Last April, City Manager Julio Avael revealed that Jesus Cepero, reportedly an electrician's helper here, had come to him and alleged that he had done unlicensed electrical work for then-suspended Key West Building Dept. Director Catherine Harding. Avael, in the midst of trying to fire Harding, added that allegation to his list of charges and asked Acting Building Dept. Director Charles Stephenson to investigate the allegation and report back to him.
In his response to Avael, Stephenson did not recommend any action against Cepero, but simply observed that "Mr. Cepero should not have engaged in work that should have been performed by licensed contractors."
But now, the State Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation (BPR) may be involved— although a BPR spokesperson in Tallahassee would not confirm or deny Tuesday that an investigation is underway. It is known, however, that the BPR has in hand both the Avael and Stephenson memos, both of which refer to Cepero's allegedly illegal activity.
Back in December 1996, it was the BPR that virtually closed down the Building Dept. here when investigators discovered that 10 employees were working without proper licenses. One of those employees was Charles Stephenson, now Acting Building Dept. Director.