CRONY full copy
3
Pg 1A final blk SUN DAILY 10/17 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Pg A1 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK The specks were tiny — smaller than a pencil tip — but they were big enough to change hundreds of lives. Known as microcalcifications, they dotted Janet Darnell’s mammogram more than a decade ago. The fact Darnell, 56, got the test at all was a fluke. A single mom eking out a living cleaning houses, she had no insurance. But it was October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Every time I turned around, it was mammo- gram, mammo- gram, mammo- gram,” she says. “I learned Radiolo- gy Regional was offering them for $50. I said, ‘I can at least scrape that together.’” She needed a needle biopsy. The price? $3,000. “It might as well have been a million,” Darnell says. She found Partners for Breast Cancer Care, which helps people in Darnell’s straits. The nonprofit paid for a biopsy, a lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation. Once Darnell was in the clear, she began vol- unteering. Now she’s director. Clients have more than dou- bled since 2007, from 626 to 1,451 — but she vows no one will go without help. “They saved my life,” Darnell says. “I have to give back.” Learn more by calling 454- 8583 or online at pfbcc.org. BY MARY WOZNIAK [email protected] his is the story of a small group of men who gained control of a city of 160,000 people. They did it slowly, over four years, starting as activist resi- dents who didn’t know one another; some had never seen a City Council meeting. Now, they and their followers have control of the Cape Coral City Council, and the future of the largest city in Lee County is in their hands. Supporters hail them as Cape crusaders who will lead the city to financial salvation. Critics dis- miss them as nothing more than political cronies who will hasten the city’s ruin. They were drawn together by a common cause: outrage over the cost of a controversial, $1 bil- lion utilities expansion program — now on hold — and the crip- pling financial impact it’s had on many city residents. They stayed together because of common political principles such as smaller government, less spending and lower taxes. In 2009, their power was solidified in an election that saw only 18 percent of eligible voters in the city go to the polls. TROPICALIA For nine years, section has pictured paradise IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY SPORTS | C1 Loss to Mississippi State is third straight for Florida HARD TIMES FOR GATORS COUPONS INSIDE Find these savings in The News-Press. $ 162.40 Business ..... D1-8 Celebrity Buzz . . A2 Classifieds .... F1-6 Lottery ......... B2 Nation ......... A4 Obituaries ...... B8 Opinion .... B10-11 Real Estate . . G1-12 Weather ...... B12 Live Doppler radar and updates at news-press. com Today’s puzzles, games and comics can be found inside Tropicalia. High 84 Low 63 The News-Press, A Gannett Newspaper Copyright 2010 FINAL $1.50 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 | PUBLISHED SINCE 1884 THE NEWS - PRESS news-press.com See photo galleries from weekend events around Southwest Florida BY MARY WOZNIAK [email protected] There were 33 qualified candidates for city manager of Cape Coral. Only one mattered. Gary King. In a city amid an uproar over whether the hiring of its city manager is an example of cronyism, it turns out Mayor John Sullivan wasn’t sold on the man he eventually voted for. Critics say the choice of King was predeter- mined in backroom political strategizing dur- ing Sullivan’s campaign and immediately after his election. The News-Press looked through more than 3,500 pages of public records, including e- mails and other documents, to see if claims of cronyism in the Cape Coral government have legitimacy. The e-mails indicate King’s selection was months in the making. But it was almost derailed the day before King was chosen, when Sullivan and Tom Leipold, president of the Cape Coral Republican Club, had a heated e- mail battle over whether King was right for the job. Leipold was pushing King for city manager. Spawned by concern over city spending, group rules council, draws cronyism cries news-press. com • Today: Read through some docu- ments and personal e-mails. • Coming Tuesday: Watch videos of key exchanges between councilmen and residents. • More: news-press.com/capecoral. See CRONY A15 Inside: Contract • The Fab Five, plus Gary King, signed a contract in 2009 pledging to cut spend- ing and eliminate gov- ernment waste. Insight into selection of city manager Top: Excerpt from a personal e-mail from Gary King, then candidate for city manager, to city councilmen, lobbying them to vote for a timeline to name the new city manager. He suggests they ask candidates how soon they could start. Bottom: Excerpt from a personal e- mail sent by Mayor John Sullivan to Tom Leipold, presi- dent of the Cape Coral Republican Club, expressing fears of a political backlash if King is chosen manager. Enjoy changes to The News-Press’ Sunday edition Midterms arrive with the usual shrugs See CANDIDATES A15 PHOTOS BY KINFAY MOROTI/THE NEWS-PRESS In photo at left are Cape Coral Mayor John Sullivan, left, and City Councilman Chris Chulakes-Leetz. In photo at right are, from left, councilmen Erick Kuehn, Peter Brandt and Bill Deile. The five men, dubbed the Fab Five, constitute a majority on City Council and their bloc of votes could determine the city’s immediate future. JANET DARNELL They saved her life, so she strives to give back BY BOB RATHGEBER [email protected] Some say they don’t like the can- didates. Others say they’re too busy. Still others simply don’t care. Whatever reason, a good many Americans don’t vote — especially in a midterm election such as this year’s on Nov. 2. With early voting beginning Mon- day, and Election Day just over two weeks away, it’s anybody’s guess how many will show up at the polls. Looking at two decades of statis- tics in midterms, the figure will be in the 50-60 percent range for regis- tered Lee County voters, compared with less than a 40 percent turnout nationwide. “I’ve heard more times than not lately that voters are very disgrun- tled with the choice of candidates,” said Lee Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington. “If candidate A says that candi- date B is a liar and a crook, and can- didate B says candidate A is a liar and a crook ... then who are you supposed to vote for?” For Elisha Wells, 22, of Cape Coral, it’s something