Stirring city politics and putting the city manager’s job at risk is a report from Riviera Beach Mayor Ronnie Felder.
The report is a collection of complaints from 33 employees or former employees who agreed to air criticism of their managers in exchange for assurances they would not face retaliation.
However, the report does not offer the other side. The two bosses most prominently maligned, City Manager Jonathan Evans and his top lieutenant, Assistant City Manager Deirdre Jacobs, were not interviewed.
With Glen Spiritis replacing Julie Botel on the council, Evans’ grip on a 3-2 majority could be in jeopardy. The council agreed last week to hold a special meeting to discuss the report.
Felder acknowledged the report’s biggest shortcoming in a live Facebook recording he posted from his home.
READ MORE: 'It was covered up': Residents lash at Riviera Beach Council over water quality scandal
“Those folks (Evans and Jacobs) have the opportunity to come and clear their name,” the mayor said. “But I tell you this. There are 33 employees. And I refuse to believe that all 33 employees are telling a lie.”
Directing his comments to the workers, he said, “I want you to know I’m going to champion for you guys, right? If we’re gonna go down, I’m gonna go down with you. But we’re gonna go down fighting.”
The interviews, conducted by Felder and labor attorney Shana Bridgeman, describe cliques of employees “in the sandbox” under Jacobs’ control unfairly gaining advantage over employees “out of the sandbox,” or at odds with Jacobs.
Many said they complained directly to Evans but saw no change.
“Employees reported that the City Administration has created a culture of bullying, intimidation, retaliation, isolation, unfair treatment, fear and professional inefficiency,” the report said.
“The departments have issues because the people in the sandbox routinely skip over the chain of command and go directly to Deirdre Jacobs,” the report said. “She provides instructions or gives them directives which they carry out, without notifying their supervisors and department heads in the chain of command. Since the people in the sandbox are protected by Jacobs, they are often insubordinate to their superiors, because they know they will not be held accountable if their supervisors attempt to discipline them.”
Evans doesn’t stop it, the report said, citing employees who said he fears Jacobs because she had the support of the three women on the City Council: KaShamba Miller-Anderson, Shirley Lanier and Botel, now replaced by Spiritis.
Disturbing reports from the water plant
The infighting included harrowing accounts from the city’s troubled Utility Special District, which oversees a water treatment system that has drawn fines from health officials, vociferous complaints from residents and the recent removal of its director.
Felder said in his Facebook video that he expects another 151 violations from the Health Department.
The city is planning to spend $300 million on a new plant.
The water plant manager, Melvin Pinkney, complained that he is overwhelmed by the task of keeping the water plant operating.
“Melvin repeatedly stated that the responsibility to keep the plant running was his, and he felt extremely overwhelmed and overburdened with the responsibility,” the report said.
Others said Pinkney plays favorites and retaliates against them.
- One described “two malfunctioning lift stations that are spilling sewage at the beach.”
- Another said workers have to “rig stuff” themselves when equipment breaks to keep the plant running.
- Another said he advised against putting a well back online after just one clean sample, but Pinkney overruled him, “resulting in the recently publicized bacteria issue.”
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
