The Honorable Cheryl K. Sanders
Franklin County Commissioner, District 2
Dear Commissioner Sanders:
You telephoned my office on Wednesday, April 22, and inquired into whether there was anything between the two of us. For the record, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing between us. However, I did notice a sudden shift in your attitude toward me, right after Will’s failed bid for Superintendent of Schools.
At the time, I was unsure, but it is now clear that both you and Will held an unreasonable expectation, of me as Mayor, to deliver the Apalachicola vote into his corner. Especially since, as State Representative he assisted the city in obtaining the $1.5 million dollar grant from the Department of Elderly Affairs to renovate the Holy Family School into a dedicated Senior Citizen Center.
In addition, I found your inquiry somewhat ironic. Especially since it was identical to the inquiry, Will made to me via email on April 2, right before he questioned the City of Apalachicola’s decision to award the contract to oversee the renovation of Holy Family to Bailey, Bishop, and Lane, instead of his choice of Preble Rish.
Immediately after I informed Will that I didn’t recollect having a conversation with him promising that as Mayor, I would give the contract to Preble Rish in consideration for his support, your attitude toward me worsened.
Since then, you have embarked upon a covert campaign, especially during county commission meetings to undermine my competency as a county department head. Further, both you and Will have sought to create a division between my staff and me, all because I honestly do not recall promising to do something as Mayor, that I had neither the authority nor inclination to do.
Through your actions and attitude, after twenty-seven years of successful county employment, you have managed to create an environment where I dread coming into work for fear of what you may do next.
As a county commissioner, you must understand that regardless of what you do to me, as Mayor, I have an obligation to look out for the best interest of my community, and by doing so, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s something between us.
It simply means, that if I’m going to carry out my obligations with any kind of integrity, then I cannot allow your brother to use the Senior Center grant or the City of Apalachicola, as another means to pay back his political favors.
If you and Will can understand this, and leave me alone, then all is well.
Franklin County Commissioner, District 2
Dear Commissioner Sanders:
You telephoned my office on Wednesday, April 22, and inquired into whether there was anything between the two of us. For the record, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing between us. However, I did notice a sudden shift in your attitude toward me, right after Will’s failed bid for Superintendent of Schools.
At the time, I was unsure, but it is now clear that both you and Will held an unreasonable expectation, of me as Mayor, to deliver the Apalachicola vote into his corner. Especially since, as State Representative he assisted the city in obtaining the $1.5 million dollar grant from the Department of Elderly Affairs to renovate the Holy Family School into a dedicated Senior Citizen Center.
In addition, I found your inquiry somewhat ironic. Especially since it was identical to the inquiry, Will made to me via email on April 2, right before he questioned the City of Apalachicola’s decision to award the contract to oversee the renovation of Holy Family to Bailey, Bishop, and Lane, instead of his choice of Preble Rish.
Immediately after I informed Will that I didn’t recollect having a conversation with him promising that as Mayor, I would give the contract to Preble Rish in consideration for his support, your attitude toward me worsened.
Since then, you have embarked upon a covert campaign, especially during county commission meetings to undermine my competency as a county department head. Further, both you and Will have sought to create a division between my staff and me, all because I honestly do not recall promising to do something as Mayor, that I had neither the authority nor inclination to do.
Through your actions and attitude, after twenty-seven years of successful county employment, you have managed to create an environment where I dread coming into work for fear of what you may do next.
As a county commissioner, you must understand that regardless of what you do to me, as Mayor, I have an obligation to look out for the best interest of my community, and by doing so, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s something between us.
It simply means, that if I’m going to carry out my obligations with any kind of integrity, then I cannot allow your brother to use the Senior Center grant or the City of Apalachicola, as another means to pay back his political favors.
If you and Will can understand this, and leave me alone, then all is well.
Respectfully,
Van W. Johnson, Sr., Mayor
The Historic City of Apalachicola
Attachment:
Van
ReplyDeleteI loved your letter to Cheryl Sanders. You are so correct. Stay free and you do not owe anyone anything. That is why we elected you mayor, because you are your own person and I am very proud of you. You are doing a great job.