totally differ- ent. The Fab Five and Friends The nickname given to the mayor and four councilmen who make up the majority on the eight-member council. They usually vote in a 5-3 block. The Fab Five voted to hire political supporter Gary King as the city manager. King in turn hired two more political supporters, Bill Towler and Jim Martin, as “efficiency consultants” for the city. Gary King City Manager Bill Deile Peter Brandt Sal Grosso Mayor John Sullivan Chris Chulakes- Leetz Erick Kuehn Lee Mars Larry Barton Charles Pickering Phil Boller Jim Martin Bill Towler Community Redevelopment Agency Provides programs to assist businesses and incentives to promote new business, bring in higher education programs and infrastructure improvements. Seven members Burnt Store Right-of-way Committee Discusses plans to widen Burnt Store Road from the intersection of Pine Island Road north to the county line. Six members, two alternates Cape Coral leadership a web of influence The balance of power in Cape Coral city government extends beyond the majority on the council dais and the city manager to supporters appointed to various city agencies and commissions who help carry out their political agenda. Audit Committee Advises City Council and auditor’s office on city financial practices, audit needs and compliance with laws, regulations Five members The Cape Coral Watchdogs A group of residents who banded together in 2003 and agitated for government change, fueled by outrage over the city's billion-dollar utilities expansion program. Now inactive Planning and Zoning Reviews changes in land-use and zoning, and makes recommendations to City Council on land-use matters. Seven members, two alternates Charter School Foundation Board The fundraising arm of the City of Cape Coral Municipal Charter School system (not a city entity). Nine members Financial Advisory Committee Gives resident input to council on city finances, budget; recommends ways to increase revenue; aims to ensure city spending is financially sound. Seven members Charter School Governing Board Oversees operations of the city’s charter school system. 12 members, including seven voting members, one council representative Transportation Advisory Committee Reviews and gives staff direction Magnificent Eight A group of eight activists who evolved in 2006 out of the Cape Coral Watchdogs and continued working toward goals of government reform. Now inactive T h e F a b F i v e Committees, Boards and Agencies Resident Activists Con sultants Indicates membership in organization Indicates spouse of Fab Five or Magnificent Eight member Janet Deile Wife of Councilman Bill Deile chairs Charter School Foundation Board Marty McClain Not fab Derrick Donnell Kevin McGrail Other council members The political ties that bind Fab Five Magnificent Eight Fab Five, former Magnificent Eight City manager Efficiency consultants Council Background: Retired attorney; worked for AT&T; retired Army colonel – served in Vietnam and Gulf War. Bill Deile, 67 Position: Mayor Background: Licensed broker, brokerage business 24 years; IT consultant, 17 years. Position: City Council Background: Served four years in the Navy, including two years teaching engineering at the Naval Academy. John Sullivan, 67 Peter Brandt, 79 Council Background: Residential real estate associate (current); paramedic/ firefighter, 20 years. Civic activist and godfather to the Fab Five. He was the political guru to Sullivan and was an influence on him running for office. Chris Chulakes-Leetz, 54 Sal Grosso, 86 Former fiscal administrator for state of New Jersey. An original member of the Magnificent Eight. Erick Kuehn, 67 Lee Mars, 61 Position: City Council Background: Retired, 30 years in the insurance industry, former high school teacher. Background: International forensic auditing consultant and CPA. He became involved through the Magnificent Eight. Position: City Council Background: Retired systems engineer, IT manager and industry product administrator for IBM. Larry Barton, 70 Charles Pickering, 60 Retired engineer. Was one of the original members of the Magnificent Eight. Phil Boller, 76 Manager Background: President, Innovative Mortgage, LLC; former vice president at three different banks. Gary King, 62 Background:Creator and editor of GrassRoots09.com, an online newsletter promoting the Sullivan bloc of political candidates; former vice president of PPG Industries, set up auto insurance fraud investigation division. Hired to overhaul the way the city manages its fleet of vehicles. Background: Unsuccessful 2009 candidate for Cape Coral City Council; worked as an executive for Rockwell International for 16 years. Hired to review the city Public Works Department. Jim Martin, 78 Bill Towler, 55 GARY KING Cape Coral City Manager The rise, and the reign, of the Cape’s Fab Five T-Shirt • Not everyone is in favor of the Fab Five, as shown by T-shirts an opposition group is selling. Web of influence: The balance of power in Cape city government extends beyond the majority of the council dais and the city manager. A14 Good morning. We are starting some new and exclusive features in today’s Sunday newspaper. • A NEW PAGE 2 that will expand the Celebrity Buzz and a look back at the top headlines and much more. • SUNDAY EXCLUSIVES. Only in today’s newspaper will you find: ON PAGE 1: Read how a handful of angry Cape Coral residents plotted the takeover of a government they said was out of control. Follow the chain of e-mails that explains the story of their victory and the backlash from those who say they’ve gone too far. IN SPORTS: Through Fort Myers High School’s almost 600 football victories, there was one score that has never been dupli- cated and never will. IN BUSINESS: Direct gov- ernment loans to 440 Lee County businesses, worth $41 million, spelled the difference between survival and closing after the storm-tossed years of 2004 and 2005. TERRY EBERLE The News- Press goes pink this week with daily stories to recognize National Breast Can- cer Aware- ness Month. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Mayor’s e-mails indicate doubt that King was right for manager T teberle@news–press.com See VOTING A8
-
Upload
mary-wozniak -
Category
Documents
-
view
239 -
download
0
Transcript of CRONY full copy
Pg 1A final blk SUN DAILY 10/17 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A1 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
The specks weretiny — smaller thana pencil tip — butthey were bigenough to change hundredsof lives.
