part 3:
Venice Florida! dot com to Marty Black:
Suspend Behrens now, fuller investigation needed
Public and city employees have a basic right to both public safety and honest answers, city is providing neither
-- John Patten, 03/19/08
-- jpatten@veniceflorida.com

Got a comment? Make it here.

RELATED BACKGROUND:
Part 1: Look Hans, no permits
Part 2: Gay bar owner Mike Vellucci reportedly threatens city officials, city scrambles over itself not to give him a hard time
 

Gloves off
As a follow-up to this web site's investigation into the city's permitting and code enforcement practices, the email below was sent to City Manager Marty Black on March 18.

To Black's credit, he is performing a limited investigation into the facts regarding the permitting process at Tavern on the Island. While that action is laudable so far, it is not enough. Black would be well within the law at this time to suspend Behrens with pay pending a fuller investigation into past practices. Such an investigation is needed.

A copy of the below email was left in Mayor Ed Martin's in-basket. The mayor has been unavailable for comment, this after several messages left with him over the past week to please call at his earliest convenience.

From: John Patten
To: City Manager Marty Black
Date: March 18, 2008, 11:51 AM

See attached PDF, Herald-Trib article on Vellucci [from 2002] -- note that he just punches some guy out for no reason at the location of Norma Jean's in 2002.

I have read and re-read [Building and Code Enforcement Director Hans] Behrens' statement. At the risk of sounding racist and anti-German (I don't believe I am either), the image that keeps popping into my head is Sgt. Schultz from Hogan's Heroes -- "I know nothing!"

He doesn't even begin to address the actual question that was given to him.

Now there's some photographic evidence that a rear garage roll-down door has been removed and new panel doors have replaced it, this since January, not in plans, no permit, yada yada.

But that's not the real problem here.

The real problem is two-fold.

First, Behrens has destroyed the integrity of his office. As such, anyone may now challenge code enforcement, probably successfully, on the grounds of unequal treatment and selective enforcement. Those that have been doing the right thing read about this kind of stuff and feel like suckers for having done the right thing.

Secondly, aside from the danger to the public (fire sprinklers, possible unsupported ceiling due to possible wall and support removal), Behrens has endangered his own staff by undermining them. [Code Enforcement Officer John] Patek goes out, [bar owner Mike] Vellucci pulls a tantrum. What Hans should have done was told Vellucci, "This is my inspector. You don't want to deal with him, you don't have to, but you won't get inspected and we'll start shutting you down as soon as I return to my office."

Instead, Hans lets the guy get away with it, pulls Patek, and stops inspections. After having a private talk with him. My suspicion factor jumps through the roof after reading that. So then [Code Enforcement Officer] Pat Stuehrmer goes out. Vellucci figures he can do it again. Vellucci scares the bejeebers out of Stuehrmer with the threat that he will get even -- this is a guy already well-known for his not-so-nice past. The city has already told Vellucci that he can get away with intimidation the same way a mom teaches a child that he can get away with raising a ruckus over a candy bar in a supermarket checkout lane -- by giving him what he wants when he screams just to shut him up.

That was a terrible thing to do -- putting Stuehrmer into that situation with a known violent offender. If she gets hurt, how liable are you for knowingly allowing her to be put in that spot?

Behrens needs to be suspended with pay immediately pending a fuller and deeper investigation. Or I could start looking into past permit stuff, like Venice Island Pub, the Montessori school and, so I am told, even the Venice Jet Center.

There are some other things about the past that I am slowly uncovering. Don't know where it will go, maybe nowhere, but the leads are tantalizing from a story-writing perspective if any of them pan out. I can't say any more than that. But do you really want to drag this out like another Sharek albatross around your neck?

Bottom line right now -- employee and public safety. You're botching it and that could prove to be career fatal if things go wrong fast. You don't need this crap, so why are you setting yourself up?

-- John Patten
-- Venice Florida! dot com
-- www.venfl.com

John Patten is the head of Web Operations for Creative Pages, and has worked in broadcasting for over 12 years. He can also be incredibly rude at times.