LSHA: The People of Columbia County & FL will be Paying for the Gross Negligence of the Gov's LSHA Board
January 12, 2026 3:30 pm | 5 min read
Photo: LC Building Dept. Columbia County Observer
graphic. Moon-scape roof
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Columbia County’s Lake Shore Hospital Authority (LSHA) is meeting this evening to continue its coverup of gross negligence of the publicly owned hospital building, Shand’s at Lake Shore.
Since
2018, the Authority has been run by part-time Executive
Director and North Florida legend, Dale Williams.
Following his direction, the illegally constituted
Governor’s Authority Board has been nothing more than a
rubber stamp for Executive Director Williams’ failing
management and policies.
The gross negligence was discovered after your reporter was banned from the inside of the public hospital by Authority Attorney Todd Kennon. Mr. Kennon claimed that the hospital was so dangerous that even a waiver of insurance would not be enough to allow entry.
Other people were allowed free access to the hospital – without insurance waivers. According to remarks received from Authority Manager Williams, the Authority Board was in on banning your reporter from taking photos inside the building.
Exec. Dir. Williams consulted with the Authority Board members regarding the banning of your reporter from the inside of the hospital. At this time, it is not clear if Mr. Williams' consultation was really collusion with the Board members.
The Lake City Building Department inspected the building and found conditions so reprehensible that it closed off two rooms. Others, who have been inside the hospital, speaking under the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation (a hallmark of Columbia County/Lake City), said the conditions were worse than the City Code Enforcement photographs.
In the past, the Lake City Fire Department was notorious for looking the other way regarding fire inspections. The fire escape falling off the Blanche Hotel and the emergency exit doors, wired shut for years, are one example.
It is unknown when the hospital's last fire inspection occurred. It is also unknown whether anyone in the City turned over the Building Department inspection to the Fire Department, showing the failing roof and water damage to the hospital's fire protection systems.
According to the LC Fire Department, the hospital has not been inspected. They considered it unoccupied, even though the Authority was sponsoring walk-throughs, security personnel were inside the building, maintenance people were in and out, Meridian, Florida Gateway College, and others had free access to the building.
While spending thousands of dollars in legal fees fighting the City’s claim that the Hospital was unoccupied, the Authority made the argument that – well, it really wasn’t vacant. In some kind of backroom deal, the City agreed with the Authority. Even then, the LC Fire Department did not inspect the building.
If you missed it see:
LSHA: Hospital trashed by Authority negligence – no insurance. Board “Mums the Word.” Tries to pay off Meridian not to inspect the Hospital.
Following the gross violations of the Florida Building Code, the City did not issue any official notification to the Authority. No notices of violations were sent, no letters, no nothing.
The decision to contact the Authority with the City’s findings was left in the hands of Clay Martin, the City Attorney. As a courtesy, he advised Authority Attorney Kennon by phone and told him about the violations found by the City. City Attorney Martin said, “I did not want Todd’s side to get blindsided… I did not want to poison the well because of the other land use issues we were having conversations about.”
City Manager Don Rosenthal was advised of your reporter’s pending request for the City’s code violation investigation of the hospital.
Columbia County & Florida Taxpayers On the Hook
In September of 2023, under the guidance and advice of the Exec. Dir. Williams, the Governor’s Board voted unanimously to eliminate property insurance coverage on the Lake Shore Hospital building.
Mr. Williams argued that the building had no history of property claims and that maintaining coverage was too expensive. The Governor’s Board acted as a rubber stamp. At that time, the Hospital was valued at an estimated $12 million to $70 million (replacement cost).
Because the building was neglected and uninsured (as previously reported by the Observer, the hospital was "trashed" due to negligence, including a black mold infestation and "unfathomable" water damage.
Under the continued guidance of Exec. Dir. Williams, Meridian (which has major identity and quality of service issues), was offered $2.5 mil to take the building without doing an inspection. Meridian refused. The Governor’s Board is giving them the money anyway.
Meridian is expected to go to the Florida legislature looking for taxpayer money to renovate the “trashed” hospital.
Dale Williams addressed the following issues via email:
The trustees were aware (it was not revealed what part
they played) in the banning of this reporter from the
inside of the Lake Shore Hospital.
Property Insurance: “Changes to the insurance coverages
of the building were discussed in an open public
meeting.”
Negligence and the coverup: There was no negligence or
coverup.
Your reporter being banned from the building: there was
nothing wrong with that.
Executing contracts without the Board's authority: the
attorney told me to do it. (There is no record of that.)
That Sticky Negligence Thing
Ordinary negligence is a simple failure to act like a “reasonable person,” while gross negligence involves an “extreme departure from reasonable care, showing a conscious and reckless disregard”for the safety or rights of others.
Epilogue (adding insult to injury)
On December 18, without any authorization from the Authority Board, the Authority’s Part-Time Exec. Dir. executed the gifting of the Lake Shore Hospital contracts on behalf of the Authority. Subsequently, Meridian’s CEO executed the same contract pages.
North Florida legend Dale Williams and the Lake Shore Hospital Authority continue the saga of the illegally constituted Authority without any oversight.