After seven months on the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors and the recent resignation of former District Administrator Tanya Quickel, followed by a number of subsequent staff resignations, Supervisor Gary Dunkley told the Town-Crier this week that he is not worried.
“As a new member of the board, I am pleased at the direction we’re going in, in terms of putting more focus on rebuilding our infrastructure,” Dunkley said Monday. “I’m sorry that Tanya Quickel left, but the administration budget was way, way too high.”
Dunkley, who serves as the board’s treasurer, early on called for a forensic audit of ITID’s books. He said the audit is aimed at no one in particular.
“Since I was the treasurer and I heard certain things that I wasn’t sure of, and it is not my money, I have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that everything was correct,” Dunkley said, noting that he seconded the call for an audit originally made by Supervisor Carol Jacobs. “Seven months later, we still don’t have a forensic audit.”
At a more recent meeting, Dunkley made another motion for a forensic audit, which he hopes will gain traction. “I don’t think anything is wrong with the books, but I think that when a new administrator gets in, we should have a level playing field,” he said.
As part of the forensic audit, Dunkley said he wants the board to review the function of all the district’s departments.
“After the forensic audit, we’re going to have an active evaluation of each department to find out their functions and find out what they do so we can make policies that go forward,” he said. “We can’t make policies on our departments if we don’t know what our departments are doing. So, little by little, I just think we are making things realistic. It’s rough in the beginning, but the direction that we’re going in is a very positive direction.”
Although Dunkley does not support Jacobs’ advocacy of a weaker administrative position, he does believe the administrative budget is too high.
“The administrative budget was $1.2 million,” he said. “I’ve owned businesses for over 30 years, and I really can’t justify why administrative expense is 30 percent of our budget. That doesn’t make sense to me. That’s what I mean by top-heavy. We really have to dissect each department and understand the responsibilities and functions.”
Asked whether he thought Quickel did not share departmental information freely enough with the board, Dunkley reiterated that he was sorry to see her leave.
“Every manager has a different style,” he said. “Whether I agreed with her or not, she only had another year in her contract, and I was hoping she would have stayed through the forensic audit. I know the books are all right, but it is to quench everybody’s suspicion and gossip so we can just drop all this gossip and move forward. We keep looking back, but we have to go forward.”
One of Dunkley’s campaign promises in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaac was to improve drainage in The Acreage.
“The board is taking a new direction,” he said. “We’re dealing with rebuilding our infrastructure. We have already started cleaning out the canals. We started with improvements in terms of retrofitting, and we’re identifying it. It’s not going to be a problem that’s solved overnight because our infrastructure has been deteriorating and people haven’t been paying attention to it.”
Dunkley said canals and drainage should be priorities rather than park improvements, such as a community center at Acreage Community Park.
“Our weather has been becoming more and more extreme,” Dunkley said. “I’m not saying we’re going to have a terrible flood, but that’s a wake-up call that means that we have to pay more attention to our infrastructure. Before, the leadership had a favoritism toward parks.”
Dunkley said that the district’s nine parks should continue to be maintained but that the drainage infrastructure needs to be improved to protect residents’ property.
“People moved out here to have space and have a home, and flooding… threatens all of our homes,” he said, explaining that he thinks some of the money allocated for the community center should be put into drainage improvements. “I’m saying divert some of that funding that you want to make the community center, and put it into our infrastructure. I think that our board is going in that proper direction, and I agree with that.”
While there was widespread street and yard flooding during Isaac, only one actual home flooded, and that was due to a faulty pad elevation. Nevertheless, Dunkley is very dissatisfied with how the district fared.
“I and many other residents were stuck in our house for seven days,” he said. “That is not acceptable. It is expected that we flood, but not for seven days.”
He pointed out that The Acreage’s elevation is 21 feet compared with Wellington’s 14 feet, yet Wellington drained quickly, and The Acreage is listed as a flood zone on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new flood maps, along with most other areas of the western communities.
“That’s going to affect our residents because now they might have to get flood insurance,” Dunkley noted.
He added that he hopes that The Acreage’s drainage allotment will be increased to more than a quarter-inch per day after Isaac drew attention to the situation.
