Homelessness=Criminal?
#9 Public Hearing and Second Reading of Ordinance No. 4919-20 amending the City’s Code of Ordinances to prohibit certain conduct that threaten the aesthetic beauty and public health and safety in the Cities Downtown and Northwood Area.
Mayor Keith James and Commissioner Lambert ran for office with the promise of working on the homeless problem which is estimated at 400 people. 4919-20 is James solution and residents witnessed his frustration while attempting to bully the commissioners into approving the Ordinance.
James started by stating “This ordinance is not a criminalization of homelessness,” and repeated his statement several times. The Ordinance carries a penalty of a $500.00 fine or 60 days in jail. Not one commissioner asked the question does the city impose fines and jail people who are not criminals?
Channel 5 had their cameras in chambers and their story can be read below I will include a few excerpts and my response in Italics. “But the debate over camping/sleeping in public areas began to weigh on commissioners Cory Neering and Joseph Peduzzi. Both questioned whether it was the smart thing to include in the ordinance to Mayor James’ frustration.” Two commissioners who used common sense, but in my opinion should have tabled the item until a later date when they could have investigated the matter further.
“I think you should specify what it is you are trying to work on,” James said.” When James wants to make change he tells staff to “make it happen” and if they want to keep their job they will say and do what is necessary to insure a yes vote from City Commissioners. Staff stands before the commission and make their presentation’s and spin their tale, and this is the only time commissioners can ask questions of them. If a commissioner has a question on a particular item 3 days before the meeting they are NOT allowed to ask the question and possibly investigate staff’s answer.
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/west-palm-beach-restricting-homeless-activity-downtown
The PB Post wrote a story on Ordinance No. 4919-20 and can be read below and I want to bring to readers attention The Lords Place who has worked tirelessly for more than three decades and have devoted themselves to the Homeless population. My comments in italics.
“The homeless are people who are choosing the streets because that’s all they know, or all they have,” Diana Stanley, CEO of The Lord’s Place told the commission. Her organization had a contract with the city to provide outreach to the city’s homeless until it was terminated a month ago.” The city terminated the contract and cant be bothered with the homeless except to hide or move them from sight due to their aesthetics not blending in with the mayors definition. Definition of aesthetics “a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty” So why did James not renew the contract with The Lords Place? https://thelordsplace.org/
I agree urinating and defecting in public is 100% wrong but where are the homeless to go? I know city parks have restrooms and a friend helped me locate a few public parks with facilities. Here are pictures of 3 such parks, each one locked 24/7.
Now this is criminal restroom in Drayer Park!
Restroom in Phipps Park: Can’t even get a drink of water, never mind using the facilities.
Gaines Park: Witnessed a group of young men playing basketball, and asked them what they did when they had to use the facilities. One young man said restroom is never open. I asked him “what do you do?” His answer: Lady don’t ask. I smiled and left them to their game. Gaines Park is near The Lords Place, and homeless can be seen waiting for their lunch, probable their only meal of the day.
If anyone should understand homelessness it should be Mayor Keith A. James. He has had 3 foreclosures, case # 19970211085, 20130486593 and 20150106271. Multiple tax liens, to many to list, and had his City Commission paycheck garnished case # 20180394843. Readers can verify this with the PBC Clerk of Courts, and this is the man elected to run the City Of WPB.
https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/records/court-records
In closing I must ask where was Commissioner Lambert during this very important meeting and vote?
We sat and listened to City Clerk Carson read into the record residents who wanted their views known and there were approximately 25 cards, and I didn’t hear one that asked the commissioners to pass the Ordinance. The entire time the statements were read Commissioner Fox looked down, and I thought she may be texting, in fact I’d put $$ on it. Commissioner Fox, very disrespectful to Ms. Carson, other commissioners the audience and the opinion of the people who submitted their cards and If I didn’t know better I would believe your mind was made up on how you would vote.
The end.
One Failure After Another
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.”
Action Summit
The notice below is posted on the city website. Sounds good until you remember Mayor James previous committees that went no-where and I don’t have much faith in his “Mayors Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equality” All of a sudden YOUR VISION and your input on the priorities that matter most to you is what the city is seeking. Then it hit me. James is starting his campaign for re-election for a second Mayoral run. So tell the people what they want to hear.
“Action Summit”
Post Date:11/13/2020 11:48 AM
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (November 13, 2020) — Join us on Saturday, December 5, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for the first-ever West Palm Beach Racial and Ethnic Equality Action Summit! This highly interactive virtual public event will serve as an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to weigh in on the priorities that matter most to them and to influence the work of the Mayor’s Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equality. This is a chance for us to hear YOUR VISION for a more equitable City of West Palm Beach. Your input will play an important role in influencing local decisionmakers and recommendations from the Mayors Task Force for Racial and Ethnic Equality.” Read the invitation here: https://bit.ly/3ptUfeK
This is how James cares about your input and vision from his early day’s as a City Commissioner, and two commissioners who attempted to have the timing of the meetings and public comment scheduled to a more convenient time for residents to be included.
