By JENNIFER RAYMOND

jraymond@thewakullanews.net

Several people were present at the Wakulla County Commission meeting on Monday night to speak on the weatherization controversy.

In 2009, funds were awarded to the county to weatherize 144 homes from the Florida Department of Community Affairs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The county fell behind schedule after the director of weatherization resigned in September 2009. Someone was needed to fill that position and also be trained to perform weatherization. This training is needed to continue the process. In December 2009, Jerry Nuss was hired as the new director and received the necessary training in February.

In April, the county received a letter from DCA about the need for the county to speed up the process or they would lose the money. At that time, according to the letter, only five homes had been completed. If a substantial number of homes had not been weatherized and inspected by May 31, the department would look at pulling the funds.

However, the funds would stay in Wakulla County, but the county administration would not be the one administering the program.

After receiving the letter, the department performed an emergency bidding process. Contractors, who were not already on jobs, were taken out to the job sites to offer verbal or written bids. The bids were awarded and then later had to come before the county commission for approval.

The process came before the county commission on May 17 and they voted 4 to 1, with Chairman Howard Kessler opposing, to approve the bid process.

"There was no emergency," resident Renee Calhoun said.

Calhoun added that the county was never in danger of losing the funding and that the process can be done without the county administrator and the housing department.

Calhoun continued that in the six-month period where no work was done, Ben Pingree could have hired a non-profit group that does weatherization.

Resident Steve Fultz agreed with Calhoun stating that the funds would not have been pulled, but the administrator of the the program.

According to Fultz, only seven of 67 Florida counties administered the program themselves.

Since that letter and after the appearance before the county commission on May 17, Nuss resigned.

Nuss sent in a resignation letter questioning the emergency bid process that took place to speed up the process to start the weatherization.

The contractors who were awarded the bids contend that everything was done fairly and the job was completed.

"You can't apologize for a process that's an emergency process," said contractor Randy Nelson.

Nelson said the contractors completed 15 homes.

Since the resignation of Nuss, Pingree has established a management review team to look at policies and procedures of the weatherization program.

Pingree said it was formed because of several factors, such as the unexpected staff turnover, requests for improvements from DCA, concerns raised regarding maintenance of documentation, adequate minority vendor inclusion, open competitive procurement process and general consistency of services.

The team is supposed to have a report completed by June 24.

Kessler asked the commission to consider the idea of a hiring an independent consultant to perform the review.

"We should not be investigating ourselves," Kessler said.

The review team compiled by Pingree is led by assistant administrator Lindsay Stevens. It includes Candice Wilson, director of Leon County's Health and Human Services, Shanea Wilkes, finance and compliance officer for Leon County Housing Services Division, and Lisa Blair, president and CEO of community services group. Others from Wakulla County Virginia Dekle, FEMA grants and purchasing information, and Doug Jones, director of public services.

Pingree said he didn't want housing director Alfred Nelson or himself to be directly involved in the review.

However, Kessler suggested having a third party perform the review.

"There should be that distance to establish credibility," he said.

Member of Concerned Citizens of Wakulla County, Al Shylkofski, agreed with Kessler and said one shouldn't investigate themselves, when they could be the problem.

"Get it out of that department all together," Shylkofski said.

The commission voted 4 to 1, with Commissioner Mike Stewart opposing, to have county attorney, Heather Encinosa, come up with a list of experts as well as the cost.

Stewart didn't want to see money spent on an independent consultant when the review team is already in place. Or time and money wasted on coming up with a list of consultants.

"I don't see wasting money," Stewart said.

At the meeting there was also some talk about missing files within the weatherization department.

Alfred Nelson said files were deleted on May 10 and 11.

Pingree said he has heard this concerns and told Alfred Nelson to give that information to the review team.

Encinosa said they are investigating the cause of the missing files and who could have done it.

Alfred Nelson said he welcomes any investigation of his department, but he is concerned about is the morale of his staff.

"I want to make sure we re concerned about our staff," he said.

Commissioner Lynn Artz assured him that the commission is after the whole picture.