James record as Mayor 2021
January 29, 2023
Updated 1/30/2023 @ 11:35
Vaccine:
Jan. 20, 2021: WPB Fire Dept. issued the covid vaccine to residents of the Bristol Waterfront Condominium located at 1100 S. Flagler Drive that sells apartments between $5.2 million and $42.6 million for an entire floor, combining two units at the top of the complex. I would classify the Bristol as a wealthy development.
April 4,2021 Mayor James interviewed by 60 Minutes reporter Sharyn Alfonsi concerning vaccines issued to residents of the Town of Palm Beach James made the following comment.
“Listen, the county health director has fallen on the sword on that and said it was her bad. Her organizational is bad. They made a mistake. But isn’t it funny that these mistakes only happen in communities that have that kind of wealth? They didn’t make a mistake and send a thousand doses to the poorest communities in our county.”
Three months earlier James made sure wealthy Bristol Residents received the vaccines.” See & hear the 60 min. interview below.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-covid-vaccine-ron-de-santis-60-minutes-2021-04-04/
Contract’s:
Three contracts to James political advisor Rick Asnani of Cornerstone Solutions with a no bid contract. Here’s how it happened:
Aug. 2021 James declared “A State of Local Emergency”.
“FURTHERMORE, pursuant to Section 252.38(3) {a) 5 Florida Statutes, I hereby exercise my authority to waive the procedures and formalities otherwise required by law pertaining to:” There are 8 procedures & formalities James can waive and I listed #2 & 8. #2. “Entering into contracts” #8. “Appropriation and expenditure of public funds.”
The 3 contracts below were signed by Mayor Keith James and Cornerstone Rick Asnani.
(1) $29,500. Cornerstone Contract $ 29,500.00
(2) $80,000 Cornerstone Contract $80,000.00
(3) $248,000. Cornerstone Contract $248,000.00
Because James declared “State of Emergency” contracts were not sent out for bids and no contract’s were presented to the City Commissioners for approval and residents were kept in the dark $357,500.00 taxpayer dollars to James Political Advisor Rick Asnani.
City Water Contaminated: Volumes have been written on the crises and to this day people are still buying/drinking bottled water including the Towns of Palm Beach and South Palm Beach who receive their water from WPB.
Below are excerpts from Chanel 25 WPBF news and the entire story can be read below, along with the mayor’s reaction to the water crises. Priceless
“Cylindrospermopsin, a toxin produced by cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae), was detected in the drinking water from the City of West Palm Beach’s Water Treatment Plant on May 20.
Residents are urged not to drink tap water. Infants, young children, the elderly, and those with preexisting liver conditions may be vulnerable to the effects of cylindrospermopsin. Animals are also vulnerable.
Officials also warned residents not to boil the water as it can increase toxin levels.”
Mayor Keith James has the responsibility of running the City, and he failed residents by not releasing the news of contamination when the problem was first discovered, allowed the most vulnerable residents to use city water for 8 days before issuing a warning. Who discovered the contamination?
Poonam Kalkat, Director of Public Utilities.
Joined the City of WPB Feb 2008 as the Laboratory Supervisor and advanced to Director of Public Utilities in July 2015, where she remained until Dec. 2021 when she resigned her position to become the Utilities Director for the City of Boynton Beach.
Ms. Kalkat graduated from Wright State University, (1992 – 2000) with a degree in Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Ms. Kalkat was responsible for managing water, wastewater and storm water utilities for the city.
Are residents expected to believe Ms. Kalkat, with all her training and experience didn’t report her findings to the Mayor and City Administrator for 8 days knowing the damage contaminated water could cause? I don’t buy it. They knew.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/toxic-algae-detected-in-west-palm-beach-drinking-water/36574097
Henrietta Farms: One of Mayor James most egregious decisions.
It’s Sunday morning and you are about to make dinner for your family and your spaghetti is one of their favorite meals. You set up the ingredients and discover you forgot to buy peppers. Jump in the car and drive to the local supermarket and buy 2 fresh peppers, a minor inconvenient, but now you have the missing ingredient.
Not so easy for many in WPB who live in poorer communities, with no means of transportation and are considered living in a “food desert” On to Google
What does it mean to live in a food desert?
“Food deserts are geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods — especially fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Who is most affected by food deserts?
