Convenient memory and selective understanding

A year ago, March 7, 2014, Historic City News reporters began asking questions about the unusual circumstances under which a virtually unheard of start-up company called “Mummy Cat Productions” landed the contract to produce the Journey video and exhibit from the City of St Augustine.

Over the past year, we have published four articles, with documents, and a letter to the editor from a minority-owned local production company who was not even given an opportunity to quote on the Journey video project before it was awarded to Mummy Cat.

Anatomy of a 450th Commemoration exhibit
March 7, 2014

Editorial: Is Mummy Cat Productions double-dipping?
January 12, 2015

Quotes were not questioned by city purchasing department
January 14, 2015

The wicked web we weave: Journey video and exhibit
February 17, 2015

Letter: No minority producers in St Augustine?
March 1, 2015

In January we obtained the documents that showed the irregularities in the process 450th Commemoration Director, Dana Ste Claire, and former marketing consultant, Charlie Seraphin, used in making the Mummy Cat deal. That month we also learned that Mummy Cat had taken the Journey video, after they had already sold to the City for $10,000, and reworked it for distribution in syndication as if they still owned it.

After Historic City News published those findings, the City Attorney’s office began communications with Mummy Cat lawyer, James Whitehouse. According to Mayor Nancy Shaver, it was supposed to be the City’s intention to discuss royalties that would be paid to the City for the yet uncompensated derivative work. Shaver had suggested that something between 20% and 50% would be reasonable. The “after the fact” license agreement could have triggered a penalty.

Instead, Assistant City Attorney Denise May, engaged in several back-and-forth revisions between her office and Mummy Cat, through attorney Whitehouse; then drafted a royalty-free license with a five-year term and automatic one-year renewals.

The license agreement is set to be passed without discussion on the infamous “consent agenda” at Monday night’s meeting of the St Augustine City Commission.