Build a Parking Garage and They Will Come
The construction of a new parking garage at the Pinellas County Justice Center (CJC) has created chaos for those arriving at the courthouse to attend misdemeanor and felony criminal proceedings. The planned closure of the St. Petersburg and Clearwater traffic court divisions is tied to consolidating those activities to the Pinellas County Justice Center. Of course, more litigated cases at this “mid-county” facility will translate into a demand for more parking spaces. As a result of the Pinellas County Commission’s decision to consolidate, it created a corresponding need for a parking garage.
The garage was designed by architect Tim Haahs who has acquired a celebrated portfolio of award winning designs for parking structures. Most notable is his Atlantic City mixed-use parking facility known as “The Wave.”
The structure Haahs designed for the Pinellas County Justice Center incorporates “elements intended to compliment the courthouse.” The garage will handle 1,000 vehicles and be segregated into separate areas intended only for “jurors,” “visitors,” or “employees.” Each category of motorists will have a distinct entry and exit lane. Employees of the Pinellas County Justice Center will have the added benefit of an electronic card for accessing their particular garage area. In addition to an open staircase and elevator towers, the garage will feature covered walkways that connect to the Justice Center. Our review of the drawings reveal that one weather protected access will be designated for Justice Center employees and a second, for members of the public.
Twelve different construction firms submitted written proposals to build the new garage. The construction contract was ultimately awarded to Peter R. Brown Construction Company on August 7th, 2012. You can view a 3D construction logistics animation that was created by Peter Brown Construction in 2011. At approximately the (:40) mark, the animated video helps the viewer to identify the size and location of the free style open air parking lot intended to be sacrificed for the new parking garage structure.
Fuzzy Math
Although the closure of the two traffic court divisions is motivated by the county’s desire to cut costs, this strategy is not without controversy. In February 2013, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners estimated the construction cost associated with the parking garage at $13 million dollars. (The actual cost later agreed upon was $12.5 million.) You can read details of the entire $45.75 million dollar “Consolidation Plan” that is “predicted to result in an annual recurring cost savings of a mere $520,000 per year. (Eliminating two leases saves $300K; Reducing court security is estimated to save $500K... But, there will be an increase in operating costs at the CJC of $280K) Our calculator tells us that, assuming there are no cost overruns, the “payback period” from the annual savings will take 87.9 years. Characterizing this plan as a method designed to save the public money seems like a stretch.
Greater Inconvenience for the Public... at a Greater Cost
As we previously noted in our November 9, 2011 blog article “Pinellas County Plans Closure of Traffic Court Divisions:
“Let’s face it…closing the two traffic court locations is simply a shifting of costs. The public will now be forced to bear the burden of driving from the outreaches of both ends of the county, where most residents reside and work, to an inconvenient and congested mid-county location comprised primarily of industrial and warehouse real estate.”
An online article published by TBNWeekly on November 21st, 2011 rather sarcastically admitted that “Possible downsides to the plan include lessening of public access to court services, increased parking and space needs and the potential reaction from stakeholders – primarily lawyers.”
In responding to the media’s seeming off-handed concerns, our office believes that:
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The “public” should have been of “primary” concern and not referenced as mere “collateral damage;”
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As for the “potential reaction of stakeholders – primarily lawyers,” it is currently difficult to find lawyers at the Justice Center who are not angered by the parking problem. Many shake their heads in bewilderment at the jammed-packed parking lot that greeted them after turning off of 49th Street. Common refrains in the courthouse: “Sorry I was late judge, I was circling in my car because I couldn’t find a place to park;” and “I had to park over a half-mile away in a dirt lot!”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “stakeholder” as “One who is involved in or affected by a course of action.” Perhaps the Pinellas County Commission would have been better advised to consult with the “stakeholders,” i.e., the men and women who come to the courthouse every day, as to whether this “cost saving” idea was in the best interests of everyone.
The County Administrator’s Plans Draw Controversy & Concern
Robert LaSala was hired by Pinellas County in the recessionary days of 2008. At that time, dropping property values had led to reduced revenues collected by the county. The International City/County Management Association reported that shortly after LaSala took over, the county eliminated 1,700 positions and laid off 1,000 county staff members. However, it was later determined that this reduced level of service to the public was unacceptable. In the spirit of improving services, County Commissioners raised property taxes by a whopping 46% . Despite the significant increased tax burden on Pinellas residents, LaSala urged the County Commissioners to raise property taxes by an additional 22%.
