Sheriff wants $300,000 !!!!

[The Watcher]

As posted in the NW FL Daily News.

What a complete embarrassment this is for our county. Now all of the State Government knows our sheriff went to a cooking class in lieu of meeting with the County Commissioners. Very Sad. Keep up the great work sheriff.

Sheriff to ask again for $300,000

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Another hearing possible for Walton Sheriff Ralph Johnson, commissioners


May 29, 2008 - 7:13PM
Andy Meinen

Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson will ask the county commissioners for another public hearing to ask them for more than $300,000 for to pay for 911 equipment.

Johnson and county officials met for more than two hours in Tallahassee on Thursday with the staff of the state Administration Commission, which is made up of Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet. The staff listened to arguments from both sides and will eventually make a recommendation to the formal Administration Commission.

In an e-mail sent to the Daily News on Thursday evening, Johnson said he will ask for a public in hearing in late June. The e-mail, which was from Sheriff's Office spokesman Eddie Farris, said Johnson asked for the second hearing because the chairman at Thursday's meeting suggested it.

Randy Ball, the governor's public safety policy adviser, said that he told Johnson to "consider" fixing the problem before the Administration Commission meets again.

"I told him it would be in his best interest," Ball said. (This is called a hint);-)

Johnson's e-mail said that the Administration Commission will push back its scheduled June 10 hearing by a month or so to give both sides a chance to meet.

"Hopefully the issue can be resolved at (the public) hearing. If not, the appeal proceedings in Tallahassee will resume on July 29," the e-mail stated.

It also stated that Johnson is pleased to have the chance to work with the commissioners.

Interim County Attorney Mike Burke said the Administration Commission staffers were well-informed. Burke said the staff "strongly encouraged" Johnson to set up the public hearing.

"And, of course, that is what we would like to happen," Burke said.

Johnson set up a public hearing with commissioners in February to discuss the matter, but skipped it to attend a charity cooking show. The commission then denied his request for $311,431 to pay Motorola Corp. for new 911 equipment.

Johnson then filed the petition with Administration Commission in March.

Ball said nearly all such issues are settled before they are presented to the Administration Commission.
Daily News Staff Writer Andy Meinen can be reached at 654-6905.

 

[wrobert]

As posted in the NW FL Daily News.

What a complete embarrassment this is for our county. Now all of the State Government knows our sheriff went to a cooking class in lieu of meeting with the County Commissioners. Very Sad. Keep up the great work sheriff.

Sheriff to ask again for $300,000

Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Another hearing possible for Walton Sheriff Ralph Johnson, commissioners


May 29, 2008 - 7:13PM
Andy Meinen

Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson will ask the county commissioners for another public hearing to ask them for more than $300,000 for to pay for 911 equipment.

Johnson and county officials met for more than two hours in Tallahassee on Thursday with the staff of the state Administration Commission, which is made up of Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet. The staff listened to arguments from both sides and will eventually make a recommendation to the formal Administration Commission.

In an e-mail sent to the Daily News on Thursday evening, Johnson said he will ask for a public in hearing in late June. The e-mail, which was from Sheriff's Office spokesman Eddie Farris, said Johnson asked for the second hearing because the chairman at Thursday's meeting suggested it.

Randy Ball, the governor's public safety policy adviser, said that he told Johnson to "consider" fixing the problem before the Administration Commission meets again.

"I told him it would be in his best interest," Ball said. (This is called a hint);-)

Johnson's e-mail said that the Administration Commission will push back its scheduled June 10 hearing by a month or so to give both sides a chance to meet.

"Hopefully the issue can be resolved at (the public) hearing. If not, the appeal proceedings in Tallahassee will resume on July 29," the e-mail stated.

It also stated that Johnson is pleased to have the chance to work with the commissioners.

Interim County Attorney Mike Burke said the Administration Commission staffers were well-informed. Burke said the staff "strongly encouraged" Johnson to set up the public hearing.

"And, of course, that is what we would like to happen," Burke said.

Johnson set up a public hearing with commissioners in February to discuss the matter, but skipped it to attend a charity cooking show. The commission then denied his request for $311,431 to pay Motorola Corp. for new 911 equipment.

Johnson then filed the petition with Administration Commission in March.

Ball said nearly all such issues are settled before they are presented to the Administration Commission.
Daily News Staff Writer Andy Meinen can be reached at 654-6905.

Why is it that Andy keeps saying this was a charity cooking show?

 

[seagrovegirl]

Did Johnson HAVE to go appear before the commission to request the $311,000 for the emergenct equipment? Was that mandatory protocal...or are the commissioners playing hard ball? Haven't been able to understnad the bro haha, unless it was mandatory for Johnson to show at the meeting for the request.

And....was there a grant involved with the remainder of the equipment? Is the $311,000. to match the grant? And how much is it going to cost the county if the match isn't granted....that is...if there is a grant involved.

 

[wrobert]

Did Johnson HAVE to go appear before the commission to request the $311,000 for the emergenct equipment? Was that mandatory protocal...or are the commissioners playing hard ball? Haven't been able to understnad the bro haha, unless it was mandatory for Johnson to show at the meeting for the request.

And....was there a grant involved with the remainder of the equipment? Is the $311,000. to match the grant? And how much is it going to cost the county if the match isn't granted....that is...if there is a grant involved.

