified in Barfield’s records request.
Kruse had three phone communications with Satcher and two with Van Ostenbridge during that same period. He also made one call and received one call from developer Carlos Beruff, and on Nov. 20, Kruse called 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas.
Nicholas swore Kruse in as a county commissioner on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Satcher and Van Ostenbridge were also sworn in that day as new commissioners, joined by Baugh, an incumbent who was elected to another term.
Later that day, the newly-reconfigured commission participated in a commission work meeting. Kruse left Satcher a voice mail at 6:39 p.m. and called him again at 10:18 p.m., according to his call log. At 10:22 p.m., Kruse called Baugh, and then called her again at 9 a.m. the following morning.
At 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, Kruse sent Satcher a text message that said, “Ignore our call the other night. Stick to original.”
George Kruse provided Michael Barfield a copy of this text message exchange he had with Commissioner James Satcher. – Submitted | Michael Barfield
During the work meeting that took place later that morning, the commission adopted by 4-3 vote a county resolution presented by Baugh with no public notice. The adopted resolution now allows the commission to change its meeting procedures while a meeting is in progress, with no advance notice to the public.
“Any of the foregoing rules may be waived at any board meeting then in session by a majority vote of the board, unless such waiver is in conflict with state or local law,” according to Resolution 20-191.
Van Ostenbridge then initiated a discussion, with no advance public notice, that resulted in a 4-3 vote to put County Administrator Cheri Coryea on notice that her potential termination would be discussed and determined on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Carol Whitmore opposed the Nov. 19 actions initiated by Baugh and Van Ostenbridge.
Bellamy said the efforts to terminate Coryea seemed “premeditated” and Whitmore said they seemed “orchestrated.”
Barfield began submitting his records requests the following day.
Barfield’s reaction
“It’s a bombshell,” Barfield said Wednesday afternoon when discussing these initial discoveries.
According to Barfield, the three new commissioners became subject to the Public Records Act and the Florida Sunshine Law once the election results were known on Nov. 3. As an incumbent, Baugh has long been required to comply with the Public Records Act and the Sunshine Law.
“There’s 16 calls between Vanessa Baugh and George Kruse at various times,” Barfield said.
Commissioner Vanessa Baugh had 16 phone communications with Commissioner George Kruse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“That message about ‘ignore the other night’ is so telling, coming hours before the Nov. 19 meeting began,” Barfield said about the Kruse-Satcher text message exchange.
“It seems to me this is strong evidence of coordination in advance of a meeting,” Barfield said regarding the various communications between commissioners.
Barfield said Baugh had not provided him with an original draft copy of the resolution she presented with no public notice.
He said Baugh’s official county emails indicate she had a conversation with the county attorney’s office on Nov. 18 about her requested resolution, but did not provide the county attorney’s office with a digital copy of the document.
“To date, she has not produced that record. Vanessa did provide a photograph of the draft language of the resolution,” Barfield said.
Barfield questions whether Baugh or someone else wrote the original draft of that resolution.
Still awaiting records
Barfield said he received some preliminary records from Van Ostenbridge Wednesday afternoon and was told he’d receive copies of Van Ostenbridge’s text messages and personal call log on Thursday.
Regarding Baugh, he said, “I received a couple emails from her official county account and a phone log from her official county phone that has virtually nothing on it. I’ve received nothing from her private email accounts or her private cell phone, including her text messages and call log.”
Barfield said Satcher produced some records Tuesday night that he was still reviewing.
When asked where all of this might be headed, Barfield said, “I’m still collecting evidence.”
Commissioner James Satcher received a summons when he arrived for Thursday morning’s work meeting. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Just before the start of Thursday morning’s county commission work meeting at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto, Satcher was served with a summons from the Manatee County Clerk of Court.
According to Barfield, the summons formally started the five-day window for Satcher to show cause to the court as to why the records request should not be granted.
As he walked into the meeting area, Satcher said, “I just got served. I love this job.”
Paralegal Michael Barfield attended the county commission work meeting Thursday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
MANATEE COUNTY – Efforts to fire County Administrator Cheri Coryea have prompted objections and procedural concerns should the commission decide to terminate her from the position.
Newly-elected commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse and James Satcher, along with Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, voted unexpectedly on Nov. 19 to begin termination procedures against Coryea, who has worked for the county for more than 30 years.
Reactions include County Commissioner Misty Servia’s Nov. 23 email regarding Coryea’s possible termination, sent to several upper-level county staff members.
