Breaking news -- Fernandina commission declines to reject night-vision goggles

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA BEACH -- City commissioners declined tonight to either reject or alter a federal grant for night-vision goggles that is forcing Fire Chief Danny Leeper to resign his job next week or give up his run for the Nassau County Commission.

Commissioner Ron Sapp asked fellow commissioners to reject the goggles as a way to help an "exemplary" city employee leave the employ of the city with "honor."

When no commissioners seconded that motion, Sapp made another asking the city contact the federal government to switch the contact name on the grant application from Leeper to Police Chief Jim Hurley.

However, other commissioners raised concerns about the appropriateness of the commission getting involved in an issue with political ramifications and whether federal officials would see the request as an attempt to circumvent a ruling that Leeper is in violation of the federal Hatch Act. The motion failed 3 to 2.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel ruled June 20 that Leeper is in violation of the Act, which restricts partisan political activity by government employees, because he is listed as a contact person on a 2007 grant application to the Department of Homeland Security for a night-vision kit and because he supervises the applicant, Deputy Chief Jeffrey Bunch.

The office gave Leeper a July 7 deadline to either leave his job or withdraw his candidacy. Leeper already had tendered his resignation under Florida's Resign to Run law, but the resignation is effective Nov. 3.

Leeper is running for the District 1 seat on the Nassau County Commission now held by Jim B. Higginbotham.

Leeper told commissioners tonight the fire department doesn't really need the goggles, which had been applied for when the city was experiencing a rash of trash dumpster fires.

However, in response to a commissioner, Hurley said the goggles would be useful to the police department.

The city was awarded the grant in December; the goggles now are expected to arrive in November.

Commissioner Ken Walker said he felt it was inappropriate for the commission to meddle in the issue, "which is clearly something that has political consequences."