'Intimadation' at town of Century

“I feel sorry for the employees of the town as they must work under conditions of intimidation and the threat of losing their jobs if they air the town’s dirty laundry with outsiders,” stated Century Town Planner Debbie Nickles in response to a letter Century Mayor Henry Hawkins read at Monday night's council meeting in Century.

“Apparently, Town Hall has something to hide. On another note, I want to set the record straight in that Council President Ann Brooks had nothing to do with my request for any documentation nor was any information provided to me ever going to be brought to the Century Town Council meeting(s),” Nickles stated.

The letter Mayor Hawkins read at the meeting did not show the author of letter, as it was blacked out (redacted).

The letter stated:

“On June 11, I was asked by Debbie Nickles to contact her after work. I contacted her. We had a discussion about the billing problems. Mrs. Nickles asked me to gather up information regarding our town billing clerk. Information that included getting copies of all the customers' documents that have yet to be [put] into the system and were receiving free services for long periods of time because of her not doing her job. I agreed with a lot of the things she was saying. I told her I would call her back. I called her back and told her that I would not do that. I told her that it wasn't ethical and I thought it was probably against the law. She said that she was gathering this information for Ann Brooks to bring up at the council meeting. Again, I said 'no'. I should've never been put in this situation. My job and this community are very important to me.”

“That is on the board of ethical violations,” said Hawkins. “Let me remind you I am the mayor. I do not want people calling trying to get dirt on somebody else because you put everybody in a bad distrust issue. I had several employees who were ready to quit on Friday.”

“Excuse me, I would like to address that,” Nickles responded. “Thank you for bringing that to my attention. That is not true. I was told that that information was here, that was available, that someone was not doing their job. I don't appreciate you saying that I'm violating ethics. I don't appreciate you, Mayor Hawkins, of accusing me of that. It's not true. I want the council to know that letter is not correct. I was called and told that information.”

Nickels said the letter Hawkins read was not correct and that she would not put someone in that situation and that she did not care who wrote the letter, but it was not correct.

“I was called and told that information,” said Nickles. “I was also told that you told employees if you caught anybody telling anybody anything outside of town hall, that they would be fired on the spot or you would hold their paycheck and make sure they didn't get paid. I've been told all kinds of things, Mayor Hawkins, but I don't tell everybody, I keep these things to myself because I don't know if they're true or not. I have given myself to this town for 32 years and I don't appreciate this. I'm tired of you, Mr. Hawkins, I'm tired of this. I just don't appreciate this.”

Hawkins then told Nickles he understood she had a petition to try to get him impeached.

Nickles left the meeting, refusing to speak to him any further.

A public records request was made by the press for a non-redacted copy of the letter to which Hawkins replied, “You won't get it.”

When a press member asked under what Florida statute he was refused the non-redacted letter, Hawkins said he would not give it until he gave it to the ethics commission.

The press member said it was not part of an ethics investigation but it is public record. Hawkins replied he would check with the ethics commissioner before he would agree to give it to the press member.

Order was then called to the meeting by Councilman Luis Gomez.