Binder Articles on Tiki Bar and City of Riviera Beach in Palm Beach Post Newspaper July 19, 2012
Content
•
News Naked Negotiation in Riviera Beach
How a Riviera Beach official allegedly does business in a very warm climate
By Bob Norman Thursday, Jul 10 2008
Kyle T. Webster
Related Content
• Michael Goelz • Cedrick Thomas • Bob Gregory • Urban Planning • Economic Issues
Nightclub owner Michael Goelz says he received an unusual request from Riviera Beach Commissioner Cedrick Thomas when he requested a meeting about his plan to take over the city marina's popular tiki bar. It involved nudity, the businessman says. "He asked me, 'How much do you want to spend on the tiki bar?' " says Goelz, who has been aggressively pursuing the lucrative tiki bar lease with the city. "I told him north of $25,000 a month. When I said that, his eyes opened up like flying saucers, buddy. We exchanged cell phone numbers, and I suggested we meet at the Cracker Barrel."
This conversation allegedly took place in the city parking lot after a City Commission meeting in April. Goelz's offer was significantly higher than the city's deal with the current leaseholder of the Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina. "That's when [Thomas] said, 'We need to meet in a place where you're going to be able to get naked, so I can check to make sure you're not wearing a wire and we can talk about the tiki bar,'" Goelz says. Goelz, who owns Mr. G's Rock Bar & Grill in West Palm Beach, says he assumed the commissioner had illicit aims. And he says that he's heard such things before (in fact, Goelz served probation in a 1991 racketeering and unlawful-compensation case in Broward County). But Thomas, who's chairman of the city's community redevelopment agency, denies that he ever said anything about stripping down or a wire when he spoke with Goelz that night. He responds to the allegation with pique. "Why would I risk my life, my career, on somebody who is trying to do something in the city?" the 31-year-old politician and former cop asks. "I have one vote. You need at least three. I'm the one he feels like he can pull straws on right now, and after me it will be someone else. I'm very tired of this. Can you, one time, just one time, give the elected official the benefit of the doubt? Somebody stops me in the parking lot, I say yes I'll meet with him. I'm too accommodating because I'm trying to be fair, and all it does is get my name run through the mud. I know one thing: I am never going to talk to anyone ever again without someone else there to listen." Back to Goelz. The nightclub owner alleges that Thomas told him at the time that he would deny it if he told anybody about the request. He also says he's willing to take dueling polygraph tests with Thomas to prove he's the one telling the truth. "I want him to take a polygraph, and let it be the FBI's machine," Goelz says. "I'll be the first one to step up, baby. I'm not playing anymore. The gloves are off. I don't fucking care anymore." What about Thomas? He said he would take a polygraph, er, "if I have to." This is only the latest chapter in the strange and terrible saga involving the northern Palm Beach city's $2 billion-plus redevelopment plan for the public marina, a project that has drawn a substantial investment from local billionaire Wayne Huizenga and is expected to be one of the largest and most expensive waterfront projects in South Florida. The idea is to turn what is now essentially a poor city's blight into rich man's gold — and it has so far involved numerous lawsuits and failed attempts to wrest away homes through eminent domain.
Riviera Beach city government has been wracked with corruption and mismanagement throughout the process, leading to a state audit that, among myriad findings, discovered some dubious dealings at the city-leased tiki bar. The bar has long served as a sometimes-free watering hole for public officials at the same time the officials were giving the current tiki bar owner, Bob Gregory, a ridiculously sweet deal on the bar. He pays only $2,550 a month to rent 11,000 square feet of waterfront property on a popular part of the Intracoastal next to Peanut Island. I recently wrote that the city had likely lost $1 million on the deal during the past five years [see "Riviera Beach Sweetheart," May 22]. The city has since responded by altering the lease to make Gregory pay about $100,000 a year more on the lease. A vote is scheduled for July 16. But Goelz, as he allegedly told Thomas in the parking lot, claims he's willing to pay more than $25,000 a month for the lease — roughly twice what Gregory would pay under the proposed new terms of the contract. Any prudent city, obviously, would put the lease out to bid to get the best bang for the taxpayers' buck. Gregory has already made his mint, and if he's willing to pay as much as Goelz or anybody else, then he should be able to keep the lease. Otherwise, the city should go with the highest bidder. Gregory, meanwhile, hasn't proved to be a wholly above-board tenant. The city recently discovered that he violated city ordinances when he installed his deck and the band stage without obtaining any of the necessary permits.
...continued from page 1
Yet Thomas and a majority of his colleagues on the dais support the new contract with Gregory anyway. Neither Thomas, who has met with Gregory several times, nor any other commissioner has demanded that the tiki lease be put out for bids. "I'm not against that, but city staff hasn't proposed it," the commissioner says. The tiki bar, of course, is tied to the larger marina district redevelopment plan. Thomas recently voted to put out a request for proposal on that project. Considered the leading contender to win the contract is Viking Group, a politically connected yacht company in town. The company, in fact, was already selected for the project, but the plan was scuttled due to lawsuits involving eminent domain issues.