“Our attorneys, finally for the first time in 20-something years, have an opening that we are going to get increased drainage,” Dunkley said.
Many people see Dunkley as aligned on the board with Jacobs and ITID President Jennifer Hager, but he does not agree.
Dunkley said his only alignment is with the people of the community.
“Whatever topics come up, I vote my conscience, and I think it’s in the best interest of our community. That’s the way I’m voting,” he said. “If I was aligned with someone, I would have fired Tanya Quickel at the first meeting. I was the vote that said ‘no.’ I’m not aligned with anyone; I think for myself.”
Dunkley admitted that he had a lot to learn about the job, but said he’s doing his best to get up to speed.
“I’ve been doing all types of research so I can know about the topics and know what I’m talking about,” he said.
Said the man who was voted off the board during the last election. The ITID board is now working with fiscal responsibility and have hired a top notch engineer specializing in “storm water”. An Attorney stood and spoke of a turn in discussions with SFWM and “peak discharge” Something our past engineer said was not in the cards for this district. The elite team of Engenuity had not even applied for the permit in quite sometime. In fact thanks to residents and some board members requesting emergency meetings to help LOBBY for help. Discussions I am told by attorney and our new engineer are better than they have been in 20 years with SFWM. Due to foreseeable development bordering or community we need to be a step ahead of drainage and I think this team now are. Let’s stay positive and supportive.
All I see here is a bad system where the BOS has way to much power. What I see here is no checks and balances like you have at the federal level. Every couple of years you have a change in power. These changes reach foundation of the district. The BOS has a job and that job is to set policies, vote on items and set the budget. When the supervisors start to over step those boundaries it leads to what the district has right now, chaos, instability and no confidence in the leadership. When you have professionals running for the hills and neighboring municipalities not wanting to work with the district that speaks volumes.
When someone claims they can jump 20 feet high, I don’t waste my time and energy trying to prove that person wrong; I ask for proof, for evidence, for facts, that he/she can indeed, do the deed: I tell them to jump. Therefore, Mr. Enriquez, the proverbial proof is in the pudding. Where are your FACTS to back your claims that there is a “bad system”? Where is your evidence to back up your claim that the supervisors have overstepped their boundaries, that there is chaos, instability and no confidence in leadership? Provide the evidence. Name names. Specify dates.
I grow weary and leary of those who cast vague, unsubstantiated claims that the sky is falling. To put it simply and not so elegantly, “Either put up or shut up.”
Perhaps you missed this memo when you were ON the board, PRIOR to being defeated By Mr Dunkley, but the purpose of the board is to also give direction to the district. If the public does not like where the district is headed, there are options, 1) you show up at a meeting to have your grievances heard. If that does not seem to work, then 2) you vote the people out, and have people put in place that will adjust the trajectory accordingly.
Exactly what checks and balances are you looking for? On such a local level, you can directly monitor and participate. On a federal level, not so much. And as for there being a supposed lack of confidence in the leadership, had you actually chose to attend the ITID BOS meeting instead of merely leaving cards and exiting before it even began, you may have seen the sheer number of employees in attendance to show their support, or heard their statement of confidence in the present leadership and the direction of the district under President Hagar.
And one of those “running for the hills” was very quick to attempt to get back on board as the district engineer, but was not chosen. I find it disheartening that certain current and prior members of the board (as well as their “handlers”) are choosing to inappropriately lash out when they can no longer monopolize the district.
I have a naive and optimistic idea… how about we take all the energy that some bitter people are spending trying to scheme and detract from this district and the efforts of the citizens and employees working to improve it, and instead spend it working towards the POINT of the BOS & ITID. The point is IMPROVEMENT!
I would like to see the flippant remarks and cattiness stop. Instead focus on our future, and moving in a positive direction. Continue working together. In the sunshine, and in the interests of the community & maintain realistic and positive goals. The last meeting had a great idea. Get quotes, get input. Get this district back to being self sufficient and free of debt. Never in my life would I have expected to see people viewing and treating an educated and active populous in such a negative manner. We should be working together, maintaining a positive outlook and direction.
