Patty Doesn't Live There! No Biggie for The Mayor, & Council Apparently!
- Kyle L'Hommedieu
- Sep 4
- 7 min read
In an email obtained by Take Out The Trash, Gloria Tate revealed that she had warned that Patty Cummings didn’t live in her district. And what happened next? Absolutely nothing, until Julia Ettari-Bartlett finally stepped in. The price tag for this little game of “see no evil”? Just the cost of another investigation, plus paying someone who had no right to be there.
Let there be no doubt: Gloria Tate’s character stands on its own, something that can’t be said for many others in and out of City Hall.
EMAILS WRITTEN BY GLORA TATE ADMITTING SHE BELIEVED THE WHOLE COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, KNEW PATTY DIDN’T LIVE THERE
Gloria Tate went to great lengths to raise her concerns, but it appears they fell on unethical ears.
We believe it all started when Dan Sheppard approached City Attorney Menendez and informed her that a "friend," who currently rents and is considering a run for City Council, does not presently reside in the district they intend to represent but plans to move there. Sheppard conveyed that Menendez never stated that a primary residence is simply "where you lay your head." Instead, Menendez allegedly told Sheppard that:
There is no specific time requirement for establishing residency,
You must live in the district before you apply,
You must have a valid address within the district
That address must be your primary residence.
We know some unethical people can't help but bend the rules to the breaking point 🙄
He clarified that Menendez never stated that a primary residence is simply "where you lay your head." Instead, he explained that Menendez said there is no specific time requirement; that you must live in the district before applying; that you must have a valid address there; and that the address must be your primary residence.
He agreed that he visited Cummings’ Embers Parkway West residence after the hurricane; that if Cummings stated in her March 7, 2023, letter to the Mayor that she was a part-time resident of District 4, then "the game is over" and there is no argument; and that, based on Cummings’ own statement, her residency status is clearly defined.
Cutting Through the Lies: What Really Adds Up
Here’s the working theory: This wasn’t random; it was a calculated move by John Gunter and Dan Sheppard, and possibly others, to stack the deck and secure votes their way. Rob Hernandez was ousted as City Manager and quickly replaced with their preferred candidate, conveniently ensuring the stipend landed where they wanted it. Picture this: Gunter, Sheppard, Cummings, and Long, all riding the same unethical train barreling straight into City Hall, fueled by your tax dollars. To them, it’s not public money, it’s their personal piggy bank for pet projects.
The breaking point came when Julia Ettari-Bartlett finally had enough. During a February 1, 2023, meeting, she heard Patty Cummings boldly declare, and we quote, “and when I searched immediately, I found out everything he said was a lie.” That moment, referenced in our article The Setup Game Part 1: City Manager Hernandez in the Crosshairs?, set Julia on a mission to remove Cummings from office. Julia even said out loud to herself, "How can she call this man a liar when she lied to get her seat?".
A motion was made and seconded to move forward with a third-party investigation into Councilmember Cummings' residency. The motion carried 6-2, with Councilmembers Sheppard and Cummings voting against the motion. We believe some of those ‘Yes’ votes weren’t out of conviction at all, they were just covering their asses.
Inside the Residency Mystery
On March 22, 2023, Attorney Jay Lechner ("Lechner") sent a letter to the Mayor, the City Attorney, and the Interim City Manager announcing he represented Councilmember Cummings. Lechner's letter demanded that the City refrain from moving forward with the investigation into Cummings' residency, stating that the investigation would be a waste of taxpayer money and that any action to remove Cummings from her seat in contravention of the will of voters would be contrary to Florida statute. Lechner said the City should disregard the "anonymous complaint," which he called "frivolous", "false", "defamatory", and "unreliable".
On April 17, 2023, Lechner sent an email to Sproat stating that he advised Cummings that it was "unnecessary" for her to participate in an interview. The email attached the following six documents, which Lechner maintained "clearly demonstrated" and "conclusively established" that Cummings "was and is a resident in District 4 at all pertinent times".
Sproat responded to Lechner's April 17 email in a letter dated May 20, 2023. Sproat said she reviewed Lechner's April 17 email and the six attachments, and she did not accept Lechner's representation that they provided "conclusive evidence" that Cummings met the residency requirements to qualify for and continue to hold the District 4 seat. Sproat explained why she believed her request to interview Cummings was both reasonable and necessary for an effective, independent, and thorough consideration of the facts relating to Cummings residency in District 4. Sproat reiterated her prior request that Cummings cooperate in the investigation by making herself available for an interview and by providing the following specific documents for Sproat's inspection before or at the time of the interview.
