Update: Broward Health Commission Ignores the Sunshine Law Again!
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward Health Commissioners still don’t understand that they are running a public health care system.
Public, as in county taxpayers paid $140 million last year plus millions in grants and other goodies to run it.
That tax money gives the public certain rights. Like the right to know how the system is being run.
There has been turmoil at Broward Health in the past months over federal and state investigations into the system’s no-bid contracts approved behind closed doors. Despite that, commissioners on Thursday agreed to do key elements of Broward Health General Counsel Lynn Barrett evaluation out of the Sunshine.
Lynn Barrett (photo: Floridabulldog.org)
Commissioners will question Barrett about her job performance in private and score her answers on a form prepared by Broward Health’s Human Relations Department. Those forms will then be made public at a later meeting.
Here is the reasoning behind the private evaluation contained in the meeting’s agenda:
“This will afford each Commissioner the ability to ask the questions necessary to complete their evaluation form as well as to respect the potential for certain sensitive matters that should not be mad(e) public potentially in defense of the system.”
Commissioner Christopher Ure explained that he didn’t want to discuss private legal matters involving the health care system in public.
I translate ducking the Sunshine Law differently: Commissioners don’t want to embarrass Broward Health by asking Barrett tough questions in public.
If the School Board or County Commissioner were worried about embarrassing their governments, they wouldn’t hold meetings!
Some have questioned competence of Barrett to provide legal advise to a government. She was hired nine months ago and has extensive experience in the private sector.
Criticism of Barrett includes (1) “out of control” spending for private law firms under her watch to firms tied to the governor, and (2) a penchant for doing business privately, which at least one report on Broward Health called a violation of the Sunshine Law.
With the U. S. Justice Department, FBI and state Office of Inspector General breathing down Broward Health’s neck, Barrett’s effectiveness as General Counsel is more vital today than ever. The public deserves to know how she is doing. They deserve to know what she is doing to protect our health care system and our money.
Commissioners apparently believe in the old maxim about not airing dirty laundry in public more than they believe in the Sunshine Law.
My take:
Broward Health’s general counsel’s office has a lot of dirty laundry and the public deserves to know about it.
Here is the agenda item:
The following recommendation was made: using the HR Performance Evaluation Form, each Commissioner will meet with Ms. Barrett individually to complete her evaluation. This will afford each Commissioner the ability to ask the questions necessary to complete their evaluation form as well as to respect the potential for certain sensitive matters that should not be mad public potentially in defense of the system. Secondly, Ms. Barrett should be afforded the opportunity to provide her own update with respect to what she has been doing in the past 8 months. What were the priorities that she took on and what were the priorities that were communicated to her.
Today’s latest installment in the series on Broward Health written by myself and Dan Christensen for Floridabulldog.org is linked here.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:39 am
Doctors, Employees and Board Members make sure to stop by Mortons on Federal Highway at happy hour for the Judge Nina DiPietro fundraiser. I cant imaging those who have already contributed would be precluded from getting a complimentary cocktail weenie and highball from the campaign.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:45 am
Once again ILLEGAL. WTF?! Does the state not prosecute sunshine violations any more?
April 27th, 2016 at 1:46 pm
What she’s been doing the last 8 months is walking around the parking lot with that burner phone and getting her marching orders from some bald headed guy in Tallahassee. Her priorities are shelling out as much money as possible to politically connected lawfirms while simultaneously setting up Broward Health to end up being taken over by private owners.
April 27th, 2016 at 2:06 pm
This is a little bit off topic, but yesterday I had privilege (sarcasm) of attending the Broward County Commission Meeting. Here are a few take aways that I got from that meeting.
1) Chip LaMarca LOVVEESSSS to hear himself talk. He just rambles and rambles and rambles.
2) Because he rambles on into oblivion, his fellow commissioners completely tune him out. During Chip’s 20 min speech about nothing, Tim Ryan was walking around talking to other people, Mayor Kiar was looking at him like when are you going to shut up so I can recognize someone else to speak, and everyone else was just in a different place mentally until this blowhard stops talking!