Keith James has demonstrated a record on the West Palm Beach City Commission of being opposed to greater citizen input/ participation at City Commission meetings. Below are excerpts:
“The city commission leaves the public comment part to the end of its meetings, sometimes more than three hours after they start. Only a few residents usually remain, and they are normally there to criticize the mayor and commissioners.
Commissioners Shanon Materio and Kimberly Mitchell want to allow the public to speak early and return public comment to a more convenient time for residents, like it was before former Mayor Lois Frankel advocated for the late-meeting comments.
Most of Palm Beach County’s larger municipalities allow public comment at the start of their meetings.
Mayor Jeri Muoio doesn’t favor the move but said she’d put it on the commission’s agenda if requested. Commissioner Keith James agreed with Muoio that public comment is best at the end. “Those who have matters on the agenda which are scheduled probably deserve to go first simply because there has been an effort to get that item on the agenda,” James said. The city commission favored business owners and senior citizens over working-class residents Monday, electing not to move meetings to the evening and keeping public comment at the end of their agendas.
Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell wanted the starting time of meetings to be moved from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. so people with regular work hours could attend. The commission voted in 2008 for a 5 p.m. start time, but then-Mayor Lois Frankel vetoed the measure.
Mitchell also said at Monday’s commission work session that she wanted public comment scheduled at the beginning of meetings so residents wouldn’t have to wait hours to speak. However, Commissioner Keith James said the commission needs to address its business agenda before hearing from the public. (Palm Beach Post, January 28, 2013)
“I would like to get the legislative business done so those who are there for legislative business are assured their opportunity to address us,” James said. (Palm Beach Post, May 10, 2011)
Mayor Muoio attempted to move public comment to the end of the meetings and received pushback and she listened, I’m sure much to James distress, and left public comment at the beginning of meetings.
Now that James is king he does what he wants and listens to no-one.
From 2011 thru 2020 the last people James wants to hear from are residents, and if he could find a way to end it–he would.
Let’s end on a positive note. The Fraternal Order Of Police and Firefighters the two organizations that are there for us are now asking for our help.
You’ve read this far so please take the time to view the link below and if possible let’s help them help the Marcos Children.
Join WPB First Responders in Support of a Fundraiser. The Marcos children tragically lost their mother this year and are orphaned. Help us support them and their foster family as they are forced to adapt to their new life.
The end
WPB Police Not Needed with PSC on the Job!
City Commission meeting to be held 11/16/2020 item #14 below.
My comments in Italics.
14. Resolution No. 323-20 approving a Services Contract for Security Services with Professional Security Consultants at an annual fee of $1,809,017.30, which is fully budgeted in the FY 2020-21 budget.
Probably funds from the Fire Fee, and be aware the firefighters are begging negotiating a decent pay raise, and James is standing firm with his offer, take it or leave it, after raising the fire fee from $50.00 to $100.00, raising millions more from taxpayers.
RESOLUTION NO. 323-20: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE SERVICES CONTRACT FOR SECURITY SERVICES WITH PROFESSIONAL SECURITY CONSULTANTS AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
This contract will cost taxpayers a million + dollars more than the previous contract and this contract calls for
“The City Commission applied the City’s Living Wage requirements to the procurement. Accordingly, the contract provides that no security officer providing services under the Contract will be paid less than $15 per hour”
Is that where the taxpayer Million + dollars are going-to give pay raises to PSC security guards, better know as “Ambassadors” Shouldn’t PSC Securities be responsible for giving pay raises to their employees who by the way have their Corporate Headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. Giddens Security is based in Jacksonville Fl. Why is the money being spent out of state?
Fiscal Note:
Annual cost of $1,809,017.30 is fully-budgeted in fiscal year 2020-21. Cost over 3-year term will be $5,427,051.90.
After the 3 year contract ends do you believe PSC wont have the contract extended another 2 years for a total of $9,045,086.50?
Read the City’s agenda for 11/16/2020 meeting below.
https://www.wpb.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=2693
“The other applicants under the new request for proposals include Giddens Security Corp., which previously guarded City Hall, the library and Northwood. The city solicited competitive proposals from firms early in 2019 but James canceled that solicitation within two weeks of taking office in April, instead recommending the city commission hire PSC.”
City Commissioner’s listened to the Harvard graduate Mayor, voted approval and walked the city into a lawsuit.
“Evaluation committee picks five finalists from 15 bidders for multimillion-dollar West Palm Beach security contract.
