Taxpayers lose in Pinellas / St. Pete housing dispute

St. Petersburg, Florida -  Agencies tasked with providing affordable housing to thousands of families had gotten along so well for so long that their recent troubles can only be viewed as a divorce.  And, according to some, the biggest losers are taxpayers. 

The Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) and St. Pete Housing Authority (SPHA) had planned on building a joint office together until the agencies found out the same law firm- Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey - was representing both agencies in the interlocal negotiations.

The PCHA broke off negotiations after the discovery and is in the process of possibly filing a complaint with the Florida Bar.  In the meantime, it's looking to get back its half of the $54,000 legal fees spent on the office deal.

In its attempt to build a case for restitution, the PCHA is looking for the public email records of Darrell Irions - the former Executive Director of both boards, who still manages the SPHA.  

But PCHA chair Joe Triolo said the PCHA is stonewalling the request by claiming unreasonable time and financial demands. 

Irions told 10 Connects that his small agency doesn't have the manpower to respond to the 17,000-page request as quickly as the PCHA would like, and that it would cost between $16,000 and $19,000 of taxpayer money to get it done.

Frustrated by the demands, Justin Zinzow, the acting lawyer for the PCHA, sent a letter to the state attorney's office and Florida Attorney General claiming a violation of the state's Sunshine Law.

Zinzow's fees for the investigation are upwards of $5,000.  And with a several-thousand dollar fee likely attached to the public records request, even a full refund of their $27,000 legal fees may not recover the amount of money lost in the divorce...or the bad feelings fostered by the break-up.

Both agencies admit the process has been painful, but they remain committed to their first priority, maintaining their strong record of affordable housing for residents of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.