Kyle T. Webster
Two weeks ago, Thomas and the rest of the commission voted to abandon a little-used public street to Viking to assist in its development plans. A little-noticed catch: Thomas is financially connected to Viking. The commissioner owns a company called Cedrick's Charter Bus. One of that company's chief clients is the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy, a charter school founded and administered by Viking. Thomas says he runs two buses to and from the school every day for $97,000 a year, and he had worked for the school for two years before he filed to run for office. His voting on any matter related to Viking — which also donated the maximum $500 to his campaign — would seem to be a glaring conflict of interest, in violation of Florida laws. Yet Virlindia Doss, deputy executive director of the Florida Commission on Ethics, wrote Thomas an informal opinion late last year stating that it wasn't a conflict since Thomas' company received the checks rather than Thomas personally. It's an absurd opinion with no legal standing, making one question Doss' own competence (even the usually reserved Palm Beach Post, which reported on the opinion last year, called it "ludicrous.") Thomas' vote to abandon the public street for Viking stinks — and the idea that he might vote for his client to take over the multibillion-dollar redevelopment of the waterfront is odious. Thomas insists his financial connection to the company wouldn't affect his vote — and he says he plans to dissolve the charter service in the near future due partly to the high cost of gas. "People don't understand that I have to put out two buses, two drivers, and fuel," he says. "I have to do many other things in order to keep this contract. You try to do what you can for the city. I was an Explorer [Scout] for the fire department and police growing up. I became a police officer. I try to serve the city. That is it. I do not need anything personal from the city. I have always made my own money."
The fact remains, however, that the source of the money he's making is Viking. And that doesn't help his credibility on matters involving waterfront development, the tiki bar, or even strip searches.
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Thursday,
August
07,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
E.
COOPER
Jr.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
TIKI
OWNER
TO
PAY
MORE
AS
RIVIERA
EXTENDS
LEASE
The
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
will
continue
to
serve
up
beer
and
fish
under
its
hut
with
the
city
council's
unanimous
vote
Wednesday
to
extend
the
restaurant's
lease
for
three
years.
R.G.
Group
will
maintain
control
of
the
popular
restaurant
at
the
municipal
marina,
200
E.
13th
Street.
The
decision
ends
months
of
debate
over
whether
the
city
was
getting
the
best
deal
after
claims
that
council
members
were
friendly
with
owner
Bob
Gregory.
Those
allegations
prompted
councilwomen
Dawn
Pardo
and
Judy
Davis
to
acknowledge
they
received
campaign
contributions
from
Gregory.
Pardo
and
Davis
were
elected
in
March.
That
didn't
deter
their
support
for
renewing
the
lease.
"The
council
made
a
very
sound
decision
with
a
proven
operator
rather
than
going
with
someone
trying
to
ride
on
the
coattails
of
someone
else's
hard
work,"
said
Gregory's
attorney,
Wayne
M.
Richards.
Under
the
lease,
Gregory's
monthly
rent
will
rise
from
$2,637
to
$6,500.
He
also
agreed
to
pay
$7,000
in
utilities,
a
major
increase
over
the
$800
a
month
under
the
current
contract.
Richards
was
referring
to
businessman
Michael
Goelz,
who
has
lobbied
the
council
to
seek
bids
on
the
Tiki's
lease.
Goelz,
who
operates
a
suburban
West
Palm
Beach
rock
bar,
offered
to
pay
$22,500
a
month
in
rent
to
assume
the
Tiki's
lease.
But
the
council
balked
at
Goelz's
offer,
contending
that
Gregory
had
invested
more
than
$700,000
to
make
the
restaurant
what
it
is
today.
"My
issue
is
loyalty,"
said
councilman
Shelby
Lowe.
The
renewal
comes
as
the
city
is
soliciting
developers
to
redevelop
the
marina
and
surrounding
properties.
The
Marina
District,
as
it
has
been
dubbed,
covers
15
acres
between
the
Intracoastal
Waterway
and
Broadway.
The
plan
calls
for
leasing
the
marina;
revamping
Bicentennial
Park;
relocating
Newcomb
Hall,
a
community
center
used
for
public
gatherings;
and
taking
over
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
Although
the
Tiki
is
located
in
the
heart
of
the
Marina
District,
the
council
agreed
to
issue
a
separate
contract
for
the
restaurant.
Some
residents,
including
former
Councilwoman
Liz
Wade,
reminded
officials
that
Gregory
took
over
a
blighted
building
in
2003
and
turned
into
a
profitable
business.
"When
the
current
lessee
took
over
the
Tiki,
we
couldn't
give
away,"
said
Tony
Gigliotti,
chairman
of
the
Singer
Island
Civic
Association.
"Don't
penalize
the
current
lessee
because
he's
been
successful."
~
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
BUSINESS
UTILITY
COST
Tag:
0808070128
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Wednesday,
August
06,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
GRILL'S
LEASE
GOING
UP
FOR
VOTE
TONIGHT
Patrons
of
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
will
learn
today
whether
the
beer
and
fish
will
continue
to
flow
from
the
municipal
marina
as
the
city
council
considers
renewing
the
restaurant's
lease.
Renewing
the
three-‐year
lease
has
been
the
focus
of
controversy
because
some
residents
believe
the
city
isn't
charging
the
Tiki
enough
in
monthly
rent.
After
months
of
negotiations,
the
Tiki
and
the
city
settled
on
$6,500
a
month,
while
businessman
Michael
Goelz,
owner
of
Mr.
G.'s
Rock
Bar
and
Grill
in
suburban
West
Palm
Beach,
has
offered
to
pay
$22,000.
"I
thought
they
were
people
who
really
cared,"
said
Goelz,
who
has
remained
vocal
about
his
opposition
to
the
council's
refusal
to
put
the
lease
out
for
bid.
"I
am
in
a
position
to
offer
them
a
lot
more
than
they're
getting."
But
the
council,
which
meets
at
6:30
p.m.,
has
remained
firm
on
not
negotiating
with
Goelz
despite
his
offer.
They
contend
because
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory
has
put
up
to
$700,000
worth
of
improvements
into
the
property,
he
deserves
the
chance
to
remain
at
the
location,
off
13th
Street
north
of
the
port.
