Conflict of Interest?

I have a question.

I assume there will be litigation regarding Betz Farm now that the termination letter has been sent to James Dicks and his Bravo Group. I assume the attorney that will be working on that is the one that has been working the Betz Farm deal... Rob Batsel... who was in the audience last week at the BOCC meeting.

How can Crystal River City Attorney, Rob Batsel and his firm, represent the city and also a major developer (James Dicks) that is encroaching on the city and clearly connecting to parcels within the city limits and under the jurisdiction of the city?

Is that not a conflict of interest?

Last week at the City Council meeting, Mayor Joe Meek asked the council for guidance on what to ask the MPO in regards to future planning for roads in Crystal River, specifically the Citrus Avenue and Turkey Oak intersection. The idea here is to potentially expand that intersection to include turn lanes and things like that to handle the traffic coming off the parkway.

If you recall, back in December, James Dicks bought the parcel on that intersection for $1.5 million, under a different LLC (495 Land Group). This was the parcel that realtor Kevin Cunningham owned.

Here is the concept map of the Betz Development now that Dicks has completed recent purchases. As of this writing, the map is still live at the link above. Here is the graphic.

That far left parcel is the Cunningham parcel. Cunningham, sold that to Dicks in late November for $1.5million.

And here is the Dicks registration for 495 Land Group, LLC

Ok.. So it is clear Dicks now owns parcels under different names, but they are tied to the Betz project, based on the graphic he has on his website.

So what is the problem with Batsel?

Well, as most know, Batsel is the City of Crystal River's attorney. He represents the city.

What happens when the development business encroaches on the city's business? Well he has a conflict. As we saw with the asphalt plant, he had to recuse himself from both sides of that...

Guess what? That Cunningham parcel is in the city limits of Crystal River. Here is a map of the City of Crystal River.

Let's not forget that the City of Crystal River owns the property across the street from this parcel (Yeoman's park). That makes them affected by any Betz Farm development project and thus a potential party to the hearings if they decide to participate.

Also, with the Cunningham parcel being in the city limits, it means any development of that parcel falls to the City to approve... the very city Batsel represents. Dicks also has the ability to ask to try to annex Betz Farm into the City of Crystal River, should the termination be overturned and he desire to do so.

Expanding the intersection at Citrus Ave and Turkey Oak clearly helps that Betz Farm development project, including the Cunningham parcel that Dicks now owns.

It is also clear that the goal of that purchase was to connect it with the Betz project to expand it west. Don't believe me? The website and picture above prove it. But want more proof? Here is a Chronicle article written after he closed on the property.

Here is an interesting quote from that article.

"This acquisition completes the Betz Farm assemblage and positions the community for smart, long-term growth,” Dicks said. “The connection to Citrus Avenue gives the project the proper gateway it needed, and it will allow future residents to enjoy everything Crystal River has to offer. We look forward to final approval and closing on the remaining Betz Farm property with Citrus County.”

Clearly, the plan is to include this property with the overall Betz Farm project and have one big happy project... a project that Batsel is the attorney for... yet some of the property will require the City of Crystal River's approval, for which Batsel is also the attorney for.

Oooph.

Sure, Batsel will argue that Bravo is the company he is working for and that is different than the 495 group, which now owns the Cunningham parcel that is in the city limits. While technically accurate, he is working for the same person and that person has clearly stated in a newspaper interview that his plans include those new parcels to add to the Betz Project, which IS the Bravo group project.

It also ignores the fact that the city owns property down the street from Betz and can potentially be involved in that project, let alone the property across the street which is also planned to be involved in the Betz project.

What does City Council think of all of this?

Regardless of how the Betz Farm sales contract saga ends, Dicks still owns property in the city limits of Crystal River. Rob Batsel is still working for Dicks on the Betz project, which clearly was intended to expand to these new parcels west of Betz within the city limits.

Any talk of expanding an intersection benefits the Dicks/Betz project, whatever it ends up being when the dust settles... and a project their attorney is working on.

How is this now not a conflict of interest for Batsel and one that would require him to recuse himself from either the city representation or the representation of Dicks in regards to Betz Farm?