Professional Security Concepts ties for second.
WEST PALM BEACH — The security guard company whose close ties to city hall led to the cancellation of a no-bid contract tied Wednesday for second place among 15 firms vying for the city’s multimillion-dollar security business. In fourth came Alliance Universal Security Services/Universal Protection Services with 540; and Security Alliance LLC with 532. Amid calls for investigation, James, on the advice of his new administrator, Faye Johnson, announced he would rescind the PSC contract and order a new request for proposals. PSC has continued to handle the city’s guard work in the meantime.
PSC still on the job month to month.
Meanwhile, Perez drew fire after a departing city employee in October accused him of having texted her a photo of a penis. He denied wrongdoing.
Professional Security Consultants, doing business as Professional Security Concepts, tied for second place with industry giant G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc., with 583 points.
Giddens Security, the company forced out last fall when the city handed the no-bid contract to PSC was ranked first by the evaluation committee of officials from seven West Palm Beach departments. Giddens scored 594 out of 710 points.”
Read the entire PB Post story below:
I have a question: Who’s palm is being greased?
In November, Related Cos., owner of the Rosemary Square retail venue, dropped PSC as its security guard contractor.
FYI
WPB Watch readers have questioned what happened to the petition to recall Mayor Keith James. Here’s the story.
An attorney volunteered to write the petition so we would not have legal problems with the wording.
We needed volunteers to gather signatures of registered voters. People stepped forward to volunteer with 2 residents willing to set up shop outside their grocery store to gather signatures.
Others were willing to go door to door and where ever people gathered.
What happened was the Corona Virus, and the country basically shut down. So what happened–James got lucky—again.
The end
WPB Honors Henry Flagler, Really ?
The residents of West Palm Beach have elected a Mayor and City Commission who can’t be bothered to investigate any new projects it votes to accept because it is easier to spend a few minutes and listen to staff’s recommendation. Below are excerpts from a story in the PB Post, and it tells of a new project and honors Henry Flagler.
The project manager is WGI, (Wantman Group) the project is $32 million dollars, it was decided at the CRA meeting where Commissioner Lambert voted approval of the project. When the project goes before the City Commission Lambert will vote again for approval.
The Wantman Group has received another lucrative contract from the city. This is the same company who employs Jeffrey Brophy, senior vice president of WGI and Mr. Brophy owns a home in Andros Isles and rented his home to then City Commissioner Keith James who voted approval on every contract that contained a WGI contract. James said he paid “fair market value” for the rent, but never showed proof.
It gets better for WGI after City Commissioner Christine Lambert was sworn in and 4 months later WGI hired her husband Monty as a Senior Business Development Manager.
Lambert stated previously the WPB ethics officer made the decision she had no conflict of interest in voting for WGI projects. I say WPB has no ethics since April 4,2019.
Do you believe the Lambert’s wont benefit from her vote? Read the excerpts and the entire story below.
“An old spur that was part of Henry Flagler’s railroad a century ago will become West Palm Beach’s latest park, a linear spot to rise near the northern edge of downtown.
The city commissioners, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, last week approved a $500,000 contribution to create the park behind Flagler Station, an eight-story apartment building designed for downtown workers, at Banyan Boulevard and North Tamarind Avenue.
The 34-foot-wide, landscaped, lighted park will run behind the building, between Tamarind and Sapodilla avenues. Plans call for installing a “ghost train,” an outdoor artwork recalling the trains that once rode the rail, which will remain in place.
“Everybody deserves great open spaces close to where they live. That’s always the goal of our projects,” Christopher Roog, executive director of the redevelopment agency, said Friday.
The 94 affordable apartments and park, expected to cost a total of $32 million, are scheduled for completion in early to mid-2022.
Edwin Muller, project manager for WGI, said Flagler Station is designed as a gateway for downtown and for the historic neighborhood to its north.
The developer is HTG Banyan LLC, a Coconut Grove-based affordable housing builder, whose project manager is WGI Inc., a West Palm Beach design and consulting firm.”
If you take the time to read the Post story please notice the additional story “West Palm presses for $21 million sea-level grant to help redo Currie Park.” Where is the $30 million dollar Park Bond voters gave the city in 2020? Certainly didn’t go to Police and Firefighter contract for pay raises.
Tolerance for violence is readily accepted in 2020. America is in crisis with cities being torn apart, burning down cities, looting, destroying statues and Americans killing each other over slavery the Confederacy and shooting of unarmed black men.
Lets take a look back to Henry Flagler, who never owned a slave, he leased them, and what he did to bring the railroad to Florida, and let them ask themselves if honoring Flagler is the right thing to do. Read how “Flagler co-opted powerful news outlets to spread distorted versions of events” Get the press on your side and your side is the winner.