“The other defining characteristic of food deserts is socio-economic: that is, they are most commonly found in black and brown communities and low-income areas (where many people don’t have cars).”
Who is Stewart Bosley?
Bosley, affectionately known as “Bos” saw a need and approached Former Mayor Lois Frankel who leased him an acre and a half of city land to start a community garden where it was most needed, right in the middle of a food desert. Former Mayor Geri Muoio and City Commissioners voted to wave the water Hook up.
If readers are interested the city also owns property at 401 No. Flagler Dr. complete with a beautiful building, great view of the water. The city also leases this property for years to the Chamber of Commerce for a whopping price of $1.00 a year. Quick check told me the property is appraised at $14,746,704 in 2022. Good to have friends in high places.
Mayor Keith James did not renew the lease, and people mentioned to Boz he shouldn’t have placed a “Vote for Taylor Paula Ryan for Mayor” yard sign outside the farm gate. My apologies Ms. Taylor and Ms. Ryan.
The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board “Find urban farm a new home.”
Excerpts from the story, and I have included the link below.
“For seven years, West Palm Beach’s urban farm has brought a spot of green, purple and red to a weedy lot by the railroad tracks, in a humble, historic neighborhood where an overlay of street crime makes life tough but hasn’t suppressed a generational sense of community.”
“Sadly the city, by executive authority of Mayor Keith James, has given urban farmer Stewart Bosley a couple of weeks to clear out.”
“The city chose not to renew the lease to explore other opportunities and land purposes that will address other long-standing, critical needs in the city,” said a statement from the Mayor’s Office. The city sees the acre and a half as a potential site for housing for downtown workers, or for transitional apartments for the homeless. It’s considering other possible sites for a community garden.”
“On the site of long-demolished apartments a mile north of downtown’s glitzier streetscapes, the garden took root as a way to provide fresh, low-cost vegetables for residents, many of whom don’t have cars and who strained in the South Florida heat to trek the two miles to the nearest Publix. The modest operation was conceived by Vietnam War Marine veteran Bosley, to whom the city initially leased the land for $10 a month, and more recently $25 a month.”
City lock on Henrietta Farm
9/24/2021 (Fri.) Boz had a crew of volunteers to work on the farm that weekend, and when they arrived they found the lock was cut off and replaced with a new one. A weekend of work gone when the lease didn’t expire for 2 more weeks.
The city put new locks on the farm on 9/24/2021. This story will be published 1/30/2023. There is 1 year, 4 months & 6 days between dates when vegetables and fruit trees could have been harvested to feed the neediest, instead vegetables and fruit left to rot in the middle of a pandemic. Below are pictures taken in Jan, 2023 of Henrietta Farms. The city has done nothing with the land except mow the vegetables down. Fruit trees have died from lack of care. Apparently, the city has turned off the water.
Below are pictures of Henrietta Farms taken in Jan. 2023, (Double click pictures and 1 notice from the city to enlarge)
While James accomplished this Rodney Mayo, the man that isn’t fit to run the city according to Mayor James and Rick Asnani of Cornerstone Solutions claimed he didn’t live in the city and should be disqualified, and the Judge agreed, and OUR election was cancelled.
Here’s what Rodney Mayo accomplished during the pandemic.
“We’re not turning anyone away. So, if somebody doesn’t have a meal, we’ll give them a meal as long as we can,” said Rodney Mayo with Hospitality Helping Hands.” An organization he helped to create.
“At Howley’s Restaurant in West Palm Beach, the owner, who owns 16 other restaurants, is using the food he has, and some of his staff members, to prepare meals for people in the service industry laid off this week, among others”.
Now ask yourself who’s not fit to run the city.
Saved the best news for last. The committee to recall Mayor Keith James has presented the paperwork to City Hall. That was the first step needed for the recall, and it also started the ball rolling. The recall is extremely time sensitive, and a percentage of registered voter’s signature is necessary for a successful outcome.
The committee to recall Mayor Keith James is inviting you to a sign the petition. We are not asking for help to take back our country, just our city. Your signature can make change that is desperately needed in WPB.
When: Saturday February 4, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
Where: 522 Clematis St.
There is a city parking garage on the 500 block of Clematis St; and it’s suggested you enter the garage on Banyon St.
If you want to come by trolley the schedule can be found in the link below.
The end