It is beyond my understanding how this man ever got elected in the first place, but then got re-elected, and also serves on the corrupt Broward Health Board. CRAZY!
I wonder if he even cares at all that his threatening of Dr. El Sandi may have led to his eventual suicide?
My guess is probably not, because the man is the epitome of a narcissistic ego-maniac..
STOP TALKING SO MUCH CHIP AND MAYBE YOU’LL LEARN SOMETHING..
April 27th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Look Counsels to Commissions n Boards issue opinions to their BOSSES who EMPLOY them. It is up to the Browsrd Board today whether to accept probably ILLEGAL proceedures from this Counsel who is digging a deeper n deeper hole for them as she wastes piles of OUR tax money.
April 27th, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Does BH have an HR Executive?
Why would they recommend such a blatantly ignorant move.
April 27th, 2016 at 5:06 pm
@2
No … they’ve long given up …
Like their nearly 3 year investigation into Jean Robb.
April 27th, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Ummm Rhoda Sokolof had a fundraiser at Morton tonight not Nina.
April 27th, 2016 at 11:57 pm
Suggestion to @2 Stormwatch
Take a snap or video n out it on you tube n send copies to the media n blogs.
Years ago on South Beach a big bundler for members of the Miami Beach City Commission rented spaces on Espanola Way to tennants he “protected” from parking rules on Drexel Avenue. A Drexel business owner made a video n put it on the internet n the embarassed City Commussion n City Manager stopped the trucks n vans. You could use that method here
April 28th, 2016 at 2:22 am
Dearest Misinformed and Maligned,
Nice of you to get off topic and get a quick shot in on Commissioner Lamarca, as if he hasn’t had enough
shrapnel his way from the same three jealous a-holes that write anonymously on this blog under
creative names. Two items to clarify for you and knowing your small mind, I’ll type really slowly.
Lamarca is not and has never been a Broward Health Commissioner. He couldn’t serve there and be on
the BOCC. Think before you write dumbass.
As for the meeting and his “blabbering”, I was there to speak on the transportation surtax issue so I heard everything he said. What you heard was the only member of the commission with any knowledge of the construction industry
explaining why this convention center and hotel project is in deep trouble. The others would do well to
listen to him instead of the rude, know it all lawyers like Ryan and Ritter making kindergarten attacks on
his political party.
Don’t even get me started about that political hack Kiar and his great ideas to follow the lead of Bruce
Springsteen and Pearl Jam when creating public policy. They got into the craziest back and forth about
boycotts and travel bans because of this ridiculous transgender bathroom ban issue. Lamarca was the
only one smart enough to ask CVB president Nicki Grossman up to get her opinion about travel bans.
She could have kissed this guy for finally getting her input. I think she was pissed that the Kiar didn’t ask her
about existing travel or any economic opportunities before trying to ram this useless resolution through. Turns out she is going to NC for the NFL Owner’s meeting to try to get us a super bowl. Lamarca’s persistent advocating got them all to vote against a travel ban. Kiar actually said he would like to boycott the county doing business with any company from
NC and MS. Does he know how many high-tech companies that do business with the county are located in
the research triangle? The worst part is that this clown is going to be handed the keys to the Broward
County Property Appraiser’s office.
I’ll keep my money on Lamarca because he doesn’t govern by insulting other members, vendors and
anyone serving in Tallahassee. He does what we asked him to do when we voted for him…use common sense. They still don’t get it. That’s why Broward gets what they deserve and so does that hell hole of corruption Broward Health.
April 28th, 2016 at 7:12 am
The reason Board Members voted for this is that all Commissioners support Lynn Barrett with the exception of one.
The sad thing is that her supporters don’t yet know that there will be consequences for her incompetence and incorrect legal advice. Lynn is not focused on legally protecting the organization but rather working for herself and keeping money flowing to choice law firms.