“How slave labor built the state of Florida — decades after the Civil War.”
From 1885 to 1913, Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler built an empire in Florida of railroads, hotels, steamship lines, resorts, even cities, from Jacksonville to Key West. He raised Palm Beach and Miami from the sand. And like another real estate tycoon, his name is blazoned across the state’s landscape: Flagler College, Flagler County, Flagler Memorial Bridge, Flagler Beach.
Few know, however, that Flagler built his tourist empire — and modern Florida — by exploiting two brutal labor systems that blanketed the South for 50 years after the Civil War: convict leasing and debt peonage. Created to preserve the white supremacist racial order and to address the South’s labor shortages, these systems targeted African Americans, stealing their labor and entrapping them in state-sanctioned forms of involuntary servitude.
Committed to preserving his and the state’s reputation, Flagler co-opted powerful news outlets to spread distorted versions of events.
When the U.S. Justice Department, African American leaders and northern muckraking journalists exposed Flagler’s labor practices, he colluded with powerful government, newspaper and business interests in Florida to whitewash public knowledge and, by extension, the historical record itself.
Flagler and Florida were not aberrations. Convict lease laws in almost every Southern state essentially criminalized blackness, providing a means for authorities to arrest freed people for pseudo-crimes like vagrancy, lease them to private companies and force their labor.”‘
Read the entire story in the Washington Post below.
The end
James and the Ethics Task Force
Prior to being elected Mayor, Keith James served as the District 4 City Commissioner from 2011 – 2019
WPB Watch posted a story on October 18, 2020 titled ” Keith James has Another Committee.” and if you read the story you are aware both committee’s went nowhere. So where did it begin, these committee’s that were finished before they began, and committee members time and effort in their attempt to aid the city, wasted. We must return to 2007 and 2010, where James received his start from former Mayor Frankel.
ETHICS TASK FORCE
Keith James’ leadership of former Mayor Lois Frankel’s Ethics Task Force was questioned. There were questions raised about whether he was committed to the implementation of Ethics Reforms. Below are excerpts:
The task force, hand-picked by Frankel, recommended establishing an ethics officer, requiring commissioners to disclose ties involving businesses and requiring ethics training by employees. The city didn’t adopt many other suggestions, including setting up the hot line where ethics violations could be reported. Some city officials say the city never went far enough to rid itself of ethics problems. “The whole thing was kind of colluded,” Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell said. “We backed into an ethics program. It was more of a moment where the city was saying, ‘See, we have an ethics committee,’ and never really took the recommendations of an ethics committee.”
Frankel said a hot line, which would have been under the city’s internal auditor’s office, wasn’t necessary because the state has its own for citizens to lodge complaints. “It keeps us independent,” Frankel said. “People shouldn’t have to call us to complain about us.” Attorney Keith James, who chaired the task force, had a more positive outlook than Badesh of the panel’s achievements. “We made some very specific recommendations, they were very well thought out, and it was very well received by the city,” James said.
You know a city is ethically challenged when the treatment of its ethics task force raises ethical questions.
Welcome to West Palm Beach, which has fed two city commissioners to federal prison in the past year but cannot bring itself to adopt some obvious reforms. How about an ethics hot line? How about registering lobbyists? How about elected officials disclosing their business clients?
(Palm Beach Post, July 5, 2010)
Modest, common-sense changes that would help restore public confidence in a scandal-ridden government, but city leaders are balking. If Moses had brought the commandments to West Palm Beach, we’d have only six of them. Why the stalling? The answer from city hall is that doing too much might interfere with the work of a state grand jury — a second one — that is investigating the corruption in the city.
Mayor Lois Frankel first said the city couldn’t take up any ethics proposals “out of respect for the grand jury,” as if some conflict existed. Now, she says the city must act “methodically” and adopt selective reforms. She has declined to bring forward all the recommendations of the 10-member ethics task force she handpicked a year ago. Two members of that task force — Scott Badesh, CEO of the United Way of Palm Beach County, and David Clark, president of Palm Beach Atlantic University — have called for a meeting, ideally with city commissioners, to discuss their proposals. Dr. Clark wrote to the city that the panel needs “to meet and report or just fade away.” But no meeting. And no action on several key recommendations.
West Palm Beach attorney Keith James, the mayor’s choice to chair the task force, recently has adopted the mayor’s position on muzzling the task force. In one of the most curious bits of commentary to wash ashore in the wake of the city’s scandal, Mr. James asserts that the panel has to remain in hibernation. “I have decided that it would not be wise to meet until after the grand jury issues its report,”
Mr. James wrote to the city. “My primary concern is that our discourse will be chilled or worse, that given our frustration and dissatisfaction with some of its past work, something might be said to trigger further investigation by that body.” The comment is intriguing for several reasons. First, the only measurable “frustration and dissatisfaction” in the city with the first grand jury’s report came from Mayor Frankel and state Rep. Mary Brandenburg.
