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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 04 06 Orlando Sentinel Articles Mayor Paul Partyka Censored/Droppedul ~eluelly ' '•° ~'w:unau nrr ,-nllnm 13 uos~oep 'a poq a ep!~ pue /way uew~aleM le WdE le ZOOZ 'Sl a se petias II~dV '~SepuoW eq iIIM '~ai1o1S e~„ 6uo!elg ~W col 'ao!n~es !e!iouioW Idly edde~{ y ''0 ~dl~ 'a3llOlS ~ !yd '~Sa~ uaw e seM epuo!d 'luow ~ /y!s~an!uN -~al~ '3WOH lyd3Nlld 1.lIW oan!aoa~ ay -yd d3N~39 '~q apew luaw ,!H opuelip •a6ue~iy -luow~al~ 'yomy~ e opue!~p ls!ideg is~!d ayi of apew 7t lady uo aq ue° suo!lnquiuoo s~aMO!1 8 'y°~ny~ to na!I ul luow~al~ to shied 1S le Wdd ~(alysy '~aly5neppue~6 pue ~N play aq II!M 'e!uolse~ to yloq ydlopuea aS !e~aund auueueW '~als!s pue ~!el9 y 1a `ZOOZ sallN '~aylaq 'qd 'eloauu!W %aP~l Pa!P l° s~{~ed uesnS 'ialy5nep 'vaq `l~3M09 °a 'Puegsny ioniwns ~uow -ial~ 'yoiny~ sgde9 ls~id aUl }° ~agwaw e pue ~a~{ewaw -o~,l e seM ayS ewolse~ wal 5uiwo° 1002 /Inp ui, luow di uawui}dslH 3o n.zolnwaa~ pun awoH lnaaunl woss}a0 'all}nsau}n~ °11>;ws paa~ acwlaQ `aauloaq n pun :•uua,I, `ulpnal 'aciod ~fglex 'aals}s u :pnot~ '~S `IInwS 'Z auuaq}ex `aaulow aau ;•S uuor `pu>?gsnu aau ~Cq pan?Hans osl>? s} auS «'a311 aau senn s}uZ„ •plas 1lauang „`uuw >? se llan~ sa apla plnoo au5„ •uogeloossd ap}~ Bead, ~Clunoa eloa~s0 aqt Pue qnl~ sands aanl}S aqt - sasaoq panlon -ur ~Cl~sow 712itl1~ IIIts ~Cagl ~`\;,. , -T---j anq '~ulgouea ~ 3o ap}slno ~''° ~ sanol aneq landn sai}w otp anq ••'olvpaop -nt~•l ~IO,d of aaglow aau uaiM panow ~tanl~ `ap>?a.~ palul uI •plns alauanQ „`alliapnnb ayl ur aldoad ~}q aqt ul}nn apw oI algn aq oI ~ulul ~lq e snnn lnu,l~, •aau~zad ~sall aau sn aaule3 aau annq of paaouou ssnn aus - xo~gasaou uo ~ulou~p aaunbs - all}ap~nb lsai3 aau ~ulano •aapla paLlslldwoooe ue ~paaa -In s~n~ xaal~ `OI ale Mfg „•asaou lagl uo paslea s~n~ aqs •asaoy pooh ~ s~n~ [asaoq aq.L],. 'Plus llauang „'tt?gl nano to.~ aanau aqs„ ~aa~nuaat a sen~ ~Iaal~ uagn~ gauea aqt uo acnow uaalsam e 30 ~uIwII3 aq1 .~uunp Palllx !~III?lua~ooz s>?n~ asao~ au L-~ CENTRAL FLORIDA ldentif~ed County au- he dead pi- Igine Piper 1, of Silver e Boca Ra- in the mys- discovered .vamp west aunty Sher- said. I Adminis- Transpor- investigat- on Garcia, herman d Pamela atributed to Iltq,°I '~Ir °K1ii~~4V~d5 ~~{FJliu~,,q,l dn;aa,no~;;~ pt~s'.'}Iautngu -ro `u?sno~;.rau:„`3?,anoi,i~ul no~f j! t{~uaa l,up~nonn` nod„ ..~o .iana ~CIIuz~3 a>:II 'u} pauneu suu II 'uounl alB~daul. aua~ inu~ atilnsuuuax uc puej Iu~n aaul~3puua~ aau `~fari~ u30Z aul 30 ~nl aul ld 'sar OOI ueul aaow ao3 poolq s -rwe3 aau u} uaaq_pnu ~} se I'• `poolq aau u} s~n~ ~uluou~g •85 sen~ aqs •aaausa.~t ;o ~CepsangZ pa}p 's086I ul gouug L .~l;g paun~o-~llu; aq; aano xoo~ ounn `xanl~ 'a3rlaau3o ~s auk Palsni 3eul ~uluouca u~ L SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2002 r B3 ' ~+:: ~5, __: Winter Springs mayor maybe censured j ' By ROBERT PEREZ SENTINEL STAFF WRITER WINTER SPRINGS -Mayor Paul Partyka faces a possible censure next week as city commissioners decide whether he misled them about his role in a proposed homeless center. • Commissioner Robert Miller says Partyka was deeply involved in the project, which he never disclosed, yet he lobbied the city to extend services to it. At the City Commission meeting Monday, Miller plans to ask that the second-term mayor be reprimanded and ordered to reimburse more than $1,400 that the city paid for services associated with his participation in the project. Partyka could not be reached for comment Friday. When first questioned by the com- mission about his role, Partyka said he was the real estate broker on the sale of a 7.75-acre parcel at 350 Old Sanford-Oviedo Road to Health Care Center for the Homeless. In 2000, the agency wanted to build a $2 million, 50-bed convalescent center where homeless people could recover from medical problems. Nearby residents said they feared that homeless people would wander into their neighborhood. But center proponents said the patients would be returned to a homeless shelter in Orlando after their stay. The city eventually sided with resi- dents and last year paid $300,000 to ~, j = x ~~~ a .. .. ^u '~ buy the property from the heath-c~ - center to keep the project from be built. ' ' Miller said Partyka strongly 1 - bied the City, Commission to ext , water and sewer services to the pr eriy while insisting he only rep~• -: sented the seller. Later, he adini he represented the health-care'cen~ ~ ' on the land deal. But even then, Pa~- ka did not disclose that he was the '• _1 project's` developmenf"director, Mai - ersaid. ;102 ` In a memo to commtssioners, , . - - er suggests Partyka's behavor,rai~ ~ "serious• ethical questlons:regar acceptable standards of conduct "'U ~z ..' ; _; f Robert Perez can be reached at . rperez@orlandosentinel.com or 407322-729~A } uz~ , ~ ~~ ;~ ' '' ~ .i, ~t. .'"~ Cit ::dear ~1 ~ ~ ~~~ f .. r :. s ~_ titer S rin s .ma.. ~o . ,.':. . y :_ .. ~ _ _ x~r~~ ~g .~ '~, ti . y COri1ri11SS1011ePS deClded; ;' two years .'ago. The center never ,and falsely. accusing tthe imayor COritTOVerS 1bOUt h1S POIe came._to be because of neighborhood information that, if investigated? ~' opposition ~ ~ ;would have. eliminated any. core lIl 1 pPOpOSed SllelteX : ' Partyka ds~losed~that he was.the ; versy," said Partyka, reading fr~~ re`al•;estaje broker : on the sale of a`prepared statement: ; r ;. ;a,. should be laid to rest. , 7,~5-acre -parcel. $n ~ Old Sanford- Miller ~ said. he was not ttyiti ; Oviedo Road to Health Care Center. embarrass anyone but merely tr By MIKE BERRY ~ for the Hpmeless. . ~ to get to the truth of an issue that; sBrrTirrEL sTnFF wRiTEx But his detractors on the commis- lingered over the city for two year ` sion'took issue with the fact that he The city ended up buying'~t WINTER SPRINGS -City coin- a1so,.helped the Health Care Center property from the Health Care missioners decided Monday. not to look for a site and that he pushed to ter to stop the project.. ;~ censure Mayor Paul Partyka over his extend. water and sewer services to Commissioner 1Vlichael Bl~, personal role in a proposed home- the site chosen. while generally standing up for t less shelter in the city, voting instead Partyka said he represented only.; mayor, said it would have been "p; to lay the issue to rest. the seller of the property, Marie Cho- dent" for Partyka to disclose his to The conflict ended with ahand- wanski. He denied the suggestion involvement in the project up from shake .between Partyka and. Coin- ~ .that he was a project director for the Commissioner Cindy . Genn missioner Robert Miller,' who had Health Care Center. said the mayor could have exciis raised ethical questions about Party- His real estate firm, Realvest Part- himself from any city discussion ka's role as a real estate agent. tiers, .did authorize a soil study on the project to avoid the. appearar But not before the mayor vigor- the property on behalf of the Health of a conflict of interest. ously defended his conduct and Care Center, he said. But real estate Finally, Commissioner Day accused Miller of a "mean-spirited agents typically do that kind of thing McLeod suggested that the ma3 personal attack." And not before to help move a deal along, he said. and Miller shake hands and put`1 other commissioners suggested Par- Partyka also said he sat in on city matter to rest. tyka could have handled the issue staff meetings pertaining to the cen- "I'm willing to do that if I get better. ter's application but did so simply to apology," Partyka said. Miller asked commissioners to protect his client. "You have it,"Miller said. consider a censure because he said "Commissioner Miller has embar- the mayor did not disclose his total rassed the city and he embarrassed Mike Berry can be reached at 407-320-09} involvement in the proposed center his office by damaging, distorting mberry@orlandosentinel.com. a .Orlando Sentinel OrlandoSentinel.com THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2002 SECTION J Proposal to censure Pa~rtyka is dro ~ e pp Accusations flew, but a Winter Springs commission meeting er~~cd iii a h~l~dsnaxe. Aversion of this article appeared in some editions o f Tuesday's Local & State section. By Mtl~ BERRY , SF.NT'INEL STAFF WRPrER WIIVTER SPRINGS - City commissioners backed off a pro- posal tocensure Mayor Paul Party- ka