WPB Water Battle
“West Palm Beach water battle headed to court to avoid ‘catastrophic’ scenario”
“Dispute involves Army Corps of Engineers’ interpretation of Savings Clause”
“The dispute stems from the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 and its efforts to provide water in Everglades restoration projects with the Savings Clause in question that makes sure nearby municipalities also have enough water.”
Entire WPTV Channel 5 story can be read below. I have some questions and can be read below in italic. Onto Google with questions.
Q, What was the population of WPB Fl. in the year 2000?
A. “West Palm Beach/Population 82,590”
Q. What is the population of WPB Fl. in the year 2024?
A. “West Palm Beach has a 2024 population of 126,337. West Palm Beach is currently growing at a rate of 1.78% annually and its population has increased by 7.51% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 117,507 in 2020.”
I recall attending City Commission meetings years ago and listened to residents concerned about the growth of WPB and their concern about our water supply. Elected officials didn’t listen and the boom continued. Hard to say no to developers when they are donating $45.000.00 to Mayor Keith James campaign managers PAC.
The story also states:
“Every year it seems like we have another record-breaking hottest year on record,” Rossi said. “With that kind of dramatic change to our climate, in combination with a population that continues to grow here in South Florida, we’ve had a surge in population since 2020 since the end of the pandemic. We have to make sure that our communities have the water that they need.”
“The levels are governed by the Army Corps, but there were some guardrails in place on how much they could remove and how much water would be allocated to other municipalities,” James said. “That’s what we’re fighting to protect.”
Q. How hot does concrete get when the temp. is 90 degrees?
A. “When the air temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit, concrete can reach a surface temperature of around 125 degrees Fahrenheit due to its ability to absorb heat from the sun.”
Q. How hot does asphalt get when the temp. is 90 degree?
A. When the air temperature is 90 degrees, asphalt can reach a temperature of around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it can be significantly hotter than the air temperature itself.
We know Florida reaches higher temps. than 90 degrees, with 2024 breaking records.
Q. Is there more water than land on Earth?
A. Yes, there is significantly more water than land on Earth; approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, while the remaining 29% is land.
Below is my opinion using common sense.
It took God 6 days to build the earth, and He earned the rest on the seventh day, I choose to give credit to God for doing a perfect job creating the earth and everything on it.
Q. So what went wrong?
A. Man.
God created the cool ocean waters for the breeze to carry it over the land and cool the earth. This is a picture of the Miami Coastline. Breeze hits a wall of concrete. Developers have eaten up the coastline and are now moving inland.
Yes, we will run out of water and if you watch City Commission meeting there is not one City Commissioner who ask a question on what could possibly go wrong with a project. If a resident goes to the podium with a concern, half the commissioners are looking down at their cell phones.
Q. What is City government going to do about the situation they created?
A. Use our taxpayer dollars to enrich more attorneys.
The end
Beyond the Badge
Beyond the Badge is a program for the West Palm Beach Police Department, and a meeting was held October 24th at 10:00 o’clock in the Old Northwood neighborhood, and I’m happy to report many neighbors attended asking questions and they were definitely involved as they mingled with officers and met with Tony Araujo, Interim Police Chief for the city and that started me thinking of Former Chief Frank Adderley, fired by Mayor James
CAST
Mayor Keith James, Chief Executive of the City of West Palm Beach elected to office on March 12, 2019.
Faye Johnson, Assistant City Administrator promoted to City Administrator by Mayor James in Jan. 2020.
Frank Adderley, hired as Chief of Police June 2019, and fired in Sept. 2024 for “financial improprieties”
Tony Araujo, Interim Police Chief, on loan from the PBC Sheriff dept. Taxpayers will re-imburse the PBC Sheriff for his salary.
Tony Shearer, Deputy Chief, retired from the office of the FBI and hired by Mayor Keith James Sept. 30,2024 one day before James terminated Police Chief Frank Adderley for “financial improprieties” I have a problem. James hired Shearer as “Deputy” Chief, why? The City Commission must vote to approve James choice for Police Chief, Fire Chief and City Attorney. James won’t need the City Commission approval for “Deputy” What are you up to Keith?