“I would like to add an item to the Dec. 15 agenda. In order to prepare for the possible firing of our county administrator on Jan. 6, I would like to understand the succession plan so that county business continues with limited interruptions. Below are the items I would like for our board to discuss to prepare for the possible termination of Administrator Coryea:
Do we have a succession plan that is a part of the ordinance that establishes the county administrator position?
Who will be appointed in the interim until a permanent county administrator is hired?
If one of the deputy county administrators is appointed as interim county administrator, will we need to appoint an interim deputy county administrator? If so who will that be?
Are there any other potential gaps in the organization that need to be considered to ensure seamless government operations?
What process is envisioned for hiring the next county administrator? Will the public be involved?
Are there any changes planned to the county administrator job description?”
On Nov. 19, County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge proposed terminating the county administrator. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
County resident Shane Wedel emailed County Commissioner Carol Whitmore regarding Coryea’s potential severance pay.
“I have been looking at Ms. Coryea’s publicly available contract. I noticed that Section II, 1, b, (2) indicates that Ms. Coryea would be due a severance payment for being let go without cause to be paid within 10 business days after the effective termination date. Her contract stipulates that this would be 20 weeks of her pay plus accumulated leave payouts, which for such a long-standing employee is likely to be substantial,” Wedel wrote.
“This information would certainly be important for the public and for the rest of the board of county commissioners to be aware of. Hopefully, the newer members are aware of this stipulation in her contract. I believe the public deserves to be aware of this ‘responsible’ use of limited resources if it (Coryea’s termination) becomes reality,” Wedel wrote.
Whitmore referred Wedel’s comments to Human Resources Director Kim Stroud.
County Attorney Mickey Palmer distributed an email on Nov. 25 to county commissioners and others regarding the potential termination process.
“This is information that I will be prepared to share with the BCC at the Board’s December 15 meeting. But there is no time like the present, I suppose. By copy of this reply to personnel in both Human Resources and Payroll (a division of the Clerk’s Office), I am asking them to run the calculations with a projected termination date of Jan. 6. My preference would be that the folks in Payroll and HR be of one mind on the calculations, and that the calculations be forwarded to me as promptly as they are completed.”
Also on that date, Manatee County Government Agenda Coordinator Diane Vollmer distributed an email to county commissioners, Coryea and several other staff members regarding the Jan. 6 discussion.
“Inasmuch as there is a legislative delegation meeting scheduled in the Longboat Key Room at the Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, the special meeting to vote to terminate the county administrator’s contract has been scheduled for that afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. In the event the meeting is not concluded at that time, it will be continued to 5 p.m. on Jan. 7, following the land use meeting,” Vollmer wrote.
League of Women Voters supports Coryea
League of Women Voters of Manatee County President Alice Newlon sent Whitmore an email on Nov. 27 stating the League’s position on the proposed termination.
“The League of Women Voters has actively worked supporting good governance for the last 100 years. We oppose the actions taken by the four county commissioners (Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse, James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge) at the Nov. 19 meeting where they: 1) improperly brought up and voted on, with no public notice or notice to their fellow commissioners, significant changes to county operations; 2) came with and passed a resolution allowing the commission, by majority vote, to ignore procedures designed to allow public notice and input and 3) voted to initiate the termination of Cheri Coryea, without notice, without cause and without any forethought of the community repercussions,” Newlon wrote.
“We hear that those who voted to terminate the administrator want to run our county like a business and take the county in a new direction. However, county government has a different structure and purpose than that of a business. As a business, making a profit is the primary goal.
“In contrast, a county government operates any services, not for profit, but for the well-being of its citizens. The similarity? Both businesses and government retain high-performance employees. What they normally do not do is fire without prior warning, using a weak excuse.
“A recent decision to remove our county administrator during an already precarious time in the life of our community – the disruption of COVID-19 – is destabilizing and serves to create increased uncertainty.
“The loss of Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea would be a great loss to our county, considering her excellent work and high ratings by her supervisors and praise from those who worked with her.
“As an employee for over 30 years, she served in a number of positions, doing well for the county, its communities and its citizens, always improving what she found. She has been called the best county manager in the state.
“We urge you to return to the procedures that have created a government allowing for proper research, planning and notice.
“We also urge you to reverse the rash decision to terminate Cheri Coryea and instead take the time to reassess, in collaboration with the many entities of this community, and develop a long term strategy that will help all of Manatee County and its residents continue to thrive, ” Newlon’s letter said in conclusion.
