manager - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T14:39:33Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/managerSouth Palm Beach: Council OKs negotiations with Titcomb to take town manager’s jobhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/south-palm-beach-council-oks-negotiations-with-titcomb-to-take-to2023-03-29T14:44:57.000Z2023-03-29T14:44:57.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Joe Capozzi</strong></p>
<p>Former Ocean Ridge Town Manager Jamie Titcomb has emerged as the Town Council’s choice to be South Palm Beach’s next manager. Now the council must decide whether to allow him to serve as an independent contractor or a full-time employee.<br /> Titcomb, the town manager in Loxahatchee Groves from 2019 until last June, wants to be South Palm Beach’s town manager as an independent contractor for $12,000 a month. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11007367485,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11007367485,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="102" alt="11007367485?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Although he said he does not want a full-time position because of family obligations that led him to retire last summer, he suggested there could be a scenario that would satisfy the council. <br /> “I’m not necessarily your long-term solution,’’ he told the council at a special meeting on March 6. “I just retired last year. I’m kind of being pulled back out of the mothballs.’’ <br /> At the council’s direction, Town Attorney Glen Torcivia was expected to begin negotiations in late March with Titcomb, who would replace departing Robert Kellogg.<br /> Kellogg announced his retirement in November, a day after council member Ray McMillan made an unsuccessful motion to fire him. Kellogg wanted to retire at the end of March but has agreed to stay on until the council finds a replacement. <br /> Torcivia is expected to give the council an update on the negotiations on April 11. <br /> “The most recent conver-sation I had with the attorney is, he believes if I am going to come here and stay for any duration that I’ll probably need to be an employee of the town,’’ Titcomb said in an interview after the March 14 meeting. <br /> But Titcomb did not indicate this would necessarily be a deal-breaker.<br /> He told the council he could serve in “a transitional” capacity for a while, allowing the council to later seek “a long-term traditional manager.’’<br /> “I have a lot of energy and expertise left in me,’’ he said. “The longer term prospects of this has yet to be seen.’’ <br /> Under Titcomb’s proposal, he would make $144,000 a year, assuming he worked 12 months. And since he is a contractor, the town would not be responsible for paying him any benefits. <br /> Kellogg, who has served as a town manager and South Palm Beach employee since 2019, is making $110,250 a year. <br /> When the search process for a new town manager was first discussed at a special meeting Jan. 30, council members agreed it should be a full-time position. <br /> Titcomb attended that meeting and told the council he was not interested in a full-time job but was available to offer advice. But he said that in the days and weeks after that meeting, several council members reached out individually to him and encouraged him to apply. <br /> He also attended the March 6 meeting, which started out with council members preparing to discuss the search process. When McMillan suggested the town save time and negotiate with Titcomb, a majority of the council agreed. <br /> One resident said the town should conduct a general search. But council members, noting how they’re trying to expedite long-debated plans for a new Town Hall, directed Torcivia to negotiate with Titcomb.<br /> “I am more inclined to go with a work-agreement contract versus being a full-time employee of the town because of the flexibility and my circumstances at this time,’’ Titcomb said March 6. <br /> “I didn’t come forward thinking I am looking for a long-term assignment for years to come,’’ he said. “I know this is a full-time scenario in the sense that once you have the mantle and responsibility and the title, you’ve got to be there for the town as needed. But the details of how that plays out can well be articulated in the agreement to everyone’s satisfaction.’’ <br /> Mayor Bonnie Fischer, a South Palm Beach resident since 1976, said she can’t recall any time when the manager wasn’t a full-time town employee. <br /> Titcomb has applied for the South Palm Beach town manager’s job before, in 2015. But he wound up accepting the town manager post in Ocean Ridge, where he worked from October 2015 to March 2019. <br /> Titcomb lives in Atlantis. </p></div>Delray Beach: Reclaimed water program mismanaged; new director hiredhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-reclaimed-water-program-mismanaged-new-director-hire2020-05-06T14:00:00.000Z2020-05-06T14:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936087,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936087,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960936087?profile=original" /></a>City contractors check the reclaimed water connection at the corner of A1A and Rhodes Villa Avenue on March 2. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> Related: </strong></span><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/a-timeline-of-troubles" target="_blank">Timeline</a> of troubles | </strong></span><strong>Standard <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-standard-safeguards-usually-stop-mix-of-drinking-rec" target="_blank">safeguards</a> usually stop mix of drinking, recycled water |</strong> <strong>City provides <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-city-provides-watering-service-after-reclaimed-water" target="_blank">watering service</a> after reclaimed water turned off | Restoration of reclaimed water service <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-restoration-of-reclaimed-water-service-pushed-back-t" target="_blank">pushed back</a> <br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>Delray Beach's reclaimed water program was mismanaged from its start in 2006, City Manager George Gretsas told city commissioners on May 5.</p>
<p>“There was negligence and a lot of things that should not have happened,” Gretsas said. “The mismanagement is very clear. There was a decade of it … lack of contractor oversight. No records were kept. It was a real problem for us as we’re trying to fix it.”</p>
<p>He graded the reclaimed water program a D-minus. The system has been shut down since Feb. 4.</p>
<p>The city is turning on the reclaimed water in phases with approval from the Florida Department of Health. Of 613 reclaimed water customers, 46% have that service restored, Gretsas said. The remaining 54% are waiting.</p>
<p>Reclaimed water lines provide partly treated wastewater meant solely for lawn watering. The lines were installed as part of a settlement that Delray Beach reached with state and federal regulators to stop sending raw sewage into the ocean.</p>
<p>The city must reuse 3.85 million gallons a day by 2025, according to the settlement. Its current level is 2.85 million gallons a day.</p>
<p>Most of the city’s water customers on the barrier island have reclaimed water service for lawn irrigation. Golf courses, city parks and facilities, and master-metered communities west of Interstate 95 also use reclaimed water.</p>
<p>Gretsas, who started on Jan. 6, received a letter on Feb. 4 requiring the city to issue a boil water order citywide. The state Department of Health had received a complaint about cross-connections between the city’s drinking water and reclaimed water systems. He was able to get agency officials to agree that the city would shut off its reclaimed water system to investigate. Gretsas wanted to avoid a citywide boil-water order that would have affected the hospital and restaurants.</p>
<p>Delray Beach had to hire a contractor to create a geographic information system database showing the locations of the drinking water and reclaimed water meters and the backflow preventers and types on the drinking water systems.</p>
<p>“We were not doing the types of things that need to be done in asset management,” Gretsas said. “We just didn’t know where the devices were.”</p>
<p>In addition, Delray Beach went with backflow preventers that have only a five-year lifespan because they were cheaper, Gretsas said city staffers told him.</p>
<p>But that should change soon with new management, he said. Hassan Hadjimiry will start June 2 as the city’s water utilities director.</p>
<p>Gretsas said he did a national search and found the perfect candidate nearby. Hadjimiry retired May 5 from Palm Beach County as its deputy director of water utilities.</p>
<p>Hadjimiry, who started with the county in 1982, was the statewide Water Reuse Person of the Year in 2009. At the May 5 County Commission meeting, Hadjimiry received a standing ovation, Gretsas said.</p>