"When
we
really
needed
it,
the
Tiki
helped
our
marina,"
Councilwoman
Dawn
Pardo
said.
"We
have
more
business
at
the
marina
because
of
them."
In
2003,
Gregory
won
the
contract
to
open
the
Tiki.
He
turned
the
once-‐seedy
Manatee
Club
into
the
thriving
Tiki,
a
popular
hangout
for
locals
and
tourists.
His
lease
expired
in
December.
Since
then,
the
city's
been
charging
him
$2,637
a
month
in
rent.
Gregory's
attorney,
Wayne
Richards,
said
he
contacted
the
city
more
than
a
year
ago
to
start
talks,
but
the
contract
remained
in
limbo
until
recently.
-‐
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
COMMISSION
VOTE
BUSINESS
ISSUE
Tag:
0808060059
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Sunday,
July
06,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1C
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(C)
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
FIGHTS
'MYTHS'
ABOUT
WATERFRONT
REVAMP
Barely
two
weeks
into
the
job,
Ed
Legue
is
already
putting
out
fires
at
the
municipal
marina.
Legue,
who
became
marina
director
June
16,
is
beating
back
the
buzz
that
tenants
are
going
to
be
kicked
out
of
the
marina
to
make
way
for
the
city's
waterfront
redevelopment
plan.
A
week
ago,
the
city
council
voted
unanimously
to
solicit
developers
to
revamp
the
aging
marina
and
the
surrounding
10
acres
of
city-‐owned
property.
Missing
from
the
proposal
was
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill,
a
fixture
at
the
marina
since
2003.
The
council
agreed
to
remove
the
Tiki
from
the
deal
while
they
renegotiate
a
separate
contract
with
the
popular
restaurant
frequented
by
politicians.
The
contract
is
slated
to
come
before
the
council
at
its
July
16
regular
meeting.
With
the
removal
of
the
Tiki,
critics
charge
the
restaurant
is
getting
preferential
treatment
because
of
its
political
ties.
Councilwoman
Dawn
Pardo,
who
announced
her
council
candidacy
at
the
Tiki,
has
been
the
focus
of
recent
criticism.
Pardo,
the
council's
vice
chair,
responded
to
her
detractors
in
an
e-‐mail
last
week.
"I
purposely
removed
the
Tiki
from
the
RFP
(request
for
proposals)
document
because
I
want
to
be
certain
that
the
Tiki
pays
its
fair
share
to
the
City
of
Riviera
Beach,"
Pardo
wrote.
She
also
responded
to
charges
that
the
Tiki
is
getting
special
treatment
while
the
tenants
are
going
to
be
left
to
fend
for
themselves.
"The
language
in
the
(proposal)
makes
certain
that
the
proposer
does
not
come
in
and
clean
house,"
Pardo
said.
"We
will
make
sure
the
live-‐aboards
and
commercial
lessees
are
treated
fairly,
and
given
ample
time
should
they
need
to
be
temporarily
relocated
because
of
the
redevelopment
of
the
marina."
Pardo's
response
is
also
in
light
of
criticism
that
the
city
is
losing
money
on
the
current
Tiki
lease,
which
lapsed
in
December.
While
the
restaurant
has
upped
its
earnings,
the
city
receives
only
$2,637
a
month
in
rent,
plus
$800
in
utilities.
In
the
new
lease,
the
city
will
raise
the
rent
to
$6,000
a
month
and
charge
$5,000
a
month
in
utilities.
Tiki
officials
agree
with
the
monthly
rent
increase
but
want
to
pay
only
an
additional
$10,000
annually
for
utilities.
On
June
25,
city
building
officials
notified
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory
that
his
outdoor
deck
and
bandshell
were
built
without
a
permit.
Gregory
must
submit
a
site
plan
and
pay
a
fee
to
receive
a
proper
permit.
City
officials
are
also
aware
that
state
auditors
will
be
watching
the
Tiki
deal.
In
2006,
a
state
audit
raised
questions
about
the
city's
billing
practice
to
the
Tiki,
including
its
rental
of
dock
space.
In
another
instance,
the
city
overcharged
the
Tiki
for
rent
and
undercharged
the
restaurant
for
utilities
and
slip
fees,
according
to
state
auditors.
Auditors
also
found
that
the
Tiki's
monthly
rent
was
reduced
to
pay
for
$1,042
in
city-‐sponsored
lunches
at
the
restaurant.
There's
no
provision
in
the
Tiki's
lease
allowing
the
city
to
lower
rent
in
exchange
for
food
and
beverages,
auditors
concluded.
The
city
has
been
trying
to
redevelop
its
downtown
waterfront
since
1982.
A
series
of
plans
failed
because
the
council
couldn't
reach
agreements
with
developers.
In
2005,
the
council
picked
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties
to
redevelop
400
acres
along
the
Intracoastal
Waterway.
The
plan
called
for
a
hotel,
aquarium,
shops,
restaurants
and
condos.
But
it
was
quashed
when
state
lawmakers
made
it
illegal
for
governments
to
use
eminent
domain
to
take
private
land
and
give
it
to
developers.
The
city's
plan
relied
on
condemning
land
in
order
for
Viking
to
redevelop
the
400
acres.
Viking
plans
to
bid
on
the
marina
proposal.
The
New
Jersey
yacht
maker
already
owns
about
$50
million
worth
of
land
in
the
redevelopment
area.
Meanwhile,
the
lot
has
fallen
to
Legue
to
reassure
the
105
wet-‐slip
tenants
that
the
city
isn't
going
to
give
them
the
boot,
at
least
without
proper
notification.