The mayor objected to the jurors’ characterization of West Palm Beach as a “pay-to-play” city that favored developers’ interests over those of common citizens. The report was not kind to the mayor.
Rep. Brandenburg, who in a strange twist of fate happens to be a member of the ethics task force, was critical of the report for suggesting that she tried to pressure a not-for-profit group to contribute to the mayor’s campaign. Rep. Brandenburg has filed legal motions to keep the grand jurors’ references about her secret.
Perhaps the more titillating part of Mr. James’ comment is that talking about ethical reform might somehow “trigger further investigation” by the current grand jury. Keith James, chairman of the city’s ethics task force, said the grand jury misunderstood the West Palm Beach ethics panel’s job. “We are a temporary task force created to give our recommendations and then be disbanded,” he said. He said the task force may recommend the creation of a permanent ethics board.
(Palm Beach Post, September 2, 2007)
(Palm Beach Post, February 3, 2007)
So what s the outcome when people forget the past? We elected him a City Commissioner and Mayor of West Palm Beach so he can form new committee’s that go nowhere.
City of WPB Falsifies Documents
10/5/2020 I attended the City Commission meeting and was interested in item #9. It reads.
Resolution No. 220-20 finding that city owned property located at 8111 South Dixie Highway is not needed for City purposes, declaring the property surplus ,and providing the method of disposition.
Commission District: The subject property is located within Commission District No.5: Commissioner Christine Lambert.
Below you will find a video and if you have no desire to listen to the entire meeting you can forward the clock to 1.25.28 when Commissioner Lambert states “I have emails and texts and phone calls from a number of residents in my district who want to see this move forward.” Mayor James stated at the same meeting this land belonged to all residents of the city not just the south end. I couldn’t agree more but what the city does with the land wont effect me or the people out west or in the northend. It will effect the people who live and pay taxes and vote in the south end. I’m looking at educated people with not 1 ounce of common sense.
Hear meeting below:
I wanted to read these emails from a “number of residents” and placed a PRR (Public Records Request) for emails only.
10/7/2020 My request reads: I am requesting to view all of Commissioner Lamberts email concerning the 8111 Dixie Hwy. that was discussed at the City Commission meeting held on 10/5/2020. I want the emails that were both for and against the project. Thank you in advance for your help. Please acknowledge request received.
10/13/2020 “The estimated or final invoice is attached. Please pay the amount due (Deposit Due or Balance Due)
If the invoice is an estimate, pay the deposit due (50% of estimated total) to proceed with the record search. The records are not collected until the deposit is paid. Then, the remaining charges must be paid before the records are released. The total actual charges may change the final invoice.”
10/16/2020 Total charge of the invoice $16.25. I choose not to pay a deposit but the entire invoice. Note how much the city charges residents per hour for records. Unbelievable! See the invoice below
invoice Lamberts email
Now I wait for the records, and told my request was forwarded to the IT (Information technology) dept.
10/19/2020 Below is the final response from the city.
Dear Sandy Matkivich,
RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of October 07, 2020, Reference # R006665-100720
“The City of West Palm Beach received a public records request from you on October 07, 2020. Your request mentioned:
“I am requesting to view all of Commission Lambert’s email concerning the 8111 Dixie Hwy. that was discussed at the City Commission Meeting held on 10/5/2020. I want the emails that were both for and against the project.
Thank you in advance for your help. Please acknowledge request received.
Sandy Matkivich”
This email is to notify you that no records exist. Your request has been closed.
If you have any questions, please contact my office. Thank you for your attention.
Once again I have paid the invoice and received no records, or had them heavily redacted or received a response from a previous Administrator stating his salary was 1/2 of his actually salary.
10/21/2020 Sandy’s final response to the city.
Mayor James, City Administrator Faye Johnson, City Attorney Kim Rothenburg, City Clerk Hazeline Carson. Consider this a PRR for Commissioner Lamberts emails she received concerning 8111 So. Dixie Highway she claims to have received at the City Commission meeting held on 10/5/2020.
It would be a waste of time to contact the OIG (Office of the Inspector General) or the PBC COE (PBC Commission on Ethics) 2 useless forms of appointed officials. I am considering contacting Attorney Sid Garcia and suing the city, but the taxpayers would carry the cost but if the city leaves me no choice, then I don’t have a choice.
3 Politician’s Breaking the Law
What your looking at is a picture of Mayor Keith James, County Commission Mack Bernard (background) and Congresswoman Lois Frankel in front of city hall. James gave a press conferences on early voting. What’s wrong with this picture is they are standing in front of a “signed sealed delivered” campaign sign for Biden/Harris which is a no-no. Double click the picture to enlarge.
