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Heritage Isles Supervisor Advised Not To Reveal Clients

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LAURA KINSLER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 7, 2008

HERITAGE ISLES - The community development district's lawyer has advised district Supervisor Jack Meehan not to reveal the names of Heritage Isles CDD contractors who bought insurance from him.

"For your protection, you may not want to disclose the names or other pertinent information about the individuals involved to me or the District Manager," attorney Tracy Robin wrote in an e-mail to Meehan two days after the supervisor revealed he had sold insurance to two different vendors since being elected to the CDD board in 2004.

Robin also e-mailed two attorney general's opinions regarding potential conflicts of interest with public officials who sold insurance and financial services to district employees. "I think you will know after reading this whether your conduct may have resulted in a prohibited conflict," he wrote.

Heritage Isles homeowner Steve Hluchanyk said he questioned the CDD supervisors during their June 30 meeting "to clear the air" because he had heard vague rumors about them using their positions for financial gain.

"It's a question of trust," he said. "If I'm there to serve the community, I'm not going to jeopardize it just to make a few pennies."

Hluchanyk said he never expected to hear Meehan answer in the affirmative. "I'm shocked and disappointed," he said.

Meehan has refused to disclose the names of the clients, saying it could jeopardize his license. He is licensed to sell life and health insurance through 2010 but said he no longer works for the agency that carries the policies in question. He has declined to comment further.

Brannon Jordon, spokesman for the Florida Department of Financial Services, said insurance agents have the right to protect the identity of clients.

Robin said he assumes Meehan earned a commission from the sale of the policies, but without knowing the size or the client, it would be impossible to estimate the amount. He also said he doesn't know whether the vendors bought the policies from Meehan before the CDD supervisors voted on their contracts.

"I don't know the details of who the client is or when the policies were sold," Robin said. "There could be an appearance of impropriety, or he could have tripped over the line."

Greg Riehle, executive vice president for Dempsey Resort Management Inc., which manages the Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club and Saddlebrook Resort, said no one at Dempsey or Saddlebrook has purchased insurance from Meehan.

"We would never do that," Riehle said. "We wouldn't even want to create the appearance of a conflict."

Florida ethics laws prohibit elected officials from having any "contractual relationship with any business entity or any agency which is subject to the regulation of, or is doing business with, an agency of which he or she is an officer or employee."

The statute also says public officials cannot "solicit or accept anything of value to the recipient, including a gift, loan, reward, promise of future employment, favor, or service, based upon any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public officer, employee, local government attorney, or candidate would be influenced thereby."

Robin said the district has no jurisdiction to investigate whether Meehan violated the ethics law. That's the role of the Florida Commission on Ethics. Robin said he believes Meehan, who is running for re-election, will come under political pressure to release the information.

"I think he will find himself in a position where he has no choice but to say who it is," Robin said. "He knows what the issues are. He got the message."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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