Letters

He will be County Administrator Jerry Cameron’s second in command.

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jorge Salinas, the deputy city manager and chief information officer for the city of Albany, Oregon, was selected on Sept. 1 as the chief of staff for Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron. The position, formerly called deputy administrator, had been vacant since Cameron was hired in 2019, and it will have a salary of $147,000.

Salinas, originally from Puerto Rico, said he is keenly interested in government transparency, having helped the city of Albany earn distinction as one of 25 municipalities in the United States to receive a Certificate of Excellence in Performance Management from ICMA in 2020.

As CIO in Albany, he used data to drive innovation, he said.

“Technology is one of the key ingredients for any government organization, and having that background will allow me to help Flagler County to innovate and reduced the cost of government,” he said in a phone interview Sept. 1.

Cameron decided to hire a chief of staff, in part, because he knows he’ll be retiring next year and wants to develop a successor. Salinas said he would be open to assuming that role, if the County Commission decided to hire him when the time comes, but he is focused now on being the chief of staff only.

Although the position is one that Cameron has authority to hire and fire without the County Commission’s input, Cameron decided to get commissioners’ help in the hiring process. Commissioners interviewed finalists individually — in separate rooms to avoid any possible violation of the Sunshine Law — and Cameron also asked three of his former colleagues in St. Johns County administration to weigh in for an outsider’s perspective. Human Resources employees were also consulted in the process.

Salinas was favored for the position by a wide margin, Cameron said.

Other finalists included Flagler County General Services Director Heidi Petito, who will be the interim chief of staff until Salinas is able to begin full time in January. She was part of the first Leadership Academy class that Cameron taught with Joe Saviak, an intensive workshop that began in September 2019 and concluded in May 2020. The goal of the class,

Jorge Salinas

Cameron said, was to develop leadership skills among county staff and improve the culture in county government. The next session begins Sept. 28.

Cameron said he appreciates Salinas’ expertise in Six Sigma leadership principles.

“He has developed a number of dashboards that allow the public to go in at any time and see the budgets for things, and how well we’re doing on conserving energy and all those sorts of things,” Cameron said. “He’s been very successful with that, and that was a big attraction for me.”

Email editor@palmcoastobserver.com.

DeSantis to allow nursing home visitors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sept. 1 he will allow visitors into nursing homes and assisted living facilities, nearly six months after the state blocked visitation during the first wave of coronavirus infections.

DeSantis said during an appearance in Jacksonville that he would sign an executive order lifting the ban on visitors, while also allowing “essential” caregivers to touch long-term care residents.

Two elder-care advocacy groups criticized the move to reopen facilities, asking why it is coming now and questioning a decision not to mandate that visitors be tested before entering facilities.

The executive order will take effect immediately, said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew, who headed a DeSantis-appointed task force that came up with recommendations for reopening facilities.

But Mayhew said long-term care providers will need to have written policies in place before the doors swing open to allow “essential,” “compassionate” and “general” visitation to resume.

Mayhew, whose agency licenses most of the state’s long-term care facilities, said providers will be “moving with a sense of urgency” to get the policies in place.

DeSantis isn’t protecting Florida in his reopening plans

Dear Editor:

Let me begin by saying that I do not have any children nor am I an educator. I am a concerned citizen who wishes to take exception to the recent comments by Gov. Ron DeSantis with respect to re-opening schools, allowing attendance at professional sporting events and raising capacity for Florida’s entertainment parks.

Mr. DeSantis asks us to believe him when he says that it is safe to do all these things. I wonder where he is getting his information from because, when I review the data, he has given us no reason to believe him.

Mr. DeSantis was quick to re-open Florida following the COVID-19 lockdown orders he issued. Phase 1 of the reopening commenced on May 18. Mr. DeSantis assured us at that time that it was safe to take these actions. During the 103 days since the re-opening order (through Aug. 28) there have been an additional 570,000 cases of the virus and 9,037 deaths recorded.

I do not know what Mr. DeSantis’ yardstick for safety is. By any objective assessment, the results we have witnessed can only lead one to believe that his actions have done more harm to Floridians than good.

He now asks us to trust him once again. He notes that children are not likely to carry and/or pass on the virus, even though we have seen and heard of thousands of children being tested positive as they return to school in other jurisdictions. He threatens to withhold education funding if the districts do not comply.

He says it is safe to attend sporting events. It does not seem to matter to Mr. DeSantis that many institutions have reported unacceptable levels of positive cases as student return to college campuses.

Mr. DeSantis has to stop placing the people of Florida, both children and adults, at risk. Mr. DeSantis is not to be trusted or believed. It is as simple as that.

JOSEPH FARRELL

Palm Coast

Create a national suicide hotline to help prevent tragedy

Dear Editor:

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and it’s important that we are there for each other and take steps to prevent suicide. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s theme for the month is to #KeepGoing, by taking simple actions to safeguard our mental health and save lives.

From learning the warning signs for suicide and what to do if you are worried someone is struggling, to bringing education programs to your community, we can all learn new ways to help each other save lives.

One action I’m taking is to urge my public officials to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health. When someone is in acute crisis, it’s hard for them to think clearly, and even reaching out for help can be a struggle. For this reason, it is vital that Congress pass the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (H.R.4194/S.2661) to make a three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline a reality. This legislation will provide the funding and resources needed by crisis centers across the country that support those struggling with their mental health and thoughts of suicide.

My own 16-year-old daughter Cady Hous died by suicide in 2014. It’s imperative that we continue to fight this horrific cause of death.

In this time of uncertainty, we all need to find new ways to connect and support each other.

CATHY WILD

New Smyrna Beach

County Commission cannot be trusted after bad decisions

Dear Editor:

So the County Commission has lost its court battle: The boat storage warehouse goes back through the process to do it right. I wonder why they didn’t decide to do it right the first time? Perhaps we should ask the chairman at the time, Donald O’Brien?

Next, the Matt Dunn fake embezzlement charge. Matt was the director of tourism for Flagler County. He increased the amount of revenue generated by the Tourism Department by $1 million. He led a very successful sports event campaign that made Flagler County a popular destination for clubs across the country.

Donald O’Brien was approached by staff with the claim that Matt was guilty of embezzlement. The current director was part of that group but yet no one was held accountable for bringing this allegation that was found to be false.

If you’re going to bring such a serious allegation, I would think Donald O’Brien and County Administrator Jerry Cameron would ensure that there was some solid evidence. FDLE found no wrongdoing, but yet this individual lost his job and his reputation, and not a single individual who brought forth the information was held accountable. I wonder what kind of legal bill we can expect from this?

The other legal battle we have to look forward to is that of Captain’s BBQ — another blunder of the commission with Donald O’Brien as chairman. The 2018 lease agreement was voted on in November 2018, and it was completed properly. The vote to reconsider the lease was not performed correctly, hence the legal battle. I believe Flagler County will lose this challenge as well.

We also have potential legal entanglements with the Sears building as well.

I have grown tired of our county commissioners not doing their due diligence and keeping us from extended legal battles. Had they done their homework, all these issues could have been avoided. Perhaps they relied too much on Donald O’Brien and Jerry Cameron?

We have some serious challenges ahead for Flagler County, and the decisions of the past two years have made those decisions even harder. This commission and Jerry Cameron have placed us in a precarious position. Do you trust their judgment in the next court battle?

PAUL ANDERSON

Palm Coast Editor’s Note: Anderson is a candidate for County Commission, challenging incumbent Donald O’Brien.

PALM COAST O bserver

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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