In
the course of reviewing several thousand emails and documents obtained through public record requests regarding
the Lafayette Park HPO process, there was a noticeable lack of
commuincation from
the Mayor and City Commissioners, while there was an astonishing amount
of emails and letters directed to
the Mayor & City Commissioners.
The almost total lack of visible communication and
involvement by our
elected leaders--to the point of virtually ignoring the issue (or
hiding from it) strikes me very forcefully. They appear to
have let us
down, and
it shows in the record. The
exception to this is Commissioner Debbie
Lightsey. She
got involved very early, she stayed involved, and she made a real
difference in keeping the procedures as honest as possible in spite of
rogue elements within our city government who were determined to have a
hand in taking control of our property away from us through the abuse
of the Historical Preservation process.
Following, for your
education and enlightenmentment, are selected elements of emails
wherein Ms. Lightsey puts it on the line and demands answers and
accountability.
Ms. Lightsey, I respect and admire your
involvement, and sincerely appreciate your stance of demanding answers.
Thank you! I hope our neighbors and
other voters in
Tallahassee recognize your hand in saving our neighborhood, and let you
know how much we appreciate your efforts and the success of those
efforts........Mark
Daniel, editor
Note: Each of the entire emails, in context, will be presented in
our forthcoming HPO timeline issue. The purpose here is to
highlight that the critical questions were being asked at a time when
they mattered. Where would we be today, if these questions were
not asked?
-----
Original Message -----
From: Lightsey, Debbie
To: Tedder, Wayne; Parker, Michael
Cc: Divine, Ruth Ann
Sent: Fri Aug 01 09:24:31 2008
Subject: Lafayette Park Historic Preservation
I've gotten a couple of calls about the effort to place an Historic
Preservation overlay in parts or all of the Lafayette Park
neighborhood. I am getting some conflicting stories, but want
to make sure that before this goes to any official body for a vote, the
process of involving all the property owners, sending out ballots and
the tabulation has been handled correctly.
Who on our staff participates in this?
What do you all know about where this is in the
process?
Thanks for any guidance you can provide. If you all aren't
the right people to ask, let me know. Debbie
From: Lightsey, Debbie
[mailto:Debbie.Lightsey@talgov.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 10:29 AM
To: miketaltrust@comcast.net
Subject: Lafayette Park
I am getting e-mails from both sides about the effort to create a
historic designation for all or part of Lafayette
Park. What do you
know about this? I have been
told that the advocates inside the
N.A. are not sharing information with those who are undecided or
opposed.
If you have any involvement, can you
ensure that everyone has full information and that the mailings and
vote tabulation are done correctly and
transparently? I have no
position on this so don't represent either side's view, but I always
insist that these processes be handled appropriately and consistent
with all the rules. Debbie
Lightsey
From: Lightsey, Debbie
[mailto:Debbie.Lightsey@talgov.com]
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 1:10 PM
To: Mike Wing
Subject: RE: Lafayette Park
Do you know how and when the ballots were sent out?
Did all property
owners get a ballot or only people who are members of the Neighborhood
Association? Does the rule say 50% of the
property owners need to
say yes; or 50% of those who received the ballot; or, 50% of the
neighborhood association members? I am
not clear on how this works.
Were you told that 50% of the property owners said yes before you
update the historic survey?
If you are listed as an
applicant along with the Neighborhood Association, you need
to be able
to validate that the process was properly handled to protect your
credibility. Unfortunately some of these
neighborhood disputes can
become very heated and very divisive. Debbie
Commissioner
Lightsey:
To answer your questions,
I believe the ballots were sent out in April and May of 2006 to all the
property owners in the neighborhood, and collected up until February of
2007. I was then informed by the Neighborhood that after
counting the
yes, no, and no responses, over 50% of the property owners within the
neighborhood had expressed interested in becoming a historic
district.
After receiving this information the Trust initiated the new historic
survey of
the neighborhood which was just recently completed....
Mike
Wing Executive
Director
Tallahassee
Trust for Historic Preservation
From: Lightsey, Debbie [mailto:Debbie.Lightsey@talgov.com]
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 4:38 PM
To: Mike Wing
Cc: Tedder, Wayne; Divine, Ruth Ann
Subject: RE: Lafayette Park
While
still not voicing a position, I would tell you that these results in my
view are stale. Over two years have lapsed since the original
mailing. Properties may have changed hands, folks
could have changed
their minds, etc.