Hi Van, I would like to thank you for your blog. You are to be commended for standing up to this kind of harrassment and exposing it. I have had a similiar experience because of my involvement with the merger of the Lanark and Carrabelle water and sewer facilities. Will and Cheryl were against the merger. The following is my experience:
ReplyDeleteIt all started shortly after Lanark transferred its water and sewer assets to the city of Carrabelle in the early part of 2008. The first thing to happen was that three City of Carrabelle employees cut a large very healthy hickory tree down. This tree was situated directly across from my house on Enabob Street in Lanark Village. I asked the man in charge (William Massey) why they cut the tree and he stated that County Commissioner Cheryl Sanders sent them out because she said the tree was causing the garbage trucks problems and that the Lively’s were having trouble with it as well. I didn’t argue about it, but it did not make any sense. The tree had never caused any trouble that I had ever witnessed and I’ve been living in the same house for 31 years. It was a very beautiful tree that shaded a good portion of my front yard. (As it turns out, the tree was on property that belongs to Bill Miller and was not on the right of way.)
Soon after the hickory tree incident, my neighbors Rick and Barbara Lasher gave me some wooden fence panels to put between my house and Don and Patty Lively’s house on Miller Street. They did this because of past threats and recent violence that we all had reason to believe the Lively’s were responsible for. Another friend (Harold Arnold) started putting the fence up for me. Because the Lively’s were using Miller Street as a construction storage yard and kept it impassable, I put the fence over onto the Miller Street right of way just enough so that I would be able to drive past an oak tree and get to the back of my property. I also had the fence extend past my property towards Enabob Street. This was done to make it harder for the Livelys to see if I was home. (As I’ve said, I don’t feel safe). The fence was no where near being in the road and was in no way hampering the Lively’s ability to come and go. In the placement of my fence I was letting them have the majority of the Miller street right of way to do as they pleased with, since it was not opened beyond our two properties. We only got about eight panels up before the Franklin County Engineer (Dan Rothwell) arrived with a helper and some survey equipment. He told me that Cheryl Sanders had sent him out because the Lively’s were having a hard time getting from Miller Street to Enabob Street. He stated that they had an accident on my new fence. He also said that the county was going to move Enabob Street over closer to my house. This plan made no sense what so ever. No one had ever had any trouble driving on Enabob Street and his plan would cause the road to curve in closer to my house and then curve right back out! All this would do would be to make it more awkward! One of my neighbors ( Joanne Sparling) heard what Mr. Rothwell said and her husband (Ted Sparling) petitioned the county through a letter to Commissioner Cheryl Sanders that asked them to open Miller Street up. Mr. Sparling stated that if the Lively’s were having trouble coming and going , opening Miller Street would solve the problem and it would give the garbage trucks a way out without them having to back up.
No more was said nor done, and I did not put any more fence panels up. After a few weeks passed I received an email from Russell Roberts of the Franklin Chronicle, asking me if I knew that the street I live on was on the County agenda for the next day. (9-16-2008) I did not! Because of Mr. Roberts email alerting me to it, I was present at the meeting the next day. Mr. Rothwell gave his presentation and using maps showed the position of my fence. When he was finished the county ruled that the first two panels of my fence had to come down , I stepped forward and said that I would remove all eight of the panels and I asked that the county be fair and look on the other side of Miller street and they would see that the people (Don and Patty Lively) who were complaining that they could not get past my fence had filled much of the road with construction materials and that they had their fences in the right of way and they had also built their carport partially in the road. I also pointed out that Commissioner Sanders knew this because she was a frequent visitor of the Lively’s and could be seen regularly on the Lively’s front porch. At this point all five Commissioners voted to be fair and have the Lively’s side of the road examined. The next day my brother took my fence down for me.
I attended the next County meeting (10-7-2008) during which Commissioner Sanders Stated to Dan Rothwell that he was asked at the previous meeting to go out and see if the Livelys had anything in the right of way. Mr. Rothwell stated that they did indeed have obstructions in the right of way and he recommended that the Livelys be allowed to leave them where they were but he recommended that they be asked to sign a paper stating that if these obstructions caused an accident the county would not be held liable. Mr. Rothwell also stated that some citizens had asked that Miller Street be opened up but he did not see any need to do it. He stated that only about fifty percent of the people in that area wanted it. (According to a neighborhood survey conducted by the neighbors, the only ones apposed to opening Miller Street were the Livelys). Once again I stepped forward and asked the county to be fair and have the Livelys move their obstructions. After some discussion the county voted 5 to 0 that the Lively’s would have to move everything out of the right of way and they instructed that a letter be sent out to that effect. Soon after that the Livelys cut off that portion of their carport that was in the road and they moved some, but not all, of the fence that was in the right of way. They left all of the construction materials and trailers in Miller Street as well as a boat.