<p>After he comes on board, Delray Beach city commissioners will have options, according to Gretsas. They can select the types of backflow preventers installed, institute an inspection and replacement program or, if they prefer, go to injecting the reclaimed water underground, which would be more costly.</p>
<p>To the city’s reclaimed water customers, Gretsas said, “I’m sorry this happened to them and sorry it went on for a decade.”</p></div>Delray Beach: Fired manager files suit against cityhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-fired-manager-files-suit-against-city2019-05-02T18:00:00.000Z2019-05-02T18:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p> Ex-Delray Beach City Manager Mark Lauzier sued the city on April 29, claiming his firing was in retaliation for not allowing the mayor to fly her 15-year-old son to Tallahassee at taxpayers’ expense.</p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960866476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960866476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960866476?profile=original" /></a>Lauzier was fired by the City Commission at a March 1 public meeting after the city’s internal auditor testified about “questionable hiring and promotion practices” and other red flags raised earlier this year.</p>
<p> Lauzier’s Palm Beach County Circuit Court lawsuit, though, gives another reason to explain his firing. Three days before he was fired, Lauzier denied Mayor Shelly Petrolia’s request to have the city pay $291 for her son’s plane ticket to Tallahassee, according to the lawsuit. </p>
<p> Petrolia had charged two Tallahassee plane tickets on a city purchasing credit card, which she is allowed to do provided she reimburses the city.</p>
<p> Both were going to the state capital for the first week of the legislative session, she had said. The mayor was going to lobby state representatives and senators during Palm Beach County Days. Her son, Anthony, was going to be a senate page for one week.</p>
<p> The mayor wanted them to be on the same flight in case her son got bumped, she had said. Petrolia reimbursed the city the following day, Feb. 26.</p>
<p> Petrolia declined to comment about the lawsuit on the advice of the city attorney.</p>
<p> Lauzier’s lawsuit claims his firing violates the state’s Whistleblower Act. The law protects workers from retaliation after they report unethical or illegal acts by their employers.</p>
<p> But, it was Commissioner Ryan Boylston who wanted to call the special meeting. He had met with the city’s internal auditor, Julie Davidyan, in late February to listen to her concerns about the city manager.</p>
<p> Boylston decided to think about her concerns over the weekend and met with Lauzier on Feb. 26.</p>
<p> But Boylston wasn’t satisfied with Lauzier’s answers and wanted to call the commission together to discuss the auditor’s concerns. City policy, though, allows only the city manager and mayor to call a meeting.</p>
<p> Boylston then reached the city attorney, who called the mayor to let her know that a colleague wanted to hold a special meeting. The city attorney explained why, and the mayor agreed to call the meeting.</p>
<p> Six weeks before Lauzier was fired, he received a 4 percent raise, the lawsuit says — bolstering his claim that he was wrongfully fired.</p>
<p> But, the lawsuit didn’t say the pay vote was 3 to 2. The mayor and Commissioner Shirley Johnson voted against giving Lauzier a raise.</p>
<p> At an annual salary of $244,000, Lauzier was the highest paid Delray Beach employee.</p>
<p> As the city manager, he had the power to hire and promote, the lawsuit says. He is seeking severance to cover five months of pay and benefits, seven months of paid leave and a year of health insurance benefits.</p>
<p> His lawsuit seeks a jury trial. </p>
<p> On April 5, Lauzier’s attorney, Isidro Garcia, had sent a demand letter to the city, seeking $500,000. Garcia’s letter said Lauzier was owed a minimum of $279,200 for 20 weeks of pay at his current salary, health insurance benefits for one year and earned leave, sick and vacation days. The remaining amount was for damages to his reputation and to his good name.</p>
<p> The city’s outside counsel responded in a mid-April letter that read, “Mr. Lauzier’s claims are wholly without merit.”</p>
<p> Davidyan presented her findings to city commissioners individually and to the City Commission on March 1, consistent with the City Charter, attorney Brett Schneider wrote to Garcia.</p>
<p> Schneider’s response also states that Lauzier’s rights were not violated under Amendment 14 of the United States constitution because he was given sufficient opportunity to clear his name at the March 1 meeting.</p>
<p> Schneider also wrote the city is willing to allow Lauzier to appear before the City Commission for “the specific purpose of clearing his name.”</p>
<p> As to the whistleblower charge, Schneider wrote: “Mayor Petrolia was specifically told that she could purchase tickets and other items for her son using the city’s credit card, provided she reimbursed the city for said charges (which she did).”</p>
<p> Even so, the city is willing to meet in pretrial mediation, according to Schneider’s letter. The city gave Lauzier and his attorney until April 19 to respond.</p>
<p> Their answer was the Whistleblower lawsuit.</p></div>Delray Beach: Police chief moves to role of acting assistant city managerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-police-chief-moves-to-role-of-acting-assistant-city-2018-08-29T05:00:00.000Z2018-08-29T05:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Jane Smith</b></span></p>
<p class="p2"></p>
<p class="p3">Jeff Goldman has traded his badge and Delray Beach police chief uniform for a suit-and-tie job as acting assistant city manager.</p>
<p class="p3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960802686,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960802686,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="105" class="align-left" alt="7960802686?profile=original" /></a>He was tapped by City Manager Mark Lauzier to spend the remaining months of his police career overseeing the operations and budget of the police, fire-rescue, parks and recreation, and community improvement departments.</p>
<p class="p3">Goldman’s first business suit day was Aug. 1.</p>
<p class="p3">“When I first arrived, I noticed the Police Department was well-run,” Lauzier said. “It will give Goldman a chance to do something else while we test his two assistants.”</p>
<p class="p3">Assistant Police Chief Mary Olsen will run the department until Dec. 21. Even though Goldman worked on the Police Department budget, he let Olsen give the presentation on Aug. 14 to city commissioners. After presenting the facts, Olsen, following the style of other department heads, then pointed out that five police officer positions were not funded, creating an $875,210 gap.</p>
<p class="p3">Olsen served as acting police chief in West Palm Beach three years before moving to the Delray Beach Police Department in 2014.</p>
<p class="p3">After her stint is over, Assistant Chief Javaro Sims will take over for 4½ months until May 15. Sims was hired in 1992.</p>
<p class="p3">Goldman, who joined the department in 1989, is enrolled in the state retirement program for government workers. His police career is one filled with promotions: sergeant, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief before being named police chief in 2014. His last day will be in May.</p>
<p class="p3">He likes to tout his community-police relations as one of his successes. Goldman attends community events where he moves around on a Delray Beach police scooter.</p>
<p class="p3">At the first Budget Town Hall on Aug. 2, Goldman said he looks forward to working with the department heads to see whether that career path interests him.</p>
<p class="p3">“It will give Goldman a chance to see if he likes working for me,” Lauzier said on Aug. 14. “And whether I like how he works.”</p>
<p class="p3">If it works out, Goldman could move over to the city manager’s office next year, Lauzier said.</p>
<p class="p3">Goldman will be Lauzier’s third assistant city manager.</p>
<p class="p3">Previous city managers had two assistants. </p></div>Highland Beach: Frequent turnover of managers comes with hefty costhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-frequent-turnover-of-managers-comes-with-hefty-cos2018-05-30T17:30:00.000Z2018-05-30T17:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><span class="s1"><b>Related story: </b></span><strong>Thrasher returns to public service as <a href="http://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-thrasher-returns-to-public-service-as-interim-town">interim town manager</a></strong></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Rich Pollack</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">By forcing out three town managers in about three years, Highland Beach faces costs — in dollars and in stability — for the high turnover in its top executive position. Since January 2015, when Kathleen Weiser agreed to step down after learning she no longer had support from the majority of commissioners, Highland Beach has paid out an estimated $225,000 in severance packages to Weiser, Beverly Brown and Valerie Oakes, who was fired early last month.</p>
