ATV Florida Forum

New member says no clients bid for water district work

By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

September 9, 2006

The newest board member of the South Florida Water Management District
emphasized her public position to try to drum up work for her private
business.

Miya Burt-Stewart highlighted her March appointment by Gov. Jeb Bush to
the water district governing board in e-mail and other correspondence
that she said was sent to friends, colleagues and prospective clients.

An e-mail about her Broward County-based consulting firm also listed
her water district cell phone as one of her contact numbers.

According to company literature, the firm can help clients work with
"elected and regulatory officials" who "make decisions that could
jeopardize a company's competitiveness." It said the company can help clients
achieve "bottom-line and business objective without the hang-ups of
policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. or the state capital."

Burt-Stewart said Friday her correspondence was not intended to infer
that she could help clients win favor with the water district, which has
a $1 billion budget and hires numerous contractors, consultants and
attorneys for water projects.

She said her clients do not do business with the water district. She
said she inadvertently listed her water district cell phone number and
that she does not conduct private business on that phone.

"You will never see that again," said Burt-Stewart, who added she
removed the district cell phone number from her company correspondence after
just one day.

State law prohibits public officials from using their official position
to "secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for themselves or
another."

Water district board members, who are unpaid and must be confirmed by
the state Legislature, are required to declare any potential conflicts
of interest and must abstain from votes that could benefit them or those
close to them.

"I hope that she has reviewed all of the appropriate legislation [and]
governed herself accordingly," Kevin McCarty, chairman of the
nine-member water district board, said about Burt-Stewart. "I try to keep my
private business and my board business totally separate. It really is not
that hard."

Burt-Stewart's "Dear Colleague" correspondence says she was "recently
appointed by Florida's Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Governing Board
of the South Florida Water Management District, an entity with an
annual budget of $1.4 billion dollars [sic] and growing. As a Governing
Board member, Ms. Burt-Stewart has been tasked to set policies and provide
leadership and direction."

An associated e-mail, which included the number of her water district
cell phone, mentions her "good fortune" to receive the appointment. It
says "if and when you come into contact with individuals or entities
that present their business need to you, I ask that you not be shy in
referring me." She also offers to "properly compensate" people for
referrals.

Burt-Stewart said her consulting company specializes in marketing,
public relations and public affairs.

Burt-Stewart said she emphasized her appointment to the water district
board in the correspondence as examples of how she has "trust and
integrity" and the "ability to do a job."

The Florida Commission on Ethics has fielded numerous cases questioning
how public officials emphasize a government position in pursuit of
private gain, spokeswoman Kerrie Stillman said.

Whether that rises to the level of "misuse of public position" depends
on the individual circumstances, Stillman said.

Copyright (c) 2006, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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A fine example of how one person can make a whole organazation look bad!

That whole organization stinks.