On 11-7-2008 just before daylight the house that lies directly behind my house caught fire and burned up, killing both people that lived there. Progress energy was not immediately able to cut the power off to the house, therefore the firefighters could not fight the fire at first. The reason for the delay in shutting off the power to the burning house was that the Lively’s had Miller Street blocked with their construction trailers and a boat, all of which, were blocking the power line to the house that was on fire. The power company had to go elsewhere and shut off another line that went to many houses. It was a couple of hours later that Don Lively came home and moved things around enough that Progress energy could cut the power directly to the burning house and thus restore the power to the many other houses. The delay in cutting off the power was not likely the cause of the peoples death but it was, none the less a serious problem. Even after the fire the Lively’s did not clean their junk out of the road and the power line was still being blocked!
I did not attend the County Commission meeting that came after the fire, (11-18-2008) but Barbara Lasher did. She was there to tell the County that the Lively’s construction trailers and boat had caused a delay in fighting the fire. The commissioners again agreed that the Lively’s would have to remove their junk.
As I said I did not attend the meeting at which Barbara Lasher spoke, but I watched it on TV the following Monday and was amazed at what I heard. After the commissioners agreed that the Lively’s would have to move their stuff, Commissioner Bevin Putnal started talking about a carport and some poles with rope running through them that was in the right of way. Some one spoke up and said that the Lively’s had already cut off their Carport. At this point Commissioner Cheryl Sanders said “NO he (Commissioner Putnal) is talking about someone in his district.” When I heard this I was amazed. I knew that they were talking about a piece of property my Mother owns in the Carrabelle Beach area! I knew this because I know that the County is not on a County wide clean up the right of way crusade, and I believe that they are just engaging in a vendetta against me. Moms property backs up on a little dirt road called Cape Street and there are only five neighbors on the entire street. Two of the other four neighbors had poles and junk cars right out against the road. Mom’s Carport was just barely over her property line and the poles with ropes were well away from the road itself. The other two neighbors without obstructions did not complain, so who did?
After viewing the meeting on TV I called my Mom and my brother and told them that we needed to move the carport and poles. The next morning I went with my brother and he took an iron bar and pried the carport fully into mom’s property. This only took a few minutes, but just as this task was finished County engineer Dan Rothwell drove up. He was visibly surprised to see us, but I told him that we had expected him. Mr. Rothwell told me that he had first been told by one of the commissioners (he didn’t say which) that it was my property. He said he was surprised to find a different name (Ruth Martin) listed in the records as the owner. He also said that he had been asked to look into this several weeks before and that he had already surveyed the property. I asked him if the new position of the carport suited him and he said yes. I told him that the poles would be gone before the day was over. I then mentioned to him that what the county had him doing was wrong. His reply was that he had only recently gotten this job and that he had just bought a new house and could not resell it if he lost his job. He told me that if he made any one commissioner mad at him he could be fired.
I attended the following County Commission meeting (12-2-2008) with the intention of telling the board what happened and telling them that I was being singled out and that it needed to stop. I was cut off every time I tried to make a point and it became obvious that I was about to be escorted out of there so I gave it up. I did point out that the Lively’s still had the road full of junk! Commissioner Cheryl Sanders spoke up and told the board that “if we don’t make the Lively’s move their stuff this group of people would keep coming back. (At this meeting I was accompanied by my mother and brother and no one else. This was the only meeting that they attended).
Here is something that I find worth thinking about that I don’t believe was a typo: On that days agenda under County engineer Dan Rothwell’s report , it looked like he was looking at the right of way in different areas. His report had mom’s property listed as being on Beacon Street and it had the two neighbors with obstructions listed as being on Cape Street. Mom’s Property is on Cape Street as well. All three are close together.