All
of
them
have
month-‐to-‐month
leases
with
the
city.
Legue
has
written
a
letter
that
will
go
to
each
of
the
tenants,
explaining
their
rights
and
the
city's
process
in
pursuing
the
redevelopment
of
the
marina.
According
to
the
proposal,
the
council
plans
to
pick
the
developer
Sept.
9
and
hopes
to
have
a
signed
contract
detailing
the
development
by
Nov.
12.
Developers
must
come
up
with
a
plan
to
lease
the
marina,
overhaul
Bicentennial
Park
and
redo
Spanish
Courts,
a
former
motel
sitting
on
prime
land
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach
on
Broadway.
In
Legue's
letter
going
to
the
tenants,
he
estimates
it
will
take
until
June
2009
before
any
site
plans
are
finalized.
Then,
their
developer
will
have
to
pursue
permits,
which
could
take
another
few
months.
"What
I
can
say
with
confidence
...
is
that
the
ownership
of
the
marina
will
remain
with
the
city,"
Legue
wrote
in
a
letter
that
is
expected
to
reach
tenants
next
week.
"This
marina
will
remain
open
for
public
access
and
open
for
commercial
enterprises."
Community
Redevelopment
Agency
Executive
Director
Floyd
Johnson,
whose
office
is
overseeing
the
process,
reiterated
Legue's
pledge
to
tenants.
"We
certainly
don't
want
to
be
driving
away
tenants
that
are
going
to
be
necessary
for
a
successful
redevelopment,"
Johnson
said.
"We
will
make
every
effort
to
dispel
those
myths."
Johnson
also
said
the
tenants
must
prepare
for
some
period
of
relocation
while
the
marina
is
reconstructed.
However,
the
council
and
the
developer
will
work
on
a
time
frame
that's
fair
to
the
tenants,
he
said.
Despite
the
city's
promise,
the
tenants
are
a
tough
sell.
They've
been
waiting
for
years
for
the
city
to
upgrade
the
marina.
This
latest
plan
comes
a
year
after
tenants
and
the
city
battled
over
requiring
$1
million
in
insurance
for
boat
owners.
The
demand
forced
some
to
leave
because
their
boats
were
too
old
to
be
insured
and
coverage
was
costly.
Andrew
Foss
was
one
of
the
boat
owners
who
stayed.
Foss
lives
aboard
his
boat
and
was
active
in
helping
the
tenants
reach
a
settlement
with
the
city
that
reduced
the
insurance
requirement
to
$500,000.
He's
concerned
that
once
again,
the
tenants
are
going
to
be
forced
out
when
few
public
marinas
allow
live-‐aboards.
He
also
said
the
uncertainty
also
comes
when
boat
owners
are
spending
money
to
renew
their
insurance
policies.
"People
think
we're
going
to
get
the
short
end
of
the
stick,"
Foss
said.
"We've
got
to
get
people
together
so
we
can
do
some
fact
finding."
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
POLITICS
BEACH
CONSTRUCTION
RESTAURANT
Tag:
0807060280
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Sunday,
June
29,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1C
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(B&W)
&
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
TIKI
GRILL
LEASE
STIRS
CONTROVERSY
IN
RIVIERA
When
it
comes
to
political
watering
holes,
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
is
about
as
good
as
it
gets.
Many
city
council
campaigns
have
been
launched
under
the
hut-‐like
structure
at
the
municipal
marina.
Now
its
fate
rests
with
some
of
the
council
members
who
began
their
political
careers
at
the
Tiki.
The
council
will
vote
July
16
on
whether
to
renew
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory's
three-‐year
contract.
His
lease
lapsed
in
December,
and
he
has
been
paying
the
city
$2,637
in
rent,
plus
$800
in
utilities
month-‐to-‐ month.
Under
Gregory's
lease,
he
is
eligible
for
five,
three-‐year
contract
renewals.
But
the
council
must
approve
the
extensions.
His
attorney,
Wayne
M.
Richards,
said
he
contacted
the
city
about
a
year
ago
to
start
negotiations
for
a
renewal.
The
sides
have
met
several
times,
but
the
contract
remains
in
limbo.
"He
has
spent
a
lot
of
time
and
money
building
this
restaurant,"
Richards
said.
"We
view
ourselves
as
true
partners
with
the
city,
but
what's
happened
over
the
past
11
months
is
unacceptable."
The
city
has
been
reviewing
the
contract
for
possible
increases,
Assistant
City
Manager
Gloria
Shuttlesworth
said.
A
series
of
events,
including
the
council's
pulling
the
contract
from
the
December
agenda,
prolonged
the
process,
she
said.
"It's
not
like
it's
been
sitting
on
the
shelf,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
"We've
been
gathering
information,
calculating
the
utilities
and
going
over
the
security."
In
2003,
Gregory
took
over
a
seedy
spot
at
the
marina,
where
the
Manatee
Club
used
to
operate.
It
catered
to
a
rough
crowd,
and
city
officials
shut
it
down
because
of
unsanitary
conditions,
said
George
Carter,
the
city's
former
marina
director.
According
to
the
lease,
Gregory
had
to
invest
at
least
$100,000
in
upgrades.
Since
then,
that
figure
rose
closer
to
$400,000,
Richards
said.
But
critics
contend
that
the
city
is
losing
money
on
the
Tiki
deal,
given
its
success.
Some
competitors
want
the
city
to
open
the
contract
to
other
bidders.
"You
got
a
lot
of
people
who
want
to
bid
on
that
property,"
said
Michael
Goelz,
owner
of
Mr.
