‘Culture of favoritism’ found in Manatee County’s building code office, report says
Some of the complaints alleged by a whistleblower who came forward last year with accusations of favoritism in Manatee County’s building code enforcement department have been substantiated by an internal report released Tuesday by the county’s Division of Inspector General.
The Bradenton Herald first reported on code enforcement officer Tanya Shaw’s concerns in March 2021. At the time, she said her bosses treated certain customers favorably because of personal relationships.
Following nearly a year of investigation, the Inspector General (IG) office was able to substantiate that allegation, concluding in a 52-page report that certain development rules and procedures were not always evenly applied.
“This inconsistent and preferential treatment based on relationships appears to have created a culture of favoritism within the (Development Services) Department,” Inspector General Lori Stephens concluded.
Those actions may have also violated Manatee County’s personnel policy, rules and procedures as well as the state statutes that regulate the code of ethics for public officers and employees.
The Manatee Board of County Commissioners reviewed the report ahead of its public release Tuesday morning. Board members thanked the staff for its detailed review and hinted at the possibility of future legal action.
“Sometimes these things take a long time. It’s like an onion, right? You peel back the layers,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “When some of us ran for office, we felt like there were things taking place here that shouldn’t be and that there was favoritism and that sort of thing going on. My compliments to you. You peeled back the layers and revealed quite a bit of that.”
“I’ve been here a long time and I’ve used the word corruption many times before, but you did a great job,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh added. “I’m going to ask that the state attorney become involved in it.”
The investigation found that policies, procedures, rules and/or codes were not always strictly followed in Code Enforcement cases and building development permits. The IG’s office reviewed 240 code enforcement cases and 103 permits. Of those cases, the report found 26 and seven permits that did not adhere to the guidelines.
Some of those deviations were due to staff mistakes, but the IG said 13 of those cases stemmed from management intervention. For example, the IG found one manager “motivated by a personal/professional relationship” told staff that an upcoming event did not need to follow the county’s Land Development Code regarding sign placement.
John Barnott, the department’s former director, retired in September. At the time, he said his retirement had nothing to do with the ongoing investigation. The IG’s report found that Barnott had influenced staff to ignore proper procedures on several occasions.
County officials appointed Courtney De Pol as the new director of the Development Services Department earlier this year. In a prepared statement, De Pol said she looked forward to improving customer service and streamlining the department’s processes.
The IG’s report is a direct result of Shaw’s public grievances related to the relocation of the annual Sarasota Medieval Fair, which moved to Myakka City in November. In the months leading up to the event, she said code enforcement supervisors urged her to ignore complaints because the property owners were friends of theirs.
The investigation, however, also concluded that some cases were mishandled because code enforcement officers — including Shaw herself prior to Nov. 24, 2020 — failed to adequately handle them and relied on incorrect information when using the county’s Geographic Information System, or GIS, maps.
The approval of an agricultural use exemption was approved by the county Permitting Manager Deanna Ward without all of the required documentation, the report also found.
In order to resolve several of the issues found in the Development Services Department, the IG report suggested creating formal policies and training employees to follow them. The government watchdog also suggested implementing “periodic quality control reviews” of the Development Services Department.
According to the report, the IG also recommended putting a system in place that requires staff to report potential conflicts of interest and require management approvals to be supported by explanations and documentation.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 4:13 PM.