Also, I know that "expressing interest"
can be very different than endorsing, once full information is
given. At any point in this process
beginning now, dioes the N.A.
intend to renotice all the property owners with full info on
the pros
and cons of the historic designation so they can indicate a
preference?? I assume that the planning department will send
out
notices prior to this coming before the Planning Commission or city
commission.
On what date did you indicate to the N.A. that the
city commission would want to know that over 50% of the current
property owners were in favor before an affirmative vote by
the
Commission to establish the district. Who is your N.A.
contact?
I
am copying our staff on this to see who is involved and hear their
recitation of the full process employed before this reaches the city
commission for a vote. Debbie
From: Deborah.Lightsey@talgov.com
To: Wayne.Tedder@talgov.comRuth.Divine@talgov.com
Subject: RE: Lafayette Park Historic Preservation
Date: 08/05/2008 09:27
Thanks
Wayne for such a full response. I think I concur with your
view that
this is not ready to move forward at this time. I have become
concerned that this process had not been handled very well, i.e. the
mailing to property owners (don't know how complete that was) was over
two years ago and we had no validated results indicating support or
opposition. The mailing apparently only asked if
property owners were
"interested".
I know this is causing a lot of dissension
in the neighborhood so we do have to make sure the process is complete
and done according to all applicable rules and
regs. Debbie
From: Deborah.Lightsey@talgov.com
To: Wayne.Tedder@talgov.com
Subject: RE: Lafayette Park Historic Preservation
Date: 08/05/2008 10:19
I'm
ok with it coming to the LRTI. I had already expressed to
Mike Wing
some of my concerns with what appeared to be a very informal, kind
of
sloppy process used to date on this. Don't recall whether I
copied you
on my e-mail to Mike yesterday. Debbie
From: Deborah.Lightsey@talgov.com
To: annbid@embarqmail.netRuth.Divine@talgov.com
Subject: RE: Historic Preservation\Lafayette Park
Date: 01/26/2009 14:54
Ann,
Wayne forwarded this to me. I'm sure he will
respond to you, but to
my knowledge he has not expressed an opinion on this issue, and I would
be surprised if he did. He is far more professional than that.
His
position is the same as mine. This must go through a legal,
open,
inclusive neighborhood process. It did not the first time
whether
through inexperience or whatever on the part of the original
supporters. That was my opinion and
Wayne's. Also we had the city
attorney's office weigh in so this would be done correctly.
Because
this one got off to such a horrible start with lots of anger and
distrust from the get/go (because of the original process), it has been
the most controversial and divisive one in my memory. Wayne
is just
trying to make sure that if it ever gets to the Commission for a vote,
it will not have to be disqualified because of process and technical
issues.
Likely those who characterize his position so
negatively are staunch supporters who feel he is slowing down or
otherwise lengthening the
process. Debbie
From: Deborah.Lightsey@talgov.com
To:
Thomas.Coe@talgov.comWayne.Tedder@talgov.comRuth.Divine@talgov.com
Subject: RE: Planning Commission Staff Determinations and
Work Product: Lafayette Park HPO
Date: 02/05/2009 10:24
Can
someone, you or Wayne, summarize the issues with the
balloting? How
many were mailed out, how many received back, yes/no, number of
questioned or disqualified ballots? This would be helpful in
putting
all this in some context.
As you know, we are getting lots
of e-mail on this one, and it is supposed to come to the LRTI before
the City Commission. Thanks. Debbie
From: Lightsey, Debbie
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 11:58 AM
To: Hudson, Linda
Cc: Divine, Ruth Ann
Subject: FW: Saturday's Anti-HPO Meeting
Linda,
can you check out what is required of a valid "certification"
of
properties as being a contributing structure. This
gentleman [ED note:
referring to a letter from neighborhood resident Boo Griffin]
questions the validity based on the document being out of date or the
analysis being done by someone who is not qualified. I know
little of
the requirements for this aspect of the process.
Debbie