Known as microcalcifications,they dotted Janet Darnell’smammogram more than adecade ago.
The fact Darnell, 56, got thetest at all was afluke. A singlemom eking out aliving cleaninghouses, she hadno insurance. Butit was October —Breast CancerA w a r e n e s sMonth.
“Every time Iturned around, itwas mammo-gram, mammo-gram, mammo-gram,” she says.“Ilearned Radiolo-gy Regional wasoffering them for$50. I said, ‘I canat least scrapethat together.’”
She needed a needle biopsy.The price? $3,000.
“It might as well have been amillion,” Darnell says. She foundPartners for Breast Cancer Care,which helps people in Darnell’sstraits. The nonprofit paid for abiopsy, a lumpectomy and sixweeks of radiation. Once Darnellwas in the clear, she began vol-unteering. Now she’s director.
Clients have more than dou-bled since 2007, from 626 to1,451 — but she vows no one willgo without help.
“They saved my life,” Darnellsays. “I have to give back.”
Learn more by calling 454-8583 or online at pfbcc.org.
BY MARY [email protected]
his is the story of asmall group of menwho gained controlof a city of 160,000
people.They did it slowly, over four
years, starting as activist resi-dents who didn’t know oneanother; some had never seen aCity Council meeting.
Now, they and their followershave control of the Cape CoralCity Council, and the future ofthe largest city in Lee County isin their hands.
Supporters hail them as Capecrusaders who will lead the cityto financial salvation. Critics dis-miss them as nothing more thanpolitical cronies who will hastenthe city’s ruin.
They were drawn together bya common cause: outrage overthe cost of a controversial, $1 bil-lion utilities expansion program— now on hold — and the crip-pling financial impact it’s had onmany city residents.
They stayed together becauseof common political principlessuch as smaller government, lessspending and lower taxes.
In 2009, their power wassolidified in an election that sawonly 18 percent of eligible votersin the city go to the polls.
TROPICALIA
For nine years, sectionhas pictured paradise
IT’S OURBIRTHDAY
SPORTS | C1
Loss to Mississippi Stateis third straight for Florida
HARD TIMESFOR GATORS COUPONS
INSIDEFind these savingsin The News-Press.
$162.40
Business . . . . . D1-8Celebrity Buzz . . A2Classifieds . . . . F1-6
Lottery . . . . . . . . . B2Nation . . . . . . . . . A4Obituaries . . . . . . B8
Opinion . . . . B10-11Real Estate . . G1-12Weather . . . . . . B12
Live Doppler radarand updates atnneewwss--pprreessss..com
Today’s puzzles, gamesand comics can befound inside Tropicalia.
High 84Low 63
The News-Press,A GannettNewspaperCopyright 2010
FINAL $1.50SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 | PUBLISHED SINCE 1884
THE NEWS-PRESSnews-press.com See photo galleries from weekend events around Southwest Florida
BY MARY [email protected]
There were 33 qualified candidates for citymanager of Cape Coral.
Only one mattered.Gary King.In a city amid an uproar over whether the
hiring of its city manager is an example ofcronyism, it turns out Mayor John Sullivanwasn’t sold on the man he eventually voted for.
Critics say the choice of King was predeter-mined in backroom political strategizing dur-ing Sullivan’s campaign and immediately afterhis election.
The News-Press looked through more than3,500 pages of public records, including e-mails and other documents, to see if claims ofcronyism in the Cape Coral government havelegitimacy.
The e-mails indicate King’s selection wasmonths in the making. But it was almostderailed the day before King was chosen, whenSullivan and Tom Leipold, president of theCape Coral Republican Club, had a heated e-mail battle over whether King was right for thejob.
Leipold was pushing King for city manager.
Spawned by concernover city spending,group rules council,draws cronyism cries
news-press.com• Today: Read through some docu-ments and personal e-mails.• Coming Tuesday: Watch videos ofkey exchanges between councilmenand residents.• More: news-press.com/capecoral.
See CRONY A15
Inside:
Contract• The Fab Five, plusGary King, signed acontract in 2009pledging to cut spend-ing and eliminate gov-ernment waste.
Insight intoselection ofcity managerTop: Excerpt froma personal e-mailfrom Gary King,then candidatefor city manager, tocity councilmen,lobbying them tovote for a timelineto name the newcity manager. Hesuggests they askcandidates howsoon they couldstart.
Bottom: Excerptfrom a personal e-mail sent by MayorJohn Sullivan toTom Leipold, presi-dent of the CapeCoral RepublicanClub, expressingfears of a politicalbacklash if King ischosen manager.
Enjoy changes toThe News-Press’ Sunday edition
Midtermsarrivewiththeusualshrugs
See CANDIDATES A15
PHOTOS BY KINFAY MOROTI/THE NEWS-PRESS
In photo at left are Cape Coral Mayor John Sullivan, left, and City Councilman Chris Chulakes-Leetz. In photo at right are, from left,councilmen Erick Kuehn, Peter Brandt and Bill Deile. The five men, dubbed the Fab Five, constitute a majority on City Council andtheir bloc of votes could determine the city’s immediate future.
JANETDARNELL
Theysavedherlife,soshestrivestogiveback
BY BOB [email protected]
Some say they don’t like the can-didates. Others say they’re too busy.Still others simply don’t care.
Whatever reason, a good manyAmericans don’t vote — especiallyin a midterm election such as thisyear’s on Nov. 2.
With early voting beginning Mon-day, and Election Day just over twoweeks away, it’s anybody’s guesshow many will show up at the polls.
Looking at two decades of statis-tics in midterms, the figure will be inthe 50-60 percent range for regis-tered Lee County voters, comparedwith less than a 40 percent turnoutnationwide.
