City of Deerfield Beach, FL

Interview of George Edmunds regarding Brazilian Festival

Kessler interviewed George Edmunds on five different occasions in connection with his involvement with the various festivals.

During the course of the interviews, Kessler learned that $600.00 in cash was allegedly stolen out of Edmunds van during the 2006 BF by an unknown perpetrator. The cash was purportedly secured as change for the cash box in the beer tent. Edmunds described the theft in detail indicating that he stopped at a bank at the corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and Federal Highway to withdraw cash and then indicated that he proceeded to the pier and parked his van. Edmunds claimed that he placed a moneybag containing the cash under the drivers seat and left the locked van unattended for a period of approximately 15 minutes. Upon his return to the van, he noted that the drivers side door lock was punched out and the moneybag under the seat was missing. Edmunds stated that he filed a police report but the suspect was never found nor was the cash recovered.

It was learned the City decided in 2008 that the BF would be required to charge an admission fee to cover costs since the festival grew in size and had to be moved to City streets from where it was previously held on the beach. Edmunds indicated that when festivals are held on the beach, less costs are incurred, citing the FDF as an example.

During the BF and CNMF various retail locations throughout the community would sell tickets and the money from these sales might not have been accounted for by the City. Edmunds stated that there had always been problems with the CNMF and the reporting of gate revenue to the City.

It was learned that checklists were utilized by the Parks & Recreation Department to assist in the organization of the Festivals. When Kessler requested copies of all of the checklists Edmunds stated he would make notes on the checklist at meetings with festival

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organizers and update the checklist as needed and that the old copies of the checklist with the meetings notes would be discarded once an updated version of the checklist was prepared.

It was determined that the City would provide a budget to Festival organizers, the organizers would coordinate purchases and the City would pay the vendors directly.

Edmunds stated Christina decided not to use Deerfield Beach as a venue after the 2008 festival indicating that he did not trust her and felt that she operated unethically. Edmunds stated that he had no proof but felt she might have bartered medical services from one of the Festival sponsors, retorting, How does this benefit my festival?

Edmunds claimed that only the CNMF & BF charged a gate fee and that festival organizers were responsible for collecting the revenue and kept it.

After Edmunds was shown documents concerning the 2008 BF, he retracted his statement, and indicating that he collected the cash from the organizer at the gate during the festival for safekeeping. He then stated that only the beer revenue went to the City, despite the fact that the calculation sheet shown to him indicates that both beer and gate was kept by the City.

Edmunds on another occasion claimed that the City always handled the revenue from beer sales because the City wanted to make sure it covered its expenses, stating that Kendrick, acting City Manager and Director of Parks and Recreation, as well as Larry Deetjan and Mike Mahaney (former City Managers) advised Edmunds to follow this practice.

When questioned about beer consumption at the 2008 BF, Edmunds stated that it was a heavy drinking crowd and the festival ran out of beer. He continued by indicating that at one point, the crowd was so heavy around the beer tent that Broward Sheriffs Office had to move people back away from the bar. Edmunds stated that the size of the beer

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container sold at the BF was the standard size cup supplied by the beer distributor and estimated it was 9 or 10 fluid ounces.

Edmunds stated that a language barrier between the performers and City Employees at the BF caused some minor production problems. When questioned about a hole cut in the gate that had been brought to the attention of Kessler, Edmunds stated there were no large riots or gate rushes and no holes in the fence.

Edmunds confirmed that in 2008 the City stopped using the general ledger Special Events account # 199, which previously comingled all expenses for all the festivals. Kessler was told that the Commission directed Edmunds after 2008 to prepare a separate budget for each festival and that the Finance Department would begin to track costs for each festival to assure better accountability. Kessler learned that after 2008, each festival had a subaccount established under the Parks and Recreation general ledger account.

