News

 By Tim O’Meilia
    
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.   
Taylor got good marks in sum from the individual council members, especially in dealing with employees, responding to council members’ requests and solving problems.
    “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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    Councilwoman Bonnie Fischer interviewed town employees about their relationship with Taylor — giving him good marks — and lauded him for his handling of seawall endangerment.
    “This was a good exercise for the town manager to officially understand what each of us is concerned about,” said Councilman Joseph Flagello.
    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.
    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.
    In other business at the March 12 council meeting:
    * 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.
    * 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.
    * 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.