“I’ve heard more times than notlately that voters are very disgrun-tled with the choice of candidates,”said Lee Supervisor of ElectionsSharon Harrington.
“If candidate A says that candi-date B is a liar and a crook, and can-didate B says candidate A is a liarand a crook ... then who are yousupposed to vote for?”
For Elisha Wells, 22, of CapeCoral, it’s something totally differ-ent.
The Fab Fiveand FriendsThe nickname given to the mayor and fourcouncilmen who make up the majority on theeight-member council. They usually vote in a5-3 block. The Fab Five voted to hire politicalsupporter Gary King as the city manager. Kingin turn hired two more political supporters,Bill Towler and Jim Martin, as “efficiencyconsultants” for the city.
Gary KingCity
Manager
BillDeile
PeterBrandt
SalGrosso
MayorJohn
Sullivan
ChrisChulakes-
LeetzErickKuehn
LeeMars
LarryBarton
CharlesPickering
PhilBoller
JimMartinBill
Towler
CommunityRedevelopmentAgencyProvides programs toassist businesses andincentives to promote newbusiness, bring in highereducation programs andinfrastructureimprovements.Seven members
Burnt StoreRight-of-wayCommitteeDiscusses plans towiden Burnt StoreRoad from theintersection of PineIsland Road north tothe county line.Six members,two alternates
Cape Coralleadershipa web ofinfluenceThe balance of power in Cape Coral citygovernment extends beyond the majorityon the council dais and the city managerto supporters appointed to various cityagencies and commissions who help carryout their political agenda.
Audit CommitteeAdvises City Council andauditor’s office on cityfinancial practices, auditneeds and compliancewith laws, regulationsFive members
The Cape CoralWatchdogsA group of residentswho banded togetherin 2003 and agitatedfor governmentchange, fueled byoutrage over the city'sbillion-dollar utilitiesexpansion program.Now inactive
Planningand ZoningReviews changesin land-use andzoning, and makesrecommendationsto City Council onland-use matters.Seven members,two alternates
Charter SchoolFoundationBoardThe fundraising arm ofthe City of Cape CoralMunicipal CharterSchool system (not acity entity).Nine members
FinancialAdvisoryCommitteeGives resident inputto council on cityfinances, budget;recommends waysto increase revenue;aims to ensure cityspending isfinancially sound.Seven members
CharterSchoolGoverningBoardOversees operationsof the city’s charterschool system.12 members,including sevenvoting members,one councilrepresentative
TransportationAdvisory CommitteeReviews and gives staff directionon road projects; members arealways the mayor, three councilmembers and one councilmember as alternate.Five members
Magnificent EightA group of eight activistswho evolved in 2006 outof the Cape CoralWatchdogs and continuedworking toward goals ofgovernment reform.Now inactive
TheFa
bFi
ve
Committe
es, B
oards
and Ag
encie
s
Reside
ntAc
tivist
s
Consultants
Indicatesmembership inorganization
Indicates spouse of FabFive or MagnificentEight member
Janet DeileWife of Councilman BillDeile chairs CharterSchool Foundation Board
MartyMcClain
Not fab
DerrickDonnellKevinMcGrail
Other council members
The politicalties that bind
Fab FiveMagnificent EightFab Five, formerMagnificent EightCity managerEfficiency consultants
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retiredattorney;worked forAT&T; retiredArmy colonel– served in Vietnam andGulf War.
Bill Deile, 67
Position:MayorBackground:Licensedbroker,brokeragebusiness 24years; ITconsultant, 17 years.
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Served fouryears in theNavy,including twoyearsteaching engineering atthe Naval Academy.
John Sullivan, 67
Peter Brandt, 79
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Residentialreal estateassociate(current);paramedic/firefighter, 20 years.
Background:Civic activistand godfatherto the FabFive. He wasthe politicalguru toSullivan andwas an influence on himrunning for office.
Chris Chulakes-Leetz, 54
Sal Grosso, 86
Background:Former fiscaladministratorfor state ofNew Jersey.An originalmember oftheMagnificent Eight.
Erick Kuehn, 67
Lee Mars, 61
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retired, 30years in theinsuranceindustry,former highschool teacher.
Background:Internationalforensicauditingconsultantand CPA. Hebecameinvolvedthrough the MagnificentEight.
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retiredsystemsengineer, ITmanager andindustryproduct administrator forIBM.
Larry Barton, 70
Charles Pickering, 60
Background:Retiredengineer. Wasone of theoriginalmembers oftheMagnificentEight.
Phil Boller, 76
Position: CityManagerBackground:President,InnovativeMortgage,LLC; formervice presidentat three different banks.
Gary King, 62
Background: Creator andeditor of GrassRoots09.com,an online newsletterpromoting the Sullivan blocof political candidates; formervice president of PPGIndustries, set up autoinsurance fraud investigationdivision. Hired to overhaulthe way the city manages itsfleet of vehicles.
Background:Unsuccessful2009candidate forCape CoralCity Council;worked as anexecutive forRockwell International for 16years. Hired to review the cityPublic Works Department.
Jim Martin, 78
Bill Towler, 55
RESEARCH BY
MARY WOZNIAKGRAPHICS BY
MICHAEL DONLAN
THE NEWS-PRESS
KINFAY MOROTI/THE NEWS-PRESS
Cape Coral City Councilman Bill Deile, left, and Mayor John Sullivantake part in a City Council meeting at Cape Coral City Hall.
GARY KINGCape Coral CityManager
The rise, and the reign,of the Cape’s Fab Five
T-Shirt• Not everyone is infavor of the Fab Five,as shown by T-shirtsan opposition group isselling.