If you take the time to read the rest of the story you will read what WPB City Charter has to say on the issue, along with Florida Statues and an email from a concerned citizen.
Sec. 62-33. – Political activity by employees.
(a) No officer or employee of the city except as hereinafter exempted from provisions hereof, shall:
(1) Use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election, or a nomination of office, or coercing or influencing another person’s vote, or affecting the result thereof;
(2) Directly or indirectly coerce or attempt to coerce, command or advise any other officer or employee to pay, lend or contribute any part of his salary, kick back any sum of money, or anything else of value to any party, committee, organization, agency or person for political purposes; or
(3) Directly or indirectly coerce, or attempt to coerce, command and advise any such officer or employee as to where he might purchase commodities or to interfere in any other way with the personal right of such officer or employee.
The provisions of this section shall not be construed so as to prevent any person from becoming a candidate for and actively campaigning for any elective office in this state. All such persons shall retain the right to vote as they may choose and to express their opinions on all political subjects and candidates. The provisions of subsection (a)(1) of this section shall not be construed so as to limit the political activity in general, special, primary, bond, referendum or any other election of any kind or nature, of elected officials or candidates for public office in the state or of any county or municipality thereof. The provisions of subsections (a)(2) and (3) of this section shall apply to all officers and employees of the city whether elected, appointed or otherwise employed, or whether the activity shall be in connection with a primary, general, special, bond, referendum or any other election of any kind or nature.
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree punishable as provided in F.S. § 775.082 or F.S. § 775.083.
(c) Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to prohibit any public employee from expressing his opinions on any candidate or issue or from participating in any political campaign during his off-duty hours so long as such activities are not in conflict with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section or of F.S. § 110.092.
A resident complained to City Administrator, Faye Johnson concerning the picture above which was included with a story by the PB Post. Below is Ms. Johnson’s response.
—–Original Message—–
From: Faye Johnson <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]
Sent: Wed, Sep 30, 2020 4:57 pm
Subject: RE: how ugly is it going to get?
Mrs. Levine:
The City Attorney has confirmed that the political signage on the podium could be viewed as a violation of the City Code. In keeping with the sign code, the podium was removed; albeit immediately after the press conference. This matter has been discussed with the Mayor who assured me that a repeat occurrence will not happen. Regards.
Faye W. Johnson, MPA
City Administrator
City of West Palm Beach
401 Clematis Street
[email protected]
561-822-1400 (office)
Ms. Johnson I believe you are smart enough not to take James at his word. You have received complaints previously concerning Commissioner’s Lambert and Shoaf political signs placed around city hall, and the mayors press conference was held on Sunday so hopefully you were at home and didn’t witness 3 politicians breaking the rules.
I am inundated with politics on my computer, TV and cell phone and what grabs my attention is when I’m told President Trump wants my Social Security check, which I have paid into my entire working life. I looked into it and here is what I discovered. We have Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democrat, to thank for Social Security.
“The Social Security Act was enacted August 14, 1935. The Act was drafted during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term by the President’s Committee on Economic Security, under Frances Perkins, and passed by Congress as part of the New Deal. The Act was an attempt to limit what were seen as dangers in the modern American life, including old age, poverty, unemployment, and the burdens of widows and fatherless children. By signing this Act on August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt became the first president to advocate federal assistance for the elderly.”
Below is a video that runs 4.25 minutes and I hope you invest the time to listen to it and then decide who protects your Social Security check.
In closing I will share with you my experience when I voted in the primaries last Aug. The Supervisor of Elections suggest you update your signature periodically. Your signature is that important and don’t sign your name on the back of the absentee envelope your vote wont be counted.
I walked in and showed my picture ID and voting registration card both containing my signature. Walked to the next table and received my voting card. Next table asked for my signature. Once again I am asked to sign on an iPad with my index finger. Followed instructions and showed the woman my signature card and my signature on the iPad. Told her they didn’t look anything alike. She actually agreed, and when I went to take a picture she said it was not allowed. The old system where you actually used a pen to sign was not broken, why change it? And people wonder why they don’t trust voting in America.
The end
Keith James has Another Committee
What you are about to read is (almost) ancient history. The City Commission is about to vote (10/19/2020) on another James committee namely “Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equality”. Let’s look at the committee’s James has formed in the past.
Mayoral Candidate and City Commissioner Keith James Launches Neighborhoods First Initiative January 31, 2019
Keith James for Mayor
Keith James, city commissioner and mayoral candidate of West Palm Beach (WPB), today launches the Neighborhoods First Initiative.
