Manatee’s Building Department director retires amid code enforcement investigation
John Barnott, director of Manatee’s Building and Development Services Department, has retired after more than 20 years with the county.
First hired as a utilities customer service administrator in 2001, Barnott worked his way to the top of the building department, where he oversaw development permits, building inspections and code enforcement. Since 2008, he had served as the head of the department.
Barnott’s retirement, which took effect Sept. 10, comes while his department and Code Enforcement staffers are under investigation regarding allegations of corruption and favoritism. He and five other county staffers were placed on administrative leave earlier this month.
Barnott said Tuesday afternoon that his retirement isn’t related to the pending investigation, upon which he declined to comment. Barnott sent his retirement notice to the county’s acting director Human Resources 8 days after he was placed on leave.
“It was time. I’ve been thinking about retirement the last couple of years and I just turned 70 this month,” Barnott said. “It’s time for me to step aside and let the youngsters show what they can do. They’re good, talented people.”
“I had a 20-year career there and I really enjoyed every minute of it and the people I worked with. They’re great people who follow the A.C.E. philosophy,” Barnott added, referring to the county’s motto that emphasizes accountability, civility and ethics.
In Barnott’s absence, county leaders have tapped Building Official Stephanie Raucci and Zoning Official Rob Wenzel to lead the department while conducting a search for a new director, a county spokesperson said.
During his tenure with the county, Barnott received glowing reviews from former county administrators who spoke highly of his leadership ability. Barnott’s 190-page personnel file, which has been reviewed by the Bradenton Herald, points to a history of achievements that put a strong focus on customer service, such as moving to an online permitting system.
“John has led his department well through a difficult year,” former county administrator Ed Hunzeker wrote in a 2019 employee evaluation. “John has been very creative and his continued emphasis on streamlining processes and looking for improvements has allowed his staff to continue trying to meet service level expectations of businesses and the community.”
Former county administrator Cheri Coryea also praised Barnott’s job performance in her 2020 review, noting that he plays a “critical role” in the community.
“He is easily approached and uses his get-it-done philosophy to engage the community,” Coryea wrote.
Coryea also leveled criticism against the way Barnott responded to information requests or complaints about code enforcement issues or land development applications.
“While John responds to these issues, he is at times defensive and protective of staff at the start and fails to get the full picture before offering answers,” Coyrea’s 2020 evaluation continued.
Behind the code enforcement investigation
The ongoing investigation into the building department and code enforcement is linked to the development of an event venue in Myakka City, where a whistleblower Code Enforcement officer accused her superiors of protecting the landowner from violations because of a personal connection.
Tanya Shaw, who has been a code enforcement officer with the county for more than three years, went public with her frustration earlier this year. She accused her supervisors of stepping in to prevent her from writing code violations against the land that is connected to Kathy Croteau, a former building official in Sarasota County.
According to Shaw’s complaints, a 47-acre property along State Road 70 in Myakka is being developed as the new home for the Medieval Fair, which attracts thousands of visitors. Neighbors have raised concerns about the construction operation, which has resulted in flooding and noise issues.
Shaw said she attempted to put a stop to the development, but her supervisors ordered her to stand down before removing her from the case and reassigning her regular duties to a different part of the county. Even after she highlighted problems, the Building and Development Services Department refused to issue a stop-work order.
Those allegations led the county’s watchdog to open an investigation into the matter.
“It is active and in progress,” said Lori Stephens, the county’s inspector general, who declined to comment further on the case.
Fallout from the Myakka City investigation has already led to a procedural change at the building department. Staff sent an email notice on Monday noting that property owners may no longer claim an agritourism without submitting a special permit for the county to review and “address substantial offsite impacts.”
The developers of the Medieval Fair property made an improper agritourism claim in order to move forward on the project without input from county staff, according to Shaw’s complaint.
County Administrator Scott Hopes made the decision to put six employees tied to the allegations against Code Enforcement, including Barnott, on leave earlier this month. Code Enforcement Chief Jeff Bowman reported directly to Barnott.
At the time, Hopes said he believed employees may have been harassed into not complying with the inspector general’s investigation. Hopes also said he suspected that the building department had not been providing equal treatment for every customer in the county.
“In my review of the information obtained from the IG investigation at the midpoint, it appears that all applicants at the building department for permits are not treated equally,” Hopes said in a previous interview with the Bradenton Herald.
Hopes shared that the ongoing investigation found discrepancies in how rules were applied, noting that the county’s review found evidence of certain applicants requiring permits while others didn’t. The response time also varied for different applicants, he said.
As development has boomed in Manatee County, Barnott made public statements to the Board of County Commissioners about an overworked staff and highlighted the need for more planners to review and address permit concerns. The county’s recently approved 2022 budget includes funding for 14 more employees in the building department.
Earlier this year, Barnott also said he intended to investigate the claims about Code Enforcement staff.
A timeline for a full report on the inspector general’s investigation is unclear, but Stephens said she expects to release more information at a later date.
This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 4:55 PM.
