The Destin Log by Tom McLaughlin
October 31, 2019
DESTIN — A lawsuit filed against the city alleges officials violated the state’s Sunshine Law by failing to produce text messages between city staff and elected officials.
Attorneys representing Pointe Mezzanine LLC, a business that through an affiliate owns Holiday Isle’s Pointe Beach & Yacht Club condominiums, state in an Oct. 7 court filing that on May 30 their client had requested multiple public records from the city of Destin, including “internal communications.”
“Plaintiff is aware that certain city council members and staff use text messaging in connection with matters requested in the public records request,” the lawsuit states.
Such communication would be considered public records under section 119 of Florida Statutes.
The initial request, which called for documents pertaining to the original condominium project, the recently proposed addition of docking facilities and a right-of-way across the condominium property to Norriego Point, took more than a month to fulfill, the lawsuit states.
“Noticeably absent from the production were any text messages,” the lawsuit states.