G's
Rock
Bar
and
Grill
in
West
Palm
Beach.
In
fact,
Goelz
wrote
a
report
contending
that
the
city
has
lost
up
to
$1
million
on
the
Tiki
contract.
He
alleges
the
monthly
rent
is
too
low
and
that
the
city
is
paying
too
much
of
the
Tiki's
utility
bill.
"The
people
on
the
council
are
going
to
sit
up
there
and
give"
Gregory
the
contract,
said
Goelz,
who
has
been
lobbying
the
council
to
open
the
contract.
It's
not
a
done
deal,
Shuttlesworth
said.
Both
sides
have
revised
their
financial
figures,
and
City
Manager
Bill
Wilkins
must
review
final
documents
before
it
goes
to
the
council.
"We
will
request
a
more
equitable
share
of
the
revenue
that
they're
going
to
bring
in,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
Gregory
is
willing
to
raise
the
rent
to
$6,000
a
month,
a
two-‐thirds
increase,
Richards
said.
H
also
has
offered
to
pay
$10,000
more
in
utilities,
which
more
than
doubles
his
$9,600
annual
fee,
Richards
said.
Meanwhile,
the
city
is
drafting
Gregory
a
letter
stating
that
his
utility
bill
will
rise
to
$5,000
a
month,
City
Attorney
Pamala
Ryan
said.
The
hike
comes
after
the
city
reassessed
the
Tiki's
use
of
water,
sewer
and
electricity,
she
said.
The
increase
could
pose
a
problem
for
the
city,
since
there
is
no
electrical
meter
dedicated
to
the
Tiki.
Also,
garbage
bins
are
scattered
throughout
the
marina,
making
it
difficult
to
measure
the
refuse
coming
from
the
Tiki.
The
Tiki's
contract
is
even
more
valuable
now
that
council
agreed
last
week
to
solicit
developers
to
rework
what
has
been
dubbed
the
Marina
District.
It
covers
15
acres
between
Broadway
and
the
Intracoastal
Waterway.
Although
the
Tiki
is
in
the
heart
of
the
Marina
District,
the
council
agreed
to
exclude
the
Tiki
from
the
redevelopment
proposal
and
issue
a
separate
contract
for
the
restaurant.
But
the
remaining
marina
tenants
didn't
get
such
a
status
and
risk
being
evicted
once
a
developer
is
picked.
The
Marina
District
is
the
first
project
to
emerge
from
the
community
redevelopment
agency's
new
master
plan,
which
was
rewritten
this
year.
The
plan
also
includes
overhauling
Bicentennial
Park,
moving
Newcomb
Hall,
a
city
community
center
used
for
public
gatherings,
and
taking
over
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
RESTAURANT
BEACH
CITY
DELAY
DECISION
Tag:
0806290113
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Wednesday,
June
25,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
OFFER
SUPREVISED
WATERFRONT
REDEVELOPMENT
PLAN
The
latest
plan
to
revamp
the
city's
fledgling
waterfront
asks
a
developer
to
lease
the
municipal
marina,
build
a
public
market
and
overhaul
an
often
vagrant-‐filled
Bicentennial
Park.
The
makeover
also
continues
a
block
south
to
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
on
prime
land
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
In
total,
the
city's
revised
proposal
consists
of
15
acres
of
parcels
between
the
Intracoastal
Waterway
and
Broadway.
It's
a
far
cry
from
the
failed
400-‐acre
plan
city
officials
issued
in
2005.
"We
still
think
the
redevelopment
of
Riviera
Beach
is
very
much
a
reality
that
can
be
achieved,"
said
Floyd
Johnson,
executive
director
of
the
city's
Community
Redevelopment
Agency.
City
officials
believe
the
Tiki
Seafood
Grill,
at
the
marina
on
13th
Street,
will
be
part
of
the
redevelopment,
Johnson
said.
The
Tiki's
lease
with
the
city
expired
in
2007.
There
are
two
possible
options:
the
city
could
renegotiate
a
new
lease
or
the
restaurant
could
team
up
with
a
developer
pursuing
the
project.
The
public
gets
its
first
peek
at
the
proposal
5:30
p.m.
today
at
the
CRA
meeting.
An
hour
later,
the
CRA
commission
will
switch
hats,
becoming
the
city
council
in
order
to
approve
the
redevelopment
board's
decision.
The
back-‐to-‐back
vote
is
necessary
for
the
plan
to
move
forward
with
the
blessings
of
the
CRA
and
the
city.
Developers
will
have
until
Sept.
2
to
submit
responses
to
the
plan.
A
week
later,
the
council
is
scheduled
to
pick
a
developer
and
start
negotiating
a
contract.
City
officials
hope
to
have
the
deal
finalized
by
Nov.
12.
The
proposal
is
Riviera
Beach's
latest
attempt
to
redevelop
its
waterfront.
City
officials
returned
to
the
drawing
board
last
year,
after
former
Mayor
Michael
Brown's
plan
fell
apart
due
to
a
series
of
factors
including
the
loss
of
eminent
domain
and
the
eroding
real
estate
market.
In
February,
the
Treasure
Coast
Regional
Planning
Council
rewrote
the
CRA's
master
plan,
changing
the
focus
from
a
large
project
overseen
by
a
master
developer
to
an
incremental
approach,
using
several
developers.
The
marina
proposal
is
the
first
project
to
emerge
from
the
new
master
plan.
"It's
a
significant
first
step,"
Johnson
said.
"We
hope
it
will
attract
a
number
of
serious
developers."
In
2005,
Riviera
Beach
officials
thought
the
city
was
well
on
its
way
to
turning
its
downtown
into
a
dazzling
waterfront.