Web of influence:The balance of power in Cape citygovernment extends beyond themajority of the council dais andthe city manager. A14
Good morning.We are starting some new
and exclusive features in today’sSunday newspaper.
• A NEW PAGE 2 that willexpand the Celebrity Buzz anda look back at the top headlinesand much more.
• SUNDAY EXCLUSIVES.Only in today’s newspaper willyou find:
ON PAGE 1: Read how ahandful of angry Cape Coralresidents plotted the takeover ofa government they said was out
of control. Follow the chain ofe-mails that explains the storyof their victory and the backlashfrom those who say they’vegone too far.
IN SPORTS: Through FortMyers High School’s almost 600football victories, there was onescore that has never been dupli-cated and never will.
IN BUSINESS: Direct gov-
ernment loans to 440 LeeCounty businesses, worth $41million, spelled the differencebetween survival and closingafter the storm-tossed years of2004 and 2005.
TERRYEBERLE
The News-Press goespink thisweek withdaily storiesto recognizeNationalBreast Can-cer Aware-ness Month.
BREAST CANCERAWARENESS MONTH
Mayor’se-mailsindicatedoubtthatKingwasrightformanager
T
teberle@news–press.com
See VOTING A8
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 SUN DAILY 10/17 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A14 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
The Fab Fiveand FriendsThe nickname given to the mayor and fourcouncilmen who make up the majority on theeight-member council. They usually vote in a5-3 block. The Fab Five voted to hire politicalsupporter Gary King as the city manager. Kingin turn hired two more political supporters,Bill Towler and Jim Martin, as “efficiencyconsultants” for the city.
Gary KingCity
Manager
BillDeile
PeterBrandt
SalGrosso
MayorJohn
Sullivan
ChrisChulakes-
LeetzErickKuehn
LeeMars
LarryBarton
CharlesPickering
PhilBoller
JimMartinBill
Towler
CommunityRedevelopmentAgencyProvides programs toassist businesses andincentives to promote newbusiness, bring in highereducation programs andinfrastructureimprovements.Seven members
Burnt StoreRight-of-wayCommitteeDiscusses plans towiden Burnt StoreRoad from theintersection of PineIsland Road north tothe county line.Six members,two alternates
Cape Coralleadershipa web ofinfluenceThe balance of power in Cape Coral citygovernment extends beyond the majorityon the council dais and the city managerto supporters appointed to various cityagencies and commissions who help carryout their political agenda.
Audit CommitteeAdvises City Council andauditor’s office on cityfinancial practices, auditneeds and compliancewith laws, regulationsFive members
The Cape CoralWatchdogsA group of residentswho banded togetherin 2003 and agitatedfor governmentchange, fueled byoutrage over the city'sbillion-dollar utilitiesexpansion program.Now inactive
Planningand ZoningReviews changesin land-use andzoning, and makesrecommendationsto City Council onland-use matters.Seven members,two alternates
Charter SchoolFoundationBoardThe fundraising arm ofthe City of Cape CoralMunicipal CharterSchool system (not acity entity).Nine members
FinancialAdvisoryCommitteeGives resident inputto council on cityfinances, budget;recommends waysto increase revenue;aims to ensure cityspending isfinancially sound.Seven members
CharterSchoolGoverningBoardOversees operationsof the city’s charterschool system.12 members,including sevenvoting members,one councilrepresentative
TransportationAdvisory CommitteeReviews and gives staff directionon road projects; members arealways the mayor, three councilmembers and one councilmember as alternate.Five members
Magnificent EightA group of eight activistswho evolved in 2006 outof the Cape CoralWatchdogs and continuedworking toward goals ofgovernment reform.Now inactive
Charter ReviewCommissionMakes charter amendmentrecommendations to City Council.Nine members
TheFa
bFi
ve
Committe
es, B
oards
and Ag
encie
s
Reside
ntAc
tivist
s
Consultants
Indicatesmembership inorganization
Indicates spouse of FabFive or MagnificentEight member
Janet DeileWife of Councilman BillDeile chairs CharterSchool Foundation Board
Phyllis BartonWife of Larry Barton, anoriginal member of theMagnificent Eight
MartyMcClain
Not fab
DerrickDonnellKevinMcGrail
Other council members
The politicalties that bind
Fab FiveMagnificent EightFab Five, formerMagnificent EightCity managerEfficiency consultants
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retiredattorney;worked forAT&T; retiredArmy colonel– served in Vietnam andGulf War.
Bill Deile, 67
Position:MayorBackground:Licensedbroker,brokeragebusiness 24years; ITconsultant, 17 years.
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Served fouryears in theNavy,including twoyearsteaching engineering atthe Naval Academy.
John Sullivan, 67
Peter Brandt, 79
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Residentialreal estateassociate(current);paramedic/firefighter, 20 years.
Background:Civic activistand godfatherto the FabFive. He wasthe politicalguru toSullivan andwas an influence on himrunning for office.
Chris Chulakes-Leetz, 54
Sal Grosso, 86
Background:Former fiscaladministratorfor state ofNew Jersey.An originalmember oftheMagnificent Eight.
Erick Kuehn, 67
Lee Mars, 61
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retired, 30years in theinsuranceindustry,former highschool teacher.
Background:Internationalforensicauditingconsultantand CPA. Hebecameinvolvedthrough the MagnificentEight.
Position: CityCouncilBackground:Retiredsystemsengineer, ITmanager andindustryproduct administrator forIBM.
Larry Barton, 70
Charles Pickering, 60
Background:Retiredengineer. Wasone of theoriginalmembers oftheMagnificentEight.
Phil Boller, 76
Position: CityManagerBackground:President,InnovativeMortgage,LLC; formervice presidentat three different banks.