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2008 Brazilian Festival Cash Receipts / Beer Sales

Edmunds advised Kessler that at the start of the 2008 BF, $300.00 in cash was provided by the City to the beer tent. Edmunds indicated that only one staff member handled the cash box at the beer tent and that staff would be notified at the Park Maintenance Office when a large amount of cash had accumulated in the cash box. Edmunds further claimed that at least four or five unscheduled times during the day, cash would be taken from the cash box at the beer tent and counted by staff. Edmunds said that Jamie Moore and Lamar McThay may have accompanied him during the cash collections. Edmunds said a scrap of paper with the amount would be initialed by the individual who conducted the cash count and included with the money collected and the amount would also be written on the front of the bag. Edmunds admitted that he collected the gate sales but that he did not recall if the money he collected was provided to him with a slip of paper indicating an amount. Edmunds could also not recall if he comingled the cash from the two revenue streams.

Edmunds did state that all of the money he collected was put into a drop safe in the Pioneer Park office of Janice Muenzenmaier (Muenzenmaier). Edmunds stated that to his recollection Muenzenmaier was the only one who knew the combination to the safe.

When asked to produce the moneybags and the cash receipts that were included with the cash Edmunds stated that at least two individuals counted each moneybag and the moneybags were then discarded. When Edmunds was asked who was present with him, he told Kessler that Carla DeLuiz, Jami Moore, Lamar McThay, Angie Storr, and Edmunds met in an office at Pioneer Park and counted the money. The cash was then transferred to the Finance Department and counted again by an individual at the Finance Department before it was finally deposited in the bank.

When Edmunds was asked if Commissioner Poitier was present in the counting room, Edmunds said that it was highly unlikely. When Edmunds was told that Kessler was advised by other sources present in the room that Poitier was in fact present, Edmunds
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recanted his statement and admitted Poitier was in the room and asked, Do I need a lawyer? to which Kessler replied, You know better than we do.

When Edmunds was asked why Commissioner Poitier would be at the cash count and who invited her to attend, Edmunds stated he was unsure and said that perhaps Christina invited Poitier. Edmunds stated he did not invite Poitier. Kessler later questioned Christina who indicated that she did not invite Poitier, that the funds collected were not hers and that it was not my place to invite an elected official.

At a later date, Edmunds was again questioned to determine if Commissioner Poitier was involved in any way with the handling and counting of cash collected from the festival. Edmunds replied not to my recollection, but indicated that a number of City employees collected cash and that he just transported the money to the drop box in Pioneer Park. During this questioning, Edmunds blurted out, I didnt take the money; I will take a lie detector test and provide my bank statements.

During Kesslers interviews, Edmunds was shown an accounting tape totaling $39,312.05. Edmunds indicated that the accounting tape was applicable strictly to the cash beer sales and that the festival organizer kept all the sales from the gate. When Edmunds was presented with the organizers claim to have not received any proceeds from the ticket sales, Edmunds stated he does not recall what happened to the cash, adding, Thats my statement. The audit disclosed that the Parks and Recreation personnel did collect and take possession of all beer and gate sales, that there was no indication any funds were given to the organizers of the 2008 BF, and that Edmunds could not produce a receipt for the transfer of funds to the festival organizer.

When Kessler presented Edmunds with a spreadsheet of expenses that he prepared regarding the 2008 BF showing $39,312.05 listed as income received from Beer & Gate, Edmunds stated he is unsure of why the spreadsheet was labeled with that notation. Kessler then told Edmunds that if $39,312.05 was applicable to both the gate

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collections and the beer sales it appeared that a significant amount of cash was missing. Edmunds simply replied, I understand.

Edmunds did state that Moore found approximately $2,000.00 during the festival cleanup in the VIP area in an envelope that was determined to be sponsorship money. Edmunds claims it was money left behind by Christina from presales. This money was taken to the cash count that was conducted at the Pioneer Park office and given to Christina to reimburse her for the beer.

Edmunds stated that on the day the cash was counted, Christina was paid in cash for the beer money she advanced and that he was unsure the amount of cash that she left the room with indicating it was possibly more than just the cash for the beer stating, We were only concerned with the Citys money.

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