Many stories have been written about the firing and hiring of leadership for the WPB Police Dept. Are the stories true or exaggerated? I honestly don’t know, but if the stories are true, I want to know who is responsible for allowing it to continue for so long.
An audit was done previously on the overtime of the WPB Police Dept; and below is the 2nd. heads up received by the city.
March 29,2022 the IA (Internal Audit) dept. released a Draft report of the Addendum to Payroll and Overtime audit. Audit #19-04.
A letter addressed to the Audit Committee members and CC to Keith James, Mayor Faye Johnson, City Administrator and Franklin Adderley, Police Chief. It reads:
Dear Audit Committee Members,
During the original citywide audit of Payroll and Overtime, we identified inaccurate time card reporting that contained overlapping hours within the City’s Police Department (Finding 5 of the Payroll and Overtime audit report.) Our testing was limited to the top 20 Earners of city- paid and vendor- paid overtime during FY 2019. The process to analyze the records was time consuming and labor intensive, thus we did not have the resources to expand and review to all offices within the scope period of the audit. Subsequently, we requested resources to conduct testing on all officers during the audit period which was granted. As such, we have attached the Internal Auditors Office Addendum Report to the Payroll and Overtime Audit which details the results of the additional testing.
We thank our contracted auditors, Monica Sanchez and Elena Gonzalez, for their work in completing this audit. Further, we thank the management and staff of the police department for their time, assistance, and cooperation during this audit.
Respectfully submitted,
Beverly Mahaso
Chief Internal Auditor
The city can’t fix a problem they don’t know they have so when the Internal Audit department finds a problem during an audit it is their responsibility to bring it to the attention of the city so it can be corrected.
The Internal Audit Dept. has never been fully staffed and some of the audits are contracted out which was done in this case.
So who is responsible for the years of neglect the audit has uncovered?
Below is from the WPB City Charter.
“A city charter is a legal document that defines the structure, powers, and responsibilities of a city’s local government. It’s similar to a constitution for the city, and is adopted by the city’s residents through an election.”
What does the Charter say about the City Administrator?
“The West Palm Beach City Manager is primarily responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city, implementing policies set by the City Commission, managing the city budget, appointing department heads, and ensuring the efficient delivery of city services, all while acting as the chief administrative officer of the city.”
“Key responsibilities include:
“Policy Implementation: Executing the policies and decisions made by the City Commission”
The City Charter also states the City Administrator MUST reside in the city of WPB which Ms. Johnson resides in un-incorporated PBC. She relies on the County for Fire, Medical Assistance, Sheriff’s office for protection and most important she does not rely on the city for her drinking water.
The mayor couldn’t possibly fire himself or his City Administrator for the mishandling of Audit No. 19-04 so in my opinion Police Chief Frank Adderley was the sacrificial lamb.
In closing I asked a police officer if they still gave out teddy bears to traumatized children they saw while on duty. The answer was yes, but there were to many children and not enough teddy bears, and they were constantly running out.
Christmas is coming please consider buying a teddy bear for a child you do not know but could use a friend.
The end
Hurricane Helene & Homeless
Florida airports gave a heads up that the airports would NOT be used as shelters as Hurricane Helene was heading for Florida.
The news media needs to report how many of the 64+ death caused by Hurricane Helene were homeless people living on the streets with nowhere to go.
In WPB Mayor Keith James even had “No Trespassing” signs placed on all city garages, and one chained to a tree in City Hall courtyard.
Hundreds have had their homes destroyed by Hurricane Helene. See how easy it is to become homeless.?
“At least 64 dead and millions without power after Helene’s deadly march across the Southeast” Story below.
https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-florida-georgia-north-carolina-south-carolina-92d5caaafe40644e1db687cf6431395f
Help on the way?
The LaQuinta Inn located in WPB has a 114-room hotel and the county wants to buy it to be used for the homeless. Is it a good idea? 114 rooms with 2 people per room will take 228 homeless off the street. A room with a bathroom, toilet and shower. Heat in the winter and AC in the summer. Now 228 people have an address to give to potential employers. Sounds like a win-win to me. Not so.
“Century Village residents upset County may buy hotel”
“One of the possible ways to deal with the homeless situation isn’t sitting well with a retirement community.