Gary King, 62
Background: Creator andeditor of GrassRoots09.com,an online newsletterpromoting the Sullivan blocof political candidates; formervice president of PPGIndustries, set up autoinsurance fraud investigationdivision. Hired to overhaulthe way the city manages itsfleet of vehicles.
Background:Unsuccessful2009candidate forCape CoralCity Council;worked as anexecutive forRockwell International for 16years. Hired to review the cityPublic Works Department.
Jim Martin, 78
Bill Towler, 55
Develop a comprehensive plan/vision for the city:• Although council developed a strategic plan in March, a new
comprehensive plan has not been developed and there is nomovement on the strategic plan.
• Complete utility expansion project and facilities expansionproject audits.
• Auditor Michael Kessler was rehired to finish what he sayswas an unfinished UEP expansion project report he startedin July 2006. That audit is at a standstill because Kessler isnot getting the payroll records he requested from primarycontractor MWH. A facilities expansion program audit on thenew water, wastewater plants never was started.
Cape Coral City Councilmembers John Sullivan, PeterBrandt, Bill Deile, ChrisChulakes-Leetz, Eric Kuehnand City Manager Gary Kingsigned the “Contract withCape Coral” last year, theirpledges for a more efficientlocal government. Anupdate on key points of thatcontract:
Reduce spending by rolling back the budgetto a more affordable 2005 level. Avoidincreases in taxes, assessments and fees.• Council approved a 2011 operating budget
of $138.2 million, almost $1 million morethan the 2010 budget. The 2005 operatingbudget was $100.5 million.
• The tax rate stayed the same, althoughassessments have been discussed to payfor roads and the new water plant. Councilapproved an 8 percent water rate hike.
Make city commercial-friendly by:• Developing a new
economic plan: Has notbeen done.
• Streamlining permittingprocess: It is quickerbecause of a softwareprogram streamlining theprocess was installedbefore most of the currentcouncil taking office.
Bring jobs anddiversify tax base:• New businesses
have opened, theVA clinic is beingbuilt. The taxbase remainsunchanged —91 percentresidential and9 percentcommercial.
The “Contract with Cape Coral”
RESEARCH BY
MARY WOZNIAKGRAPHICS BY
MICHAEL DONLAN
THE NEWS-PRESS
KINFAY MOROTI/THE NEWS-PRESS
Cape Coral City Councilman Bill Deile, left, and Mayor John Sullivantake part in a City Council meeting at Cape Coral City Hall.
AA1144 | THE NEWS-PRESS, NATION &WORLD, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 ***
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKPg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 SUN DAILY 10/17 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Pg A15 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
The council majority isdubbed the Fab Five, because thefive tend to vote in a bloc. Theyinclude Mayor John Sullivan andCouncilman Chris Chulakes-Leetz, both elected Nov. 3; coun-cilmen Peter Brandt and BillDeile, elected in 2007; and Coun-cilman Erick Kuehn, appointedto a vacant seat March 15.
Kuehn’s appointment ignitedthe first cinders of cronyismfrom critics. The hiring ofanother ally, Gary King, as citymanager June 10 fanned thoseflames.
The protests became a confla-gration when King hired twomore supporters — Bill Towlerand Jim Martin — as efficiencyconsultants. The jobs were creat-ed during a hiring freeze andwithout council approval.
Cape Coral is a city divided,said Steve Riggs, who resigned aschairman of the city’s FinancialAdvisory Committee in April.
“This has created a significantschism in the city, and it’s gottento the point that it’s createdenclaves, both physical andemotional, throughout the citythat pit neighbor against neigh-bor, resident against employee,”he said.
‘New game in town’Sal Grosso, a longtime critic of
city government, sees nothingwrong with the appointments.
“I’ve gone through one hell ofa lot of elections,” said Grosso,86. Any time a political partytook control, whether it was thefire district or the Legislature,“they generally put their peoplein positions of power, positionsthat are going to carry out the so-called mandate that got themelected. I don’t call it cronyism. Icall it, ‘Hey there’s a new game intown.’”
Grosso is the Fab Five’s guru.In a Nov. 8 News-Press guest edi-torial thanking those whohelped him get elected, Sullivancalled Grosso his inspiration.
“When I originally gotinvolved in Cape Coral govern-ment, he was my mentor, so tospeak,’’ he wrote. “I attempted topattern myself after Sal.”
Grosso is the one who shouldbe mayor, Sullivan wrote.
“So Sal will always be Mr.Mayor to me.’’
Grosso said Sullivan soughthis help after Sullivan received abill of about $27,000 for city util-ity expansion in 2006. He toldGrosso: “You seem to know a lotof what is going on in this town.”
Grosso helped bring togethereight like-minded people —including Sullivan, Deile andBrandt — and they began meet-ing to see what could be done.
They dubbed themselves the“M-8.” The name is a takeoff of“The Magnificent Seven,”Brandt said. The 1960 movie isabout gunfighters hired to pro-tect a Mexican village.
‘Up in arms’If Grosso is the guru, Joan
Rose is the godmother.In 2003, she and her late hus-
band started a group called theCape Coral Watchdogs, foundedfor the same reason that sparkedthe formation of the M-8.
“We were up in arms, thinkingsomething had to be radicallywrong with the city’s ongoingutility expansion program,” Rosesaid. “I got the ball rolling.Nobody else wanted to do it.”
The Cape Coral Watchdogsgrew to several hundred mem-bers. Sullivan, Deile and othersattended some meetings.
“I introduced all these men,”Rose said. She asked somewatchdog members if theyminded her giving their namesand numbers to others in thegroup they might work well with.
