Pahokee’s April 23 City Commission Meeting went smoothly as far as conducting city business and displayed professional decorum. The agenda had 3 main items. This included a Proclamation - May 2024 as Mental Health Awareness and Trauma-Informed Care Month. The Consent Agenda items were to approve minutes from two previous meetings.

 

Next was the ORDINANCE 2024 - 01 (second reading) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF PAHOKEE, FLORIDA, AMENDING ARTICLE II, SECTION 2-29 ENTITLED “ORDER OF BUSINESS”. I contacted the Commission and City Leadership via email to provide the following recommendation:

 

“I am submitting this proposed language for ORDINANCE 2024 – 01 prior to second reading/final passage:

 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Comment is limited to three (3) minutes on one agenda item or five (5) minutes on two or more agenda items.

 

GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT: Members of the public may speak for up to three (3) minutes per meeting on any item not on the agenda.”

 

My proposed language/recommendation was not discussed at all. The city meeting also included several discussions and directions to the manager on many items under new business.

 

A major topic of the meeting not on the agenda but brought up during the Mayor’s Report at meeting mark 2:44:00 was the resignation of City Manager Rodney Lucas. Mayor Babb advised the public that Lucas’s resignation as city administrator would be effective May 11, 2024. The Manager’s resignation letter was dated April 10.

 

I have seen Pahokee go though many managers since 1999. Below is the list of former Pahokee City Managers that I have compiled. I am missing some time frames and the order of the service by said Managers may not be in correct sequence. I also may be accidently omitting Managers from this list:

 

Ken Schenck, served as Manager for 12 years

 

Lillie Latimore, served as Manager for 4 years and 6 months, August 2003 to January 2008

 

Vincent Finizio, served as Manager

 

Debra Palmer, served as Interim Manager

 

Matthew Brock, served as Interim Manager May 2008 to July 2010

 

Derreck Moore, served as Manager in 2014

 

Chandler Williamson, served as Manager for 6 years, 2016 to April 2021

 

Jongelene Adams, served as Interim Manager 3 times

 

Gary Brandenburg, served as Interim Manager

 

Greg Thompson, served as Interim Manager August 2021 - October 2021, Manager October 12, 2021 to April 2022

 

Rodney Lucas, served as Interim Manager June 2021 to August 2021 followed by April 12, 2022 to August 2022, Manager August 2022 to May 7, 2024

 

I think the high turnover of Pahokee’s municipal management has been detrimental to the city’s continuity of the Commission-Manager form of government. It is my belief that the constant revolving door of city managers has not been a good look publicly for the city. In my opinion, it also has a negative effect on city staff to not have stability in the city’s top administrator. It causes much uncertainty for city employees.

 

I was perplexed by the Commission’s vote 1-4 to have Jongelene Adams serve as Interim Manager. She should have been offered the Interim Manager position or better yet the Permanent Manager position that night. The whole manager conversation was longer and more complex than needed. The City Attorney stated at meeting mark 3:27:12, that “It is not typically done” to advertise for an Interim Manager.

 

The City Commission missed an opportunity at the meeting to put Pahokee on sound footing by not making Jongelene Adams the permanent manager. She has served as Interim Manager 3 times already. She is knowledgeable as she has also served as Deputy City Manager. She has experience and relationships with city staff, other government agencies, and the city’s contractors. Adams has also been the point person for many ongoing city projects. Any new person (from outside of the organization) brought in to be Interim or Permanent Manager of Pahokee will need 6 months to a year to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to effective as the city’s CEO. Any new outsider will have a learning curve to successfully deal with Pahokee’s current and future endeavors. To have a capable staff member who your organization has used 3 times prior to perform Interim Manager duties as well as served in the role of Deputy Manager be completely overlooked to be offered permanent City Administrator is a slap in the face. It not only shows ineffective oversight by the City Commission but makes other staff uncertain about their prospects within the organization.

 

The April 23 City Commission gathering was the second meeting that included the two new Commissioners. The topic of Interim/Permanent Manager in my view was the first big test for not only the novice Representatives but the full dais since the last Manager upheaval. In my humble opinion, Pahokee’s elected legislative body really fumbled this critical matter that could have lasting consequences for the town. I hope this manager’s resignation does not set Pahokee back yet again.

 

David J. Ruiz