Century Village in West Palm Beach is adjacent to the LaQuinta Inn, a hotel on Okeechobee Blvd. that Palm Beach County officials are thinking of buying to be used as a homeless shelter.”
Shame on Century Village.
The end!
Contaminated Water—Again
Had a representative from Atlantic Filter visit my home today (8-6-2024) to explain how putting a filtration system in my home to insure I had clean drinking water for myself and KC. You just can’t trust the city of WPB to inform us IN A TIMELY MANNER OUR DRINKING WATER IS NOT SAFE.
First time it took 8 days before we were notified we had been drinking contaminated water. Thank you, Mayor Keith James and City Administrator Faye Johnson,
Posted on the city’s website July 18, 2024.
“Public notice: important information about your drinking water.”
“The city of West Palm Beach exceeded Turbidity (Cloudiness) Treatment Requirements.”
What should I do?
“There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil water or take other corrective action. You would be notified if the water is not safe to drink.”
“If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or elderly you may be at increased risk, and should seek advice. from your health care provider about drinking this water.” Is the water safe or not.? Call my doctor to see if he thinks I should drink contaminated water.
What does this mean?
“This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified within 24 hours.
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.”
Atlantic Filter tested my water and here are the results.
This is the level of Chlorine in our drinking water.
Now ask yourself–do you feel safe drinking City water?
Want to help? call or email The Division of Environmental Public Health.
https://palmbeach.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/index.html
The end
Water Problems—Again?
Walk down memory lane.
May 2021 “Why the delay? WPB took 8 days to alert public about toxin in water”
Read the story below.
3 years 2 months later I still buy bottled water and the city is once again not notifying residents there is a problem with our water.
The message below was sent by the Town of Palm Beach on 7/18/2024 – 5:20 PM to a friend who subscribes to the Town of Palm Beach for their newsletter.
I was asked if I received notice from WPB officials and I did not.
It’s Friday at 10:00 AM and nothing reported on the local news. Below is a quote from the Town of Palm Beach story, and apparently the town test their water received from WPB and found a problem.
Are you aware Palm Beach has a contract with WPB to purchase city water and are seeking other alternatives. When the contract is completed, and WPB will lose millions of dollars, wait for our water bill to explode.
“During regular and routine testing, recent samples collected from West Palm Beach’s water treatment process exceeded compliance for turbidity (cloudiness) units. The Town of Palm Beach receives its drinking water from the City of West Palm Beach.
Turbidity does not cause health effects. If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your healthcare providers about drinking this water.”
Mayor James, City Administrator Faye Johnson and City Commissioners I am elderly, is the water safe or not to drink and bathe in? The town of Palm Beach included the notice on the WPB City website. If you are not in the habit of checking the city’s website, you don’t know there is a problem.
Entire Palm beach notice below.
https://public.alertsense.com/content/2166/35776
The end
WPB Rents City Owned Property
City Commission Meeting held on 5/28/2024 below the agenda reads in part.
9.1. “Resolution No. 115-24 approving a Lease Agreement with Esperanza Community Center to lease City-owned property located at 723 39th Street.”
Originating Department:
Housing and Community Development
Background Information:
“The City of West Palm Beach received an application from Esperanza Community Center requesting to lease City-owned property located at 723 39th Street.
The Esperanza Community Center provides services and programs to empower families, primarily residing in the Northwood area of the City, to thrive by developing life skills. The agency offers a safe space for the community to receive information and services, including English as a second language, adult literacy and computer classes, health outreach and education, pro-bono legal services, health outreach and education, family programming, cultural events, and a food pantry.”
The Esperanza Community Center serves over 280 individuals, and over 150 children benefit monthly from baby diaper distribution and babysitting programs. The agency estimates that it will serve an estimated 3,103 duplicated beneficiaries per year. In accordance with the City’s Real Property Lease Management Policy adopted by Ordinance No. 4868-19, the property meets the criteria to be considered for leasing, as the property is not required for current municipal use, and the property can be efficiently utilized by a non-profit provider of housing, human, and social services.