“I am proud to announce my Neighborhoods First Initiative. It’s a plan to ensure each and every West Palm Beach neighborhood is listened to, their ideas are taken into consideration and that we are all working together to make our community a great place to live, work and raise a family,” James stated. “Our neighborhoods are the jewels that define our city and as Mayor, I am going to work to make sure neighborhood issues and projects are prioritized and getting done sooner. The advisory groups that are formed out of my Neighborhoods First Initiative will provide valuable feedback and ideas to help shape policy and direction.”
Media Contact: Jonathan Cooper Keith James Campaign
Read the entire press release below.
This sounded good for a man running for Mayor of WPB. Once elected the Neighborhood First Initiative went away, never to be heard from again, but was replaced with the “Transition Team”
“First order of business for new West Palm Beach mayor: Create a transition team to evaluate policies.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — During his first weeks of Mayor of West Palm Beach, former city commissioner Keith James wants to take a close look at policies and procedures within the city, by creating a transition team that will examine several departments.
“Between 40 and 50 representatives of neighborhoods of businesses of nonprofits who are going to help us look at various policy issues and make some specific recommendations,” said Mayor James.
“We are already putting into place, me hiring what I call my public safety liaison, somebody who is going to report directly to me and help me as I begin assessing the performance and policies in our public safety operations that means police as well as fire, said James.”
First order of business was remove Police Chief Sara Mooney as Chief of Police and hire new Police Chief Frank Adderley and Deputy Chief Rick Morris. I never realized it took 2 men to replace 1 woman. Read the story below.
Well the Transition Team sounded good too. Unfortunately the 40-50 folks who volunteered their time and effort to assist the mayor walked away disappointed because none of their suggestions were used. These good folks should have suspected something was amiss when James asked them to sign non-disclosure agreements.
African American Advisory Council
The African American Advisory Council’s purpose is to keep the Commission and staff informed about the needs and concerns of African Americans in the City of Hollywood Fl. The council is dedicated to promoting fairness and equality in economic, employment, housing, education and cultural opportunities.
If you are questioning why I included Hollywood Fl. in this story it’s because James disbanded the Council in WPB after attempting to campaign with African Americans the council suggested he ignored African American’s as a City Commissioner, what could they expect from him as mayor? Possibly the Mayor’s Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equity is meant to replace the African American Advisory Council.
Aug 11, 2020 “During a press conference at West Palm Beach City Hall, Mayor Keith James announced the appointment of the Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equality. The establishment of the Task Force comes on the heels of calls for both local and national change in the wake of recent incidents that ignited outrage, exposed deeply entrenched systemic racism in our country, and challenged the public’s confidence and trust in our system of policing and criminal justice.” Read the story below:
https://www.wpb.org/our-city/mayor-s-office/mayor-s-task-force-on-racial-and-ethic-equality
Mayor Muoio hired retired Captain 25 year veteran of the Police Dept; named Wendy Morse as Director of the office of Public Life. James later changed the name to Community Outreach. Ms. Morse responsibility was to work with the police force and residents to challenged the public’s confidence and trust in our system of policing and criminal justice, and insure the community had a say in how public space was used. What I’m told is Ms. Morse was doing a hell of a job, before James “laid her off” soon after he was sworn in.
City Commissioners Heads Up!
City Commission meeting to be held 10/19/2020 CONSENT CALENDAR (1-7) Consent Calendar is where the city passes item’s without much notice or comment. I ask readers please pay attention to item # 6, 10 &11. I have posted sections of the agenda #6, 10 & 11 and the entire agenda can be read here.
https://www.wpb.org/home/showdocument?id=2619
# 6 Resolution No. 284-20 establishing and appointing members to a nine (9) member Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, establishing the term of office and waiving conflicts of interest.
Staff Recommended Motion: Approve Resolution No. 284-20.
Background: The City of West Palm Beach receives annual allocations of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program funds from the State of Florida for the creation and/or preservation of affordable housing. As a condition of receiving the funds and in accordance with Florida Statutes, the governing board of the city is required to establish an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC)
The entire list of 9 names can be read in the agenda, but the 3 named below have business relationships with the City and may have a conflict of interest, which commissioners will be asked to waive.
They are:
a. Thais R. Sullivan: The First Vice President of Valley National Bank is presently doing business with the City as a partner assisting with the City’s COVID-19 Business Loan Program;
b .Jeremy Morse: The Executive Director of Mental Health America presently doing business with the City as a social service provider and recipient of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds assisting with on-street mental health services;
c. Terri Murray: The Executive Director of Neighborhood Renaissance Inc. presently doing business with the City as a non-profit developer receiving federal funds for the development of affordable housing.
The term of the committee is three (3) years, and each member will serve for the three-year period.