April 28th, 2016 at 9:19 am
@missed your mark – HI CHIP! Chip THINKS he knows so much. A week ago he was all for the surtax and voted for it. But then when Commissioner Bogen voted against it, little chip jumped in to vote against it also. He claims to be a fiscal conservative, but he’s a duck. I hope he likes black and white stripes or maybe he’ll get lucky and get an orange jumpsuit. Chip is DONE. His hopes of running to Moratis seat – GONE! Commission seat re-election – GONE! SEE YA LITTLE CHIP!
April 28th, 2016 at 10:13 am
The Board members are NOT there to “support” legal opinions and advice but to receive it, ask questions about the issue, discuss it, and then decide what to do.
It appears the Board seems to think THEY WORK FOR LYNN BARRETT NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
Frankly I was shocked at how unimpressive she is in the photograph on the blog.
April 28th, 2016 at 3:59 pm
I mean, there are notorious court cases where little institutions like THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA attempted to hire a new Preisdent out of the sunshine and that was ruled illegal. Why does BH think their employment practices are somehow exempt?
April 28th, 2016 at 6:08 pm
So what…so the governor wants to sell us, Lynn Barrett wants to bankrupt us with legal fees. Is this any different from the total mismanagement of BH currently? Grant , Wong, Lewis and Peek close to
2million dollars in salaries for what?
We are mismanaged on a daily basis. Donna Lewis cannot function without the assistance of outside consultants, Dionne cannot function without the assistance of outside legal firms, Doris Peek is completely inept in a multitude of ways and certainly not capable of running the marketing department of a large corporation
Grant is waiting to retire.
Nothing I repeat nothing is getting done at the executive level I don’t care what the newspaper articles say or what you want to believe it is complete and utter chaos. So if you ask me it is not just the governor or Lynn Barrett it’s that whole team they need to go. A new company running us can’t be worse than what we have now.
April 28th, 2016 at 6:59 pm
HAHA,
This is Chip LaMarca and as Mr. Nevins knows, I make it a point to not waste my time debating ghosts on his blog. There are just too many negative people that would rather spend their limited time on this earth tearing other people down, rather than trying to produce something or accomplish something on their own. Constructive criticism would even be a step in the right direction, but that would require you putting some pants on, leaving the house and going out into the world.
The reason I am responding is simple. I didn’t write the above comments, but there are some interesting points made. You make up history and we don’t do that with our votes, because there is a record. Two weeks ago, Commissioner Holness was the only no vote and I did not have the opportunity to vote because I had to leave to tend to a family emergency. That means all of the others voted for it, 7-1.
This week I voted against the ILA for two reasons: 1. The communication with the cities obviously was incomplete, because they didn’t have accurate information and this is too big to move without their support. 2. Contrary to your statement about my votes on fiscal policy, I am the only commissioner who has voted to lower taxes (and not raise taxes or the millage rate) in six years/budgets…nobody else. I hope that changes this year and we get four more willing to lower the rate incrementally.
Your negative statements about a person’s height may work on others, but I’m completely comfortable with myself and the way I am accepted by others. As for the insinuation that I’ve ever done something illegal, more cheap shots from someone who doesn’t even have the backbone to use their own name while attacking someone else. Besides, that play didn’t work too well when Keechl used it in 2010 with his massive warchest of $600K and his >5% registration advantage. As a matter of fact, when he used personal attacks again in 2014, with a larger voter registration disadvantage of 9%, it failed again.
The problem with people like you is that you sell the average voter (R/D/NPA) short by thinking they want anything more out of their elected county representative than common sense, honest votes and people who do what they said they would do. I made commitments to:
1. Work tirelessly on economic development and job creation and I’ve done just that.
2. Fight to overturn a terrible dangerous dog law that risked the death of a family member with one mistake.
3. Never, ever, ever raise their taxes and try to find efficiencies and lower them.
4. Finally complete the work to get a state and federal permit and renourish our beautiful beaches.
5. Don’t act or vote like I know better than what the people say they want. Uber/Lyft were a perfect example of listening and making sure there were limited regulations in place so people could have options.
PS: People (we know who they are and we know who you are) said the same thing last time. “He can’t win.” “They redistricted him into a district he couldn’t win.” “A republican hasn’t won reelection in 24 years.”
