Letter: City should have given proper notice before fee waiver

Edward A. Slavin, Jr.
St Augustine, FL

Dear Editor:

I have written to our Mayor and St Augustine City Commissioners asking that they please reconsider their hasty, ill-advised, possibly unconstitutional, 5/7 waiver of archaeological excavation fees from David and Sandra Corneal for the property at 102 Bridge Street.

I have requested that they kindly hear the matter during the next regularly called meeting of the Board; when it can appear on the agenda, have a public hearing, complete with public comment.

Please don’t violate our Sunshine and Open Records rights ever again.

Please reverse this unwise vote in favor of special privileges for a “one-percenter”.

There were no good policy reasons given, no legal or policy memo, or advice, inadequate public notice, a bad precedent was created, and the beneficiary is a wealthy lawyer who can’t claim to be ignorant of the law.

The Corneal architect is Commissioner Donald Crichlow, who well knows about archaeology fees.

In short: this fee waiver stinks.

It is void or voidable ab initio as a contract violation of public policy and a violation of Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution and our Sunshine law. There could be state or federal criminal prosecution for Sunshine violations.

Please reverse this vote, and hold an open, public hearing on the issue.

What do y’all reckon?