That
September,
the
council
chose
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties,
a
New
Jersey
yacht
maker,
to
redevelop
400
acres
of
blight
into
shops,
restaurants,
condos,
a
hotel
and
aquarium.
The
plan
drew
the
likes
of
Wayne
Huizenga
Jr.,
who
went
on
a
land-‐buying
binge
of
properties
near
the
Intracoastal.
Huizenga
continues
to
hold
significant
land
holdings
in
the
redevelopment
area.
By
2006,
however,
the
Viking
plan
was
in
jeopardy
because
state
lawmakers
made
it
illegal
for
governments
to
use
eminent
domain
for
economic
purposes.
Unable
to
condemn
private
property
for
the
redevelopment,
the
city
couldn't
get
Viking
enough
land
to
do
the
project.
After
being
stalled
for
two
years,
the
city
and
Viking
finally
dissolved
the
master
developer
agreement
in
March.
Viking
must
now
compete
for
the
right
to
redevelop
the
marina,
despite
already
spending
some
$50
million
on
buying
land
throughout
the
former
redevelopment
area.
[email protected]
Keywords:
CITY
RB
WATER
AREA
Tag:
0806250067
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Saturday,
July
21,
2007
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
A
SECTION
Page:
1A
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(2
C
&
B&W)
&
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
THE
RIVIERA
BEACH
MUNICIPAL
MARINA
WAY
OF
LIFE
CITY
TO
BOATERS:
SHAPE
UP
OR
SHIP
OUT
Andrew
Foss
feels
as
if
the
city
is
trying
to
take
his
piece
of
paradise.
It's
a
place
where
suntans
abound
and
the
locals
have
nicknames
like
Puerto
Rican
Don.
And
after
a
hard
day's
work,
friends
share
beers
and
barbecue.
But
that
way
of
life
at
the
Riviera
Beach
Municipal
Marina
is
in
jeopardy.
Foss
and
317
of
his
fellow
boaters
have
received
letters
threatening
eviction.
Unless
they
can
prove
their
boats
are
properly
insured
and
registered
with
the
state
by
Aug.
31,
Foss
and
his
band
of
boaters
must
leave
the
marina.
That's
also
when
the
city
wants
to
make
all
marina
tenants
sign
a
new,
more
stringent
lease.
They
also
face
the
loss
of
the
barter
system,
under
which
some
marina
residents
can
reduce
their
monthly
lease
payments
by
providing
security,
janitorial
services
or
repairs,
or
boat
salvage.
City
officials
are
not
certain
the
work
is
actually
being
done.
The
changes
are
a
blow
to
a
typically
laid-‐back
lifestyle.
Residents
say
many
of
their
boats
are
too
old
to
be
insured.
And
without
the
barter
system,
some
cannot
afford
to
stay
at
the
marina.
"We
live
here,
and
we
have
a
vested
interest
in
what
goes
on
here,"
said
Foss,
whose
lease
is
about
$850
a
month
but
who
pays
about
$450
under
the
barter
system.
"We
agree
with
what
the
city's
trying
to
do
by
upgrading
the
marina.
We
just
don't
want
it
done
at
our
expense."
Don
"Puerto
Rican
Don"
Serrano,
who
has
lived
at
the
marina
off
and
on
since
the
1990s,
said
people
have
the
wrong
impression
of
marina
residents,
and
that
could
be
what's
behind
the
new
rules.
"We're
not
a
bunch
of
bums
sitting
on
our
boats
drinking
beer
all
day,"
Serrano
said.
"We're
working
stiffs,
blue-‐collar
people."
They
live
among
a
mix
of
commercial
boats
that
take
tourists
fishing
and
diving
and
ferry
them
to
nearby
Peanut
Island.
The
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill,
a
popular
Key
West-‐style
restaurant,
serves
as
the
marina
hub.
David
Bachiochi,
a
construction
superintendent,
cherishes
the
ability
to
work
on
land
and
live
on
the
water.
While
he
can
afford
insurance,
he
fears
that
some
neighbors
may
have
no
place
to
go.
"We
all
help
each
other
around
here,"
said
Bachiochi,
a
regular
at
the
Tiki.
"We
don't
lock
up
our
boats.
That's
the
way
we
live
around
here."
The
city
is
making
changes
after
conceding
that
the
marina
and
its
rules
have
long
been
neglected.
Assistant
City
Manager
Gloria
Shuttlesworth
said
the
goal
is
to
clean
up
the
marina,
make
it
more
profitable
and
reduce
the
city's
liability
for
derelict
boats
left
there.
But
Foss
and
his
friends
argue
that
the
changes
are
especially
unfair
because
they
come
in
the
middle
of
hurricane
season
when
it's
difficult
to
find
space
at
another
marina.
In
South
Florida,
few
public
marinas
allow
boat
owners
to
live
aboard
their
vessels
year-‐round.
Beyond
that,
they
believe
the
changes
are
just
a
tactic
to
rid
the
marina
of
smaller,
less
expensive
boats
to
make
way
for
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties,
the
city's
master
developer,
to
manage
the
marina
more
profitably.
Viking,
a
New
Jersey-‐based
yacht
maker
whose
local
offices
overlook
the
marina,
is
not
shy
about
wanting
to
take
control.
"Absolutely,"
said
Mike
Clark,
president
of
Viking
Associates,
the
yacht
maker's
real
estate
company.
"We
would
like
to
take
it
over
and
make
it
into
a
first-‐class
marina
with
all
the
bells
and
whistles."
