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The chief of Hillsborough County’s wetlands protection unit has been suspended for two weeks after posting comments on a blog excoriating county commissioners for voting to eliminate her department.
Jadell Kerr was suspended this week after comments she made to the blog Sticks of Fire on Sunday afternoon. Kerr said in her comments that the commission’s move last Thursday to disband the 29-employee wetlands division was done to benefit developers who want more lenient treatment when their projects destroy wetlands.
Kerr said in her posted comments that the vote Thursday to start the process of eliminating the agency was a “rigged vote” orchestrated by Commissioner Brian Blair, chairman of the county Environmental Protection Commission. Kerr said Blair’s goal is to get the EPC wetlands unit out of permitting new development, a goal pursued by developers for several years. Developers say permit inspections conducted by the county are also done by state and federal agencies, causing unnecessary delays and paperwork.
Blair was out of town and could not be reached today.
Defenders of the agency, however, say developers want the local regulators out of the way because they more-strictly scrutinize construction plans that destroy wetlands and don’t readily agree to mitigation plans that allow developers to build wetlands at another site to replace those they fill. Kerr said that state agencies such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District allow wetlands destruction that the county EPC would not.
“The truth of the matter is that we cannot count on the state doing its job to protect wetlands,” Kerr said in her blog posting. “I will tell you they do not, and leave it at that.”
Activists who oppose the commission’s move to ax the wetlands division praised Kerr’s courage in speaking up against her bosses, the commissioners.
“I think she’s a brave woman,” said Terry Flott, an activist from Seffner.
I think the commission should have to pay a fine <each> for not complying with the constitution. Too, we have to have a check and balance in these situations. Even our fore fathers knew two hundred years ago about the dangers of this very perfect example of hushing in order to push a lobbied or preferred agenda through. Thank you wetlands for your bravery and compliance with the democratic way of check and balance!!!
Is this why we haven’t heard anything from the other 28 EPC Wetlands employees? Because they are not allowed to talk?
I think Jadell should be applauded for what she had the courage to do. Hillsborough County and the rest of the state should take notice. This will only mean more problems for the citizens of this county down the road, and history will be the judge of whether the elimination of EPC wetlands was the right thing to do. While the state DEP and SWFWMD can protect the larger wetland systems, only EPC was able to protect very important smaller isolated wetlands. Hopefully something can be done to protect what otherwise may be lost forever.
Florida has such a unique and diverse eco systems and each has a distinct reason for existing. With the way the devlopers are being allowed to build and destroy these natural habitats, we need honest caring people and agencies that are not ruled by greed to police their actions. The Governor needs to take a close look at this suspension and the Commissioners involved in this disbanding of the Wetlands Agency. Hopefully someone reads what we all have to say and steps up to the plate to protect this badly needed Agency and its employees.
The lady is obviously a public employee that is dedicated to the welfare of the citizens of Hillsborough County, present and future, and is courageous enough to do the right thing. God bless her, this is exactly what she said it is, a fraud. Someone needs to take these self-serving jerks we elected down a peg. Give her a raise.
No wonder the general public has adopted such a cynical view toward those “elected to protect OUR interests”. This should be investigated to either validate or refute the Wetlands Chief’s assertions. If true, then those voting to suspend her should be scrutined (or worse) publically and suffer their own suspension. If the accusations are unfounded, then the suspension is warranted. Please explain to me why, if someone challenges a decision, they are suspended as a “I’ll show you power play”. Did the Chief attempt to address this issue in a “closed session” with those who suspended her before her blog posting? While I appreciate the need to keep certain issue in house, the government requires a higher degree of transparency than private enterprise.
It all just proves what I have known for a long time. Brian was the victim of too many body slams and dropped on his head at least once too often.
Whatever happened to freedom of speech?I really am saddened at this whole system, and how things are handled. It has become very clear to that this is becoming a ME world, and that is very sad. I applaud her for speaking out, there are too many people afraid to speak out, due to the fact that they might loose their job. I pray that God will change some hearts and soften them.
I would also like to know are you going to find jobs for the 29 employees that will be out of a job or place them in different areas there?
I don’t think that you realize how hard it is to get a job, and to start out with what they are making now, and the benefits they will be losing?
I am very concerned and heartbroken for the people involved, they will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Karen
This is not a North vs. South issue. Leave the Yankee part out of all this. I personally know developers that were born and brought up here in Florida and they will do whatever they have to to make the God Almighty buck. Keep your comments to the subject and don’t lower yourself to name calling :0) It negates everything you say.
We need an agency that is as strict as is Jandell Kerr’s.
As I type, bulldozers and earthmovers are destroying acres and acres of wetlands right around the corner from my house. I live near the new Cypress Creek Mall constuction in Pasco County. I wish Pasco had an agency as strict as Ms. Kerr’s.
What I can’t understand is how anyone can think that “manmade” wetlands will do the job of “natural” wetlands. My bet is ... they CAN"T.
The state will only be happy once the aquifer is completely drained. THEN, they will go about trying to figure out how to restore it just as they are now talking about restoring the Everglades.
My bet is that it will be too late.
You can’t fool Mother Nature.
Gil
p.s. At least I don’t own beach front property which could wind up being next door neighbors to the next de-sal plant. I just bet those are lovely looking buildings. (tic)
I’m not a tree hugger by any means, but I am a fisherman and conservationist. I get sick of real estate developers trying to construct on wetlands and tearing up habitat for young fish and wildlife. These Yankee developer pricks need to get the hell out of Tampa and the state !!! I’m glad she went after that committee finallly someone’s showing some guts !!! Good for her.
You cannot disagree with the logic of eliminating duplication. But, it is not duplication if in fact the state agency is not actually doing what it is supposed to be doing. If there is a major intrusion into the Cypress Creek wellfield as part of the mall the state aproved, no amount of mitigation will make up for the disaster it will cause.
This is a good example of government at its’ worst. She is absolutely right about what she is saying. How would the public know that this is happening unless people like her are brave enough to tell us. She should be promoted, the department reinstated and more visibility given to saving the wetlands. Mitigation does the habitat that is being ruined no good!!
It is truly a sad story. Why she cannot speak out for her wetland department? Why she cannot speak on behalf of many environmentally-conscious people and citizens. Because of her outspoken approach, she got suspended. Maybe the person who suspended her should got suspended as well. We need to act together to get rid of those developer-friendly commissioners.
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Posted by Anthony McJohnson, Tampa on 06/28 at 04:11 PM
I wish someone would suspend me from my six figure job with pay for a couple of weeks. But seriously, didn’t I just read in this same publication a few weeks ago that local developers have created a net gain of 627 acres of wetland since 1985? The platform of the county EPC and its supporters that the elimination of the EPC will result in wanton wetland destruction is pretty out of line with reality. The bottom line is that this agency duplicates functions that are already being covered by the state. Do they generate revenue? They sure do; in the form of fees that are eventually passed down to the average homebuyer. So other than duplicating services, increasing the cost of housing, not actually creating or saving wetlands, what exactly does the county EPC do again? Oh yeah, that’s right, they make false accusations of impropriety against the very people that in a month or so may vote to reinstate them. Smart.