Who is Hazeline Carson?
October 14, 2015
Cast of character’s.
Joanne Sharp: Former City Clerk
Lakisha Burch: Interim City Clerk
Dorritt Miller: Deputy City Administrator
Hazeline Carson: City Clerk
Joanna Sharp, Former WPB City Clerk, was as her name suggest, sharp. She was very careful about doing what she was supposed to do and concerned with doing it right. In other words she was extremely conscientious, and expected nothing less from the people who reported to her. She trained them well.
If you were to talk to employees who knew and worked with her they recall her fondly, and she was missed when she moved on. Ms Sharp resigned in May 2012.
Lakisha Burch, who worked and trained under Ms. Sharp was appointed as interim City Clerk. Ms Burch had the same work ethics as her former boss, and I always found her knowledgeable, courteous, and extremely helpful. If you placed a PRR (Public Records Request) with her she always responded within a day or two.
Hazeline Carson was at one time employed by the city of WPB as a legal assistant where she formed a friendship with Dorritt Miller before she left for a position as City Clerk in Lauderdale Lakes, Fl; and she was eventually fired from that position. You see a pattern here?
Ms Carson re-applied to the city for employment in the City Clerks office, and was denied a position. It appears someone did their homework in vetting her.
Right about this time Ms. Sharp resigned her position, and Ms. Burch appointed interim.
Here is how the story was told to me by a city insider:
Ms. Miller called Ms. Carson and told her to apply for the position of City Clerk.
Ms. Carson said she had already been denied a position with the city clerks office.
Ms. Miller told her not to be concerned, and just re-apply. She did. Guess what? She got the job, and was hired in Sept. 2012 as WPB City Clerk, 4 months after Ms. Sharps resignation.
Ms. Burch, who had done an outstanding job in the short amount of time she held the position returned to her former job as clerk.
A few weeks later I was walking into city hall and saw Ms. Burch holding a tissue to her face and running into the ladies room. I followed and asked what was wrong. She told me Ms. Carson had written her up again for some supposed infraction. It seems Ms. Carson was writing Ms. Burch up on a regular basis.
My advice to her was don’t let her force you out.
Her response to me was she would not allow her reputation to be damaged. She resigned.
In my opinion the city lost a good employee due to a bad one.
It is absolutely exhausting for a resident to receive a PRR since Ms Carson took office.
Ms. Barbara Peterson, President of Florida’s First Amendment Foundation, where she works exclusively on PRR has stated many of the complaints filed with her office come from WPB. When a complaint is filed she writes the city, the city complies only to revert back to their old way’s. I am enclosing a recent e-mail as an example of how the city tries to hide information from residents.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Sent: 10/1/2015 9:57:50 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: 9/28/15 CC meeting
Dear Ms. Carson,
I have sat at my computer for the last 11/2 hrs trying to view the commission meeting held on 9/28/15. I was particularly interested in Item # 16. I tried to hear residents and commissioners comment’s and the meeting shut off before Resident #1 (William Crouse) finished his comment. He was followed by at least 6 more speakers.
I am requesting to visit city hall and be allowed to listen to the rest of the comments, commissioner’s comments, and how they voted.
Please let me know a convenient time to visit and hear the remainder of the meeting.
Sandy
Please verify this request received.
____________________________________________________________________
In a message dated 10/2/2015 10:57:51 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Ms. Matkivich,
This is to acknowledge receipt of your request. I checked with TV18 and they were able to view and hear the meeting on the website. I also checked the website and was able to view and hear the meeting.
TV18 staff has informed me that there is no public computer available for viewing of City Commission meetings. The September 28th meeting will be rebroadcast on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and again on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Hazeline F. Carson, CMC
City Clerk
City of West Palm Beach
401 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
[email protected]
561-822-1210 (office)
561-822-1214 (fax)
___________________________________________________________________________
In a message dated 10/2/2015 11:18:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
Ms. Carson
What are you talking about the city has “no public computers for viewing” I am pleased you and the TV 18 people were able to view the entire meeting. I watched the entire thing until resident Crouse (unsure of spelling) was making his statement and it ended. Where will the TV 18 be rebroadcast.on the dates you mentioned below? Did you and the channel 18 folks watch the entire 3 hour meeting? If yes, I think it’s wonderful you are having a slow day at the office.
Sandy
______________________________________________________________________
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 10/5/2015 11:30:56 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Re: 9/28/15 CC meeting
Ms. Carson,
I sent the original e-mail on 10/1/15. I am requesting a PRR on all city employees and elected officials you have forwarded my request to. When you forward this e-mail please CC me a copy. Verify request received.
Sandy Matkivich.
Please verify this request received.
______________________________________________________________________
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 10/14/2015 2:32:31 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: PRR Request
Ms Carson,
My e-mail sent to you on 10/1/15, I am requesting the names of all city employees and elected officials you have forwarded my e-mail’s too, and their response.
I sent a request on 10/5/15, I am requesting the names of all city employees and elected officials you have forwarded my e-mail’s too, and their response.
Please verify this request received.
___________________________________________________________________________
Ms Carson responded to my 1st e-mail, and has not responded to the other 3. It has now been 13 day’s and counting.
What I am looking for are the names of the people Ms Carson forwarded my requests too.
My guess would be:
Dorritt Miller: Her good friend she reports too.
Kimberly Rothenburg City Attorney
Eliot Cohen Disgraced Director of Communications for the City of WPB. He oversees
the city TV channel (18) (No love lost between us)
And possibly Mayor Muoio and City Administrator Jeff Green.
Your tax dollars support Ms. Carson in the position of City Clerk.
In closing let me share with you
The city clerks office has a computer that is not used by regular staff, and clerks have allowed me to use it on 2 different occasions.
The city has a “training room” where a minimum of 20 computers sit on tables, but she writes TV 18 (Cohen) states there are no public computers available for viewing.