Nobody minded.Those who became the M-8
are just a persistent group of res-idents who evolved from a largerwatchdog group, said Lee Mars,another original M-8 member.They are Grosso, Sullivan,Brandt, Deile, Mars, Larry Bar-ton, Charles Pickering and PhilBoller.
They were retired profession-als from the fields of engineer-ing, law, accounting, govern-ment finance, IT systems andother areas, Mars said.
Eventually, the watchdoggroup burned out and lost trac-tion, but the loosely formedgroup of eight remained.
The M-8 met in one another’shomes and began to expandthrough e-mails.
“As we sat together and triedto understand why in hell thecity’s UEP (utilities expansion
program) and finances had gotto the nightmare state it was in,we often couldn’t come to logicalconclusions,” Mars said.
Grosso told them: “Nothing isgoing to change in the cityunless you elect some new peo-ple for City Council.”
Meanwhile, Sullivan formed“The Cape Coral Minutemen,”which is inactive but still has awebsite, in 2007.
The website has a drawing ofRevolutionary War-era militiamembers shooting rifles withcity hall behind them. The mottois “We Will Take our City Back.”
The group had its own e-maillist. Sullivan declined to divulgeit, saying it is private.
The M-8 held a meeting inMay 2009 at Palmetto-PineCountry Club in the Cape.
“We invited a whole bunch ofpeople, citizens who wereunhappy,” Grosso said. “Weestablished an e-mail networkthat kept people apprised ofwhat was going on.”
The Minutemen became partof that network.
“We were the so-called teaparty of Cape Coral before thetea party started,” Grosso said.
‘The Road Ahead’Newcomer Gary King started
speaking at council meetings.Rose first met King when he
came to a 2008 town hall meet-ing held by Brandt and sat nextto her. She filled in King on somehistory and may have introducedhim to Sullivan, she said.
King created an e-mail addresscalled “The Road Ahead,” whichupdated activities held by Sulli-van and his block of candidates.
The e-mail list from the M-8and the Minutemen meshed withThe Road Ahead’s list.
The Road Ahead often linkedwith a website called The Grass-Roots09.com, an online newslet-ter run by Towler, one of the twomen King hired as an efficiencyconsultant.
It became one giant network.“It just kept expanding
because there were more andmore people upset with whatpeople were doing in govern-ment,” Grosso said. “The spend-ing had got out of control.”
Some claim a hidden agenda.“The hidden agenda,” said
Barton, one of the M-8 members,“is trying to save some damnmoney here.”
Sullivan wanted candidatePaul Sands of Montgomery, Ala.He felt Sands had more experi-ence.
The flurry of June 9 e-mailsshowed King’s selection was injeopardy.
Sullivan told Leipold hiringKing would result in losingmajority control of the council.
“If we put King in the CM jobwe will lose control in 16months.We will be back to a 6-2or a 5-3 vote in my opinion,” hewrote. “Deile will not run again.Kuehn will not be able to winand we will have no choice butto back him (which is fine). Lookat the last two appointmentswhen they ran (Berardi andHair). You mark my words andsee what happens. That councilwill fire King (if he lasts thatlong.)”
Leipold told Sullivan the per-ception is that Sullivan hasabandoned everyone andeverything that got him elected.
“You are seen as the biggestroadblock to us getting the cityback under control,” Leipoldwrote.
“I was elected to do what thevoters wanted me to do and thatis what I am doing,” Sullivanshot back. “This group hasmade up its collective mind andnone of you give a damn forwhat happens in the long haul.Your horizon is way too short. Itis too ‘this is my buddy’ orientat-ed. I never promised anyoneanything if I was elected. If I hadI would have been the wrongperson to back. So your com-ments are not relevant.”
In the same e-mail, Sullivansays he initially wanted Leipoldfor city manager and King fordirector of finance.
“As far as DOF is concerned,many months ago I asked him(King) if he did not make CMwould he be interested in theFinance Director position. Iasked him again not too longago, just to find out what he wasthinking.When I first asked him,I thought it would be you forthat CM position and Gary forDOF. You killed yourself on thatone and could hardly wait toblame someone else for a verydumb move. This was very badjudgement on your part andagain I see more bad judgementespecially from someone whosees himself as politically astute.Rule No. 1 you never give yourenemy ammunition.That is pol-itics 101.You folks are giving thedark side ammunition you aregiving them an ammunitiondump.”
Leipold replied sarcastically,“John, you are right. I did hurtmyself by having integrity andnot perjuring myself. I knew itwould be used. You are all see-ing, all knowing and I bow toyour superior knowledge. I toldyou, that you would be pissed. Idon’t know where all this venomtowards me is coming from butit is misplaced.”
Meanwhile, King had beenthe team player, creating andadministering an e-mailaddress called “The RoadAhead,” which became synony-mous with the political goals ofthe Sullivan candidate bloc inthe 2009 election.
King was a main author ofthe informal “Contract withCape Coral,” signed by himself,Sullivan, four other councilmenmaking up the council majority,and political supporters. Thecontract pledged to cut spend-ing, eliminate waste and more.
King continued as a teamplayer after the election, keep-ing up a snappy flow of politicalinformation and events on TheRoad Ahead e-mail list, while
revving up a personal campaignfor the city manager position.
King first sent in his resumein late December before theofficial search process hadopened and fired off e-mailafter e-mail from his personal e-mail account to council mem-bers, giving suggestions, adviceand tantamount instructionson issues the council wouldvote on.
