Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 8:52 AM
To: ahayward@ci.pensacola.fl.us
Subject: Fwd: Fwd: Re: Meeting to discuss our property
Dear Mayor Hayward
I have received no answer to my email to you, dated 5/6/2011, over a month ago
where I, again, asked that you lift the illegal prohibition, placed on the
legal, authorized operation of our business, without due process, an art
gallery/antique shop holding functions, located at 520 North Spring Street which
had operated for 25 years with no complaint.
In my email, I pointed out that, since the illegal prohibition denied us income
from this beautiful, historic property, which my husband and I lovingly
restored, it has been hard for me, an elderly widowed grandmother who is a
veteran, to make ends meet and our beautiful historic building is slowing
falling into deterioration.
So far, you have refused to lift the illegal prohibition, refused to answer my
emails and have refused to meet with me. I don’t understand why since, during
your campaign, you said that your administration would address the needs of the
citizenry if you were elected. You were elected, I am a citizen, and I need
this illegal prohibition to be lifted.
I can think of no reason why you have, so far, refused to address and resolve
this matter which has been going on for over 6 years. We were and are in
compliance with all City, State and Federal Laws. I understand that sometimes
officials won’t answer if they are sworn at or vulgar language is used. I have
not done that. I understand that sometimes officials won’t answer if the
individual writing has filed a lawsuit. I have not done that. I have not even
spoken to an attorney about this matter. My knowledge of the existing rules and
regulations comes from intense self-study as I have a habit of doing to make
sure I am right on any course of action I take.
I will post this letter on my blog so it will get back to you if you are
deleting, without reading, my emails as other City Officials have done. I am
also sending an impact sheet concerning the illegal closure of our business.
I am again asking that you resolve this matter as I want to get back to work and
make income from our investment property.
Sincerely,
Mary Mead
Impact of apparent illegal/criminal actions
Financial Impact
Pensacola City Officials illegally closed, with no due process and no valid
reason ever given, the business owned by my husband and me, both elderly, both
veterans and both life-long residents of Pensacola. This apparent
illegal/criminal action on the part of officials has caused us many financial
crises through the loss of the income from our properly authorized business for
over six years. While we have had no income from our business property for six
years, the business expenses continue: mortgage payments, insurance payments,
property taxes, electricity, water, plus heavy medical expenses from my
husband’s heroic but unsuccessful battle against cancer and my ongoing massive
medical problems. I had to give up my charities including supplying funeral
clothing for preemies who passed away in the preemie ICU, sparing the
grief-stricken parents this added chore. Thankfully, my twin grandchildren,
preemies, survived and are now healthy teenagers with none of my medical
conditions.
We have sacrificed in order to keep our property. That means no eating out, no
replacement cars (1996 and 1998), no new replacement clothes, or anything, to
include doing without an oven for over a year when ours broke. Since I can’t
afford to hire anyone, I must do the upkeep and repairs to our historic building
myself (painting, plumbing, etc.). This experience has been very difficult
especially since I was born into abject poverty and have worked hard all my life
to rise above poverty only to be driven back to the edge of poverty by apparent
illegal/criminal actions on the part of government officials.
Neither of my parents could read nor write as my father was orphaned at 2 and my
mother cared for her invalid mother from the time she was a toddler. I had
never seen a person read or had even seen a book and, when I started school, I
had no idea what it was all about. There was no one to help me with homework
but I was the first in our family to graduate from high school and to graduate
from the University of West Florida cum laude.
Impact on Health
While I have been able to function very well during my lifetime, serving in the
military and having a demanding professional career with very few absences, I
have unfortunately inherited many life threatening illnesses from my family.
Both of my parents were diabetic, both had heart problems, etc. My father died
from Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), a rare and aggressive skin cancer, and my
mother died in a diabetic coma. I have already lived longer than either of them.
I am a cancer survivor (breast cancer), diabetic (on insulin for decades but now
on byetta (Gila Monster Venom) plus 3 other medications for diabetes), previous
heart attack, high blood pressure (3 medications), gastro paresis, acute anemia,
thyroid problem (synthroid), high triglycerides (TRICOR), high cholesterol
(Crestor), Hepatitis A in childhood, diabetic retinopathy, middle stage
cataracts, occasional shingles (chickenpox in childhood), etc.
The stress from constantly being illegally denied the authorized use of our
business property and being denied it’s income, constantly having false charges
made against us, and being stalled year after year from using our properly
authorized property appear to have aggravated these conditions. It has become
more and more difficult to control these illnesses while under constant stress.
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 8:48:41 -0400
From: Mary Mead
To: ahayward@ci.pensacola.fl.us
Subject: Fwd: Re: Meeting to discuss our property
Dear Mayor Hayward
I have been asking to meet with you since your election, in November, 2010, to
ask that the illegal prohibition placed on the legal operation of our business
by City Officials is lifted since we are, monthly, paying heavy expenses but are
being illegally deprived of the income from our legally authorized business.
Our beautiful historic building is slowing falling into deterioration, even
though we carefully restored it in 1998-2000, due to the illegal actions of City
Officials depriving us of our investment income from this property. So far, 5
months later, you have refused. This same story is parallel to Councilman
Spencer since I also contacted him after his election with the same results. No
meeting and no lifting of the illegal prohibiton against us operating our
business as legally authorized in 2000..