Several questions were asked by the BCC that night and by citizens at the public hearing and Capt Farris stated that he would have to refer them to the Sheriff for an answer. The public hearing is a statutory requirement.

If a grant was involved it was not mentioned at the meeting that I recall.

 

[The Watcher]

Grant

Several questions were asked by the BCC that night and by citizens at the public hearing and Capt Farris stated that he would have to refer them to the Sheriff for an answer. The public hearing is a statutory requirement.

If a grant was involved it was not mentioned at the meeting that I recall.

I have only heard that WCSO was offered grant money to obtain the system. Apparently, R.J. did not want the one (system) that was being offered and he elected (without consulting anyone) to go buy his own... = $300,000+

As I said, I have only HEARD this, so if someone can verify, that would be great. Either way, its more of our tax dollars down R.J.'s toilet.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Don't recall hearing about grants. I do remember people questioning the "upgrade" rather than the "capital expense." Also remember unanswered questions as to why the Sheriff didn't get a bids for the $300,000+ equipment. That seemed to be the biggest question. The rest of the County has to receive bids for purchases of that magnitude.

 

[Alicia Leonard]

Don't recall hearing about grants. I do remember people questioning the "upgrade" rather than the "capital expense." Also remember unanswered questions as to why the Sheriff didn't get a bids for the $300,000+ equipment. That seemed to be the biggest question. The rest of the County has to receive bids for purchases of that magnitude.

Only my understanding of the meeting. The upgrade is not a 'Capital project' and therefore doesn't have to be bid out. The interim county attorney spoke on that at the meeting and I quoted him as saying that the WCSO was within their rights to not bid the project. If it was a structure such as the driving facility and over a certain amount then it had to go out to the bidding process.

The grants were issued to the county 911 upgrade and they included the DFSPD upgrade in that account. The WCSO was not included because as the operations person told me at the 911 center the WCSO had the funds to pay for theirs when the grant was submitted.

 

[Smiling JOe]

aleonard, that is the way I understood it too. The question was why a totally new set of equipment was NOT a capital expense. An upgrade is typically an improvement to a current item, such as having a system, and getting upgraded antenna which gets better reception. People want to know why a replacement system is an upgrade. They are thinking that the only reason was so that Sheriff Johnson could bypass the bidding requirements of capital expenditures. Without Sheriff Johnson being available, the public nor BCC had any answers, and therefore wouldn't approve the funds.

 

[Alicia Leonard]

aleonard, that is the way I understood it too. The question was why a totally new set of equipment was NOT a capital expense. An upgrade is typically an improvement to a current item, such as having a system, and getting upgraded antenna which gets better reception. People want to know why a replacement system is an upgrade. They are thinking that the only reason was so that Sheriff Johnson could bypass the bidding requirements of capital expenditures. Without Sheriff Johnson being available, the public nor BCC had any answers, and therefore wouldn't approve the funds.

I agree SJ . I questioned in my article on the meeting if this was an upgrade or a replacement. I believe Wrobert and I bandied that about for a few post and finally agreed it was a case of semantics. But Burkes statement as to this being within the legal boundaries of their purchasing power since it was not a structure but was a piece of equipment covered the WCSO on not having to bid out the vendor for the product.

My understanding as to what they wanted to question him about was not so much the equipment but why it could not be paid out of the new budget since he would reasonably have the same amount left over that was supposed to pay for this system out of the old budget.

 

[Trend Setter]

Grant money

overnor's office seeking information from Walton County, sheriff
By ANDY MEINEN
andym@nwfdailynews.com
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS ? Gov. Charlie Crist?s office is looking for more information before it decides whether to force Walton County to give the Sheriff?s Office more than $300,000 for 911 equipment.
Walton Sheriff Ralph Johnson filed a petition in March asking the Administration Commission, which is made up of the governor and his Cabinet, to make the county pay for new 911 equipment after the County Commission denied Johnson?s request for the funds.
The Administration Commission will decide the matter at a later date, said Randy Ball, the governor?s public safety police adviser.
The letter from Crist?s office asks the county whether the Emergency Operations Center?s 911 equipment, which is the primary 911 system for the county, complies with state law.
The letter asks for much more from the Sheriff?s Office.
Johnson filed his petition stating that he was declaring an emergency because the Sheriff?s Office?s old 911 system was out of compliance. The letter asks Johnson to describe the emergency in detail.
Messages left Monday for Johnson were not returned.
The letter also asks Johnson to provide an outlined copy of expenditures from the 2006-07 budget and any documentation that states the Sheriff?s Office 911 system is out of compliance with state standards, and asks whether the new system from Motorola that cost $311,431 has been installed yet.
The letter also asks Johnson whether he submitted a budget amendment to the county commissioners for consideration for the additional funds. Johnson asked for a public hearing on the matter at a February County Commission meeting but didn?t show up. His request was denied.
The county and the sheriff have until April 24 to provide the Administration Commission with the requested information.
Ball said that once he gets the additional facts, the process should take several weeks to complete.
The whole dispute, however, might have been avoided altogether.
Michelle Gatlin, Walton County?s 911 coordinator at the EOC, said the Sheriff?s Office was part of a grant from the state to get nearly $700,000 for upgraded 911 equipment for both agencies. Gatlin said that in August, the Sheriff?s Office abruptly asked to be left out of the grant.
Now the EOC and the DeFuniak Springs Police Department are getting new 911 equipment, Gatlin said.