He also promoted himselfwith e-mails that includedphrases like “If I were city man-ager”; and suggested how coun-cil should vote on a hiring time-line for the job April 29:
“At the risk of sounding self-serving, I am urging you to votefor the hiring process timelinethat Council Member Brandt isbringing up for vote on Monday.Perhaps one question that yousubmit to the candidates shouldbe...assuming that you are thecandidate of choice and ourCouncil notifies you immediate-ly following the mid-June Coun-cil meeting, how soon can you beavailable to report for work?”
While promoting himself,King also undermined CarlSchwing, the city’s assistant citymanager and a job finalist.
On June 2, eight days beforehis selection, King wrote:
“Gentlemen, I have seen CarlSchwing’s reorganization pro-posal dated May 24th. In sevenpages I think he proposes to save$181,000/yr., mainly by elimi-nating the Director of FinancialServices position for $135,000with some vague reference to a“reclassification” of the CityClerk for another $46,000,although the memo is anythingbut clear. I am at a total loss tounderstand why he thinks this isa useful restructuring thatresponds to our problems ... Itwould seem to me that we needa Financial Services Director farmore than we need an AssistantCity Manager that sits betweenthe city Manager and a sprawl-ing staff of 1,300+.”
But on June 9, King knew hewas in trouble. He weighed in at6:55 p.m. that evening with areproachful e-mail to Sullivan,knowing he did not have Sulli-van’s vote.
“Well, here we are. Not oncehave I asked for a reward, quidpro quo or a favor. I have stoodfirm, confidently knowing thatmy career accomplishments,leadership skills, insight regard-ing our city and my commit-ment to the cause and the teamhad earned me the right to leadthe City like no other candidate.But I was wrong. The politicalcriticisms of your enemies havereplaced sense and fairness. Didit occur to you that they havebeen so vile and vehementbecause they know that I will doexactly what they do not want tohave happen, and that they fearmy ability and commitment toachieve our goals?”
King concluded: “I will facea difficult day tomorrow in theroom and the blogs and press,only to be thrown under the bus- not by the enemy, but by thosewho should have my back.”
Sullivan replied just beforemidnight, saying he wishedthey could talk face to face, buthe would forward the e-mailsbetween himself and Leipold soKing would know where Sulli-van was coming from. He askedKing not to take offense.
“I appreciate the support yougave me and I know that othersthink I am terrible or somethingbut my loyalty must be with theresidents,” Sullivan wrote. Thenhe wished King luck.
On June 10, King was chosencity manager in a nine-hourmeeting that winnowed fivefinalists to one. Sullivan votedfor King over Schwing.
CANDIDATESContinued from A1
CRONY
Continued from A1
CityworkersseeFabFiveagendaasunionbustingBY MARY [email protected]
Wally Ilczyszyn, who repre-sents more than 700 unionemployees in Cape Coral, fearsCity Manager Gary King and theFab Five will bust the unions.
“They have completely over-run the city of Cape Coral’s gov-ernment beyond cronyism,” saidIlczyszyn, supervisor of thewater plant in north Cape.“They are retired, they’re organ-ized, they’re strategic, they haveprivate business savvy and theemployees are their targets.
“And here is the issue that I’vegot: They’re just sticking it ineverybody’s face and saying,‘What are you going to do aboutit?’ It’s like pouring salt on thewound.”
Cape has 1,333 employees;about 98 percent are union.
Mayor John Sullivan hascaught flak for saying cityemployees eat filet mignon whileother residents eat cat food.
“I think I had a right to saythat,” Sullivan said.
He was referring to unionemployees in the top salaryrungs who can make up to 50percent over their base pay inovertime and other “add-ons,”
Sullivan said.“Let’s talk about cronyism, the
real deal, here,” Sullivan said.“Guysare taking care of their buddies.
“Those are the guys that putthemselves in the position tomake all that extra money.’’
“Add-on” pay is more trouble-some than overtime, Sullivansaid, because the overtime totalis only about one-third ($2.7 mil-lion) of the add-on pay total($7.2 million).
The city has a long list of “add-on” pay from earning trainingcertificates, working a differentjob temporarily, clothing andallowances and leave buyback.
Examples from the 2009 pay-roll list showed a maintenancesupervisor on the list made morethan $32,000 over his base salaryof $54,727. The additional payincluded $22,614 in “add-ons.”
It’s not fair to the rest of theemployees, Sullivan said.
Meanwhile, King said he is nota union buster, but managementhas to be represented fairly.
“Our obligation is to the citi-zens ... to make sure we are deliv-ering the services we need at acompetitive price,” he said.
King is interested in the con-cept of having a core group ofstaff to provide the city’s services
and then “lease” employeeswhen more services are neededto cut down on overtime costs.
This concept would not applyto public safety services, he said.
King floated the idea in a Dec.9 e-mail to several council mem-bers, six months before beingchosen as city manager:
“Here’s an idea to reduce costswhile also developing a morecost-efficient approach to staffresource management ...Replace overtime costs with con-tract labor (employee leasing)that avoids overtime rates andthe legacy costs associated withpension calculations. As a refer-ence point, there is currently anactive market for ‘leased’employees, ranging from officeclerks to physicians.”
Council member Bill Deilewrote back:
“Gary, the unions will haveconniptions over this. ...”
King replied:“Bill, I believe that any move to
rebalance the loaded cost ofunion contracts will be met withresistance and lack of coopera-tion. However, we need to findways to begin to move back tothe center of fairness, so this maybe one way to send the message.No path will be easy, I’m afraid.’’
CRONYISM: Favoritism shown to friends andassociates (as by appointing them to positionswithout regard for their qualifications).
Source wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS
The still-online website of a defunct group calling itself “The Cape Coral Minutemen” shows a group ofRevolutionary War-era militia members armed with rifles storming City Hall.
*** THE NEWS-PRESS, NATION &WORLD, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 | AA1155