Last
year,
Viking
took
steps
in
that
direction
when
it
hired
George
Carter,
the
city's
former
marina
director.
Carter,
who
worked
for
Riviera
Beach
for
42
years,
was
brought
in
to
operate
Viking's
charter
school,
the
Riviera
Beach
Maritime
Academy,
which
teaches
high
school
students
about
the
marine
industry.
Critics
suggest
that
Carter
was
hired
to
manage
the
marina
once
Viking
strikes
a
deal
with
the
city.
"Viking
is
pushing
the
city's
buttons,
and
the
city's
pushing
our
buttons,"
Serrano
said.
City
Manager
Bill
Wilkins
said
there
is
no
secret
plan
to
oust
the
marina
residents
to
make
way
for
Viking
and
its
yachts.
But
the
city
cannot
afford
to
wait
any
longer
to
upgrade.
"We
are
going
forward
with
our
improvements
because
our
marina
needs
to
be
improved,"
Wilkins
said.
"We're
not
slumlords.
We
want
a
first-‐class
marina."
Using
a
$5
million
grant,
the
city
plans
to
add
50
boat
slips,
bringing
capacity
to
200
boats.
The
extra
slips
will
produce
an
additional
$350,000
annually
in
marina
revenues,
city
officials
say.
Interim
marina
director
Doug
Mason
is
spearheading
the
effort.
Mason,
a
Boston
native
who
managed
marinas
there,
was
hired
in
December.
Mason
said
he
immediately
saw
the
potential
in
the
city's
marina,
which
generates
about
$2.3
million
annually.
However,
he
learned
early
that
he
inherited
a
lax
management
system,
in
which
some
boat
owners
failed
to
pay
their
monthly
leases
and
lacked
insurance.
Serious
problems
surfaced
March
15
when
two
boats
caught
fire,
causing
damage
to
two
others.
None
of
the
vessels
had
insurance,
and
the
damage
cost
the
city
about
$15,000,
Mason
said.
In
June,
two
more
boats
without
insurance
sank.
Riviera
Beach
paid
another
$10,000
for
boat
salvage
and
cleanup,
according
to
city
records.
That
prompted
Mason
and
City
Attorney
Pamala
H.
Ryan
to
revise
the
city's
marina
lease
agreements
and
enforce
the
existing
provision
that
requires
proof
of
insurance.
"These
derelict
boats
are
like
ticking
time
bombs,"
Mason
said.
"They
create
a
serious
hazard."
Mason
is
also
caught
up
in
controversy
over
the
barter
system.
Carter
started
the
system
in
the
1990s,
after
the
city
could
not
afford
to
pay
private
security
to
monitor
the
marina.
When
Mason
arrived,
nearly
20
people
were
working
on
the
barter
system.
Not
satisfied
that
work
was
being
done,
he
began
to
phase
out
certain
barter
jobs.
The
decision
made
Mason
the
focus
of
attacks
and
claims
that
he
was
targeting
black
workers.
Those
claims
led
to
an
investigation
by
the
city's
interim
attorney,
Glen
Torciva.
Lara
Donlon,
an
attorney
in
Torciva's
office,
interviewed
marina
staff
and
determined
that
Mason
had
not
made
racial
slurs.
But
the
probe
issued
a
list
of
recommendations
adopted
by
Wilkins
that
include
abolishing
the
barter
system
and
providing
training
for
marina
employees,
including
Mason,
on
harassment
and
discrimination.
Shuttlesworth,
who
is
Mason's
boss,
said
the
city
supports
him.
She
acknowledges
that
some
of
the
changes
he
instituted
produced
a
backlash.
"There
is
always
resistance
to
change
when
you're
making
people
more
accountable,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
One
of
Mason's
most
vocal
critics
was
marina
resident
Fane
Lozman,
an
activist
who
also
was
critical
of
Carter.
Lozman
said
Mason
does
not
meet
the
criteria
to
serve
as
interim
marina
director.
He
also
blasted
city
officials
at
a
recent
council
meeting
for
advertising
the
marina
director's
job
in
December
but
failing
to
interview
any
of
the
applicants.
Instead,
the
administration
kept
Mason
on
board.
Lozman,
who
beat
the
city
in
court
when
officials
attempted
to
evict
him
from
the
marina
last
year,
has
vowed
to
fight
to
keep
the
marina
public,
possibly
through
a
referendum.
"Just
like
we're
not
giving
away
our
public
beach,
we're
not
going
to
give
away
our
public
marina,"
said
Lozman,
referring
to
a
group
of
residents
who
stopped
a
$280
million
deal
to
lease
the
city's
beach
to
builder
Dan
Catalfumo.
Councilwoman
Lynne
Hubbard
has
offered
to
hold
a
meeting
at
the
marina
to
allow
boaters
to
vent
about
the
insurance
issue.
She
also
is
willing
to
invite
insurance
officials
to
discuss
what
options
are
available
to
boaters.
"I
want
to
help
them
find
out
enough
information
to
make
an
intelligent
decision,"
Hubbard
said.
Foss
and
his
friends
are
still
leery
of
the
city's
actions.
They
want
to
enjoy
their
lifestyle,
while
receiving
the
benefits
of
the
much-‐needed
improvements
that
the
city
plans
to
make
to
the
marina.
Foss,
who
works
on
the
barter
system
providing
security
and
bartending
at
the
Tiki,
said
time
will
reveal
the
city's
true
motives.
"This
place
has
a
heartbeat
of
its
own,"
he
said.
"This
is
our
slice
of
heaven,
and
they're
trying
to
take
it
away."
