INSET BELOW: Beverly Brown
By Rich Pollack
The Highland Beach Town Commission unanimously voted last month to appoint interim Town Manager Beverly Brown to the position permanently.
Brown had served as the Highland Beach town clerk for eight years and had been interim town manager since January following the mutually agreed upon departure of former Town Manager Kathleen Weiser.
Replacing Brown as town clerk is Valerie Oakes, who was deputy town clerk for the past six years and who had served as interim town clerk since January. Brown and Oakes both received praise from commissioners.
“They’re both extremely qualified,” said Commissioner Lou Stern. “They’re a perfect fit for our staff because both have a very people-oriented management style.”
During a meeting in early April, commissioners approved a contract that provides for Brown to receive a salary of $127,000 per year, about $11,000 less than Weiser’s annual salary at the time of her departure. Brown, whose salary as town clerk was $91,780, will also receive a $600-a-month car allowance.
In a departure from contracts with previous town managers, Brown’s contract does not include severance pay. The contract also has a fixed expiration date of April 2017 and can be renewed only with approval of the Town Commission.
“I’m quite happy with this contract,” Commissioner Carl Feldman said. “I think it’s important that we promote from within.”
Both Feldman and Vice Mayor Bill Weitz said they felt that the new contract with Brown was more advantageous to the town than contracts with previous managers.
“This is fair to the employee and fair to the town,” Weitz said. “It’s fair and objective.”
Brown, a veteran of local government, began working as a city clerk in Shelton, Conn., in 1973, She was the clerk there for 29 years as the community grew from a small town of about 12,000 residents to a city of more than 50,000.
After moving to Florida’s west coast to be closer to family, she served as city clerk for the city of Seminole before becoming Highland Beach town clerk in 2002.
Brown says her focus as town manager is on ensuring a high level of communication between her office and town commissioners as well as with the town’s staff and with residents.
In replacing Brown as town clerk, Oakes says she will be working to maintain the high level of service the office has provided over the years.
“We truly believe in quality customer service,” she said.
Prior to becoming deputy town clerk, Oakes served as assistant to the town manager in Haverhill and also worked for the town of Royal Palm Beach.
She recently served as president of the Palm Beach County Municipal Clerks Association.
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