Well, we worked hard, and the “we” is a tremendous group of unpaid volunteers who care about the cause. We turned a 9% deficit around and won by 6%.
You see, haters will always say those things, but I know better. Sorry that you’re such a sad and angry person, but this has already taken time away from my family and the needs of my district.
April 29th, 2016 at 7:16 am
Commissioners at the insistence of Comm Chris Ure are also keeping the search for a new CEO private. Names of the applicants and interviews will be done privately. This is against the law & a slap in the face of the many physicians working at BH who would like to know who will be running the institutions in the future.
April 29th, 2016 at 11:33 am
Yes Chip, it is true that you did take off right before the vote last week, but you made sure that you didn’t miss a chance to turn your mic on and talk even more! (I was watching that meeting on the computer, yes I am a nerd! That is something I already know!) But in your speech you said something to the effect of “whoever votes for the this, isn’t really supporting the item, they are just voting to put it on the ballot.” Ok, so essentially you are just punting on it! If you truly opposed it and were a “fiscal conservative” you would’ve voted against it and urged your fellow commissioners to do the same (even though they wouldn’t have, it would’ve made a statement).
In regards to your statement about being the only one who doesn’t vote to change the millage rate, the only reason you do that is because you know that the rest of the 9 are going to pass it – your vote is merely a “show vote!”
And since you’re on a roll with explaining things, please explain one more thing to all of us. How is it that one year ago today your home was $430,000+ in foreclosure. As we sit here today it is now paid off in full. How exactly is that possible? I am no accountant but I can do simple math and the numbers just don’t add up.
I am sure with that last statement, we will no longer be seeing any posts from Chip.. Which is sad that an elected official can’t answer to his voters. Anywho, hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
April 29th, 2016 at 11:47 am
I got you under my skin….
Chip your comments are the reason why you will never achieve more than you have now and will always be considered a lightweight. Everyone knows everything gets to you.
Do you ever see any of your colleagues on the Commission lash out at anonymous bloggers. How about Lori Parrish, Mayor Bober, Mayor Seiler Mayor Fisher or any other elected official in Broward. No, because they rise above commenting on anonymous blog comments.
It is unfortunate that you never learned poise and class from David Di Pietro. David fought the battles where they needed to be fought and not whining on blogs.
Here is the reality Chip, you won the elections and no one can take that away from you. At the same time everyone knows and whispers that you are a deadbeat who didn’t pay his mortgage for years. That you were a guy who claimed to have a successful construction business that never was. That those who have been on your bad side have no doubt you threatened El Sanadi. No one has a doubt there was something fishy how you went from near broke to paying off a half million debt on your home.
You can win elections but you know every time you walk into a room where people are whispering or laughing, you always wonder if its about you and your problems. You may have a title and have your ass kissed but those things do not add up to character. Everyone in town knows character is something you severely lack.
Also, please stop throwing you mom in as a defense when people make accusations against you. What more needs to be said about someone that hides behind their mommy.
FROM BUDDY:
Broward Commissioners Chip LaMarca is not the topic of this post.
April 29th, 2016 at 8:17 pm
Personal attacks achieve NOTHING and I am a DEMOCRAT.
THE ISSUE IS FISCAL MANAGEMENT AT A PUBLIC HOSPITAL. NOTHING MORE N NOTHING LESS.
FAKE NAME BLOGGERS EXCLUDING WHISTLE BLOWERS ARE THE PITS.
April 30th, 2016 at 8:44 am
Bad Boy Bad Boy Chip, what you gonna do? The FBI is coming for you.
April 30th, 2016 at 10:04 am
On the health topic, the Tampa Bay Times has published a blockbuster investigative report on how Florida’s “healthy food” (farm to table, farmer’s market, organic, upscale meats & seafoods, etc.) is a huge fraud (they totally nail everybody, all the way up to and including Zagat-rated restaurants) which is aided and abetted by a lame to non-existent State of Florida inspection & labeling system. Well worth reading!!
http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/restaurants/