The first set of the emails below is between Alee' and me where you want me to
meet with Councilman Spencer before you will meet with me and the second set are
between Councilman Spencer and me where he apparently won't meet with me. As
you can see from the following emails, it appears that the both of you are
playing some kind of game adversely affecting my life by the refusal to abide by
the law and lift the illegal prohibition against us.
If you won't lift the illegal prohibition against us, at least tell me why we
are illegally closed. All charges against us have been false: the no
conditional use, the lack of parking and now the violation of our conditional
use (which we don't have).
The best result would be to let us operate as we have been legally authorized.
Sincerely,
Mary Mead
From: Allee Blay
Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 5:33 PM
To: Mary Mead
Subject: RE: Meeting request
Mary,
If you could please meet with Councilman Spencer prior to meeting with Mayor
Hayward that would be great since Mayor Hayward receives so many meeting
requets per day and has a very busy schedule.
His email address is bspencer@ci.pensacola.fl.us
Thank you for your time,
Allee'
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Mead
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 7:10 AM
To: Allee Blay
Subject: Re: Meeting request
Allee,
I'm in District 6, Brian Spencer.
Mary
---- Allee Blay
Ms. Mead,
Your meeting request is being processed along with the document that you
dropped off. Which district are you located in?
-Allee'
I have received no answer to my email to Councilman Spencer of April 23, 2011
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2011 18:29:43 -0400
From: Mary Mead
To: Brian Spencer
Subject: Re: Meeting to discuss our property
Cc: swoolf@ci.pensacola.fl.us
Councilman Spencer,
As you remember, I originally asked to meet with you, on March 31, 2011, at
my property to discuss the illegal closing of our legally authorized business.
You suggested that we meet together with the City Attorney and I agreed to your
request. I have waited patiently, even through every month, I have to pay
expenses for this property (mortgage, electricity, water, etc.) while I am being
denied my rightful income from this investment property by the apparent
illegal/criminal actions of City Officials which in turn, appear to be condoned
by City Council Members.
I am again asking to meet with you, as soon as possible, at my property to
discuss the illegal closing of our legally authorized business. I know what the
ordinances dictate and I know that I am right as I was about the illegal
requirement for a Certificate of Occupancy on change of tenant when all of the
City attorneys were wrong.
I have plenty of documentation to prove that what I am saying is true. If
you don't want to meet with me, that's fine. I will tell Mayor Hayward that I
tried, send him the steps I have taken to make this meeting happen and ask to
meet with him. While Mayor Hayward probably won't meet with me either, I can
always prove that I tried.
Mayor Hayward has ignored my requests to lift the illegal prohibition about
us using our property as duly vetted and authorized in 2000. You appear to be
reluctant to meet to discuss something so vital to our financial well being as
the authorized use of our private property. It appears that both of you may
have joined the conspiracy to take our property away from us. If so, there's
nothing I can do about that at a local level.
Sincerely,
Mary
---- Brian Spencer
Mary,
Our city's legal department is currently staffed by one attorney and an
assistant. They are prioritizing city legal business needs. I respectfully ask
for your patience. Brian
Brian Spencer / iPad
On Apr 21, 2011, at 8:32 PM, "Mary Mead" wrote:
Councilman Spencer,
I have not received an answer from you to my email of April 13, 2011.
Have you done anything to get the illegal prohibition against us operating as we
have been duly authorized (by the City Planning Department in 2000) removed?
Have you set up an appointment with the City Attorney, as you said you would, or
the Mayor as I have been asking to meet with him since his election in November,
2010, 5 months ago?
The apparent illegal/criminal actions against us have dragged on for
over 6 years with no one at City Hall apparently willing to obey the laws
contained in City Ordinances, State Statutes and Federal Regulations.
Councilman Spencer, each month we are illegally closed down causes a lot of
hardship to me, an elderly widow, because I need the income from my legally
sanctioned business to make ends meet.
Sincerely,
Mary Mead
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:03:52 -0400
From:
To: Brian Spencer
Subject: Re: Meeting to discuss our property
Dear Councilman Spencer
I have not heard from you since your email of April 1, 2011, where you
stated that you had requested a meeting with City Attorney Woolf. Have you set
up a date yet?
I have, however, been contacted by several people who seem to think
that the City Council will be discussing the illegal closing of our business by
the Pensacola Police Department, at a Council meeting. Is this true? What
format will this “discussion” be and who will be discussing it with the City
Council members. The City Attorney? We haven’t even met yet. Representatives
of the Community Development Department? They have consistently lied to and
about me along with the former City Attorney.
When will this discussion take place as I would like to watch it and
will probably record it? I will still be waiting for City Officials and/or City
Council members to obey the law and remove the illegal prohibition against us
operating our legally authorized business.
Sincerely,
Mary
---- Brian Spencer
As discussed, I have requested a meeting on your behalf with Susan at
City Hall.
Brian Spencer
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 1, 2011, at 10:09 AM, "Mary Mead" wrote:
Dear Mr. Spencer,
I just left my second phone message to set up a meeting with you.
Could we please meet today at our property at 520 N. Spring
Street. The longer we are without income, the harder it is on us.
Thanks,
Mary Mead 850 492-1962
