CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK $1.00 FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014 /20 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS • fbnewsleader.com Lawsuit plot thickens: city sues attorney ANGELA DAUGHTRY News-Leader The city of Fernandina Beach has filed a lawsuit against local attorney Clinch Kavanaugh regarding a public records request made Friday by Kavanaugh. The complaint alleges the city is not required to give Kavanaugh the transcripts of a meeting because the meet- ing was not open to the public while the matter is being lit- igated. The meeting included City Attorney Tammi Bach, attor- neys from Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell law firm, city com- missioners, a court reporter and two attorneys from Bryant, Miller, Olive law firm, for discussion of an ongoing class- action lawsuit against the city. According to the complaint, the transcripts of the “shade meeting” are exempted because the meeting was convened LAWSUIT Continued on 3A Mayor dredges for accounting SUBMITTED The state appropriated $567,000 to continue de-snagging Thomas Creek on the county’s West Side to prevent local flooding. The county launched a $1 million de-snagging effort in 2010 and 2011 paid with a combination of grants and of city project $430,000 from taxpayers. The creek floods regularly, as it did, above, in 2011. ANGELA DAUGHTRY State help for Thomas Creek News-Leader Mayor Ed Boner got up the ire of a local resident and a fellow commissioner during Tuesday’s meeting when he MARY MAGUIRE state representatives in Nassau and Duval said in a phone interview Tuesday. questioned accounting for $8,000 the city granted to the res- News-Leader counties. State Sen. Aaron Bean included When the governor signed the state’s ident last year for an experimental dredging machine. the project in the senate’s budget proposal $77.1 million budget into law on Monday Resident Lynn Williams was granted the money in The state has appropriated $567,000 to early in the session and also sent a person- there was concern among local officials that March 2013 by the city commission to build the device Nassau County to continue cleaning up al letter of appeal dated May 8 to Gov. Rick he would use his line-item veto to eliminate using water injection technology, but Williams has never pre- Thomas Creek on the county’s West Side. Scott urging his approval. the Thomas Creek project from the budget. sented the city with any project plans or accounting of the The money will be used to clear the water of Duval County state Rep. Lake Ray got But the creek cleanup stayed in and the funds. natural debris, such as trees, logs and leaves, involved on the House side because Thomas news from Tallahassee spread quickly, to Williams said in a phone interview he in an effort to prevent local flooding. Creek, a 63-mile stretch of waterway that everyone except Boatright, who was was “taken aback” by Boner’s questions “It’s great news,” said Commissioner snakes between US 301 and I-95, serves as acknowledged in a county press release for regarding accountability, which resulted Walter “Jr.” Boatright, whose West Side has a natural boundary between the two coun- leading the push for the money. in Williams heatedly telling Boner that been directly impacted by the floodwater. ties. While Duval residents did not experi- “I was out of cell phone range most of the he did not have a written accounting of “That water is clogged like a dang bathtub ence flooding, part of the goal is to improve day and when I could finally get messages funds. down there.” water quality and restore recreational use. If my phone was lighting up like a dang “(Boner has been) been very sup- A broad lobbying effort helped secure the the water gets moving again, there could Christmas tree,” said Boatright. portive of this project,” Williams said in funding for the de-snagging effort, said be boating and fishing on both sides of the “I’m just glad to hear that I could help.” the phone interview. “He said it seemed Williams Boatright. creek. Over the last few months, Boatright and worthwhile and would turn the marina County government officials and staff Additionally, officials noted, the state County Engineer Shane Whittier traveled around.” and its hired lobbyist in Tallahassee owns the creek’s submerged land, so to twice to Tallahassee to meet with govern- Williams also said the project has launched an effort in March at the start of them it made sense for the state to help out ment officials, including high-level staff in the taken much longer than expected due to the legislative session to secure the funding. financially. permitting requirements from the Florida The effort also included strong support from “This was truly a team effort,” Boatright CREEK Continued on 3A Department of Environmental Protection regarding the protection of sea life on the river bottom. Boner said he questioned Williams about the accounting of funds because citizens ask him “fairly regularly” what College mainstay happened with the project. Boner “(Williams) took