Thanks to our “Penny for Pinellas” sales tax surcharge, Pinellas County residents pay a higher sales tax rate than those people residing in nineteen other Florida counties. It is the “Penny for Pinellas” fund that is being used to finance construction of the parking garage. Despite the “fuzzy math,” Pinellas County Administrator Robert LaSala has described the traffic court consolidation plan and the construction of the parking garage “as an exercise in value engineering.” He is also quoted as saying that this consolidation is “a more economical way of doing business.” It is of course ironic, that the County Administrator’s plan has thus succeeded in taxing the public for a project that will cause them greater inconvenience in both driving and parking.
When Robert Lasala was hired in 2008 as the current Pinellas County Administrator, his contract provided for over 5 weeks of vacation time and reimbursement of up to $30K associated with his moving expenses. LaSala is currently paid by Pinellas County taxpayers an annual salary of $231,753.60.
How Does the Public Really Feel About a Further Drive?
When considering the court consolidation plan and new parking garage in November 2011, Commissioner Karen Seel openly expressed her concern that closing the two traffic division courthouses would decrease accessibility for the public. Commissioner Susan Latvala expressed special concern for North county residents. However, County Administrator Robert LaSala contended that a “citizen’s survey” revealed “that people were willing to travel further for county services.”
Robert LaSala’s “citizen’s survey” makes little sense. We can’t think of any member of the public who would want to drive a “further” distance to court to face either a traffic infraction or criminal traffic charge. Typically, we find that people are less than enthusiastic about driving to court at all. Given the record high price of gasoline, the recessionary economy and high unemployment rate in 2011, it is inconceivable that a majority of persons surveyed would have supported an elimination of the more conveniently located traffic divisions.
A Survey Question Designed to Achieve a Desired Result?
Could the survey question have been designed in such a way to achieve a desired result? For example, experts at the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that the “agree-disagree” format was highly subject to achieving a skewed result. This has been called the “acquiescence bias” because people have a tendency to agree with the statement presented.
Lets consider two possible ways that Pinellas county residents could have been surveyed in connection with the elimination of the two local traffic divisions and the construction of the mid county parking garage:
1.) “If you had to, would you be prepared to travel a further distance in order to benefit from a service offered by the county?” or,
2.) “If you were required to visit a courthouse to make a court appearance or to pay a traffic ticket, would you prefer to visit a local branch location, or to travel to a large mid county multi-function facility?”
A careful choice of words or phrases in a survey question can also have a significant impact on the results you achieve. It is noteworthy that LaSala stated that his survey revealed “that people were willing to travel further for county services.” This wording suggests that the public’s purpose in traveling would be associated with securing some sort of “benefit,” as opposed to fulfilling an “obligation” of their time or their money.
April 15,2014
In an expedited proceeding, that entailed very little dialog, the Pinellas County Commissioners fired Robert LaSala. Commissioner Ken Welch pointed to a current environment of “conflict,” instead of “collaboration.” Because his termination was technically,“without cause,” LaSala’s employment contract entitles him to receive 20 weeks of severance pay and benefits. With his car allowance, that package totals roughly $92,000.00. LaSala will also pocket an additional $40,250.00 in unused sick and vacation pay.
Who is Most Inconvenienced
by the Garage Construction?
The next time you visit the Pinellas County Justice Center, consider the plight of those employees who work for State Attorney Bernie McCabe and Public Defender Bob Dillinger. Before construction started, these workers parked in a convenient paved parking lot on the south side of the courthouse. They enjoyed a short walk to a special employee entrance. As it turns out, this location is where the new parking garage is now being constructed. For that reason, their former parking area has been closed. These government employees have sacrificed their former parking spots and have been relocated in hopes that the general public might have a better opportunity to locate a parking spot. Courthouse employees travel to the Justice Center every work day. Yet, their designated parking area has been reassigned to the furthest opposite corner of the county’s property. In fact, the distance is so far, that Escot charter buses are required to transport them from an unpaved field to their work place.
A single make-shift bus stop, resembling something out of a third world country is intended to provide shelter for several hundred people. Women walking in high heels are challenged by the rugged terrain. Likewise, eating lunch at the courthouse cafeteria could quickly get old. After all... dining out now resembles a scene from the movie “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.”
Parking Delays Result in Longer Lines into the Courthouse
When the new parking garage was announced, it was no secret that future construction would result in a further shortage of parking spaces. Keep in mind, that parking spots were already in short supply, forcing some lawyers to park in an auxiliary dirt lot located near the entrance to the Pinellas County Jail.
