One Failure After Another
Posted by Sandy on December 2, 2020 · Leave a Comment
For the record I believe City Administrator Faye Johnson is doing the best job she can while answering to Mayor Keith James who lives by the motto “my way or the highway” and “get it done”. When she accepted the position as City Administrator is this how she pictured her position or does she have any regrets?
Aug. 2019 Joined the city of WPB as Assistant City Administrator.
Oct. 2019 Promoted to Interim City Administrator.
Jan. 2020 Promoted to City Administrator.
The City Charter calls for the City Administrator to live within the city limits.
Faye Johnson lives in unincorporated PB County, and she has the responsibility of leading the talks between the WPB Fire Dept.(IAFF) and the WPB Police Dept. (formally PBA now represented by Fraternity Order of Police (FOP) and as of today no agreement has been reached with either first responders.
City claims money is tight and cuts must be made which will start with city employees either furloughed or laid off. If employees either resigned or retired we were told positions would not be filled meaning employees had their responsibility plus the extra work of their missing co-worker. If an employee was represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) they were given a 3% raise. Not a union member, no raise.
At the commission meeting held 11/30/2020 item # 9 passed unanimously. Here it is:
Resolution no. 350-20 (F) authorizes the creation of three (3) full time equivalent (F.T.E.) positions and personnel detail within the 309 Series 2020 General Obligations Bond Fund to support the completion of Park Bonds projects: and
Resolution No. 351-20 (F) reallocates budget appropriations and within Fund 309 from professional services to Salaries and Benefits to fund the positions. That is how the 2 resolutions reads. Here is what it means: Mayor Keith James decided to hire three (3) people and pay them a salary of $875,000.00 over three (3) years.
How did previous Mayors handle the Park Bond without the positions listed above? They can’t find the money for first responders but can find close to a million dollars for 3 new positions.
Mayor James found $9,045,086.50 for a five (5) year contract for his good pal Willie Perez from PSC Security Company. PSC received the raise so no more money left for our first responders.
Ms. Johnson depends on the Palm Beach County Firefighters and Sheriff’s Dept. to protect her life and property, and if she lived within city limits she may view the talks differently.
If she lived on No. Flagler she would understand the problems the area has with severe flooding for the past 20 years.
If she lived on So. Dixie Hwy. she would have a better understand of the residents concern on what is developed on 8111 So. Dixie. At one city commission meeting James made the statement the land belongs to all WPB residents, not just the southend and I agree with him, but he should be aware whatever is constructed will not effect me and the area where I reside but will effect the southend residents.
If she lived in my area she may better understand our concern of the traffic situation around 45Th.St. and Village Boulevard with the new construction of over 300 apt’s. on Village Blvd. and 374 on 45th St. along with a 150 room hotel. Development will not effect 8111 or No. Flagler flooding, but will indeed impact residents in my area.
Below is the article written by PB Post Joel Engelhardt and I have included it for readers. Below is a sampling of the article. Read who was the City Attorney, and what politician wanted Grand Jury testimony silenced. The city put the residents of Waterview Towers through hell for years. FYI “staff recommended approval.”
“WEST PALM BEACH — Sometime in the distant past, the city made a mistake, a simple unforeseen slip in a complex series of agreements. The city made money off that mistake. Now, the city could be forced to pay millions.
A still-unfinished proposal floated a year ago to resolve all the issues surrounding the Palm Harbor Marina and its adjoining condo tower on Flagler Drive calls for the city to pay the condo owners $2.5 million to buy the rights to a sidewalk the city already owns.”