over his personal role in a pro- posed homeless shelter in the city, but they didn't hold back their punches. Commissioners found other is- suesfor which fo criticize the may- or, including his use of City Hall and city business cards for private business. A particularly contentious meeting Monday night ended with `a handshake between. Partyka and - ;~ Commissioner-Robert Miller, who .had raised ethical questions about Partyka's role , as . a real-estate agent =:r -:, ~ ,.. ~1 F :. < < Bit the. handshake ddn°t' come pefore°the;mayor vigorously de- -~fended; h>s ,conduct and -accused Miller:of a'"mean spirited personal attack."~OtYier commissioners sug- "gested Pattyka'couldhave handled the issue better,,. Miller asked commissioners to consider: a censure because, he said, the mayor did not disclose his total involvement in the proposed center two years ago. The center never materialized because of neighborhood opposition. Partyka disclosed that he was the real-estate broker on the sale'of a 7.75-acre parcel on Old Sanford- Oviedo Road to Health Care Cen- terforthe Homeless. But some on'the cgmmission said he -also helped Health-Care Center look for a site. and that- lie pushed to extend water and sewer services to the site chosen. Partyka said he represented on- ly the, Property's seller, Marle PrsnsE s~ MAYOR, 14 SENTINEL ARCHIVE Winter Springs mayor. Paul Partyka's role in a homeless-shelter proposal raised questions. Partyka goes on the off MAYOR FROM J1 . Chowanski. He denied the sug- gestion that he was a project di- rector for the Health Care Cen- ter. Realvest Partners, where Partyka works, did authorize a soil study on the property on be- half of the Health Care Center, but real-estate agents typically do that to help move a deal along, he said. Partyka also said he sat in on city staff meetings pertaining to the center's application but did so simply to protect his client. "Commissioner Miller has embarrassed the city and he em- barrassed his office by damag- ing, distorting and falsely accus- ing the mayor on information that, if investigated .. , would have eliminated any controver- sy," said Partyka, reading from a prepared statement. Miller said he was not trying to embarrass anyone but was trying to get to the truth of an is- sue that had lingered for two years. The city ended up buying the Property from Health Care Cen- ter tostop the project. Commissioner Michael Blake, while generally standing up for the mayor, said it would have been "prudent" for Partyka to disclose his full involvement in the project up front. Commissioner Cindy Gen- nell said the mayor could have excused himself from any city discussion of the project to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Finally, Commissioner David McLeod suggested that the may- or and Miller shake hands and put the matter to rest. "I'm willing to do that if I have an apology," Partyka said. "You have it,"Miller said. The arguments weren't over, though. Commissioners Gennell and Ed Martinez gave the mayor a hard time for meeting with real-estate clients at City Hall during a recent weekend. Gennell said she saw chil- dren of the parents Partyka was meeting running around unes- corted. She said it was a security risk because of computers and s ~: • ,.- enslve p~: other equipment. ~: Partyka said he was showing off City Hall. ~. City Manager Ron ~' Mcl`;e- more, who stayed out of the fray Monday, said personal use of City Hall after business hours "could cause problems." Commissioners voted to ask the state's Ethics Cormnissiorito rule on whether it is ethical i'or city officials to use city business cards to promote themselves for personal gain. That issue arose from the mayor's distribution~of his mayoral business cards 'to prospective real-estate clients; Partyka said he was proud;of his position as mayor and saw no conflict in giving clients his city card along with his profes- sional card. Gennell, Miller and Martinez, who were most critical of Par{y- ka on the other issues, voted'to send the issue to the Eth~cs Commission. Blake and M voted against the measure. r' MHre Berry as be reacbcd ai - - ~....o.~~., .-- -- 32x4415. :~- ^~ - - Y 1t - - a~~-