Kentura

Before Spence-Jones appeared, choirs and church leaders sang, and local activists like Nathaniel Wilcox and Billy Hardemon gave booming, firebrand speeches. Hardemon left the stage leading chants of & x201C;Spence-Jones not guilty,& x201D; shortly after calling her suspension by then-Gov. Charlie Crist a & x201C;coup-d& x2019;etat.& x201D;

Housing

There& x2019;s a possibility Spence-Jones could be the deciding vote. Commissioners Francis Suarez and Wifredo & x201C;Willy& x201D; Gort have previously indicated the chief should go, while Commissioners Marc Sarnoff and Frank Carollo have called the city manager& x2019;s decision bad timing with important budget hearings beginning next week. Each of them, however, have said they won& x2019;t make a decision until they hear evidence.

During the HUD investigation, Dovenberg defended her actions, noting the house was in a hollow where winters are ‘brutal’ and a single mother couldn’t handle the seclusion and snow removal. She said it was ‘just common sense’ and asked the investigator if he would allow his daughter to live alone with a child a mile and a half from neighbors.

‘It’s legitimate to say You’re going to be responsible for lawn mowing. Is that going to be a problem?” he said. ‘That is completely different from assuming the tenant can’t do it.’