James Executive Order 2020-09 & Destroyed Doc's?
January 24, 2023
The City Commission held on Jan. 23,2023 had an item on the Consent Calendar #7.7 which reads “Resolution No. 32-23 cancelling the General City Election scheduled for March 14,2023 and the General City Run-off Election scheduled for March 28, 2023 and Resolution No. 34-23 declaring the results of the General Election, which was scheduled for March 14,2023.”
The Consent Calendar starts at the beginning of the meeting around 5:15, and developers, business people, and city staff have already taken their seats, as they did on this day. The other seats were occupied by residents, upset with the cancellation of the March 14, 2023 election who were present and wanted Mayor James to hear their thoughts, and express them they did, one after another. Comments were made and people in the audience never would have heard them and known how residents really felt because once their business was finished they left their chairs and went home.Residents complained about not being able to send their comments to the Portal and have they read into the record. They had to appear in person to make a comment.
In my opinion James moved General Comment, where you were allowed to praise or chastise the city leaders for a full 3 minutes. Under former Mayor Geri Muoio, General Comment started the meeting off. James moved it to the end of the meeting. Fewer people attended, people waited as long as they could, gave up and left. I have sat from 5pm until after 10pm to make my statement. At that hour City Chambers was empty, no one to hear my complaint except people on the dais and the poor cops assigned to sit through it all.
Below you will find email communication between myself and the City of WPB. The city’s response includes Mayor’s Executive Order 2020-09
Request for PRR (Public Records Request)
From: Sandy Matkivich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:33 AM
To: Jacqueline H. Mobley <[email protected]>; Faye Johnson <[email protected]>
Cc: Sandy Matkivich <[email protected]>
Subject: City Portal
Hello again Ms. Mobley,
I just heard from a resident, who attempted to send a Public Comment to the portal and was unable to do so. Is the city aware they have a problem, or has the city closed it down?
If they have closed the site down, please send me the documentation that allows it.
Thank you again,
Sandy Matkivich
City’s response to my PRR
Jacqueline H. Mobley <[email protected]>
To:Sandy Matkivich
Cc:Faye Johnson
The Public Comment Portal was implemented to accommodate virtual meetings during COVID-19. In April of 2020, under the Mayor’s Executive Order 2020-09, public comments were permitted on-line through the portal among several other virtual meeting accommodations. The Executive Order expired in May of 2022 and upon its expiration, the virtual meeting accommodations were terminated. However, the Public Comment Portal continued which was an oversight. That oversight has now been corrected through the discontinuation of the portal. The process for public comments is now being handled as it was (in-person only) prior to the Mayor’s Executive Order 2020-09 related to COVID-19 virtual meetings accommodations.
Thank You,
Jackie H. Mobley
The city claims “The Public Comment Portal was implemented to accommodate virtual meetings during COVID-19” It was a great tool for the public, the elderly, the impaired, people who had no transportation to city hall but wanted their voices heard. Damn shame Mayor James didn’t want to hear them.
The City Clerk didn’t send me the documentation I asked for “If they have closed the site down, please send me the documentation that allows it” so I went to the WPB City Charter looking for James Executive Order 2020-09. Look what I found below.
City Commission Meeting held 12/12/2022
At the end of the meeting public comment began @ 1:53:30 when James called out the names of 3 residents to approach the podium and make their statement.
1:53:40 Mayor James statement: “Now by the way I got a card from something called Palm Beach Free Press we take comments from individuals and not entities so I don’t know who Palm Beach Free Press who that is but I’m not reading the card”
Quick check of the computer and I found :
Palm Beach Free Press
“My goal here is to exercise our rights, hold people accountable, expose corruption, and share unheard stories. Thanks for checking the channel out!” Web site below.
I want to know what comment to the city Palm Beach Free Press made, so I placed a PRR for information.
From: Sandy Matkivich <[email protected]>
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 at 07:58:00 AM EST
Subject: PRR PB Free Press
Good morning Ms. Mobley,
City Commission meeting held 12/12/2022 James had a card come through the portal from the Palm Beach Free Press and would not read the card into the record.
I am requesting a copy of the entire document sent by the Palm Beach Free Press.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sandy Matkivich
Received no reply, so sent another email and included City Administrator Faye Johnson.
Sandy Matkivich <[email protected]>
To:[email protected],[email protected]
Tue, Jan 24 at 9:25 AM
Good morning,
I’m still waiting for the PB Free Press comment sent to the city. Will you please send it to me.
Sandy
City replied:
Jacqueline H. Mobley <[email protected]> Tue, Jan 24 at 10:33 AM
To:Sandy Matkivich
Cc:Faye Johnson
Good morning,
I do not recall receiving a comment from PB Free Press.
Thank You,
Jackie H. Mobley
Ms Mobley, who reports to City Administrator Faye Johnson, who reports to the mayor, is charged with keeping the public records, all public records, not the ones chosen by Mayor James or City Administrator Faye Johnson.
Watch the City Commission meeting and see James holding the card, and hear him say “I’m not reading the card” That tells me the city is destroying public records. Are you mad yet?
Your free to see/hear the entire meeting, if you want to see him speak about the Free Press scroll to 1:53:30 start time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emlRPdSIPe4
James Executive Order taken from the City Charter. Appears 2020-09 never existed.
The end