Amid controversy about the handling of a Housing First effort, the City of Sarasota’s top official tasked with finding solutions to homelessness has submitted his resignation. Doug Logan, director of Special Initiatives on Chronic Homelessness, will leave his post in the next two weeks. “Given the current set of circumstances, my ability to do what I felt needed to be done was compromised,” Logan told SRQ. “It was time for me to return to the private sector.” 

City Manager Tom Barwin said the decision for Logan and the city to part company was mutual. Logan has come under intense scrutiny following the public release of a report marked “confidential” and other communications with administration that discussed the formation of a private organization that could rally funds and support for a housing effort. If an entity is determined to be created to serve in an advisory capacity on public policy, Florida’s Sunshine Law could force many communications into a public domain. 

But following news of the resignation, Michael Barfield, a paralegal who requested the release of the report, said Logan’s departure would have no impact on whether a nonprofit formed based on city direction will ultimately have to operate adhering to state transparency laws. “If Doug Logan left the city a week ago or two weeks ago, it doesn’t make an entity not subject to the Sunshine Law when the idea and purpose for the creation originated from none other than Tom Barwin and Doug Logan,” Barfield said.

Read more at SRQMag.com