After previously agreeing to openly discuss an alleged “quid pro quo” a developer had offered him, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris told the Palm Coast City Council last night that he wouldn’t talk about it after all, and take his case to law enforcement. Norris’s flip was one more example in an accumulating series of bizarre behavior, conspiratorial statements, accusations and deflections that continue to shift the sands under the council’s feet and project images of distrust and dysfunction, damaging city functions.
Last week, as the council was about to discuss an independent investigation that found Norris to have violated the city charter and insulted and intimidated staff, Norris threw “a grenade,” in the vice mayor’s words, deflecting from the issue. He claimed a developer offered him a “quid pro quo” in exchange for approving the city’s pending comprehensive plan without changes. He did not name the developer. A quid pro quo is an offer of a benefit in exchange for a favor. It can be innocuous. When a public official and public policy are involved, it’s illegal.
Norris claims the statement was witnessed by a retired law enforcement officer (apparently, Norris’s wife, though he would not confirm it.) Norris wanted a closed-door meeting to discuss the issue, including “four witness statements,” and presumably reveal the developer’s identity. Norris said state law provides for such closed-door sessions in those circumstances.
It does not. Norris was confusing a law that allows for the details of certain ongoing economic development projects to remain secret for six months to a year, under limited circumstances. (For example, the city is currently working with Atlanta-based DC Blox to build a data center in Town Center. That project is covered by confidentiality, though only city officials are required to keep it confidential.) Nothing in law provides for secret council discussions about alleged improprieties unless the matter is in litigation.
After a torturous discussion among council members and City Attorney Marcus Duffy at the May 1 meeting, Norris agreed to an open discussion of the matter, scheduled for last night’s meeting.
When it was time for that item, Norris again stunned his colleagues. He would not discuss the matter openly after all. He’d take it up with Sheriff Rick Staly, then move his way up–“Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or whoever, Department of State or Ethics Commission, whatever I need to do.”
He said he did not want to open the city to litigation, claiming he had not discussed the matter “other than my closest advisor and my wife.” In that case, he has already broken the supposed confidentiality he is under, and he would be liable–if there were such a confidentiality requirement. But there isn’t.
“He thinks it should still be confidential,” Duffy said. Duffy has repeatedly informed Norris that confidentiality does not apply. Norris said he had not consulted his own attorney on the matter, so it’s not clear how he is concluding that his legal opinion is correct. “So I said, if he’s not comfortable, then he could bring it to the sheriff’s department or some type of law enforcement agency to look into it himself.” If the mayor is making a criminal allegation, Council member Charles Gambaro said, then the law enforcement route is appropriate.
Council members were not willing to let Norris table the “quid pro quo” issue so unaccountably.
“Mayor, your comment was that you received a quid pro quo from somebody related to the comp plan and westward expansion. And that’s a concern for me,” Pontieri said. (The city refers to its plan to expand development on thousands of acres west of U.S. 1 as the westward expansion.) “Particularly, you presumably received this quid pro quo quite a while ago. We’ve already had the comp plan come before us once, and it wasn’t brought up. So I just have some really big concerns about where we go from here, and whether or not some actions need to be taken. I mean, this is a big deal.”
“That’s why I had a discussion with Marcus,” the mayor said.
“Forgive me, Mayor, but why throw the grenade last week then?” Pontieri asked.
“Because I just wanted you to–you my colleagues, to be aware that this happened, and some of those sworn statements were by the people that did it,” he said. It wasn’t exactly clear what he meant by “sworn statements,” unless he was referring to the numerous complaints employees made to human resources about his conduct. Yet he is pinning the quid pro quo on a developer, not staff members.
“You’re ham-stringing us now, because we have no idea what’s going on,” Pontieri said.
“There’s going to be a resolution to it, you’re going to hear about it. It’s going to come out,” Norris told the council. “But I do not want to open our city up–I am not about wasting the city’s money, and it certainly won’t be because of litigation. I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want our city ever to be sued.”
The day before, Norris had filed suit against the city.
Council member Dave Sullivan cautioned the mayor against bringing things up about a “really nasty thing going on,” only to drop it without a resolution.
Norris’s answer was unrelated to the issue: “You caused me to put my dukes up and ready for a fight,” he said, again referring to the complaints against him, and the council’s censure and loss of confidence in him.
“I would just ask that before allegations like that be launched from this dias,” Pontieri told the mayor, “we need to think very carefully about what we say and do up here, as far as there being any connotation of misrepresentation or misinformation. And I’m not saying that there is in this case. But when you leave something like that hanging for the city and people to interpret or make assumptions or whatever it may be, it is not healthy for the city. So in the future, I would just ask, mayor, that maybe legal be consulted beforehand, and that we just exercise an extreme amount of discernment with regards to what we say and when, if we’re not ready to put it fully out in the sunshine at that time with full context. And to say that your dukes were up and that was why you did it, mayor, we are all under a lot of pressure up here.”
The comprehensive plan was on the council’s agenda for final approval last night. It was approved, 4-1, with Norris dissenting.
