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"We are early into our formal relationship with SANCA," Harmer added. "There has been a lot of interest in this project, and SANCA has been asked for periodic public updates to the Board," he wrote in his comments for the News Leader. The planned homeless shelter project has been one of the most complex to come before the County Commission. "I don't ever recall having a standing item that is automatically on the agenda every meet- ing," Robinson told the News Leader. "It is important to the County Commission, and we want to work through it. And I am hoping the city will work with us to solve this problem that everyone knows exists." Harmer points out that the county has assigned a full-time manager, Wayne Applebee, to lead the initiative and report on progress. "This is a joint effort with many partners," Harmer noted. In addition to regular updates to the board, meetings are held on a routine basis with city staff and local nonprofit partners. COUNTY CONCERNS Antunes, president of Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government, does give the county administrator good marks for his work thus far. "Tom Harmer has accomplished many positive things," Antunes said. "He is an able administrator." But Antunes noted "persistent concerns about county government [that] are separate and apart from Mr. Harmer's performance." Antunes points to a range of recent pol- icy decisions that have made headlines and angered some residents. She is frustrated with what she calls the county's failure to protect the public and hold SANCA accountable in the Benderson Park agreement. She also was disappointed by Harmer's recent move to fire Ethics Officer Steve Uebelacker, who was hired in 2011 after a scandal erupted in the county's Procurement Department, fol- lowing the commission's dismissal of County Administrator Reid in 2013. "The firing of Randy Reid and Steve Uebelacker, instigated by one or more commissioners, puts staff on notice: Fall in line or else," Antunes told the News Leader. In addition to questions about how the county will address ethical inquires, open govern- ment concerns remain. One item on the First 100 Days list — No. 98 — seems undeserved to Antunes. In that slot, Harmer highlights the First Amendment Foundation's naming of Sarasota County's website as the No. 1 government website in Florida. The organization did not look closely enough, Antunes said. "It is regrettable that the First Amendment chose Sarasota County as the No. 1 website in the state when our County Commission persists in refusing to make all Commission emails available online," Antunes said. "Other counties provide full access to their com- mission emails online; the First Amendment Foundation got this one wrong." % Enjoy The Sarasota News Leader Anytime - Day Or Night SarasotaNewsLeader.com Sarasota News Leader May 30, 2014 Page 34