Fort Pierce Historic Preservation Planner Vennis Gilmore appeared before the Florida Commission on Ethics (FCOE) on Sept. 12, where he admitted to violating state ethics laws.
Gilmore was accused of failing to properly disclose a conflict of interest in his role as senior planner and as president of the nonprofit Lincoln Park Young Professionals. The group won a bid in 2020 to develop two Avenue D parcels to build a meeting space.
Investigators found that Gilmore, along with former city employee Caleta Scott, did not disclose their ties to the nonprofit in the city’s lease agreement with LPYP. The planned community center, known as “The ROOT,” was never built.
The same bidding process also led to the arrest of former City Manager Nicholas Mimms in August last year. Mimms, who is also Scott’s uncle, is awaiting trial on charges of bid rigging and official misconduct.
In addition to failing to file a conflict of interest form, Gilmore’s name was omitted from the lease agreement for the Avenue D property, “due to the optics of having a City employee leasing City land,” according to the ethics commission’s report.
At his hearing, Gilmore accepted a joint stipulation ordering him to pay a $1,000 fine and receive a public censure. He was also demoted from his former position as assistant director of planning and given a pay cut of $6,482.11, effective May 26, according to documents provided by FCOE. His new salary is $86,119.49.
Gilmore and his counsel declined to speak at the meeting.
Mario Wilcox, the whistleblower who submitted the complaint against Gilmore, expressed disappointment in the agreement in an email to Millie Fulford, complaint coordinator with the commission.
"I ask that the breach of public trust be taken into consideration," he wrote.
Wilcox has called for Gilmore to be fired from his position with the city.
In a statement provided by the city of Fort Pierce to WQCS, the city said it believes the hearing to be a proper conclusion to Gilmore's investigation.
"The City of Fort Pierce acknowledges the outcome of the Florida Commission on Ethics hearing regarding Historic Preservation Planner Vennis Gilmore and considers the matter resolved following both the Commission’s action and the disciplinary measures previously taken by the City," the statement read.