Updated Nov. 23, 2020 – BRADENTON – Thursday’s Manatee County Commission discussion about potentially terminating County Administrator Cheri Coryea has triggered a public records request from Florida Sunshine Law expert Michael Barfield.
On Friday afternoon, Barfield, a paralegal, submitted individual written public records requests to county commissioners Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse, James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge. County Attorney Mickey Palmer was copied on each of the requests Barfield submitted on behalf of Sarasota-based Denovo Law Services.
The records requests seek the public records in the individual possession of Baugh, Kruse, Satcher and Van Ostenbridge. A subsequent request seeks records from former Commissioner Steve Jonsson.
On Nov. 3, Baugh was re-elected as the county’s District 5 commissioner. Kruse was elected as the at-large District 7 commissioner. Satcher was elected as the District 1 commissioner. Van Ostenbridge was elected as the District 3 commissioner, a district that encompasses Anna Maria Island, Cortez and west Bradenton.
County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh is the subject of the public records request. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The four commissioners were sworn into office on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Two days later, Van Ostenbridge initiated, with no advance public notice, a preliminary discussion seeking the termination of Coryea without cause.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s discussion, the newly-reconfigured county commission voted 4-3 in favor of putting Coryea on notice that her potential termination would be discussed at a special county commission meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Baugh, Kruse, Satcher and Van Ostenbridge supported that action. Commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Carol Whitmore opposed that action.
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge initiated Thursday’s termination discussion with no advance public notice. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
During Thursday’s discussion, Bellamy said the efforts to oust Coryea appeared to be “premeditated.” Whitmore said the efforts appeared to be “orchestrated.” Servia called the Van Ostenbridge-led efforts “reckless” and “dangerous.”
Records requests
According to the public records requests: “This is a request for records pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, otherwise known as the Public Records Act of the Florida Constitution. We understand that a citizen is not required to make a written request to obtain public records under the act, but we want to be clear what we are seeking from you.”
The records requests pertain to the following records made, sent or received in connection with the transaction of official business, or the rendition of services on behalf of each of the four request recipients:
All emails sent or received from Nov. 3, 2020 to Nov. 20, 2020.
All text messages sent or received from November 3 to November 20.
All messages sent or received via any digital app or social media platform from Nov. 3 to Nov. 20.
A detailed phone log of all calls made or received between the period Nov. 3 and Nov. 20.
Commissioner James Satcher is the recipient of a public records request. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to the records requests, the term “record” or “public records” also includes responsive records in both digital and hard copy formats, including email, text, SMS, MMS, .doc and voicemail.
According to the requests, “This request for records further includes any responsive records sent or received by any individual or entity via any private, nongovernmental account, as well as those records maintained, stored or archived in the cloud, on a shared drive, on the Internet, via social media accounts or any other electronic device such as a cell phone, tablet, flash drive, that is capable of sending, receiving or storing digital information.”
The records requests are also directed to any individual or entity – including any other public or private agency, person, partnership, corporation or business entity – acting on their behalf of any of the records request recipients.
“If you contend that any record, or portion thereof, is exempt from inspection, please state in writing the basis for the exemption and include the applicable statutory exemption,” the records requests note.
The records requests state the requested records shall not be disposed of for a period of 30 days after the written records requests were submitted on Friday.
Commissioner George Kruse has received a public records request. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Citing Florida Statutes, the records requests state: “If a civil action is instituted within the 30-day period to enforce the provisions of this section with respect to the requested record, the custodian of public records may not dispose of the record except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction after notice to all affected parties.
“The absence of a civil action instituted does not relieve the custodian of public records of the duty to maintain the record as a public record if the record is in fact a public record subject to public inspection and copying and does not otherwise excuse or exonerate the custodian of public records from any unauthorized or unlawful disposition of such record.
“We are requesting that you notify each and every individual and entity in possession of records responsive to this request, and that all such records be preserved on an immediate basis.
“Please produce all records responsive to this request as provided by 119.12(1)(b), Fla. Statute,” the public records requests say in conclusion.
According to Barfield, the three new commissioners – Kruse, Satcher and Van Ostenbridge – became subject to the Public Records Act and the Florida Sunshine Law at the conclusion of the Nov. 3 elections.
According to Barfield, the four commissioners have until early December to fulfill the public records requests.