Differences in opinion of how to go about this in the district has been resulting in a series of subversive sleazy attacks on numerous fronts. And is making individuals behave in a manor that could only be described as selfish and shortsighted. Not to mention pathetic. Get over it… And yourselves. Just because the ideas are not yours,that in no way invalidates them. Or makes them any less relevant. Stop pointing fingers and trying to vilify those that are trying to work in the best interest of this community… Not themselves.
Jean, I highly doubt you will receive a single answer to your questions, because then there would be a possible case of slander. Grasping at straws with nothing useful to say, just start fabricating allegations is an MO?
And to Jack. A DA resigned. Then two other employees resigned citing no reason other than her departure. A third left, after another was appointed as interim DA. A fourth chose to stay upon the departure of the rest. That speaks volumes to me, what does it tell you?
Also, it is my opinion that the Supervisors deserve a RAISE if they are putting in the time and effort that this district and its residents deserve. I would hope that they spend as much time researching and reading the background as many of its residents do. They make less than 500 a month. And the time I wold expect them to be putting into it is minimally equivalent to a 20 hr a week part time job. Not much compensation for the responsibility they have agreed to.
I wish everyone involved in this the very best, and truly hope that they end up in the best possible situations for them and their families. Leave the ill will in the past and move forward. And if anyone does have dirty dealings, wash your hands and walk away, or it will come back to haunt you.
Careful Diana in throwing stones at a former BOS as Google provides public information on a current BOS that is having some election “issues” that are being looked into and I believe you were an imprtant part of that campaign? Instead of throwing stones, try dust because at least when it comes back in your face, it doesn’t hurt as much.
Diana: Let’s just get all these nefarious, conniving ill-doers out in the open for all to know since their actions pose an imminent danger to all of us.
1. Who are the gang of three?
2. Who are the two or three residents who have the BOS ear?
3. Who is the former BOS investigated for filling fraudulent unemployment claims while serving as an elected supervisor?
4. Who is the sitting BOS hell bent on giving her husband contracts?
5. Who is the former BOS who is not an employee and not an elected official working in the office?
6. Who are the few select insiders?
Vague insinuations and innuendos are just as potentially destructive and serve no purpose other than to inflame and provoke distrust and suspicion. Be specific or be silent.
The ITID Board of Supervisors (BOS) should read and adhere to the editorial in the PB Post today regarding meddling in the day to day ops by individual BOS members in Wellington. It does not make much sense to me for Dunkley to say Admin costs are to high. Last time I looked Admin and personnel costs are the largest budget item for any government or business except the mom and pop ones. The Admin expense covers the cost of paying the BOS, why don’t they cut their salaries first to set the right example and tone going forward. The Acerage is only 7 inches of rain from disaster and the fur flying because there is no one left to blame except the BOS. Losing 4-5 top people to resignation at one time is unprecedented, and a clear indication of a dysfunctional and meddling BOS who has provided no leadership, only criticism and created a hostile work environment in which true professionals don’t have to put up with. The combined statements from the gang of 3 that all is well is a complete charade on the residents of the acreage. The “forensic” audit is a waste of the taxpayers dollars. If they want to audit something they should audit the time period before current staff was brought in. ITID was very close to losing its ability to issue bonds due to the inside dealing with the family members of the BOS without any checks and balances. It is public record and the facts are clear. Do a public records search and see for yourself, I have a couple years ago and it is appalling. Since that time no dealings with family members have been allowed and successive years of clean audits without comments from the auditor for improvement in any area. If anyone who has resigned was afraid of this “forensic” audit they would have surely stayed on board to try and direct it away from themselves and blame others. Common sense tells me that them all leaving at this time none of them feel that they have anything to fear from this audit, hence it is a waste of money and a charade on the taxpayers of the Acreage who will pay for it by the gang of 3 who want make it seem like something nefarious is or was going on by staff. Jack
You nailed it Jack. To boot, they created all this havoc, right when we are entering into another hurricane season. It’s not only irresponsible, it’s dangerous.
The gang of three listen to two or three residents, one of which is a former BOS, who was investigated for filing fraudulent unemployment claims while she was an elected supervisor. These individuals tell the gang of three how to vote. One of the sitting BOS is hell bent on giving her husband contracts.
There is no one minding the store but a select few insiders. They are allowing that former BOS who is not an employee and not an elected official to work in the office.
The state needs to step in.