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Indian Rocks Beach mayor is latest to leave

Bob DiNicola said he plans to quit both the job and the city.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published March 25, 2005

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - In a surprise move, Mayor Bob DiNicola announced today that he is resigning at the end of the month.

His resignation is the latest in a series of city officials who have left or plan to leave their posts in this increasingly controversy-ridden beach community.

Departing officials had different reasons for leaving, but one constant remains - the ongoing controversy about the future of embattled City Manager John Coffey, who recently was sharply criticized by several commissioners during an investigation of his firing of the city's building official.

DiNicola insisted Thursday that the timing of his announcement - one day after the commission rejected his preference for vice mayor - had nothing to do with that action, the investigation or other recent clashes with the commission.

But he did have some harsh words for his fellow commissioners and says he is worried about the direction of the city.

"I feel very ill at ease leaving the city in the hands of Bill (Ockunzzi) and the other commissioners," said DiNicola when asked how he thinks the city will fare under new leadership.

He said he will miss the town, its residents and many city employees. "But there are a few people I'll enjoy not missing," he said. "It's not fun being mayor any more. Morale among city employees is the lowest I have seen it in a long time."

The day before DiNicola's announced resignation, the city's director of community development, Pete Pensa, also resigned, effective April 15, to accept a post as senior planner for Avid Engineering, based in Palm Harbor. He had come under fire for his role in the recent termination of the city's popular building official, Steve Andrews.

How or if Pensa and Andrews will be replaced may be decided Monday night when the commission conducts a formal review of the city's Community Development and Building departments.

That meeting is likely to be the last led by DiNicola, who expects to move to his new home in Ocala on Thursday.

DiNicola served as a commissioner for 11 years and as mayor for the past eight years. He has lived in the city for more than 26 years - his current home is for sale.

Under the City Charter, the city's vice mayor, Bill Ockunzzi, will become mayor.

DiNicola said he waited until after Tuesday's reorganization meeting to announce his resignation because "I wanted R.B. (Johnson) to be mayor."

Normally, the commission rotates the vice mayoral post among its members. Ockunzzi had been vice mayor for the past year, and DiNicola said it should have been Johnson's turn. But that didn't happen. Instead, Commissioners Jim Palamara and Jeremiah Carmody nominated Ockunzzi for a second term.

Ockunzzi says he was surprised by DiNicola's resignation, adding that the mayor had told him recently that he planned to stay in town for at least another year.

[Last modified March 25, 2005, 01:00:17]