By Faran Fagen
Jamie Titcomb, South Palm Beach’s new town manager, follows a time-tested philosophy when he’s starting a project.
He believes in working with all parties involved to determine where everyone wants to be at the finish line, and then fills in the pieces one step at a time to reach the goal.
“I like to take each challenge as it presents itself,” Titcomb said. “Right now, I’m getting oriented and connecting the dots.”
Titcomb was hired under an unusual arrangement that made him a part-time town employee. He officially began June 5, replacing Robert Kellogg, who held the position since 2019 as a full-time employee.
At his first Town Council meeting on June 13, Titcomb made it clear that a major priority is to establish a new town center complex during his tenure. The town has been working toward this goal for several years.
“I’d like to bring this to fruition as soon as possible,” Titcomb said. “It’s about executing plans to get a new campus for the town. I’m excited to be part of that process.”
He said many residents have approached him about the need for a new Town Hall and community center at or near the site of the current Town Hall. At the council meeting, he said he has “an open-door policy” and welcomes feedback from everyone in South Palm Beach. “My focus is to move forward with administration and amenities that are good for the town and affordable for the town.”
Titcomb, 66, who lives in Atlantis, retired last year as manager in Loxahatchee Groves and said he wanted to serve as South Palm Beach’s manager as an independent contractor so he can spend more time with family. He agreed to a two-year arrangement in which he will work as a town employee for at least 20 hours a week, but no more than 25 hours per week, at $82 per hour. That roughly comes out to between $85,000 and $107,000 a year.
Titcomb was executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities from 1999 to 2011, town manager for Ocean Ridge from 2015 to 2019, and has served as manager in Melbourne Beach and North Palm Beach and as interim manager in Lake Park.
“I’m glad to be back in the saddle and working,” he said. “I’m very excited for the town to move forward.”
Another top goal for the town, he said, is a quick turnaround when it considers permits. Titcomb invited anyone to notify him if the town doesn’t respond in a timely manner — in which case he would work to make the process more expeditious.
“The systems of the town and customer service and ability to get stuff done is critically important,” he said. “There’s a lot of moving pieces and we need to know the status of the town and town finances. We want to run a well-run community.”
Mayor Bonnie Fischer and Titcomb discussed the importance of tackling the sea wall problem in South Palm Beach. The high tide has encroached upon the walls of some buildings in town.
“That’s in the top 10 of priorities to move forward on,” the mayor said. “It’s a problem that has gone on too long. Something must be done because we’re losing beach every day.”
Vice Mayor Bill LeRoy concurred.
“Those sea walls are going to leak and break over time,” LeRoy said. “We need to work together. Not see how much we can get out of each other, but how we can help each other because we’re in peril.”
Overall, the Town Council members were happy with Titcomb’s initial efforts.
“The transition is smooth as far as Jamie’s attitude and willingness to come in and pick up the pieces,” Fischer said.
In other business:
• The council voted to change the start time of the regular council meetings from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. to make it more convenient for condo managers and board presidents to attend.
• Fischer was chosen to attend the Florida League of Cities annual conference in Orlando in August. The conference provides educational opportunities for municipalities.
• The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported that the average vehicle speed for the previous month was 34.68 miles per hour, which it said is low for any municipality. The speed limit in South Palm Beach is 35 mph.
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