Recent Sunshine case
While assisting the attorneys representing the city of Bradenton Beach, Barfield recently played a significant role in the city prevailing in a Sunshine Law lawsuit that resulted in two of the six defendants paying the city $350,000 on Friday.
The $350,00 payment was partial reimbursement for the attorney fees the city incurred as a result of a civil lawsuit the city filed against six former city advisory board members in 2017.
An extensive number of emails and other records and documents Barfield obtained from the defendants and others in that case factored into the judge’s 2019 ruling that Sunshine Law violations occurred.
Updated Nov. 23, 2020 – BRADENTON – Newly-elected District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge initiated an effort on Thursday to terminate County Administrator Cheri Coryea.
The Manatee County Commission is scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 6 to debate and vote on the potential termination of Coryea, who has been on the county’s staff for more than 30 years.
As newly-elected commissioners, Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher and George Kruse were sworn in on Tuesday. They participated in a work session that day which resulted in Van Ostenbridge requesting a special commission meeting on Thursday to discuss the county’s legal rights in the event of a federally-ordered economic shutdown.
Terminating the county administrator was not an item on Thursday’s special meeting agenda, so no public notice was issued to the public, the commissioner, Coryea or county staff.
Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Satcher and Kruse ultimately supported Van Ostenbridge’s motion to put Coryea on at least 15 days’ notice that a discussion pertaining to her potential termination is now pending. Commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Carol Whitmore opposed that action. The 15-day time frame was later extended until after the holidays.
With about 1,900 employees under her supervision, Coryea carries out the directives of the county commission and oversees the operations of the county. She was named acting county administrator on Feb. 26, 2019. On May 21, 2019, the county commission approved removed “acting” from her job title and made her Manatee County’s first female county administrator.
Surprise discussion
As Thursday’s special commission meeting neared what was thought to be its conclusion, Van Ostenbridge said, “There is something else I’d like to bring forward. It’s a serious matter. I want to bring up the matter of our county administrator. I like Cheri very much as a person. I think she’s a great individual. However, I have a different vision for the administrator position. I admire her dedication to the county and her many years of service, but I’m a private sector person and she’s more of a public sector person.
“My vision is that government should, whenever possible, mirror the private sector. I think we need a shift of culture within the county. I saw the direction that she was leading the county and the direction she was steering the committee at times and I disagree with it fundamentally,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge seeks to terminate the county administrator. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Van Ostenbridge then referenced the county’s recent purchase of a 161-acre property in east Manatee County at 8520 State Road 64. The newly acquired property is across the street and slightly north of the county’s Lena Road Landfill.
“Cheri did not make that decision. The board made that decision.” – Commissioner Reggie Bellamy
The decision to purchase that property was finalized by a 5-2 commission vote in October, with Baugh and then-Commissioner Steve Jonsson voting in opposition. According to the sale and purchase contract dated Oct. 13, and signed by then-Commission Chair Betsy Benac, the county purchased the mostly vacant property from Musgrave Real Estate Holdings for $30,185,625.
The warranty deed that transferred ownership of the property from Musgrave Real Estate Holdings to Manatee County was signed by Kimberly Musgrave Schmidt and notarized by Karen Calyer on Friday, Nov. 13, with attorney Caleb Grimes signing as the second witness.
The property was purchased with the intent of creating the Central County Complex that would provide a district office for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and additional facilities for the county’s Public Works Department and Utilities Department.
“I, and some colleagues of mine, value that property at $6 million. The previous commission voted twice to go through with that purchase. I was pretty vocal against it. Commissioner Kruse was incoming at the time – he was pretty vocal against it. Mr. Satcher made public comments that he didn’t agree with it as well. It was pretty obvious that the incoming commission did not want this,” said Van Ostenbridge, a Realtor with Boyd Realty.
“The closing date of that property was hurried to last Friday. Funds have changed hands and it’s a done deal. I feel very saddled now with that cost and that property, as well as the burdens of the improvements that have to be made,” he said.
Van Ostenbridge also mentioned the purchase negotiations led by Utilities Department Director Mike Gore.
“I didn’t agree with the process, having Mr. Gore lead the negotiations. I didn’t feel he was qualified. Day-to-day operations are run by the administrator, so ultimately that falls on the administrator. I think tens of millions of tax dollars were wasted on that purchase. It’s the position of this commissioner that the $25 million in wasted tax money is a fireable offense,” Van Ostenbridge said.
The property is appraised at about $18.5 million, according to a June report obtained by The Sun and written by Hettema Saba Commercial Real Estate Valuation Advisory Services.
