After City Manager Julio Avael fired, then un-fired, then suspended Building Dept. Director Catherine Harding two weeks ago, he named Building Inspector Charles Stephenson as acting department head.
But according to a source at the Florida Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR), Stephenson does not hold the proper license to fill that position.
"In order to hold the position of Building Code Administrator (which is what the head of a municipal Building Dept. is) one must hold a Building Code Administrator's license prior to being placed into the job," said Lonnie Parizek, a spokesperson in the DBPR public affairs office.
"There is a provisional license— but our records indicate that Mr. Stephenson has not applied for either a provisional or permanent license," she said.
On April 18, Avael sent a memo to the Mayor and City Commissioners assuring them that Stephenson was qualified to take the job.
"He has all the qualifications," Avael said. "As I understand it, he will need to take the Building Official exam within the next two years to stay in the position."
Parizek disagreed.
"He would have three years to pass the exam assuming he holds a provisional license," she said. "But he does not hold a provisional license."
Back in 1996, Stephenson was one of 10 employees in the Key West Building Dept. cited by BPR for working without proper licenses. DBPR served City Manager Avael with a cease and desist order which virtually shut down the department.
"At various times since October 1, 1993," the DBPR order read, "the City of Key West and/or Julio Avael on behalf of the City of Key West in his capacity as City Manager, have employed, or have continued or are continuing the employment of persons who have not been licensed pursuant to . . . Florida statutes."
At presstime, DBPR officials had not responded to a fax questioning what action, if any, they plan to take in the Stephenson case.