Lease of 723 39th Street for a term of five (5) years; Base rent for Year 1 is $15.00 per square foot (2,745 square feet) or $1,200.00 (35% of market rate price) per month/$14,400.00 annually. To allow Esperanza Community Center to relocate and establish operations in the new space, rent payments are set to begin four (4) months after the effective lease date; Three percent (3%) annual increase for Years 2-5 as follows:
Year 2: $1,236.00 monthly / $14,832.00 annually
Year 3: $1,273.00 monthly / $15,276.00 annually
Year 4: $1,312.00 monthly / $15,744.00 annually
Year 5: $1,351.00 monthly /$16,212.00 annually
The funds shall be deposited in the City’s Real Estate Management Fund. 1″
Are you aware the City, that would be you & me, also own property at 401 No. Flagler Dr; since the 80’s and according to the PBC Property Appraiser has a Total Market Value of $17,643,577, and the city has rented the building to the Chamber of Commerce for $1.00/ annually. Why would the city give a great deal to the Chamber of Commerce, and not to Esperanza Community Center, who appear to be doing a great service to the most in need?
Rentals are out of control and many decent, hardworking people, with jobs and children find themselves living in their cars because they can no longer afford to pay their greedy landlords rent demand. In my opinion the city of WPB have joined the greedy landlords lead by James & Johnson with the help of the Cornerstone 5 City Commissioners.
Could the Chamber of Commerce possibly donate money through PACs to politicians. Clink the link below to see how many millions they donate and why government, large and small take such good care of them.
Now I’m assuming the rent from Chamber will be deposited into City’s Real Estate Management Fund. 1.
Esperanza Community Center $14,400.00 annually
Chamber of Commerce $1.00 annually for a total of $14,401.00
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/us-chamber-of-commerce/summary?id=D000019798
Entire agenda for City Commission meeting held 5/28/2024 below
City Commission – May 28 2024 – Agenda – Pdf
The end!
Recap on Mayor & City Commissioners raises
Below is what City Administrator Faye Johnson reported to the City Commissioners to insure their vote for the raises.
“On Monday night, commissioners gave preliminary approval to a recommendation from the city staff that their pay be increased by just under 32% to $46,112 per year from their current pay of $35,000. The mayor’s annual pay would also rise by about 32%, to $197,625 from its current $150,000.”
“City Administrator Faye Johnson made an extensive presentation on the finances of the proposed pay increases. The goal, she said, is to put elected official pay in West Palm Beach back on par with the compensation of counterparts in Orlando, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville.
Below is what she didn’t bother to tell them.
Orlando Population 316,081 (2022)
St. Petersburg Population 261,256 (2022)
Jacksonville Population 971,319 (2022)
West Palm Beach Population 120,932 (2022)
Lets see how City employees did not prosper under Mayor James and City Administrator Faye Johnson.
Contracts for City Employees SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and Managers & Supervisor PMSA (Professional Managers & Supervisors Association)
City negotiates with both employee unions. Contracts covering 3 years. 2021, 2022 and 2023.
2021 Employees received a 3% cost of living raise.
2022 Employees received a 5% cost of living raise.
2023 Employees received a 5% cost of living raise.
Medical and Dental plan. Rates rose by 3%.
2021 thru 2023 The employee and city each pay 1/2 the cost of the plan. For the three years the city absorbed the entire cost.
New contract to run from October 2024 to Sept. 30, 2026.
Employees to receive 7% pay increase.
Medical insurance plan will rise by 6.6%, Dental will rise by 5%. City and employee return to shared expense. That increase will take a bite out of employees 7% raise.
Sept. 2024 The city will negotiate another 3-year contract with the police and fire department. I Attended both negotiations in 2020 when Johnson was in charge of the negotiations after the city’s financial advisor, Mark Parks, who had the responsibility of the negotiations was fired by Johnson. Power struggle where Mr. Parks, first responders and residents lost.
“Where would the money for pay raises come from?”
“Johnson emphasized that money for the pay raises would not be pulled from property tax revenue. Instead, she said, it would come from $719,500 in additional shared state revenue the city learned it would receive near the end of last year’s budget process.”
That explains where the money will come from to cover their massive pay raises in 2024. Where will the money come from in the future to pay these part time elected officials? My guess is burden will be placed on homeowners when elected officials raise our property taxes.
If you read this far you are aware city employees never received raises in double digits numbers.