“Based on the known factors creating and affecting value, it is my opinion that the market value for the subject property in its ‘as is’ condition, as of June 18, was $18,448,000,” according to a letter signed by state-certified general real estate appraiser Ronald Saba and addressed to Brandie Adams, the real property specialist for Manatee County’s Property Acquisition Division.
”The purpose of the appraisal is to provide an opinion of the market value. The report is intended to be used by the client to make a purchase price decision,” Saba wrote.
The $30,185,625 purchase price equates to $187,488 per acre, with the most recent comparable property in that vicinity at that time selling for $310,218 per acre, according to a staff presentation to county commissioners on Oct. 13. The price per acre in that vicinity over the past 10 years was $496,923.
After a recess during last Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Carol Whitmore sought insight from Chief Assistant County Attorney Bill Clague.
“Miss Coryea’s service as county administrator is by agreement between her and the county. That agreement has provisions in it that govern the circumstances under which the board can dismiss her. They require that the board provide her with at least 15 days’ notice prior to conducting a meeting to make that decision. The most the board could do today would be to direct our office to provide her with that notice and schedule a meeting to consider that. I would advise the board to be careful in this meeting about going into the legalities or the details of those things,” Clague said.
Whitmore noted the land purchase was actually initiated by previous County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.
Whitmore referenced a Nov. 15 story published at the Bradenton Times website that included the headline, “Are Special Interests Gunning for County Administrator?” The story states developer Carlos Beruff and other members of the development community pushed for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance President Dom Dimaio to succeed Hunzeker, rather than Coryea.
“I was called, you all were called, by a developer who didn’t want Cheri in the job,” Whitmore said.
She also said that the developer supported Van Ostenbridge, Satcher and Kruse’s campaigns.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore believes an orchestrated effort is afoot to replace the county administrator. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I was hoping you guys would at least give her a chance. You haven’t even been in office for three days. Shame on you for doing that. This is very upsetting,” Whitmore said.
Regarding Van Ostenbridge’s desire for the county government to operate more like a business, Whitmore said, “This is not a business.”
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy began his remarks by referencing something he learned in business school: “When you take over leadership, you don’t come in and make hasty decisions. This sounds like a hasty decision and it’s very unfortunate,” he said.
Bellamy said it’s one thing to be disappointed with someone for carrying out a commission decision, but to say it’s a fireable offense is something totally different.
He also disagreed with Van Ostenbridge’s claim that the land purchase was rushed.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy believes the efforts to oust Coryea are premeditated. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Bellamy said he asked Van Ostenbridge and Kruse during their campaigns if they planned to fire Coryea once they took office.
“And the comment was, ‘No, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ ” Bellamy said.
“It’s quite clear there’s been some premeditated comments and thoughts about this particular step with her. If the cause is for Lena Road, don’t fire her. Fire the commissioners that voted on it, twice. And that’s not your job, that’s the job of the constituents. Cheri did not make that decision. The board made that decision,” Bellamy said.
“I don’t think you, as a county commissioner, can learn in 72 hours enough to draw a conclusion that you’re going to fire anybody. There is no way in the world that we should be holding a conversation like this three days into it,” Bellamy said.
“It’s kind of piling up now. When you see the information that’s brought to you it almost seems like an attempt to build momentum. This is why I’m saying some of this is premeditated,” Bellamy said.
Speaking next, Commissioner Misty Servia said, “Kevin, this is a reckless move. You have been here actually 50 hours, it’s not even close to 72 hours. Here’s what this move does: The morale of our staff just dropped. Our ability to hire people that we so desperately need has dropped.”
Servia said Van Ostenbridge made a “poor move” when initiating that discussion without giving the public advance notice.
“You’ve just shut them out of this,” she said. “The art of the deal requires finesse. This is not finesse.”
Commissioner Misty Servia described the efforts to terminate Coryea as “reckless.” – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Servia mentioned Coryea’s performance evaluations submitted by six of the seven members of the previous commission, which were discussed at that commission’s final meeting on Nov. 10 – an evaluation process Baugh chose not to participate in.
“Our county administrator just received a glowing review because she has done everything this elected board has asked her to do in a timely and efficient manner,” Servia said.
Bellamy noted Coryea received a 6-month evaluation and a 12-month evaluation.
“Not a 3-day evaluation or a 50-hour evaluation,” he said. “It seems as though there’s ulterior motives. It seems as though there’s something else out there.”