Norman Ostrau, the City’s Ethics Official, has advised that both state and county law provide that no member or their outside employer can sell goods or services to the city or have any employment or contractual relationship with any business entity doing business or regulated with the city or any contractual or employment relationship that will be a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between their private interest and public duty or impede their public duties. He is of the opinion that the relationships described above violate this law thereby creating a conflict of interest. He further advises, however, that both state and county law provide that the conflict can be waived by the city commission at a public hearing where the proposed member disclose the conflict and the commission waives the conflict by a vote of a majority plus one. Ms. Sullivan, Mr. Morse, and Ms. Murray have made the disclosure on the required state ethics commission form 4A, and the commission is requested to waive the conflicts by approving Resolution No. 284-20. 6″
Commissioners when in doubt—-Don’t wave conflicts of interest. They are in place for a reason, and if they can be waived so easily why have it in the first place? Norman Ostrau, the City’s Ethics Official is the guy who told Commissioner Lambert she could vote in favor of her husbands company WGI, who has multiple contracts with the city.
# 10. Waiver of conflict for two advisory board members of the Mayor’s Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equity.
Background:
On July 7, 2020, the Mayor executed Executive Order 2020-13, establishing the Mayor’s Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Equity and has appointed its members. Mr. Bradley Alexander Hurbert who is also the President of The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin County, (Community Foundation), and Ms. Julie Fisher Cummings who is the Community Foundation’s Board Chair are two of the Mayor’s appointees.
#11 Public Hearing of Resolution No. 149-20 authorizing acceptance of federal entitlement grants approving and authorizing submission of the City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan (2020-2024), the One-Year Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2020-2021, and the Citizen Participation Plan and authorizing execution of all related documents.
Background:
As an entitlement community receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) formula program funds, the City of West Palm Beach is required to submit a Five-Year Consolidated Plan that serves as the planning tool outlining the jurisdiction’s housing and community development needs. The Consolidated Plan is carried out through annual Action Plans which provide a concise summary of the actions, activities, and specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used each year to develop strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. The City has established a Citizen Participation Plan to provide opportunities for citizen involvement in the process of developing and implementing the HUD-assisted programs. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21, the City anticipates receiving a total of $4,707,736.
Previously the city had problems with HUD.
“A federal agency says it wants nearly $3 million back from West Palm Beach because of how poorly the city managed low-income housing grants. The Department of Housing and Urban Development says the city missed deadlines, kept poor records and lacked procedures to oversee the spending of federal money it distributed to an arm of the Redemptive Life Fellowship church. The city had hired the organization to build houses as part of a major effort to revitalize one of West Palm’s most down trodden neighborhoods, Coleman Park” Want to read more? Google Redemptive Life. James was their attorney.
Read the story here:
HUD wants 3 million back from city
James Wants an end to Negotiations with IAFF.
On 10/13/2020 I sat in on a meeting at City Hall for a negotiation between the city and the IAFF new contract. The meeting was to start at 2:00 PM, and James entered at 2:10 PM, offered no apology for his tardiness, and the first words out of his mouth was “I told you last week you had my final offer, why are we here to negotiate again?”
At 2:11 PM I knew this meeting was going nowhere because the mayor had spoken. Unfortunately I was correct in my thinking.
The negotiations are largely formalities at this point. The city is required by PERC (Public Employees Relations Commission) to meet with Fire Fighter representatives and work out a new 3 year contract if they request it.
The representatives are making counter offers and it falls on deaf ears with the leaders of WPB. Firefighters are attempting to negotiate with the city James & Johnson) refuse.
The meeting split and city employees and IAFF leaders went to separate rooms and I was not allowed to hear negotiations for about 20 minutes when both sides met again, minus James who didn’t return to the meeting.
City Administrator, Faye Johnson did most of the talking and again told the firefighters the city didn’t have the money to make a new offer, and backed up her statement with threat’s of having to lay off and/or furlough employees in order to make that happen.
In a previous story I told readers the city had collected $20 million dollars in the “Fire Fee” where is that money and what was it used for? WPB has successfully perfected the shell game with tax payers money.
The last City Commission meeting, Commissioner Lambert gave a very nice shout out to the fire dept. with her story on her new home she had recently purchased.
Seems there was a very powerful storm, in the middle of the night when she and her husband were awakened with the thunder and lightning that brought down power lines which lit up the sky, while power lines danced in the streets. Imagine if one of the power lines landed on someone’s home, possibly starting a fire.
Lambert dialed 911 and the fire dept. responded, and according to her eliminated the danger.
Also at the last meeting James thanked Fire Chief Matty for writing a grant (on her own time) from the DHS (Department of Homeland Security), FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) The grant is for $8,007,597.36 and to be used “to hire 28 additional Fire Department firefighters”
Fiscal Note:
FEMA has waived the cost share requirement for this SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant since the submission of the application, saving the city $3,069,579.99.
City Commission approved Resolution No. 272-20.