The City Commission will vote for the raise on Tuesday, 5/28/2024. Your absence and silence mean acceptance.
The End
WPB Elected Officials Want Massive Pay Raise.
City Commission Meeting held 5/13/2024 was attended by Wayne Washington, reporter for the PB Post who wrote an excellent story on an item on the agenda, pay raises for the mayor and 5 City Commissioners. Below are excerpts from the story and below the link. My comments in italic.
“West Palm Beach commissioners, mayor in line for massive pay raises”
“West Palm Beach City Commission members are expected to decide this month whether to sharply increase their pay and that of the mayor.
On Monday night, commissioners gave preliminary approval to a recommendation from the city staff that their pay be increased by just under 32% to $46,112 per year from their current pay of $35,000. The mayor’s annual pay would also rise by about 32%, to $197,625 from its current $150,000.”
“The city’s elected officials now face the prospect of raising their own pay at a time when housing costs and inflation are biting household budgets.”
More families are living on the street due to high cost of rent and it’s not getting better. If fact WPB Mayor James and Fl. Gov DeSantis are passing laws on ways to criminalize and punish the homeless.
“With James term-limited, some commissioners are contemplating a run to succeed him, and that could factor into how they vote when the topic comes up for final consideration May 28. The raises would go into effect on the next pay period after final approval.”
“Obviously, this is not a comfortable conversation for any of us on the dais to talk about increasing the salary of those of us who sit here, though I don’t think it’s inappropriate,” James said. “We have looked after our residents. We have looked out for our employees.”
It is absolutely inappropriate to consider giving yourself pay raises while claiming you look after residents and city employees. Elected officials do neither. You do take excellent care of each other.
“How does West Palm Beach commission pay rank with comparable cities?”
“City Administrator Faye Johnson made an extensive presentation on the finances of the proposed pay increases. The goal, she said, is to put elected official pay in West Palm Beach back on par with the compensation of counterparts in Orlando, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville.
We are significantly lagging in terms of meeting the goal to stay on par with those municipalities,” she said.
Time to Google the three cities for info. Now ask yourself if she lied by omission. I vote yes.
Orlando Population 316,081 (2022)
St. Petersburg Population 261,256 (2022)
Jacksonville Population 971,319 (2022)
WPB Population 120,932 (2022)
Commissioners and Mayor pay raises
$46,112 x 5 = $230,560
Mayor $197,625
——————————-
$428,185/year
President of the US annual salary $400,000.00/year
“Commissioners’ jobs are, technically, part-time. In reality, the jobs are time-consuming and can be mentally draining. Preparation and review for meetings take hours, as do the meetings themselves. And then there are the public gatherings where their attendance is expected.” Are you aware City Commissioners, City Administrator, Faye Johnson each receive $500/month for a gas allowance on top of their salary.
$500/month = $6,000 yr. x 6 people= $36,000. Does anyone believe they use $500 a month for traveling to public gatherings? I don’t!
James does not receive a gas allowance. He chooses a brand-new SUV we paid for along with his auto insurance, not to mention we pay for his driver/bodyguard, a job he created soon after being sworn in. When James travels he brings him along, so taxpayers pick up the mayor’s and bodyguard expenses. Last time I checked he was earning over $100K
“We all up here on this dais work very hard,” James said. “There are people who would say, if we gave ourselves a dollar raise, we don’t deserve it. I believe that we deserve at least to be shielded from the impact of inflation over the last eight years.”
James the public has been living with the impact of inflation also, and still living with it. City employees are also still living with it. You work damn hard for the residents of the Bristol, where millionaires and billionaires reside, you all work extremely hard for the developers, and movers and shakers, you do nothing for the residents. People living in their car with their kids because they couldn’t pay rent to greedy landlords. James has treated the homeless with a feeling of strong dislike or disapproval of someone he think does not deserve respect. His contempt for them is obvious. The silence of the city commissioners on the homeless problem is deafening. It’s obvious to me they are in lockstep with James. The rainy season is about to begin and it brings strong thunderstorms and lightning. James has had “No Trespassing” signs placed in all city garages. No rest for the weary.
Where would the money for pay raises come from?
“Johnson emphasized that money for the pay raises would not be pulled from property tax revenue. Instead, she said, it would come from $719,500 in additional shared state revenue the city learned it would receive near the end of last year’s budget process.”
