Complaint About the Group and the Response

THE COMPLAINT ABOUT OUR GROUP SENT TO A COMMUNITY MEMBER

The e-mail below was forwarded to me today and I'm not really that hard to find.

To: REDACTED

I live in Tangerine, right smack dab in the middle. I haven’t smelled anything in weeks. I spent the last week outside in the sun. I mowed the grass, we cooked out, got in the hot tub.. it was gorgeous. About a month ago I joined this Kitty lady’s Facebook page and started to open a dialog and ask questions. She kicked me out immediately. I don’t know who she is or what her agenda is, but there are folks in Tangerine that she won’t listen to because we don’t agree with her. Maybe I’ll have to start my own Facebook page, website, research, agenda. She claims to be protecting her neighbors but she’s not if she isn’t listening to everyone. She’s turned this into a witch hunt. I’ve known the Shelley family for years. They [have] been handling shit for over 30 years, they didn’t just all of a sudden forget how to do it. It’s disgusting to me to watch this go on and I have yet to see a single shred of proof or evidence that any of this smell has anything to do with Shelley’s. Is there any??? Has anyone bothered to go talk to the Shelley family? Has anyone been to the facility during these ‘smell times’? Is anyone doing anything to get to the bottom of this? I think it’s irresponsible to let this Kitty person run her agenda without allowing other residents to speak and the Shelley family to speak. Please provide the community with actual facts and proof of her claims if you have any. If not, no one should be throwing gas on her proverbial fire.  A family’s livelihood is at stake here. If people have a problem with Shelleys, they need to get in their car, drive to Shelleys Septic Service, and speak to the Shelley family. 

What a shame the community is not coming together to work with each other to research the cause and find solutions. I’ll keep our community in much-needed prayer. 

My .02 cents...
REDACTED
Concerned, but not overreacting Tangerine Resident



THE RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT

To: REDACTED


Thank you for forwarding REDACTED'S e-mail to me.  I'm going to respond to her e-mail point by point. 

  1. She's smelled nothing in weeks- She is entitled to owning her experience. Before she was removed from the group (more on that later) she told me that she could only smell her neighbor's multiple dogs. 
  1. REDACTED was removed from the group due to arguing about the smell and the Shelleys. I gave her three warnings. First I warned her, telling her that she had three strikes then I told her "strike one," she continued and I told her "strike two." "Strike three" and she was out. Anyone who doesn't believe there is a smell doesn't need to be in a group dedicated to the smell. I believe in hearing a diversity of opinions and could have tolerated her if she didn't want to start an argument. A friend of hers texted me and told me to boot her out and I still gave her three chances before I did so.
  1. My agenda is to have the problem odors go away. That's it. I am willing to have a discussion with people who question the group's purpose, but not with someone who is accepted into a private group and immediately starts to argue about the group's purpose and continues to do so after three warnings. I'm concerned about having to disclose the odors when I want to sell my house, so if I have an agenda, it's to breathe fresh air and to preserve the resale value of my property.
  1. REDACTED is welcome to start her own Facebook page, website, and do research. Her agenda is clear. It's a lot more work than she thinks it is, but it's her right. I encourage her to do so if it makes her happy. 
  1. Proof on the Shelley family? First, let me say that this is about Shelley's Septic Service and not about the family. The business is currently under scrutiny by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Orange County for zoning violations. This is a matter of public record. I didn’t cause this. These violations are in regard to spreading human waste in areas that they don't have approval for. REDACTED is welcome to do a public records request to get this information just as I did. Barbara Shelley told me that it’s hard to meet all of the requirements. I’m sure that Mrs. Shelley has a difficult job but she still needs to meet all of the regulatory requirements for their business. 
  1. I have spoken to Barbara Shelley. In fact, we had a long conversation recently in which she defended her company, deflected blame for the zoning violations, and blamed Anuvia for the odors. Had REDACTED bothered to go to the linked video and the blog post, she would have known that it was about Anuvia and not Shelley's. I have Barbara Shelley's cell phone number and she has mine. Full disclosure: I took a floral design class with Barbara Shelley and her daughter at Lake VoTech in 2000. They were nice people and I enjoyed their company. I have no personal grudge with any of the Shelleys.
  1. Members of the group do "visits" to Jones Avenue to determine where odors are. I refer her to the YouTube videos linked from the blog. 
  1. Shelley's Septic Tanks has a long-standing history of violations and they are still in business. REDACTED should be able to find it using Google. Shelley’s Septic Tanks is a multi-million dollar business with 80 employees and not a mom and pop shop. They have contracts with municipalities all over Central Florida. I don't think we could put them out of business even if it was our intention, which it's not. Only the county can do that and there is a lengthy process that outlines the steps that businesses must take to comply with regulations before that happens. It is the position of the group that we want people to work within their permits and don't want anyone to lose their jobs. I want clean air, but I’m not a hateful person. 
  1. I would say that the group serves the function of getting the community together to find solutions. The Shelleys and anyone else would have been able to attend the public meeting we had scheduled for March 17th, 2020. It's unfortunate that the pandemic caused it to be canceled, but having it during a health crisis isn't something I was willing to do. 

I believe that I have made myself clear. I give REDACTED's complaints no credence. 

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