Ocean Highway and Port Authority attorney Patrick Krechowski, who helped the port navigate through a series of legal issues, has resigned his position.
Krechowski, with the law firm of Balch & Bingham of Jacksonville, submitted his letter of resignation dated Monday to OHPA Chairman Justin Taylor.
Krechowski served almost four years as port attorney tackling number lawsuits and legal challenges during his tenure.
Among the lawsuits was a protracted fight with the City of Fernandina Beach over disputed Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) assessed yearly by the city. As a special district, OHPA is exempt from paying property taxes, but had agreed to yearly payments to the city in exchange for city services like police, fire and road improvements. The lawsuit was settled last year.
Another lawsuit, still ongoing, involves the Nassau County Property Appraiser, who is seeking property taxes from the operator of the port, Nassau Marine Terminal. OHPA contracts with Nassau Marine Terminal to run the port. As a for-profit company, the tax appraiser wants Nassau Marine Terminal to pay property taxes for the use of the facility.
Krechowski negotiated with the U.S. Department of Transportation to return more than $1 million in federal grant funds for the purchase of a tugboat. The tugboat was sold after the DOT said the tug was not being used as intended under the requirements of the grant.
At one point as port attorney, OHPA had accumulated so much legal debt as a result of lawsuits and other matters, that Krechowski had to manage a payment program so that OHPA could pay off its legal obligations over time. The crisis prompted Commissioner Ray Nelson to state at the time "If we ran our household budgets like this, we'd all be homeless."
In his letter of resignation Krechowski wrote "For almost four years, it has been our pleasure to represent OHPA and its Board of Commissioners. Thank you for putting your trust in me and my firm and for the opportunity to serve as the Port Attorney. I appreciate the Board’s commitment and dedication to the Port of Fernandina and the Nassau County community, and I look forward to seeing more growth and success at the Port."
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