<p class="p3">In 2012, Highland Beach spent $215,000 to settle a lawsuit with former Town Manager Dale Sugerman, who claimed the town refused to pay him severance when commissioners did not renew his contract. Sugerman had previously been suspended — with pay — for five months.</p>
<p class="p3">People who work with government leaders say high turnover among managers can also have an impact on overall operations of counties, cities and towns.</p>
<p class="p3">“The stability gets shaken up — not earthquake level but tremor level,” said Lynn Tipton, executive director emeritus for the Florida City and County Management Association, who was speaking generally, not specifically about Highland Beach. “If the top position changes a lot, employees can feel [leaderless] and projects suffer from a lack of leadership.”</p>
<p class="p3">As part of her separation agreement in 2015, Weiser received 20 weeks’ salary, or about $53,000. She said she also received unused sick and vacation time of about $15,000.</p>
<p class="p3">Brown, who reached an agreement with the town that allowed her to retire early and receive three months’ salary while not working, estimated she received about $78,000 when she left, including unused sick and vacation time and four months’ health insurance premiums.</p>
<p class="p3">Oakes, who was fired with a 3-2 vote last month, said she received more than $53,700 in severance pay, the equivalent of 20 weeks’ pay, and about $15,125 in unused sick and vacation time and $12,000 for health insurance coverage.</p>
<p class="p3">Weiser, now Kathleen Meneely, said both Oakes’ termination and her own came after elections changed the commission, which led to a shift in the majority.</p>
<p class="p3">In Oakes’ case, Vice Mayor Alysen Africano Nila — who was elected in March — and commissioners Rhoda Zelniker and Elyse Riesa voted to fire Oakes, while Mayor Carl Feldman and Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman voted against Oakes’ firing.</p>
<p class="p3">“When I heard about Valerie, it was almost like déjà vu,” Meneely said.</p>
<p class="p3">Both Meneely and Tipton say it’s not uncommon for new commissions or councils to change managers following elections or other changes.</p>
<p class="p3">“When there’s an election, it is not unusual for new commissioners to want to choose their own manager, it’s just a manner in how they do it,” said Meneely, who now helps run special government districts on Florida’s west coast. “Those of us in city government know this can happen.”</p>
<p class="p3">Tipton said that the average tenure for city or county managers in Florida is about 6.5 years, slightly shorter than the national average of seven years.</p>
<p class="p3">Part of that, she said, is because elected officials in many Florida municipalities and counties have shorter terms than in other cities.</p>
<p class="p3">“Often the turnover of elected officials equates to turnover with the manager,” Tipton said.</p>
<p class="p3">She said internal struggles on commissions might also be a factor in turnover.</p>
<p class="p3">“When councils are regularly dismissing managers, it is often indicative of their own turmoil or that the managers haven’t matched their expectations with the right skill sets,” she said.</p>
<p class="p3">Both Brown and Sugerman, now the manager in Briny Breezes, said similar factors are in play when a revolving door of town managers exists.</p>
<p class="p3">“Something weird happens in [small towns and cities] when someone gets elected,” said Sugerman, who said he is not familiar with the current commission and was speaking in general terms. “It’s like a switch goes on and they suddenly believe they’re an expert. That will run headlong into anyone who is a professional.”</p>
<p class="p3">Sugerman said the phenomenon is not unique to Highland Beach, but may be enhanced by the fact that it is an affluent community with a large retiree base.</p>
<p class="p3">Brown said during her tenure as manager, she worked with a commission that didn’t fully understand the role of the manager as the person who runs the day-to-day operation and the role of the commission as a policy-making board.</p>
<p class="p3">“I believe elected officials didn’t and still don’t understand their roles,” she said. “That leads to confrontations between managers and commission members. There are some who believe once they get elected, they can control everything that goes on.”</p>
<p class="p3">Riesa, who was elected after Meneely and Brown left and after Oakes was hired, thinks there may be another reason for the turnover.</p>
<p class="p3">She points out that both Brown and Oakes were town clerks before being promoted to city manager without a search for other candidates.</p>
<p class="p3">“They were not compared to any other candidates,” Riesa said. “We have no idea what we could have gotten from a qualified pool.”</p>
<p class="p3">She thinks some of the turnover could have been avoided had the town done a better job of filling the position.</p>
<p class="p3">“In the end the town lost money spent unnecessarily for severance and the time wasted would not have been necessary if commissioners initially did things correctly,” Riesa said.</p>
<p class="p3">She said she is pushing for a nationwide search that will give Highland Beach the best possible manager. In the interim, former Gulf Stream manager Bill Thrasher is doing the job.</p>
<p class="p3">“I want to be sure we find the best and brightest candidate with the perfect leadership capabilities to take our town into the future,” Riesa said. </p></div>Gulf Stream: Commission picks tax rate 1 cent under rollbackhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-commission-picks-tax-rate-1-cent-under-rollback2017-08-02T14:00:00.000Z2017-08-02T14:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Steve Plunkett</strong><br /> <br /> Buoyed by its recent settlement of all public records litigation by resident Chris O’Hare, the town plans to cut its legal budget for the coming fiscal year by 30 percent.<br /> Gulf Stream will set aside $400,000 for outside legal expenses, down from an expected $571,000, Town Manager Greg Dunham said.<br /> Cash reserves will top $2.6 million on Oct. 1, he said, continuing a recovery after the battle over public records requests drained the fund four years ago to $752,000. That led Dunham to recommend a property tax rate of $4.36 per $1,000, more than a penny under the rollback rate (the number that would generate the same revenue as in the current year). Town commissioners unanimously agreed. Dunham’s budget “looks reasoned and appropriate,” Mayor Scott Morgan said.<br /> A week later, commissioners awarded a $224,900 contract to build the 696-square-foot west addition to Town Hall. Republic Construction Corp. of Delray Beach submitted the winning bid and said the work would be finished in six months.<br /> Highlights of Dunham’s budget included $20,000 for a proposed second phase of a barrier island fire study, $235,000 for paving and striping roads, another $235,000 to upgrade storm drains and $211,000 for smart water meters.<br /> Town employees will receive 3 percent raises. Dunham also wants $30,000 for a long-range capital improvements plan.<br /> Commissioners will discuss the budget again Aug. 11.</p></div>Ocean Ridge: Budget tweaks satisfy commissionershttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-budget-tweaks-satisfy-commissioners2016-11-02T16:30:00.000Z2016-11-02T16:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Steve Plunkett</strong><br /> <br /> The kerfuffle over Town Manager Jamie Titcomb’s budget proposal, which prompted Ocean Ridge commissioners to call an unusual 12-day recess of their final public budget hearing, blew over in about 15 minutes when the meeting resumed.<br /> “When we went back through this, Jamie basically had it right. We had some problems with the capital funds still, in the way that we were reporting that out,” Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella said. But, “most of these things were just transfers.”<br /> Changes Titcomb reviewed included making the revenue and expenditure sides of the $250,000 capital fund match, moving $19,000 for maintaining the detention area from the “other physical environment” category to “public works,” and putting a $22,052 “interfund transfer” item into the contingency fund. <br /> This was the first time Titcomb, who became town manager in October 2015, had prepared Ocean Ridge’s budget. The preceding 25 or so budgets were assembled by Karen Hancsak, who retired as clerk in January.<br /> “I’m going to take partial credit for all these highlights and changes, but the real credit goes to our former town clerk, who spent countless time with me on the phone and caught much of this and … checked my work,” Lucibella said. “I think we need to send flowers to a certain former clerk. She helped us out of a really tight spot on this.”