To make matters worse, back in 2011 no one could have predicted that Salvation Army Corrections would lose their contract to supervise misdemeanor probation cases out of their St. Petersburg office location. Yet, on September 2nd, 2013 the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department took on the role of supervising all misdemeanor probation cases. Surprisingly, they chose the Pinellas County Justice Center to set up shop. Last year, the Pinellas County Clerk’s Office opened over 30,000 misdemeanor files. Certainly, not everyone charged with a misdemeanor was convicted or placed on probation, but you can get a sense of the additional burden placed on available parking because of regular monthly reporting requirements for those serving probation.
We were originally told that to accommodate the public during the garage construction, additional parking spaces had been allocated at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. This “overflow lot” was to be supported by a “tram service” which was designed to transport the public over a 1.2 mile route to the security check point entrance of the Pinellas County Justice Center. However, that never happened. You need only drive by the airport to figure out why. Allegiant Airlines turned a profit for the last 39 consecutive quarters – a rare performance for most airlines. It now seems that that the St. Petersburg Clearwater Airport has its own parking problems.
Since construction of the garage started, parking at the Pinellas County Justice Center has become a nightmare. Court hearings held on Mondays are particularly bad. The inconvenience is shared by those who are employed at the facility and those arriving daily to fulfill their court obligations. We hear tales of citizens arriving to serve on the jury pool who are “riding the bus” with prosecutors and public defenders. The unseasonably cold weather has only exacerbated the situation and made the longer trek to reach a longer line at the courthouse entry all the more uncomfortable.
Could it get worse?
The new parking garage project is less than “green” in concept and implementation. Countless trees from the old open parking lot have already been uprooted in preparation for pouring the concrete foundation of the garage. Shuttle buses are currently emitting diesel fumes into the environment with their daily transport of hundreds of court employees. Once constructed, the new garage will adversely effect the environment for years to come. That is because without the convenient traffic court locations, members of the public will be forced to drive a further distance in their fossil fuel burning vehicles.
We suspect that it will also only be a matter of time until someone gets the bright idea to start charging parking fees for use of the new garage. Politicos will contend that charging a parking fee will be necessary to help offset the continued maintenance and security of the parking garage. Keep in mind, that visitors to the St. Petersburg and Clearwater civil court houses are already paying for parking. However, parking at the doomed North and South County Traffic Court Divisions has always been ample, convenient and free.
Construction Commencement Delays
On November 9th, 2011 the public was informed that the county had approved plans to build a parking garage at the Pinellas County Justice Center. The estimated date of completion was scheduled for the end of 2013. To many observers, the announced completion date appeared rather optimistic. As we now know, not only was the garage not completed by the end of November 2013, but construction did not even begin until January of 2014.
Will Parking Garage Alleviate Traffic & Parking Problems?
After Pinellas County authorities entered into a contract with Peter R. Brown Construction, three of Brown’s Southeastern offices were subsequently acquired by Moss & Associates. This acquisition included Brown’s operations in Tampa and Clearwater. As a result, construction of the new Pinellas County Justice Center Parking Garage was undertaken by this larger entity. Moss has construction projects in twelve states, employs in excess of 385 employees and has completed projects totaling $3.5 billion in value. A representative informed our office that the scheduled date for the opening of the garage is set for September 22nd, 2014.
Although it is clear that eliminating the two traffic divisions equates to further inconvenience for the public, only time will tell if the parking garage will alleviate the current parking nightmare. Our office is skeptical. We know all too well the gridlock that is created when a multitude of vehicles attempt to enter a single parking facility at the same time. Unlike the ease associated with selecting a parking spot in an open air lot, a parking garage is a whole different game. It funnels traffic into a very limited number of lanes, creates bottlenecks at the exits and entrances, and forces drivers to slowly navigate in tight driving conditions. The situation will only be exacerbated by the large number of people arriving who will be unfamiliar with the layout and parking process. We expect long lines of cars, traffic jams, and a possible continuing shortage of parking space.
Do You Have to go to the Pinellas Criminal Courthouse?
The lawyers in our office handle cases at the Pinellas County Justice Center on a daily basis. It is never a good idea to wait until the eleventh hour to consult with an attorney.
Call us to Schedule a free consultation.
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Pinellas Sheriff Removes Online Booking Photos
The Pinellas Sheriff’s Flawed Zero-Tolerance Policy
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