After a couple of days passed I decided to go see County planner Alan Pearce to see if he could stop all of this nonsense. I told Mr. Pearce that it needed to stop now. I told him that it had become a powder keg that was ready to blow. I told him that everyone in my neighbor hood was mad over the way the county seemed to be coming after me. I told him that it was a total waste of the county’s money and time and no one wanted nor needed to move just the portion of Enabob Street that was in front of my house. Mr. Pearce told me that he would see what he could do. He said he would call me and let me know. A couple of days later Pearce called and left a message on my answering machine stating that he would say in the next meeting that no more work would be done on Enabob Street or Miller Street. He said he would not call any names but there would be no more work. He also said that they would not take any more action on Cape Street in Carrabelle. (everything of moms had already been moved on Cape Street. The other two land owners were never made to move anything)
I attended the next county meeting (12-16-2008) and listened as Alan Pearce said that they would not be doing anymore work nor would we be moving Enabob Street. The next day the Livelys started driving through the grass in front of my house in the exact place the road would have been moved if the county had of continued with their plan! The Livelys are doing this even though it is easier to stay on the road. It is a much sharper turn to drive through the right of way grass in front of my house than it is to stay on the road. They have killed the grass and it want be long before they have created ruts! This made the people in my neighborhood mad, not only because it was wrong but they were also mad because they knew that the county would support the Livelys in what they were doing .
It was not long after this that the neighbors got together and decided to clean Miller Street up and give the Lively’s a way out. Miller Street used to be open and was a way out to highway 98. About twenty years ago a small section of about 120 feet became very sandy and caused a lot of people to become stuck. The County did not do anything about it and Patty Dingler Putnal (now Patty Lively) starting putting yard trash in it to stop traffic. Over the last few years brush has grown up in it and the Livelys threw more garbage and yard trash into it.
One Saturday morning (1-3-2009) about a dozen people cleaned up the trash and cut the brush, thus opening Miller Street up. This did no good because Monday morning (1-5-2009) bright and early the County dumped two loads of dirt into it in order to close it back up! I wonder how the county made such a quick decision and who issued the order?
A couple of days passed and then on Thursday (1-8-2009) my neighbors Rick and Barbara Lasher called me and asked if they could bring their Land Rover over and park it. They said that they were having a swimming pool installed and they had to move it while the tractor was digging the hole. I told them that they could, but only if it was temporary. They towed it over (the clutch is out on it) and put it in front of my house in the Enabob street right of way grass, but in no way was it in the Miller Street right of way, nor was it in the road. No sooner had they gotten the Land Rover parked Don Lively jumped into his truck and drove out at a very fast clip. He returned shortly with Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy Spence Massey. Mr. Lively told officer Massey that I had parked right in the middle of the road. He stated that the new ruts that he and his wife had created in the right of way was the road. Officer Massey maintained an impartial attitude and said he would have to report it to his superiors and let them decide. At this point Don Lively repeated that the ruts were the road and he repeatedly said “ask Cheryl Sanders”. At this point the officer went over to the Lively’s house to talk with them privately. After talking with the Lively’s Mr. Massey came over to talk to me. I asked Officer Massey about a boat that the Lively’s were storing in the middle of Miller Street and Mr. Massey said that Don Lively told him that Alan Pearce had given him permission to keep it there!
Officer Massey told me that someone from the Sheriff’s department would get back with me the next day and let me know whether the vehicle was ok where it was at. The next morning at about 6:00 Am I awoke to a lot of noise and looked out the window to see Don Lively moving the boat out of Miller Street. That evening (Friday 1-09-2009 ) Sheriffs deputy Alan Ham came to my house and asked if I had called the sheriff’s department. He said someone had called and reported a broken down car in the middle of Miller Street. I told him it must be the Livelys that called and I pointed out to the Land Rover that was in front of my house and said that was what he was calling about. Officer Ham went out and examined the vehicle and came back on the porch and said “ I’m not going to red tag that vehicle, it’s not in the road ” and he left. After about ten minutes Officer Ham came driving back up to my house. Ham said that he had just talked to Alan Pearce and he said that he needed to ask a few questions. He then asked my name and he asked if the Land Rover was in running condition. He also asked about the tag. He said that a current sticker had been purchased but was not on the vehicle. At this time he got a phone call and stepped out side to take it. He came back in a couple of minutes and said that the call was from Sheriff Shiver and that Alan Pearce and Sheriff Shiver were going to have a meeting about this incident the first thing Monday morning. (A few days after Monday’s meeting I spoke with Sherriff Shiver and he told me that Alan Pierce had planned to bring him to my house after the meeting to show him the trouble I was causing)!