<br /> The night wasn’t all smooth sailing. Titcomb passed out a revised resolution updating and reallocating money in the capital projects fund right before the Oct. 3 meeting started.<br /> Lucibella said he took no responsibility for the document. “I just saw it. I’m taking the town manager at his word that that’s good to go,” Lucibella said.<br /> And Commissioner James Bonfiglio, who moved to adopt the resolution, noted in his motion that it “was handed out to us tonight as opposed to in our book” of backup material.<br /> Commissioners also found fault in Titcomb’s recommendation for an audit selection committee. He wanted to name himself, Town Clerk Tracey Stevens and Gulf Stream Town Manager William Thrasher.<br /> “We tried to keep this simple,” Titcomb said of the panel, which will review his request for bids outlining the scope of the work and rank responses from auditing firms.<br /> Bonfiglio said several commissioners were qualified to do that. “I’m not real thrilled with going outside of town for the third person on this committee,” he said.<br /> And Lucibella urged that a town resident take Stevens’ spot on the panel. Mayor Geoff Pugh asked Bonfiglio to be the commissioner on the committee, and former Mayor Ken Kaleel volunteered to be the member of the public.<br /> In other business, the commission ratified a wage reopener and extension of the town’s contract with its police officers. The agreement calls for merit raises of up to 5 percent on anniversary dates and lengthened the contract one year to September 2018.<br /> Lucibella also asked that commissioners discuss the just-approved budget at their Nov. 7 regular meeting.<br /> “I think the people of the town have a right to hear a dialogue around some of the things that have been asked for, including license plate recognition cameras. We never got a chance to do any of those things,” Lucibella said.</p></div>South Palm Beach: Manager gets good marks in evaluationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/south-palm-beach-manager-gets-good-marks-in-evaluation2013-04-03T20:14:52.000Z2013-04-03T20:14:52.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong> By Tim O’Meilia</strong><br /> <br />For the first time since he was hired in 2005, South Palm Beach Town Manager Rex Taylor underwent an evaluation by the Town Council at a Feb. 26 council workshop. <br />Taylor got good marks in sum from the individual council members, especially in dealing with employees, responding to council members’ requests and solving problems. <br /> “I back him 100 percent. We are lucky to have him,” said Mayor Donald Clayman, who was the most supportive of the eight-year manager. <br /> Although she gave him good marks overall, Councilwoman Stella Jordan said Taylor sometimes does not apprise council members of what’s going on. She suggested he begin an online calendar. <br /> Jordan also said he needs to study the town charter for conflicts and should be more available for town events and should attend advisory board meetings at least once annually.<br /> She suggested it was waste of money to have the town’s labor attorney attend a council meeting to announce an agreement had been reached. <br /> Jordan and Councilman Robert Gottlieb said they were disappointed the council was not involved in the police collective bargaining negotiations earlier. The council did not become involved until after negotiations had reached impasse.<br /> Councilwoman Bonnie Fischer interviewed town employees about their relationship with Taylor — giving him good marks — and lauded him for his handling of seawall endangerment.<br /> “This was a good exercise for the town manager to officially understand what each of us is concerned about,” said Councilman Joseph Flagello. <br /> Jordan pushed for the evaluation, citing a town charter requirement of an annual review. She even developed an evaluation form that at least one other council member used. <br /> She also said at that meeting and the following March 12 council meeting that Taylor’s contract violates the town charter requiring only five-year deals. Taylor’s doesn’t specify. No other council members took up her suggestion.<br /> <strong>In other business</strong> at the March 12 council meeting:<br /> * Council members Joseph Flagello and Bonnie Fischer were sworn in for their second two-year terms. Flagello was unanimously chosen by his colleagues as vice mayor for the second year. <br /> * The council approved the settlement of a lawsuit and a new 10-year agreement with the city of Lake Worth to operate the regional sewage treatment plant. South Palm Beach will receive $34,631 as part of a $4.5 million settlement between Lake Worth and six other governmental partners in the plant’s operation. Lake Worth sued the partners for $7 million in 2010, claiming underpayments. But a consultant hired by the partners uncovered shoddy bookkeeping and a state audit was critical as well. The new 10-year contract is designed to avoid the shortcomings of the previous deal. South Palm Beach spent about $18,000 in legal fees and $30,000 for its share of the consultant in defending the suit, for a net loss of about $14,000. The town had set aside $219,000 in reserves in case of a different outcome.<br /> * The council unanimously approved a variance to allow the Tuscany condominium to erect an entrance sign with lettering taller than the 8 inches allowed by the town’s sign code. “If we had the letters and numbers recommended (by the sign code) no one could see where we are,” said Tuscany President Linda Taft. The capital T on Tuscany will be 13 inches tall and the street numbers 3570 will be 10.5 inches tall. </p></div>Manalapan: Lone critic receives criticism in Stumpf retention votehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-lone-critic-receives-criticism-in-stumpf-retention-vote2013-01-02T18:56:27.000Z2013-01-02T18:56:27.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Tim O’Meilia</strong><br /><br /> Before Manalapan Commissioner Howard Roder could make a motion to fire Town Manager Linda Stumpf, the other commissioners quickly gave her a 5-1 vote of confidence Dec. 18.<br /> “I want to consider other candidates for the position of town manager,” Roder said, less than 24 hours after emailing his complaints about Stumpf to other commissioners.<br />Roder had little chance to enumerate his complaints about Stumpf before Commissioner Louis DeStefano leapt to her defense and moved to retain her.<br />“I feel we’re fortunate to have her as town manager. She works all hours and has always been available to the Town Commission,” said Mayor Basil Diamond, who votes only in case of ties.<br /> Commissioner Bill Quigley, who served on the commission through four of the last five town managers, said, “I have never seen a more professionally willing person. I think it would be travesty if we lost her.”<br />In his email, Roder complained that Stumpf overstated how much the town would save if the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office replaced the town’s police force, that she misstated police statistics and inflated crime statistics, among other things.<br />“I realized the information being supplied was not fully researched, misleading or manipulated. I am not saying that this was done purposefully or maliciously,” he wrote in the email.<br />“You’re cherry-picking some errors, some factual, some typos,” DeStefano told Roder. “Your aim is to find fault and make an issue of it.”<br />Commissioner David Cheifetz said sloppy paperwork didn’t negate how well she handled the Sandy storm crisis, during which oceanfront seawalls were damaged. <br />Stumpf called in state officials to walk the beaches and arranged for several meetings with affected homeowners.<br />Commissioner Donald Brennan bemoaned the public discussion of Stumpf’s performance. “I make a plea that we have to de-escalate the public display and the exchanges because it’s unproductive.”<br />Stumpf, former administrator in Palm Beach Shores and Mangonia Park, was hired as the town’s finance director in 2003. She was appointed interim town manager in October 2010 and was hired permanently two months later. She earns $105,000 a year.<br />She said nothing until the vote to retain her was taken. “Thank you very much for that,” she said. </p></div>Delray Beach: City to negotiate with Connecticut man for manager’s jobhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-city-to-negotiate-with-connecticut-man-for-manager-s2013-01-02T17:26:02.000Z2013-01-02T17:26:02.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Margie Plunkett</strong><br /> <br />The first choice for the Delray Beach city manager position was picked for the “fresh eyes” he’d bring to the community — and chosen over the inside candidate.