Wetlands Chief Resigns After Blasting Commission

By NEIL JOHNSON and MIKE SALINERO The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jul 7, 2007

TAMPA - The head of Hillsborough County's wetlands division resigned Friday after serving a two-week suspension for venting her frustration at the county commission for voting to eliminate the division.

Jadell Kerr's resignation was effective at 5 p.m. Friday, ending a 15-year career with the county, all with the wetlands division.

Kerr was suspended after she blasted commissioners in a blog for their June 21 vote to disband the county's Environmental Protection Commission wetlands division as a step to meet budget cuts.

The division, often at odds with developers, enforces county rules on wetlands that are more stringent than state regulations. In voting to eliminate the division, commissioners said state and federal agencies have jurisdiction over wetlands and the county was duplicating those efforts.

As part of her resignation agreement, Kerr will receive about $38,000 in severance pay minus taxes, plus accrued sick leave and vacation time. The agreement also calls for her not to file a lawsuit or grievance against the county.

The severance pay amounts to about one week for each year with the county and is in line with county policy. Kerr's salary was about $116,000 a year. She could not be reached for comment Friday.

Her blog posting appeared three days after the vote to eliminate the division and accused commissioners of selling out to developers who have often criticized the county's wetlands protection efforts.

'Staunch Wetlands Protector'

Her departure is a loss for the county's wetlands, said Mariella Smith, a Ruskin community activist and member of the Sierra Club who was at the June 21 meeting. "She was always a staunch protector of our wetlands," Smith said. "Her first priority was not politics or even keeping her job. It was protecting the wetlands."

County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, who voted against eliminating the wetlands division, said Kerr's resignation was probably best for her.

"In the heat of battle and very passionate, she made some comments I wish she hadn't," Sharpe said.

The decision to resign was reached mutually but was not an easy one, said Rick Garrity, EPC executive director. "It's a sad time for me. I hired her into that job. I have the greatest respect for Jadell. She's done a fine job here," he said.

Kerr, some commissioners and Garrity said they were surprised at the meeting when Commissioner Kevin White made the motion to get rid of the wetlands division and was joined by Commissioners Jim Norman, Brian Blair and Ken Hagan.

Garrity was prepared to tell commissioners about plans to streamline permitting and reduce the division's $2.1 million budget that is offset by about $1.3 million in permitting fees.

Commission Decision Not Final

The commission decision isn't final. Garrity will be able to present his plans when commissioners meet this month. A public hearing and final vote is expected Aug. 16.

The vote has stirred the county's environmental community to action. They claim the effort to get rid of the wetlands division is part of a broader conspiracy by developers across the state.

Evidence of this, they say, is a letter to county commissioners in June from Frank Matthews, a lawyer with the Tallahassee firm of Hopping Green & Sams and a top lobbyist for developers on environmental issues.

In the letter, Matthews indicates there has never been a court case that affirmed the county EPC can have stricter wetlands protections rules than the state or federal government. The letter does not reflect who had hired his firm to contact the county.

Lutz activist Denise Layne points to that fact and the fact that developers in the Tampa Bay area are standing on the sidelines during the wetlands fight, as proof Matthews is working on behalf of statewide groups such as real estate giant St. Joe Co. to kill Hillsborough's wetlands program.

"The big guns locally are saying 'Back off,'" Layne said. "It's all being orchestrated by a developers' lobbyist law firm."

Matthews said last week there is no conspiracy and that he sent the letter on behalf of Tampa developer Stephen Dibbs, who has had several legal and administrative conflicts with EPC over the years.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (352) 544-5214 or njohnson@tampatrib.com. Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.