So, after this year the raises would come from our tax dollars. Guess you’ll have to raise the property taxes to meet your salary increases.
“The Palm Beach Post received a tip during budget discussions last year that the city was contemplating pay increases for elected officials and asked in an Aug. 31 email to Diane Papadakos, the city’s director of communications, if “the proposed budget includes increases are for the commission and the mayor?”
Papadakos’ responded, “I believe that the current budget only includes salary increases for staff, not elected officials.”
Good planning, give the employees a small raise, so next year we can say we took care of them and it’s fair to ask for an astronomical raise for ourselves.
“Johnson said she should have been reviewing the pay of elected officials each year, as the charter directs.”
Ms. Johnson, why don’t you mention the Charter also reads the City Administrator, (you) MUST reside within city limits. You have always resided in unincorporated Palm Beach County where you receive protection from PBC Sheriff and PBC Fire. I don’t believe you had an issue with the city’s contaminated water supply as you use PBC water. Two Commissioners Warren and Fox were quoted by the post.
“Commissioner Christy Fox lamented the prospect of having to vote for a large pay increase instead of having received the far more modest cost-of-living increases given to staff over the last eight years.
Fox said she will look to hear from constituents now that the pay package has gotten preliminary approval.”
Commissioner Fox, thank you for your commonsense response. Commissioner Warren I had high hopes for you. We received pennies in tax cuts, and our employees received a cost-of-living raise. Are you aware the day James was sworn in over 200 employees resigned and the remaining employees were made to pick up the slack without a pay raise. Everyone suffered except Johnson whose paycheck doubled and she earns more than Ms. Baker, the County Administrator who has been employed by the county for more than 30 years.
Obviously, no response from Lambert, Ward or Peduzzi. Read the PB Post story below.
“That drew a response from James, who said he hoped she wouldn’t conduct a poll on the topic.”
“Some decisions just have to be made on data and not on public opinion,” he said”
James, what happened to “We want to hear from you?” You want commissioners to vote on skewed data from your City Administrator? City Commissioners want to run for the mayor’s office, Please God, not again.
The end
Mr. Pefley, Please Don’t Give Up!
This story calls for a walk down memory lane. I invite you to come along.
Mayor’s Office of Communication reads in part.
“The mission of the City’s Office of Communications & Marketing in the Office of Mayor Keith A. James is to ensure that the media, citizens and city employees have access to accurate, timely information from the City of West Palm Beach.”
Mayor Geri Muoio picks TV reporter Kathleen Walter as a spokeswoman for West Palm Beach in Dec. 2016.
Kathleen Walter continued as WPB spokeswoman under Mayor Keith James and dealt with issues below.
As of last week, though, city spokeswoman Kathleen Walter confirmed that the no-bid contract remains in effect. PSC will continue to handle…
WPB has fired a top information technology manager for smoking marijuana — even though he been authorized by his doctor to use it legally for medical reasons. WPB has 11 marijuana dispensaries. All legal.
WPB Florida is blasting ‘Baby Shark’ overnight to keep homeless people from sleeping in parks.
Graphic photo scandal linked to West Palm contractor of controversial $7.9 million no-bid PSC contract.
Police Chief Admits Tear Gas Was Used on West Palm Beach residents
Residents of West Palm Beach were not notified their drinking water was contaminated for 8 days.
Henrietta farms, a community garden, located in an area of WPB known as a food desert was closed when Mayor Keith James decided not to renew the lease.
The story told to me was Kathleen Walter had enough. She walked into Mayor Keith James office and placed an envelope on his desk. He looked up and smiled at her asking “what’s this Kathleen?” Her reply, “My resignation, effective immediately.”
WPB needed a new spokesperson and James chose Diane Papadakos as the city’s Director of Communications.
Channel 12 Al Pefley is following, asking questions and reporting on the homeless situation and he has written another excellent story on Wed, May 8th, 2024. (link below) Some of the highlights are:
“Mayor James received the Housing Heroes Award from the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County for supporting the creation of affordable housing in the city.” What is the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County thinking of? Of all the people they could have honored, they pick James? Seriously, James for “supporting the creation of affordable housing” the man that declared war on the homeless. Meaningless honor.