<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960417257,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960417257,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="480" alt="7960417257?profile=original" /></a>City Commission voted Dec. 11 to enter contract negotiations with Louie Chapman Jr., who has been town manager of Bloomfield, Conn., for 19 years. <br /> But Commission will further investigate unsolicited information on questionable behavior in the candidate’s current position while simultaneously negotiating his contract, the commissioners agreed at their Dec. 8 workshop.<br /> Included in the start of negotiation are a salary of $160,000, car allowance of $400 a month and temporary housing costs of up to $1,500 a month and capped at $9,000, according to Commission consensus at the workshop meetings. They are scheduled to discuss the contract again at their Jan. 3 meeting. If commission ultimately approves Chapman’s employment contract, he will succeed City Manager David Harden, who is retiring this month after 22 years. An interim manager will be named to take over after Harden leaves and prior to the new manager’s start.<br /> Mayor Woodie McDuffie said that unsolicited information came to the Commission after its Dec. 11 vote for Chapman. The sources said that Chapman had moved his girlfriend in with him using a city vehicle, according to the mayor.<br /> He also asked a member of the police department to remove the head of Human Resources at his city and to escort her out of the building because he no longer could deal with her and wanted her gone, according the mayor’s account of the source’s report. <br />The police officer declined, because he said the woman hadn’t done anything.<br /> The allegations fueled discussion among commissioners about whether and how it should be vetted. Vice Mayor Tom Carney pointed to whistleblower statutes and said, while allegations under those cir-cumstances may not always be true, they are taken seriously. <br />“There are things we have to do to make sure we are confident on our decision,” Carney said, adding, it’s better to address the questions now than later.<br /> The workshop meeting followed by a week the meeting at which Commissioners chose Chapman above a candidate already at work in the Delray Beach City Manager’s office.<br />“Delray Beach should really have a manager who’s been a manager,” said Carney at the Dec. 11 meeting, adding, “It’s important that we have fresh eyes here.”<br /> Chapman, previously assistant city manager in Charlottesville, Va., beat out Delray Beach Assistant City Manager Doug Smith for the position. Carney, along with Commissioners Angeleta Gray and Al Jacquet, supported Chapman, while Mayor Woodie McDuffie and Commissioner Adam Frankel favored Smith for the experience and knowledge he has of Delray Beach.<br /> “Delray Beach Florida, has a lot of different issues than Connecticut,” Frankel said. “One thing I failed to mention: Every staff member who I spoke to is behind Mr. Smith.<br /> “We’re at a time in Delray where this could be a lot of transition. A lot of senior staff is facing retirement. It’s too much upheaval for me.” <br />Jacquet, who said, “We need new blood,” countered that Harden was an outsider when he was hired into the position. “like him or not, the city has moved forward.”<br />Several commissioners — both for and against Chapman — said his stand on pensions raised cautionary flags.<br />“The one concern I had was his position on pensions,” Jacquet said. “With that being said, we five are the ones who are tasked with the responsibilty to make policy decisions. It does not matter what Mr. Chapman thinks about pensions.”<br />Commissioner Carney said he too asked Chapman about pensions. “He said his job would be to implement the views of the Commission.”<br />Mayor McDuffie raised two issues: That Chapman repeated several times that he would not “clean house,” which caused the mayor concern that “he doth protest too much” on the topic.<br />The mayor also described a second issue, which he said was a domestic dispute in which no charges were filed. Commissioners pointed out that the townspeople did not demand Chapman’s resignation and he remained in his position for 10 years after the situation.<br />The newly selected city manager has a master’s in planning from the University of Virginia and a Bachelors from Norfolk State University.<br />Chapman was among four candidates Commission brought in for interviews at the beginning of December. <br /> <br /><br /></p></div>Lantana: Savings wrought by new manager result in raiseshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-savings-wrought-by-new-manager-result-in-raises2012-11-29T15:53:43.000Z2012-11-29T15:53:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong><br /> <br />Taxpayers in Lantana will save about $1 million over the next nine years because the town is refinancing its water and sewer bonds.<br /> At its Nov. 26 meeting, the Town Council agreed to refinance the bonds with TD Bank for a principal amount not to exceed $4.5 million.<br /> In 1998, a $9.215 million bond was issued with a 3.6 percent interest rate and had risen to 4.65 percent. The refinanced rate will charge an annual interest of 1.48 percent. The bonds will mature in October 2021.<br /> Council members praised Town Manager Deborah Manzo, who was up for her annual evaluation during the same meeting, for ferreting out the savings, one of many ways she has found to cut costs since she was hired in April. <br /> Among her cost-saving achievements, according to Mayor Dave Stewart, Manzo restructured the lifeguard staffing, reduced a vacant police officer position from full-time to 30 hours, and is currently analyzing the town’s garbage and trash programs, anticipating savings of $50,000.<br /> Manzo also found a way to give city employees a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment. They hadn’t received merit raises since 2007.<br /> After taking turns praising her good work, the council voted to raise Manzo’s salary to $112,000 a year. Stewart had suggested a salary in the $108,000 to $112,000 range. <br /> Hired six months ago, Manzo stepped into former Town Manager Mike Bornstein’s $97,476 annual salary — about $20,000 less than she made as assistant city manager in Greenacres. <br /> Council member Lynn Moorhouse said Manzo’s cost savings measures had paid for her raises for five years or more. <br /> “I love her team attitude,” council member Phil Aridas said. “She brought a breath of fresh air to this town.”<br /> Council member Tom Deringer said Manzo had done “so much for the town, she deserved a raise of at least 10 percent.”<br /> The new salary is more in keeping with what managers make in comparable municipalities, Stewart said. <br /> Bornstein, who took a job as Lake Worth’s manager in April, had turned down pay increases in Lantana and actually reduced his salary during tight budget years, Stewart said. “If Mike got his reductions back and his 2 percent increases, we’d be in the range.”<br /> Manzo said she was surprised and pleased with the vote of confidence — and raise — she received. <br /> Her future pay increases aren’t likely to take such a large leap.<br /> Next year, whatever raise employees get, she will get, Stewart said. <br /><br /></p></div>Delray Beach: Harden hears plaudits for steady hand at helmhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-harden-hears-plaudits-for-steady-hand-at-helm2012-11-29T15:46:10.000Z2012-11-29T15:46:10.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960417497,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960417497,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="533" alt="7960417497?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>After 22 years, David Harden is stepping down as Delray Beach city manager. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Margie Plunkett</strong><br /> <br />Twenty-two years ago, before Delray Beach’s vibrant downtown emerged, the city was suffering from a civic inferiority complex. It “had Boca envy. We felt like we should be like them,” remembers City Manager David Harden. “Now, we see the reverse.”<br /> The turnaround in the city and the way residents view Delray Beach are some of the biggest changes here since Harden arrived in 1990 — and the city manager counts them among his greatest accomplishments in office. “To see that reversed in many ways gives me a great deal of satisfaction,” he said.<br /> “It involved a lot of people,” he said. “We’ve had good political leadership throughout that period and a lot of organizations — the DDA, Chamber of Commerce, Old School Square, all the different groups — working together.”<br /> Harden is preparing to retire in January after more than two decades leading Delray Beach’s staff. His long stint has also seen progress in the developing western portion of the city, a number of historic preservation projects come to fruition and city awards including All-American City and Florida Trend’s The Best Run Town in Florida designation.<br /> It hasn’t always been easy in a position that’s naturally scrutinized and often at the mercy of politics. Yet he has managed much more than to have merely survived. <br /> Harden attributes his career longevity to advice he received at the very start from Pete Knowles, who then had been city manager in Sanford for 20 years. That advice: “Be sure you always give all the commissioners the same information. Don’t socialize with commissioners. And don’t get emotionally involved with issues.”