Bellamy told the new commissioners to consider how they would feel about being evaluated after just 50 hours on the job.
Along those same lines Servia said, “Fifty hours on the job? We need to be in a learning mode, not in a firing mode.”
When it was his turn to speak, Kruse said, “I think ‘premediated’ is probably a strong word. I think we all came into this with a common view of government. Any level of premeditation was just a group of us saying let’s look at something a little more from a business standpoint. I’m not saying which direction I’m going. I’m OK with starting a clock, but if this is a vote to flat-out do it today, then that would be a different story.”
Baugh disputed any premeditation.
“I don’t know anything about premediated. I don’t know anything about developers coming to anybody. None have come to me, but I can tell you this – the citizens do come to me and they’re the ones that are important. And by the way, I guess developers are citizens too,” Baugh said.
Commissioner Vanessa Baugh seconded the motion to put Coryea on notice. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I realize this isn’t a topic most people want to talk about. I don’t believe it is fair to make accusations to the new commissioners that have been out there for over a year working to get elected – who might know a little bit more than you think. Everybody take a breath, we’re not making the decision today,” Baugh said.
Clerk of Court weighs in
Aware of the discussion taking place, Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court Angelina Colonneso felt compelled to make the short drive from her downtown Bradenton office to the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto to address the commission.
When addressing Van Ostenbridge, Satcher and Kruse, she said, “To the three of you, please take my advice: a little humility doesn’t hurt. Take it from my experience, you’ve got a lot to learn. I am for the people’s records, the people’s business. There are no citizens here. Those people have not been afforded the opportunity to even weigh in on this.
“I think you should take a little time and see how things work. You haven’t even been to a (regular) meeting yet and you’re bringing this up. You haven’t had a chance to work with anybody in this county or see the interactions,” Colonneso said.
“In a way, I feel like I’m up here as that watchdog for the citizens – to tell you that whatever you decide, take a step back. You took an oath. You need to be humble and understand there’s so much to learn. Please, take your time here,” Colonneso said.
“I didn’t expect to make a trip here today. I gave up another meeting when I saw this, it was so outlandish,” she said in conclusion.
Final comments
“This is not terminating Cheri today. I am not eliminating the public process. I’m going to make a motion to give 15 days’ notice of a vote. The public, community leaders, citizens of all types can reach out to us. I just want us to make some fundamental cultural changes,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Baugh seconded Van Ostenbridge’s motion.
Before voting on the motion, Whitmore said, “I knew this was orchestrated. Kevin, I supported you. I am ashamed that I did. You’ve been in office 50 hours. This was premediated. I’ve had the calls; every one of you have. I know what’s going on. There are employees crying right now because of what you’ve just done. Maybe you don’t care, but you should.”
In response, Van Ostenbridge said, “I agree with you, it’s a very difficult decision. It can be very emotional for people, but you cannot run a $1.5 billion business based on feelings and emotion. Unfortunately, it has to be run pragmatically, as a business.”
Servia said, “With all due respect, this is not a good way to do business because there are so many unintended consequences that amount to millions and millions of dollars; and things are shifting right now today because of this action. This is a very dangerous approach.”
Satcher said no one should be surprised about Van Ostenbridge’s positions.
“Everyone that was running for election had very public comments about what was going on at Lena Road. Of course it’s expected. It was a major decision. I was tempted to read my Facebook post: ‘Five reasons why the Lena Road land deal is wrong for Manatee County.’ I should have said 32 million and 5 reasons why it was bad for Manatee County,” Satcher said, citing a figure that was higher than the $30,185,625 sale price listed on the signed contract.
Commissioner James Satcher disagrees with a recent county land acquisition. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Kruse said the Coryea decision is one of the most serious decisions this commission will make, and he noted it will have implications throughout the entire county and county government.
“If you’re a director and you work directly under Ms. Coryea, please reach out to me – Ms. Coryea included,” Kruse said of his willingness to speak with as many people as possible before making his decision.
“This isn’t premeditated or a done deal. I am going to do my due diligence and my homework. Lena Road, while I disagree with it, that wouldn’t be my decision in and of itself, but there’s bigger philosophical things,” Kruse said.
Commissioner George Kruse says he has not made his decision yet. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After the 4-3 vote to put Coryea on notice took place, the commission discussed scheduling that meeting on Dec. 15. Bellamy requested the discussion be delayed until after the holidays and the other members unanimously supported his request.