Diane Papadakos accompanied the mayor and did her best to try and keep Al Pefley away from his majesty going as far as to contact the security staff at the Kravis Center and had Mr. Pefley removed. At one point she pushed his hand holding the microphone away. Could that be considered assault and battery? Shame on Ms. Papadakos and the security office that removed him and shame to the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County.
Dear Ms. Papadakos,
I read the story and watched channel 12 video, and honestly to me you appeared apprehensive while dealing with Mr. Pefley, almost panicky. fearful and afraid. James can do that to a person when you realize he holds your job in the palm of his hand.
It’s please him or else. Ask people who have done something to anger or upset the man, people like Jason McCarty, Jeff Greene, Jose Tagle, Mark Parks, Phyllis Brooks and many other employees who in my opinion made City Hall a better place.
Take care of yourself and realize you may be one paycheck away from homelessness.
“WATCH: West Palm Beach mayor ignores questions homelessness problem – again”
“CBS12 News was invited to cover the 2nd Annual Housing Heroes Luncheon at the Kravis Center Wednesday, where Mayor James received the Housing Heroes Award from the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County for supporting the creation of affordable housing in the city.”
Please take the few minutes it takes to watch Mr. Pefley’s interaction with James and Ms. Papadakos.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/mayor-ignores-questions-about-how-hes-addressing-homeless-problemwb#
The end!
WPB Donates Money & Changes the City Charter
“All items listed under the consent calendar are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items.”
7.2. “Resolution No. 48-24 approving a donation in the amount of $7,315 by the West Palm Beach Police Department of forfeited property seized during a criminal investigation to the not-for-profit 501C3 organization Little Smiles Inc.
At the direction and with the authority of the Chief of Police, the WPBPD seeks to donate the below-listed items with the final approval by the City Commission to the not-for-profit organization Little Smiles Inc. The authorization is for donating forfeited personal property (jewelry) seized during a criminal investigation (Case # 2022-0017531) conducted by the WPBPD – Special Investigations Division (SID). The WPBPD has an ongoing philanthropic relationship with Little Smiles Inc, a community-based organization whose organizational mission is to assist children during times of illness, homelessness, and tragedy.”
Above is information on a donation the city will make to Little Smiles who I am told does an excellent job with very young children. Below is Little Smiles 990 report and it shows they have net assets of $1,449,481. Appears solid to me. I recently published a story titled “Goodby Pal” and it can be found below if you missed it the first time. I would suggest the $7,315 be donated to the Pal program which City Administrator Faye Johnson, and Mayor Keith James cut from the city bubget in 2019 and left young men of color with no football to keep them busy and off the streets. The “Rams” football team desperately need equipment and City Commissioners have the power to discuss the item. Will they? I’m betting they will not.
Little Smiles 990 Filed on Sept. 19, 2023.
2022 Revenue $830,841 Expenses $783,002
Net Income $47,839 Net Assets $1,449,481
Assets/Debt
Total Assets $1,467,666
Total Liabilities $18,185
Net Assets $1,449,481
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/650963754
Two other items on the agenda are below. 9.1 gives the mayor more power and abolishes the Traffic Calming Advisory Committee. My opinion, someone on the committee has upset the king mayor and they must leave his kingdom city. This administration has changed the City Charter, so I barely recognize it.
9.1. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance No. 5094-24 amending the code of ordinances at Chapter 86 (Traffic and Parking) to add new definitions, amend the penalty provision, provide authority to the Mayor; to regulate construction management plans, parking permits for new developments and residences and traffic calming; to abolish the Traffic Calming Advisory Committee and to further regulate traffic calming.
9.2. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance No. 5098-24 amending and restating the Code of Ordinances of the City of West Palm Beach, Chapter 58 “Parks and Recreational Facilities and amending Chapter 78 “Streets, Sidewalks and Public Places” Article XVI “Public Places”, insections 78-466 and 78-467.
CC meeting 4/15/2023 Final Agenda
http://www.wpb.org/home/showpublisheddocument/7270/638485171201504211
WPB Watch Goodbye PAL Published March 3, 2024
https://wpbwatch.com/2024/03/goodbye-pal/
The end