<br /> The second greatest accomplishment for the city and Harden, he said, has been seen in minority neighborhoods. “Many people felt hopeless about their neighborhoods” when Harden first came to Delray. “Now, there is a lot of positive feeling and optimism about what can be done.”<br /> Delray Beach additionally has benefited from Harden’s personal and professional passion for historic preservation.<br /> In 1994 he floated a historic house — built in 1926 — down the Intracoastal from its original lot near the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach to Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach. He still lives in the home with his wife, Andrea.<br /> Harden was honored in November for his part in preserving structures and areas of Delray Beach with the first David T. Harden Preservation Award.<br /> The Delray Beach Preservation Trust cited numerous projects, including creation of the West Settler District, growth and expansion of the Delray Beach Historical Society, restoration of Sandoway House Nature Center, the 1924 Franklin House on Northwest Fifth Avenue and the Spady Museum, and ensuring that new hurricane-resistant windows at Old School Square retained the building’s historic character.<br /> The trust also noted Harden’s advocacy of protections for the city’s five historic districts: Del Ida Park, Marina District, Nassau Street, West Settlers and Old School Square Historic Arts District.<br /> Like most public careers, Harden’s has had its contentious spells. In recent years, commissioners gave Harden a vote of no confidence for the handling of a resident’s complaints about Waste Management’s billing practices concerning garbage pickup. <br /> The issue was ultimately reviewed by Harden’s staff and the financial review board and resolved to the commission’s satisfaction, according to the city manager. What does Harden say of the vote against him? “It goes with the territory.”<br /> “One city planner I knew who was more cynical than I am, said, ‘If you’re in public life, your friends come and go. And your enemies accumulate,’ ” Harden said.<br /> Looking back further, Harden recalls about 2006 that the commission wasn’t happy with him over bond projects. Commissioners didn’t feel as if they had been adequately informed about the projects involved. “We probably had two commissioners who thought I should be fired,” Harden said.<br /> “We were supposed to build a community center at Congress and Lake Ida. It still hasn’t been built,” Harden said. “All the money available was used for other projects (by commissioners’ choice).<br /> “Each time a project went over budget, they were informed, but they said they didn’t realize the accumulated impact of the projects that went beyond,” Harden recalled.<br /> Harden survived, thanks in part to a Delray Beach requirement that city commissioners need a 4-1 majority to oust its manager. A recent commission debate on whether to make it easier to fire a city manager was as much a tribute to Harden as it was consideration of a change to Delray Beach’s charter.<br /> “I know for a fact that the continuity and consistency of vision here, pretty much passed on by Dave Harden, is a great deal of the reason why we’ve been able to change the other five people (commissioners) that sit up here and keep the course, keep the vision,” Mayor Woodie McDuffie said after an October public hearing. “The knowledge is here, the leadership here.”<br /> Public comment also echoed that sentiment. “We have great leadership and a fabulous city manager,” said resident Christina Morrison. “I can’t help think that 22 years of strong leadership put (Delray Beach) in this position. Thank you again, Mr. Harden, for all you do for us.”<br /> Two former mayors spoke at that hearing. “I, too, wish to thank Mr. Harden for his dedication and his hard work,” said Jay Halperin. “Tom (Lynch) and I are here — we hired him.”<br /> Among the most critical issues that the still-unknown new Delray Beach city manager will face are financial challenges that have persisted through development of the last five budgets — and while things are improving, they aren’t solved yet. <br /> Most recently, Harden said, “we had a budget gap that was plugged in ways that can’t be repeated in the future.” The new manager will have to find ways to balance the budget that don’t impede the city — while at the same time finding ways to sustain the city’s high level of performance and to continue to improve, he said.<br /> Harden has advice for the next city manager. <br />“They need to be sure we’re cultivating future commissioners, people involved enough in the city to know how it works and what’s going on,” he said.<br /> His successor should also be involved in maintaining a clear vision of the city. The city’s goals have been “remarkably consistent in its years of strategic planning,” Harden added, noting that it’s getting ready to start the Visions 2020 planning process.<br /> There is another concern, the city manager said. “There’s so much pressure to not raise the millage (tax rate) — to reduce the millage. You have to be very careful that you don’t get deferred millage and the city starts to deteriorate,” Harden said.<br /> When Hardens steps away, he said he will most miss working with the staff to find ways to improve. The city manager recalled the words of a recent speaker he’d heard: “Modern leadership isn’t command and control, but creating an atmosphere in which innovation can flourish. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Harden said. “That part I’ll miss.”<br /> He will be glad, on the other hand, to get away from the workload and have flexibility in his schedule, the city manager added.<br /> In retirement, his time will be spent on volunteer projects with his church and the Boy Scouts. Harden is an elder of the Suncoast Community Church and serves as chairman of the Osceola District, Boy Scouts of America, where in the past he has received the highest honors an adult scouting volunteer can win.<br /> Consulting work could occupy some of his time as well, and he may take up a suggestion that he write a book on downtown revitalization, a topic experienced both in Winter Park and Delray Beach.<br /> “There’s plenty to do,” Harden said.<br /> Born in Fort Pierce, Harden grew up in Okeechobee, and he earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory University in 1964 and a master of city planning from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1968.<br /> Before coming to Delray Beach, he served in the U.S. Navy. In 1977, he became city manager of Winter Park, where he stayed until moving to Delray Beach.<br /> Delray Beach will remain his home. He and Andrea have three sons. Their oldest son, Jeremy, 37, and three grandchildren live in Boynton Beach. Son Chad, 36, is in Tennessee, and Aaron, 32, is in Seattle.<br />“My wife says if we ever move, we have to keep a place in Florida,” Harden said. </p></div>Delray Beach: Candidates for city manager set for interviews this monthhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-candidates-for-city-manager-set-for-interviews-this-2012-11-29T15:43:21.000Z2012-11-29T15:43:21.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p>Five candidates have been selected to interview for the position of city manager, which will become vacant in January when David Harden retires after 22 years.<br /> The City Commission plans to bring the candidates in Dec. 6 and 7. Two alternates have also been selected.<br /> The candidates are Douglas Smith, who is an assistant city manager in Delray Beach; Steven Alexander, former town manager of Cutler Bay; Louie Chapman Jr., town manager of Bloomfield, Conn.; Paul White, interim community development officer of Riviera Beach; and Oel Wingo, a public sector management consultant in Reddick.<br /> Alternates are Larry S. Mitchell, former city manager of Lawton, Okla.; and Dennis Stark, a management consultant in Yerington, Nev. <strong><em> — Margie Plunkett</em></strong></p></div>Manalapan: Town commission delays vote on turtle lighting ordinancehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-town-commission2010-07-01T15:47:14.000Z2010-07-01T15:47:14.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">By Margie Plunkett</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Sea turtles will continue to nest in peace under county regulation after Manalapan
commissioners put off voting until year’s end on a turtle lighting ordinance
that moves control to the town. The proposed ordinance is expected to be
resurrected after seasonal residents begin to return.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The draft legislation has been postponed several times and earlier set off a furor
when Commissioner Howard Roder accused Mayor Tom Gerrard of personally
benefitting from the proposed ordinance he originated. The proposal was also
