Attorney Fred Levin, the first person to ever top Inweekly’s Power List, went on NewsRadio 1620 this morning to defend Mayor Ashton Hayward. He gave his version of why City Administrator Eric Olson called the bosses of Melanie Nichols, president of North Hill Preservation Association.
Fred Levin:
There’s a tower going up apparently somewhere in the north end of the town. It has been … Everything was done appropriately, and they got all the licenses, the tower goes up. All right. A lady who is constantly sending e-mails about various things, 360 e-mails, but all of a sudden, it comes to the city administrator, or I guess it was to the mayor, an e-mail not from Fred Levin personal, or something like that. It’s from this lady at unitedstatesnavy.com complaining about the height and of the tower.
This is a different situation. I’ve been through this, actually in the Supreme Court of California right now, with the exact same thing. A somebody at the Consumer Product Safety Commission sent an e-mail to Yamaha and it’s a big deal. I mean, certainly you can understand the difference between sending … Saying to the United States … the the City of Pensacola, “Your tower is too tall.” Coming from the Navy, or coming from citizen. That’s what happened.
He gets this e-mail from the United States Navy, and as I understand it, this man is a Naval, Annapolis graduate, all of that. He calls the supervisor basically to say, “Do you realize things are going out on your e-mail?” There’s no way he called to get her fired. First of all, you don’t get civil service employees fired.
The next thing that happens, and that should have been the end of it. I’m sure her employer would turn to her and say, “Don’t do this anymore.”
Anyhow, the next thing that happens is she goes to a lawyer. The lawyer sends a letter to the mayor in which he says, “Cease and desist calling her employer because you’re trying to get her fired.” Headlines in the paper saying that there was an “order” issued. There was no order issued. This is some stupid letter that a lawyer writes. Nobody’s trying to get anybody fired.
All of this, and that’s what starts this whole thing. I think if I had … I think I would have done the same thing, had I been in charge. I think most people would have done the same thing. That’s what this is all about. It’s not headlines. It’s also in the paper this morning. The headlines again. They’re going to have a …
(Andrew McKay: The no confidence vote. Mm-hmm (affirmative).)
… Because the man called and they keep pointing out there are 2 sides to the story, but I think the city made a mistake in not pointing out what I just told you about. I think anybody with an ounce of brains can realize you don’t do something like this. We fired somebody in our office for sending out a letter. A secretary sent out a letter over our letterhead, in a marital situation, in which it lead that person to believe that the law firm was getting ready to bust his behind. That was … Now had the secretary sent it out on her personal letter, that’s fine.
In other words, to send it out over the United States Navy, and I think anybody could understand that that’s not the thing to do, especially when you’re talking about towers. Anyhow, that’s bottom line.
What was the radio tower email that compelled Olson to call NAS Pensacola on July 2?
In the list of emails between Nichols and the city in which she used her federal email account- emails that we received through a public record request, there is an exchange dated June 12 and it’s concerning the radio tower:
From: Nichols, Melanie CIV CNATRA Det Pensacola, IPMS
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2015 at 8:59:18 AM Central Daylight Time
To: wweeks@cityofpensacola.com
Subject: Permit for Radio TowerHi Bill,
Can you please give me the date of the recent building permit for the construction of the radio broadcast tower in the Long Hollow Storm Pond?
I have submitted a public records request for a copy of the permit but haven’t heard yet whether it is ready for me to pick up. Could you make me a copy so that I could pick up today?Thanks for any assistance,
Melanie A. Nichols
Industrial Property Management Specialist CNATRA N4 DET Pensacola, FL
(850) 452-3408
DSN 459-3408
FAX (850) 452-3650 melanie.nichols@navy.mil—–Original Message—–
From: William Weeks [mailto:WWeeks@cityofpensacola.com]
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2015 9:11 AM
To: Nichols, Melanie CIV CNATRA Det Pensacola, IPMS
Subject: Re: Permit for Radio TowerMelanie, I am out of town and will be back in the office Monday morning. Can I have it for you then?
Bill Weeks
From: Nichols, Melanie CIV CNATRA Det Pensacola, IPMS
Date: Friday, June 12, 2015 at 9:20:52 AM Central Daylight Time
To: William Weeks
Subject: RE: Permit for Radio TowerThat will be great.
I’ll still go down today to see if someone there can pull it up….but a Monday back up is great. Thanks and have a safe and hopefully fun trip.Melanie A. Nichols
Industrial Property Management Specialist CNATRA N4 DET Pensacola, FL
(850) 452-3408
DSN 459-3408
FAX (850) 452-3650 melanie.nichols@navy.mil
——-
Nothing threatening there. An exchange between two people who clearly have a cordial, professional relationship. These are the only emails Nichols sent to city staff regarding the radio tower, in which she used her business account.
Don’t you hate it when the facts and pesky reporters get in the way of a good tale.