Vita wins lawsuit against the City of WPB
Once again WPBF (channel 25) Investigative Reporter Terri Parker was the first to report Vita LLC has won the lawsuit against WPB Mayor Keith James.
“Vita Lounge LLC won its lawsuit against the city of West Palm Beach to get back its winning bid to take over the Sunset Lounge.”
“Specifically, Vita sought to have the Court determine whether the CRA improperly disqualified it as the winning proposer for the operation of the Sunset Lounge,” according to the final lawsuit judgement.”
The court had to decide whether the disqualification was proper and lawful.
“The Court finds it was not,” the final judgement states. “The City urges the Court to find that, as long as Mr. Bassar was acting in good faith, the Court must defer to his decision. The City asserts that in order to invalidate Mr. Bassar’s decision, the Court must find evidence of illegality, fraud, oppression or misconduct.”
The court found that Bassar sent the letter after the fact that he had decided there had been reasons for disqualifications on an interpretation of rules that “may have been unconstitutional and therefore illegal.”
Ms. Parker’s story can be found below and includes the news interview with Darrin Cummings, who the City claims gave an interview with WPBF without the City’s consent and was part of the lawsuit. Also includes Court Judge Bell’s 19 page decision.
Procurement Officer According to Google. What does a city procurement officer do?
“Oversees preparation or negotiation of contracts and awards. Oversees the preparation of proposed City Council resolutions for all public contracting activities. Plans, develops, and implement innovative strategies for value-based enterprise-wide procurement requirements.”
Keith James sworn in as Mayor on April 4, 2019, and the City has had 4 Procurement Officer’s in 4 years.
Frank Hayden 2013 until 2019. Mr. Hayden was successful as the city’s Procurement Officer for 6 years until April 4,2019.
Effective 5/24/2021 Nathaniel Rubel (7 months)
Effective 12/13/2021 Paul Basser (1 year)
Effective: 01/09/2023 Donna Levengood
The City has spent many thousands of taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit that should never have happened and thousands more it cost taxpayers to have the Sunset Lounge remain shuttered. The next process is to have negotiations in “good faith” between the City and Vita LLC. My best to Vita.
In closing this story, I am happy to inform WPB Watch readers that the black community has found justice, not because of the city’s first strong black Mayor Keith James but received justice through Judge Bell and the attorney’s who defended Vita F. Malcom Cunningham Jr. Esquire and Amy L. Fischer, Attorney at Law.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/vita-sunset-lounge-lawsuit-west-palm-beach/43403733
The end.
Stet Media Group
let’s examine some history of WPB.
Below you will find a story on WPB web site, and tells the story of the Styx, a black community that settled on the island known as Palm Beach. The story is a quick read and I encourage readers to take the time to read it before it disappears, and judge for yourself if history is repeating itself once again in 2023.
“The Styx and Early West Palm Beach (Late 19th-Early 20th Century)”
“Black Settlement of Southeastern Florida”
https://wpbequalitytaskforce.org/the-styx-and-early-west-palm-beach-late-19th-early-20-century/
After the black residents were removed from Palm Beach they settled in an area where City Place (built and owned by Related) is now located.
Who was mayor? First strong Mayor was Nancy Graham who served from November 1991 to March 1999, and was responsible for introducing Related to WPB along with Faye Outlaw, now WPB City Administrator Faye Johnson.
Ms. Outlaw resigned from the city of WPB as Director of Housing & Development in 1998, after black residents were removed and before City Place opened in 2000 and black residents were once again relocated to “predominantly Black Historic Northwest Neighborhood” and it appears Related wants that property also.
Now we have a news story from the Stet Media Group founded by 3 investigator reporters, Pat Beall, Carolyn DiPaolo, and Joel Engelhardt, former employees from the PB Post, who now bring us the Stet Media Group, and I call attention to the 2nd. story, “Related buying block in Northwest Neighborhood”
“Checks and balances”
“Good morning, Sunshine! For you today, (most) banks get their footing, Related extends its reach in West Palm Beach, a magical quiz, Owls for the win, and a Florida rambler.”
“Florida Public Utilities owns this half-acre corner at Sapodilla Avenue and Second Street in West Palm Beach, but Related Cos. has bought most of the rest of the block. (Photo: Joel Engelhardt/Stet)”
“We love property records because they don’t deal in rumor and innuendo.”
“So it’s a fact that Related Cos. out of New York has dropped $15 million to buy most of a large block in the predominantly Black Historic Northwest Neighborhood, just northwest of Related’s major holdings in downtown West Palm Beach.”
“Financing is uncertain for Stet Media Group, but a trio of journalists are betting it will catch on.
“Three veterans of the Palm Beach Post are joining forces to venture into a new dimension of news delivery: the email newsletter.”
“The Stet Media Group got its name from an old copy-editing term meaning “let it stand” — back when editors wielded red-ink pens — and former Palm Beach Post News colleagues Pat Beall, Carolyn DiPaolo and Joel Engelhardt are taking a stand for journalism with some new bells and whistles.”
In my opinion, any reporter willing to color outside the lines to bring us news of what’s happening in our city, we can’t afford to lose. Please consider making a contribution to keep these reporters going and bringing us the news when others can’t or won’t.
The end