the impetus for written policy on who can request the town attorney to draft
ordinances, guidelines which haven’t yet been completed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The postponement at the June 22 commission meeting came on the heels of a
wide-ranging discussion among commissioners, residents and Palm Beach County
Department of Environmental Resource Management about the implications of
opting to move regulations that protect sea turtles to Manalapan’s
jurisdiction.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Lighting restrictions are in place during turtle season to ensure hatchlings can proceed
to the ocean without being distracted and disoriented by lights from homes on
and near the beach. Gerrard and others say that new county regulations are
unreasonably restrictive, even limiting lighting that can’t be seen from the
beach. Residents claim that the overly limited lighting poses a safety hazard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Manalapan’s ability to monitor coastal lighting and enforce compliance came into question,
as Commissioner William Bernstein, for one, reiterated his previously stated
doubts on the topic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">“One of my serious problems with the statute is that it would impose upon our town
the responsibility for compliance and I think we have a spotty history when it
comes to compliance,” said Bernstein, who was the only dissenter to the
proposed ordinance’s approval during a first reading vote in March. The
commissioner also feared the added duty would take resources away from the
Police Department’s primary duty of protecting residents.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Police Chief Clay Walker, however, said officers routinely patrol the beach at night on ATVs, and could add observation and detection of possible
lighting violations to the patrol, which would be far more frequent than the
county’s twice annual check.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">And Paul Davis of ERM also said with the proper training he believed the Police
Department’s efforts would be sufficient.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">But Town Manager Tom Heck wanted to study further whether Manalapan has the
resources to handle compliance before committing to it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Others argued against moving too hastily to take on an environmental responsibility
that could have a critical impact if not stewarded properly. “I’m not an
environmentalist,” said resident Basil Diamond, “but in light of what has
happened in the Gulf [of Mexico], when mankind is insensitive to the
environment, there are consequences.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Kathryn Diamond later added, “You have to look at the gulf. We could be the only coast
left with turtles.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Manalapan has had a good track record for nesting turtles, according to information from
Davis, who said there had been seven events of turtle disorientation, each of
which could involve from one to 100 hatchlings. The beaches here have provided
a good environment and above average nesting, he said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Opting out of county regulation of turtle lighting could also put at risk any funds
for beach projects, some argued, although they were countered by comments that
because Manalapan doesn’t have a public beach, it isn’t eligible for most funds
anyway.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Nine other towns have opted out, with eight of those in 1988, Davis said, adding, no
others have opted out since Juno Beach in 1992.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Since it was passed on first reading, the proposed turtle lighting ordinance has been
revised to address concerns by county and state regulators, residents learned
at the commission meeting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Revisions include that lights cannot be visible from the beach, altering phrasing that
they couldn’t be visible from the beach at a height of three feet, an attempt
to view lighting from a sea turtle’s perspective.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Other language was added to guard against the effects of indirect, as well as direct
lighting, reflecting what Davis of ERM said were growing concerns about the
impact of the glow from indirect illumination.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p></div>Manalapan: Proposed turtle ordinance still raising concernshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-proposed-turtle2010-06-03T15:44:39.000Z2010-06-03T15:44:39.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">By Margie Plunkett</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Manalapan commissioners welcomed new Town Manager Tom Heck with relief and a rapidly
growing to-do list. Heck’s first meeting opened with the mayor’s response to
accusations that he proposed a turtle protection ordinance for personal gain.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960296875,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Among Heck’s first responsibilities is drafting policy that governs how commissioners
initiate ordinances — a policy Commissioner Howard Roder called for at the
April meeting. At the same time, Roder accused Mayor Tom Gerrard of misconduct,
claiming that the mayor acted out of self interest when he proposed a recent
ordinance on turtle lighting. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">“People, I did nothing wrong,” said Gerrard at the May 18 meeting, defending himself
against the allegations. “I’m acting in my best faith in the interest of the
town. I hope the facts represent that.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The proposed ordinance would give Manalapan control of regulation of lighting that
protects sea turtles, taking it out of Palm Beach County’s hands. Roder
contends the impetus for the ordinance was work on Gerrard’s oceanfront
property, which included lighting and a fire pit. The proposed ordinance has
not been put to a second reading, but passed on first reading with one
dissenting vote, from Commissioner William Bernstein.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The mayor responded to the multiple issues concerning the work on his property that
Roder raised, pointing out that the town has never “established a formal
procedure for initiating ordinances” and that the town was absent a manager at
the time he proposed the turtle lighting ordinance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">He also said in his written response that it was while his personal work was under
way that he learned of a “new draconian county regulation” that amended
previous turtle protections and asked the town attorney to review whether
Manalapan could opt out of it. The mayor said his property improvements have
obtained all the necessary permits and approvals, awaiting only a final
electrical inspection. Gerrard said he submitted exhibits toTown Hall in his
defense and invited concerned residents to review them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">In the statement sent to commissioners, the mayor said, “I deeply resent having
been accused of misconduct for merely recommending the town consider expanding
its home rule authority to include town regulation of coastal lighting. This is
something that I believe is in the best interests of the town.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">After Gerrard’s comments, Bernstein said that while he opposed the turtle protection
ordinance, “I thought the way the response to your proposal spun out of control
was most unfortunate and embarrassing.” It suggested a political agenda, he
said, and “created a level of animosity that will be hard to get over. There
are very few people in here with such a pristine record that they could be
throwing stones at people for purported malfeasance.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Vice Mayor Kelly Gottlieb called for a public apology to the mayor.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Roder, however, said he stood by his facts — there would be no public apology.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Later in the meeting, commissioners voted to have Heck and attorney Trela White draft
policy governing how ordinances are initiated. During the meeting,
commissioners discussed the town manager as central to originating ordinances,
with emergency and policy issues possible exceptions to the process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Heck began work as town manager the week of May 17, a vacancy left when Greg Dunham
stepped down late last year. A retired military officer, Heck hails from Reno,
Nev., and has previously worked for El-Dorado County, Calif., as director of
general services; the Interwest Consulting Group in Northern California; city
of Reno as deputy director operations; and University of Southern California as
director of building and grounds. His educational credentials include a masters