Ettari told Sproat that Councilmember Sheppard was a good friend of Cummings, and he publicly supported her campaign. Sheppard frequently visited Cummings at her home on SW 50th Terrace during Cummings' campaign. Ettari told Sproat that Cummings phoned and texted her as the hurricane came closer. Ettari produced a screenshot of a text Cummings sent her on Sept 28 at 12:20 PM, where Cummings wrote: "Our signal goes in and out. When this is over please send a rescue team out to us, Cape Coral 2842 S.W. 50th Terrace Cape Coral FL 33914 United States. Praying we get out." Soon after receiving the text, Ettari lost her phone signal.
Sheppard told Ettari that Cummings would not have a problem; all she needed was the intent to live in District 4. Once Cummings learned about the Complaint, Ettari said Cummings' attitude and demeanor toward her changed because Cummings suspected Ettari was behind the Complaint. Ettari told Sproat that Cummings became hostile. Cummings intimidated and threatened Ettari. Sproat has not included Ettari's descriptions of Cummings' alleged retaliatory actions in this report because those matters are beyond the scope of this investigation.
Another Party interviewed Mr Pitts- Pitts asked Cummings whether she was required to reside in District 4 to qualify for Council. Cummings told Pitts she did not need to reside in District 4 to run.
Another Party Interviewed Sharyn Waidzunas - Waidzunas is a notary public. In April 2023, Cummings called Waidzunas to ask if she would notarize Jill Hiatt's signature on a statement. Waidzunas agreed. Waidzunas did not know Hiatt. Hiatt came to Waidzunas home and signed a statement on April 13, 2023. Waidzunas notarized the signature after looking at Hiatt's drivers' license. Waidzunas did not administer an oath to Hiatt before Hiatt signed the statement. Waidzunas had not met or heard of Hiatt before Waidzunas notarized her signature.
Sproat attempted to contact several individuals she believed might have relevant information regarding Cummings’ residency during the period in question. One such individual was Dan Sheppard, who was elected as the District 2 Councilmember in 2020. Witnesses indicated that Sheppard and Cummings were close friends and that Sheppard actively supported Cummings’ campaign for the District 4 seat. According to Ettari, Sheppard frequently visited Cummings at her SW 50th Terrace residence during the campaign.
Sproat sought to ask Sheppard what he knew about Cummings’ residency during the relevant timeframe. She emailed him on May 19, 2023, requesting a meeting or phone conversation, and followed up with another email on May 27, 2023. Sheppard did not respond to either email.
It appears, Dan Sheppard violated the charter rules by not participating in the investigation. Why did Dan Sheppard stay silent? Was he afraid the truth might come out? His Silence Says Everything!
By June 2023, an independent report confirmed what many suspected: Patty Cummings did not live in District 4, the very district she claimed to represent for nearly a year after taking office.
FAKE ADDRESS ON HER DRIVER'S LICENSE
FAKE ADDRESS ON HER VOTER REGISTRATION CARD
AND A FALSE SWEARING IN
Factual Findings:
Cummings failed to cooperate in the investigation.
Cummings refused numerous requests for an interview, and Cummings
has made no attempt to produce the documents that Sproat requested.
Cummings was not a full-time or a part-time resident of 3827 Palm Tree
Blvd in District 4 during the relevant period.
The greater weight of the evidence does not support the statement in Cummings letter to the Mayor that she was still a part-time resident in District 4 as of March 7.
Cummings did not reside in District 4 until March 22, 2023.
Sproat has not reviewed any evidence to suggest that Cummings did not finally establish residency in District 4.
Fast forward to November 2023:
By this point, the council should have removed her under the city charter. The letter to Gunter made it crystal clear: she was a part-time resident, not a full-time one. Gunter ignored it. Even after the investigation confirmed Cummings was guilty, John Gunter and the rest of the council still refused to act ethically or uphold the charter. When they chose to look the other way, Ettari stepped in to make it right, filing charges with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The case was then referred to the State Attorney’s Office, which, after its own investigation, found enough evidence to secure an arrest warrant for Cummings.
Shortly after, Governor Ron DeSantis acted, removing Patty Cummings from her seat following the arrest warrant. John Gunter didn’t lift a finger to demand restitution for the taxpayers, but he never misses a chance to parade around as "Good Stewards of our Tax Dollars".
The Pen-Pal Politics of John Gunter and Patty Cummings
Heads Up! Here’s What’s Going On Now...
Look who decided to grab some quality time together! A concerned citizen sent us these snapshots from 11/22/24. What were they chatting about? We’re dying to know too. But hey, what could possibly go wrong when a lying triple felon teams up with a rejected councilman & CRA cheerleader? Sounds like the start of a bad joke, except taxpayers are the punchline. Are Sheppard and Cummings setting something up for when she gets off probation? We’ve heard they’ve been meeting pretty often.
Time will tell what’s really going on, but one thing is clear: the citizens are watching, and they’re reporting every move right to us.
You can read the Booking Report Here
You can read the Investigation Report Here
All information has been thoroughly investigated and reported by the Take Out the Trash Committee of Cape Coral and/or its authorized volunteers!