On Feb. 10 Ivory Matthews, community and governmental affairs director for Neal Communities, sent an email to Boca Royale residents that began “dear neighbors.”
“We have been honored by Governor DeSantis to host a COVID Vaccine Drive ... at Kings Gate Golf & Country Club,” Matthews wrote, adding: “We have limited spots available. If you or a family member is 65 years or older AND A Florida Resident or own property in Florida (these are requirements) and are interested in receiving the vaccine, please e-mail ...”
Matthews added that vaccines would be given out on a “first come first serve” basis.
On Feb. 15 Boca Royale General Manager Ian Fetigan sent a “weekly update” email to residents that touched on the vaccine drive.
“We sent out an email to our residents on Wednesday morning and by noon time we had over 300 signed up,” Fetigan wrote. “We ended up with more than 1,700 residents and members being able to get vaccinated on Friday and Saturday of this past week.”
Fetigan’s email indicates that not only was the vaccine offered to residents of Boca Royale, but to nonresidents who had memberships there, something a resident confirmed. Nonresidents must pay a $975 initiation fee and $105 a month for a family social membership, while a family golf membership costs $4,100 up front and $600 a month, according to Boca Royale’s internal website.
The fact that people can gain access to a vaccine in Florida through owning an expensive home at a place like Boca Royale or buying a country club membership there raises concerns that people with money are being allowed to skip in line.
Fetigan’s email included a link to a video that instructed people on how to take themselves out of Sarasota County’s vaccine registration system, which distributes vaccines based on a person’s place in line, since Boca Royale residents and members who took advantage of the pop-up clinic no longer needed to worry about waiting in line for the vaccine.
The pop-up clinic was a huge boon for Boca Royale. Fetigan’s email notes that only 52 residents have received the vaccine outside the clinic. Presumably those are people who waited in line with everyone else in the county.
The vaccine drive generated some criticism among Boca Royale residents, which Fetigan noted.
“So happy to report that 99.9% of the feedback has been euphoric and gratitude towards Neal Communities making this happen for our community,” Fetigan wrote. “I was however blown away by some of the critical feedback from that .1%. Really!”
Reached by the Herald-Tribune on Tuesday, Fetigan referred all questions to Neal’s communications team.
Charlotte County resident Linda Barry didn’t stop to think about whether the Kings Gate clinic was fair or not when she received an email inviting her to participate.
“It never really ran across my mind, it was just here’s an opportunity we’re being given; let’s go do it,” said Barry, 68.
Barry’s 72-year-old husband is diabetic. She’d been eagerly trying to sign him up for the vaccine, including waking up early to get on the Publix website at 6 a.m. when appointments came open and signing up for a spot in line through the countywide registration system. In addition to her concerns about her husband’s underlying health condition, Barry has seen first hand how devastating COVID-19 can be. Her husband’s brother in Kentucky died of the disease, as did three of their friends in North Port.
“So basically as soon as we could get it we were going to get it,” Barry said of the vaccine.
It wasn’t until after she got the shot that Barry saw news reports about the controversies surrounding the vaccine pop up clinics and began to question whether they were fair. She believes the concerns about vaccine favoritism are valid.
“I think it probably should have been more widely known and included other areas,” Barry said, adding: “It probably could have been more fair.”
DeSantis has been touting the vaccine pop-up clinics as a way to quickly get shots to seniors, saying he has targeted communities with a high concentration of those over 65.
“Governor DeSantis’ goal is to vaccinate as many seniors as possible, as quickly as possible,” Beatrice wrote Tuesday. “Working with senior living communities is one of the most effective ways we can achieve this all-important mission.”
But both the Charlotte County and Manatee County clinics were criticized by county residents – Republicans and Democrats – because of concerns about favoritism and limiting the shots to certain residents.
“Why would you do it that way when you have all these people here who have been sitting and waiting? It just didn’t make any sense; it didn’t seem fair to me,” said Harvey Goldstein, a member of the Charlotte County GOP’s executive committee.
Goldstein, 81, noted that Benderson Development “swings a heavy club in Tallahassee” and has “some very good connections.” Benderson Development has contributed $50,000 to the governor’s political committee. Neal gave $25,000 in 2019.
“It seems to me that if you set up rules they should apply to everyone,” Goldstein added. “If you set up rules that you’re going to have a list you should go by the list; it’s not difficult.”
Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch also donated to DeSantis. The pop-up clinic in Lakewood Ranch drew national attention last week. A majority of Manatee County commissioners complained that the clinic – which was organized by the governor’s office, the developer and a single commissioner without the knowledge of the other commissioners – bypassed the countywide lottery system and gave exclusive vaccine access to residents in a predominantly white and wealthy area.
The Lakewood Ranch clinic became even more controversial after it was revealed that Manatee County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh sent an email to the county’s public safety director with a priority list of five people to get the vaccine, including herself and Schroeder-Manatee President and CEO Rex Jensen.
Baugh’s so-called “VIP vaccine list” generated a firestorm, with commissioners rebuking her at a public meeting. Using her authority to get the vaccine for herself, friends and a donor also led to Baugh being accused of corruption. Baugh has said she didn’t actually receive the vaccine.
Bradenton resident Alice Newlon, who serves as president of the League of Women Voters of Manatee County, wrote an email to county commissioners Thursday saying “removal of (Baugh’s) leadership is imperative to restore confidence.”
“She has corrupted the operation of the county commission,” Newlon wrote, adding: “She specifically added names to be vaccinated at the front of the line. Total corruption of the system.”
A crowd gathered outside the Manatee County administration building Tuesday morning called on Baugh to resign.
“Hey hey, ho ho, Vanessa Baugh has got to go,” they chanted.
Please follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached by email at [email protected].