of business administration, education specialist degree in human resource
development and a masters in public administration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Separately,</span> commissioners learned that total contributions for library renovations reached
$100,945.</span></p></div>Manalapan: New commissioner shakes up meeting with charges against mayorhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-new-commissioner2010-04-30T05:00:00.000Z2010-04-30T05:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div>By Margie Plunkett<br /><br />A newly elected commissioner claims Manalapan’s mayor was personally motivated to generate a turtle lighting ordinance and has called for a vote to charge the mayor with misconduct. <br />During the April 27 meeting, Commissioner Howard Roder voiced his concerns about the town’s process for initiating ordinances, noting Mayor Tom Gerrard instructed the town attorney, without the commission’s consent, to draft the turtle lighting ordinance, which would have placed the issue under town control. <br />Roder read his contentions from a document he distributed to Gerrard and fellow commissioners only moments before.<br />An aghast Gerrard defended his actions on the ordinance and during work on his beachfront property, when he said a state inspector first suggested Manalapan could opt out of county turtle lighting regulations. Gerrard noted “facts” in the document were not correct and reserved his full response pending further review of the claims. <br />“I have had no opportunity to review this at present,” Gerrard said. “Several of these things are incorrect. If I’m going to be censured or called, I certainly feel I should be given the opportunity to respond to this and clarify myths.”<br />The action underscored the changing character of the Manalapan Commission, which has been increasingly contentious since March when Roder and Louis DeStefano were elected to fill seats held by Peter Blum and Tom Thornton.<br />In response to Roder’s concerns about Manalapan’s process for initiating ordinances, the commission discussed establishing policy for instructing the town attorney to draw ordinances. Attorney Trela White protested that changing the process could mean a lengthy wait in adopting laws that sometimes need to be implemented quickly.<br />The panel ultimately postponed further discussion until the next meeting, after Commissioner Kelly Gottlieb commented: “Here we are fighting about something we’ve never had a problem with.”<br />The turtle lighting ordinance — which suggested lowering the test for the height at which light can be seen from the beach from 6 feet to 3 feet — was scheduled for a second reading vote at the April meeting, but was tabled until May 18 after the county Department of Environmental Resources Management raised concerns that “the proposed ordinance will weaken sea turtle protection and result in greater impacts from coastal lighting.” <br />ERM said the proposed ordinance does not include a building permit review process, includes language that is open-ended and may be difficult to enforce. Further, it said jurisdiction is not clearly defined and it allows for bulb types and wattages that will likely impact sea turtles. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Separately,</span> commissioners approved hiring landscape consultant Roy Rogers for $5,000 to produce a gallery of homes, a book of plantings and utility maps that would aid in planting in swales while still protecting the town’s utility infrastructure.<br />Commissioners also voted to resubmit their initial offer to town manager candidate Thomas Heck of Reno, Nev., in response to his counteroffer. Commissioner William Bernstein initially negotiated a handshake deal including an annual salary of $123,000, but commissioners back-pedaled at an early April meeting, re-offering $100,000. Heck countered with a proposal that was even higher than the first, including a salary of $127,000. Commission gave him a week to respond, and if he accepts, he would start May 17. <br /></div>Manalapan: Utilities, landscaping, turtle-sensitive lighting and signs occupy commissionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-utilities2010-04-01T16:27:49.000Z2010-04-01T16:27:49.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960294688,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Incumbent Robert Evans (left), who ran unopposed, is joined by new commissioners Howard Roder and Louis DeStefano. In Manalapan, 209 voters of a total of 353 registered voters, or 59.2 percent turned out for the March elections. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Photo by Jerry Lower</span></span><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">By Margie Plunkett</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Manalapan commissioners agreed to pay a company about $13,000 to locate and map utilities
throughout the town, paving the way for a plan that guides residents in
landscaping swales while protecting utilities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">With the utility mapping progressing, commissioners will also trek to
Lighthouse Point to view the work of a landscape consultant whom they are
considering contracting to provide expertise on plantings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Tomas Fernandez of High Tech Locating was contracted after the town
struggled for nearly two months in its internal attempt to locate and map water
pipes alone, devoting about $5,300 in salaries to the task. Fernandez’s work
may take up to 60 days.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The commission also generally agreed it was interested in hiring
landscape consultant Roy Rogers of Southeastern Consulting Group for up to
$1,000 to provide expertise on plantings. The panel thought it premature,
however, pending completion of utility mapping and their tour of Lighthouse
Point in Broward County.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;">In separate action</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;">, commissioners passed on first reading an ordinance that gives them hometown rule on turtle protection
in the face of increasingly strict county restrictions, according to Mayor Tom
Gerrard. The ordinance still
restricts lighting that can be seen from the beach, because it interferes with
turtle nesting. But the ordinance focuses on lighting that can be seen from a
height of 36 inches, rather than from the six feet the county requires.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Commissioners sent a sign ordinance to the zoning board to review after
residents and the real estate community complained that it forced them to place
real estate sale signs behind hedges and walls where they couldn’t be seen from
the street. The commissioners suspended enforcement concerning those signs
pending the review.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The process of hiring a town manager was progressing:</span> Commissioner William Bernstein was authorized to negotiate a contract in a pay range of $80,000 to $120,000 with
the No. 1 candidate for the job, who was interviewed along with two other
candidates in March. Commissioners ranked the candidates at the regular March
23 meeting and plan a discussion during an April 6 special meeting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Finance Director Linda Stumpf updated commissioners on the progress of a fundraising drive to refurbish the
town’s library. By March 23, resident contributions had reached $47,769.67. The
library committee is working on bids to replace the ceiling.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">“It’s very heartening that the community has responded as it has,” Mayor Gerrard said. “I commend everyone who’s
helped.”</span></p></div>MANALAPAN: Candidates narrowed to three for town managerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-candidates-narrowed2010-03-04T21:49:53.000Z2010-03-04T21:49:53.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div>Three town manager candidates, selected from about 300 resumes received in a search after Greg Dunham resigned from the job, will face Manalapan commissioners at a March 22 interview. Commissioners set a salary range of $80,000 to $120,000, but agreed that they could stretch higher or lower depending on the experience of the candidate when they finally make an offer. <br />Each candidate will be interviewed separately by the panel during a special meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a group lunch. Each commissioner will submit evaluations of the candidates and the results will be assembled at the commissioners’ regular meeting March 23. <br />The candidates are: Michael W. Alvis of Roanoke, Va., a vice president of ITT Corp., Anthony G. Otte of Lake Wales, former city manager for Lakes Wales; Ronald W. Stock of Lamar, Colo., city administrator of Lamar and a former Leesburg city manager. <br /><br style="font-style:italic;" /><span style="font-style:italic;">— Margie Plunkett</span><br /><br /></div>