I went to the Sheriff’s office Monday morning ( 1-12-2009) and asked Sheriff Shiver if I could attend the meeting with him and Alan Pearce. He said that would be ok. He then commented that the county attorney (Michael Shuler) was with Mr. Pearce and this was a surprise to him. I brought Photo’s with me that showed where the vehicle was parked and the Sheriff had already viewed them before the meeting. In the meeting Alan Pearce produced a drawing of Enabob and Miller Street and gave us all a copy. He then told the Sheriff that I was parked in the Lively’s way. Sheriff Shiver spoke up and said that I had brought Photographs and that is not what he saw. He said that according to the photos I was not parked in any ones way. After hearing this Mr. Pearce became noticeably angry with me and said that he had not actually been out and seen for himself. Pearce then said that I had no right to clean up the closed portion of Miller Street. I pointed out to him that I didn’t do it, that it was a neighborhood project. Soon after, attorney Shuler told me that it was unlawful to park in the right of way but it was perfectly ok to ignore the road and drive through the right of way. He then said that I was just in a feud with the Lively’s and that I should set down and talk it out with them. I asked him how he could make such an assumption and he said he had seen it in the county meetings. It is interesting to note that Cheryl Sanders and Bevin Putnal have been saying the same thing. They seem to be intent on making everyone think I am feuding with my neighbor. It is obvious to me that they are assisting the Lively’s in everything that happens and trying to make it look like a feud between two neighbors.
It should be pointed out that no one had a meeting with the sheriff even after the Lively’s caused a delay in the fighting of a fire and no one made them remove these obstructions until much later and after much prodding! On the other hand the county planner and the county attorney had a meeting with the new sheriff (of six days) because I had a vehicle in the grass in front of my house that was in no ones way!
On Thursday (1-29-2009) at 9:30 AM I came out of the shower to find my mother (Ruth Martin) knocking at my door. When I opened the door I noticed that she was very visibly shaken. Her face was red and her whole body was trembling. I was afraid that she might have a heart attack! I got her in and she finally calmed down enough to talk. What she had to say was most unsettling! She said that when she turned down Enabob Street to come to my house she saw a pickup truck at the end of the road. She said that it started up and rushed toward her and cut her off in the middle of the road. She said that when it stopped she recognized the County engineer (Dan Rothwell). According to Mom, Mr. Rothwell spent about fifteen or twenty minutes scolding her and telling her where she could and could not park. He tried to point out my property line and was trying to tell her she could not park beyond that point. This was all very bizarre because mom was still in the middle of the road with Mr. Rothwell blocking her way. Mom says she became so upset that she began shouting and thus Rothwell decided it was time to leave.
I hope this is the last of the harassment but I’m almost certain that it is not!
Bill Snyder
Mayor Johnson,
ReplyDeleteAs a resident of St. George Plantation, I could not have voted in the Apalachicola mayoral race. However, if I could have, I would have voted for you. You may not remember meeting with several representatives of the Plantation Garbage Committee several years ago in your office at the Solid Waste Dept. We had never met before then but you were one of the most courteous public servants I have ever met. You were professional and helpful with the efforts of the Garbage Committee and I have frequently mentioned your helpful attitude and professionalism to others.
John Culbertson
It's interesting how Cheryl Sanders has the power to harrass people endlessly and no one seems to have the ability to put an end to her ridiculous behavior!
ReplyDeleteDavid
I'm saden to see that the politics in Franklin county has sunk to an all time low. This type of behavoir is totaly unacceptable and should'nt be allowed. You should file a complaint against Cherly Sanders, for her missuse and abuse of power. First file it with "GOD" on your knees in prayer, I also touch and agree with you, then file it with the state. If you who have been called by God from your youth don't stand up for the right thing and put an end to Cherly Sanders "ridiculous behovior", then who will? You are in my prayers, will we keep you lifted up before the LORD GOD of heaven. Once YOU do the right thing than GOD is always, always working on your behave.
ReplyDeleteEvangelist Bryan
I'm also saden to see that the politics in Franklin county has sunk to an all time low...Mayor Johnson using a blog to share his story instead of the County Commission meetings where the County's business should be handled. Seems like Mayor of Apalachicola and County employee should be seperate issues.
ReplyDeleteI too am saddened by to know that you are pointing fingers at anyone. Remember when you point one you have four more pointing back at you! Shame on you. God wants us to help one another not hurt each other. You need to go back to church and pray for those that have hurt you or that you may of hurt. Shame on you!
ReplyDelete