Pogo says
@God bless ya
… Captain Queeg, and your strawberries too!
https://www.google.com/search?q=captain+queeg
Kc says
We elected an 11 year old. “I know something you don’t know…”
Just beautiful.
Michael J Cocchiola says
I admit that I’m confused. Norris keeps lobbing bombs over the transom and changing the conversation. Is this his strategy, or is there some medical or emotional issue at play?
I’ve lost hope that Norris can reconnect with the other council members and do his job. He may be capable of serving as mayor if there were such a thing as a reset button, but the council is way beyond that. There is no room for Norris to play in the council’s sandbox. He has to resign so the city can recover from this debacle.
So, the scenario I’m leaning towards is for Norris to resign, the remaining council members appoint Lauren Johnston as the permanent city manager, and hold a special election to fill the mayor’s position.
Let’s get on with it and try to rebuild our city’s reputation.
Rodin, "The Thinker" says
I’m glad I’ve already more than decided to get the hell out of Palm Coast and out of Florida. The place has been destroyed beyond repair. I’m not one to keep complaining and belaboring the point. Voting to turn Palm Coast into a “city” was a fiasco.
I’m counting the days and carefully planning my future path out of all this stupidity very carefully. It might take a couple of years to set forth all plans, but at least I won’t be sitting here in another 5 years still complaining about the same sad state of affairs that used to be a very nice community to live in.
The huge glut of residential building is only going to serve decrease ALL residential property values . . . and that’s a tenet of economics, which is supply and demand.
The people being elected AND appointed are the same sad group of losers who just keep making the rounds of political campaigns. Just because someone gets elected OR appointed does not mean they’re intelligent or knowledgeable or HONEST. I’m done with losers in Palm Coast and Flagler County.
Keep on complaining and electing and appointing the same losers over and over, and that’s mainly candidates backed by the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee AND realtors AND former military who have ego problems (specifically Gambaro).
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
An embarrassment, day after day for The City of Palm Coast.
Good Luck getting any City Manager candidates that even come close to what we need with this circus going on.
Jeani Duarte says
Just Wow on your spin!
Mayor Norris did the right thing to alert on the dias. Doesnt mean he had to get into details.
FlaglerLive says
Ms. Duarte, Circuit Judge Chris France termed both your attempted versions of a lawsuit ” “nonsensical.” Your comments here have consistently proved him right. We’ll stand by the reporting as is.
Jim says
Norris is a liar and possibly has some mental issues. This behavior is ridiculous coming from a newly elected mayor. I think he may be trying to take a page of out of the Trump playbook.
Regardless, he’s passed his expiration date. It’s time for the council to formally ask the governor to remove him from office. Surely no one is willing to put up with this insanity for four years?
Just a thought says
Next this we will see is Norris dressed like the Pope.
PeachesMcGee says
It’s time to start protesting, peacefully of course.
No need to get nasty or even speak, just walk the city hall’s sidewalk before meetings with signs that state…
“No More Buffoons”
Ben Hogarth says
Perhaps the (city manager search) consultant did not properly explain the fundamentals of the slow down and cool off plan.
Domnilgic... says
Norris is a liar. He has knowledge of a potential felony and no balls to bring it forward. Or did you just make it up. How many times did you rehearse the meeting with your wife to get the story straight.
She’ll lie too just lie you.
He was begging the lawyer to check the rules about funding his legal issues as the Mayor.
Imagine that he sues the City his is the Mayor of and wants the City to pay for it.
You’re a jerk and shouldn’t be in charge of the latrine!
Every meeting is like a train wreck with this guy as Mayor.
Please, Governor remove him!
Critical Eye says
Norris is in panic mode. Grasping at straws. Pointing fingers in every direction and at everyone. He’s extremely dangerous He’s told so many lies he can’t keep track of them.
His stuttering, twisting, turning and squirming in his chair, trying to find conversations on his cell phone Then he realized if he reads them out loud to the audience he’ll be exposing himself to his unhanded dealings and lies. So he puts the cell down. Lies lies lies so many lies. All his lies are catching up with him.
Why all the lies? Why all the chaos ? Why is he behaving so badly?
Did he really want to be mayor or is this all some sort of terrible mental illness? Obviously he isn’t normal. He claims it’s just his “character “ That kind of character doesn’t fit into a normal society. He’s vindictive, foul mouthed, arrogant, narcissistic, egotistical, Chauvinistic, brutal, bully.
He brags about killing 75 people. Did he just pick that number out of the air or did he actually count every single killing? That’s SICK! Did he put a notch on his gun for every killing. What kind of person brags about taking another human life. Any kind of life for that matter. I’ll tell you what kind if person does that. A misfit of society. A sick heartless person. I have known many men that served in WWII and had to fight and defend our nation but I never heard a single one brag or tell about a single kill. Real men don’t do that unless they happen to be like Norris. I don’t believe a single word that comes out of his mouth.
Deborah Coffey says
Norris is a Donald Trump clone, also with major mental health issues. Make the governor remove him and get him needed help.
Tird of it says
Our own mini vwrsion of trump has managed to throw the city into chaos, in a very short time. He is only going to get worse. Way to go republicans.