it personally, and it’s not,” Boner said in a phone interview Wednesday. “The person that takes the money shouldn’t be surprised that we asked about it ... you have to expect peo- retires after 30 years ple to ask, but he didn’t really tell us anything.” Vice Mayor Sarah Pelican at the meeting defended the funding of Williams’ project, telling Boner he should just call MARY MAGUIRE Mets uniform standing among items in his Williams directly if he has any questions. News-Leader office bookcase. It’s a small, modest space “Just get it straight from the horse’s mouth,” Pelican said. tucked in a corner on the Betty P. Cook Nassau Commissioner Charles Corbett also bristled when Boner college official who says that one of Center. That’s the official name of the FSCJ said at the meeting that he would like to see “some sort of the happiest days of his life hap- campus in Yulee. accounting” when and if the commission ever approves pened while ditching high school There are family photographs on the wall such a project again. A should have a good excuse for miss- along with an inspirational quote from the A “Are you telling us what to do?” Corbett said to Boner. ing class. Dalai Lama and a plaque that reads “Born to According to Williams’ calculations, if the city marina Don Hughes, who runs the Nassau County Fish, Forced to Work.” The April birth used the new technology it would cost about $15,000 to campus for Florida State College at announcement for his first grandchild $20,000 or less annually to maintain shoaling at the marina, Jacksonville, thinks he does: Attending game 7 (Elizabeth Joy) is taped to the door. compared to hundreds of thousands spent every few years of the 1969 World Series in New York to watch There are piles of paperwork on his desk to dredge mechanically. the New York Mets win the baseball champi- and on a small round table. Hughes points to Williams said Wednesday he “never intended to keep onship. the tallest stack and says it is going home with good records” on the project, but was going to provide the He is a big fan and it was a legendary game him at the end of the day. city with graphics and a report on the conclusions of the that claims as much cultural significance as It does not look like the office of a person experimental technology. Woodstock, the Beatles and the lunar landing. who is days away from retirement after 30 “I’ve done experimental work before against a contract,” “Oh yeah, it was just a great, great day,” years on the job. Williams said. “If someone starts poking at it, they start tak- said Hughes. “My friends and I ditched school Where are the boxes? MARY MAGUIRE/NEWS-LEADER ing it apart. ... I won’t try to itemize everything to the with big smiles on our faces. We got standing “Good question,” said Hughes. “People Don Hughes, who runs the penny.” room only tickets and I believe the price was have suggested that I take something home Nassau County campus for Williams said he had spent about $3,600 of the city $7.” every day but I just haven’t found the time. I Florida State College at money on hardware for the test machine, which he intend- Hughes, 61, shared this story after a visitor Jacksonville, will retire from notices a doll with orange hair dressed in a HUGHES Continued on 3A the job in June after 30 years. DREDGE Continued on 3A News-Leader INDEX OUT AND ABOUT ................. 2B SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON 160th year. No. 46 CLASSIFIEDS ...............................7B RELIGION .................................................. 3B 2014 Nests: 16 COMMUNITY ............................ 8A SCHOOL NEWS ................................... 4B Copyright, 2014 2012 Nests: 189 Hatchlings: 14,096 The News-Leader EDITORIAL .................................. 7A SERVICE DIRECTORY .......................7B Please turn off or redirect lights shining Fernandina Beach, FL MUSIC NOTES ..................................... 2B SPORTS .................................................... 10A directly on the beach. For a detailed count Printed on 100% recycled OBITUARIES ........................................... 2A SUDOKU ...................................... 2B newsprint with soy based ink. see www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com . CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 2A FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014 NEWS News-Leader WEEKLY Tips for keeping OBITUARIES UPDATE Sara Ruth Daw Bembry agement of shipboard mechanical and electrical Food pantry Sara Ruth Daw Bembry, 98, passed away inventory (supporting the teen drivers safe June 3, 2014 in Fernandina Beach, Florida after Polaris nuclear and submarine canceled a brief illness. program), logistic support of Barnabas Center TAMPA – Teens across the and teens should continue to She was born January 20, 1916 in Dalton, naval aircraft and ships, direct- announces the mobile food country are eager to begin practice driving together to Georgia to Ruth Elizabeth Hawkins Keith and ing industrial relations nation- pantries typically held each their summer holiday.