-‐
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
BOAT
AREA
CHANGE
Tag:
0707210218
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Tuesday,
June
26,
2007
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1B
Source:
By
ROCHELLE
E.B.
GILKEN
and
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writers
Illustration:
PHOTO
(B&W
&
C)
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
PRIVATE
LIFE
OF
OFFICIAL
IS
NEWS
Riviera
Beach
City
Councilman
Jim
Jackson
sat
quietly
Monday
morning
as
the
woman
he
claims
to
love
appeared
in
court
a
day
after
the
two
fought
at
his
Singer
Island
condominium.
Jackson's
43-‐year-‐old
girlfriend,
Barbara
McFadden,
wore
a
blue
jail
uniform
as
she
stood
before
County
Court
Judge
Paul
Moyle,
facing
charges
that
she
battered
the
70-‐year-‐old
councilman.
Moyle
released
McFadden
on
the
condition
that
she
have
no
contact
with
Jackson
and
only
return
to
his
condo
to
retrieve
her
belongings.
After
the
hearing,
Jackson,
cuts
still
visible
on
his
cheek,
lip,
forehead,
eyebrow
and
arm,
spoke
about
their
rocky
relationship.
His
chin
trembled,
tears
filled
his
eyes.
"I
still
love
her,"
Jackson
said.
"I
know
it
can't
continue
like
that.
I
thought
I
could
control
her.
...
This
is
the
end
of
it,
no
matter
how
I
feel."
Jackson's
personal
problems
surfaced
months
after
his
wife,
Geri,
died
in
November.
The
Wisconsin
natives
were
married
for
40
years
and
moved
to
Singer
Island
about
five
years
ago.
Some
residents
believe
that
Jackson
is
still
grieving
over
his
wife
and
suggest
that
his
judgment
might
be
"a
little
off"
when
it
comes
to
starting
new
relationships.
"Here's
a
guy
that
came
out
of
middle
America,
his
wife
of
40
years
dies,
and
he's
all
alone,"
said
Tony
Gigliotti,
chairman
of
the
Singer
Island
Civic
Association.
"I
think
he
got
lost,
and
he
may
have
picked
up
some
bad
company."
Jackson
surfaced
on
the
Singer
Island
political
scene
during
his
2006
bid
for
the
District
4
council
seat,
which
represents
Singer
Island.
The
retired,
blue-‐collar
worker
was
a
wise-‐cracking
candidate
who
often
proclaimed
to
have
gone
to
the
"School
of
Hard
Knocks,"
while
other
candidates
touted
their
college
degrees.
Initially,
few
thought
Jackson
had
a
chance
of
beating
former
city
Finance
Director
Dennis
Widlansky
for
the
seat.
But
Jackson
teamed
up
with
former
Mayor
Michael
Brown
and
then-‐candidate
Norma
Duncombe.
They
took
Jackson
under
their
wing
and
introduced
him
to
the
mostly
black
constituency
on
the
mainland.
Riding
on
their
coat
tails,
Jackson
narrowly
beat
Widlansky
by
29
votes.
In
his
15-‐month
council
tenure,
he's
abandoned
the
base
that
elected
him
and
has
been
courting
the
Singer
Island
vote
for
his
2008
reelection
bid.
He's
been
a
staunch
opponent
of
the
city's
$280
million
deal
to
have
builder
Dan
Catalfumo
redevelop
the
Ocean
Mall.
Jackson
supported
voters
who
beat
back
the
deal
by
amending
the
city's
charter
to
limit
the
Ocean
Mall
lease
to
50
years
and
keeping
buildings
on
the
11-‐acre
site
to
five
stories.
Brown,
who
was
ousted
in
March
after
serving
eight
years
as
a
pro-‐development
mayor,
said
Monday
that
he
warned
Jackson
to
protect
his
role
as
a
public
servant.
The
position,
he
said,
attracts
many
people
who
appear
to
be
friendly
but
only
want
to
exploit
the
position.
"I
hope
this
incident
will
cause
him
to
step
back
and
reevaluate
how
he
has
been
conducting
himself
and
who
his
friends
really
are,"
Brown
said.
McFadden
has
past
battery
and
resisting
arrest
charges
stemming
from
a
2005
incident,
according
to
records
from
the
state
attorney's
office.
She
pleaded
guilty
and
was
credited
with
time
served
after
spending
51
days
in
jail,
prosecutors'
records
show.
Jackson
said
the
two
first
met
at
Buddy's
Cafe
on
Singer
Island.
Buddy's
has
become
a
popular
political
spot,
and
in
March
four
council
newcomers
held
their
victory
party
there
after
ousting
the
incumbents.
Jackson
and
McFadden
started
dating
shortly
after
his
wife's
death.
Then,
they
lived
together
off
and
on.
According
to
Riviera
Beach
police
records,
McFadden
accused
Jackson
of
assaulting
her
on
May
7
after
going
to
the
emergency
room
at
Palm
Beach
Gardens
Medical
Center.
McFadden
tested
positive
for
cocaine
when
she
went
to
the
hospital.
She
told
a
doctor
she
also
used
other
narcotics,
a
police
report
states.
The
next
day,
Jackson
said,
McFadden
apologized
to
him
for
making
the
report,
and
the
two
reconciled.
But
on
May
23,
police
responded
to
Jackson's
Singer
Island
condo.
The
two
were
fighting,
and
McFadden
charged
that
Jackson
had
stepped
on
her
right
foot
and
hit
her
in
the
face.
McFadden
left
the
apartment
before
police
could
finish
the
investigation.
Police
noted
that
she
had
no
apparent
injuries
to
her
face
and
a
small
abrasion
on
her
foot.
Police
referred
this
case
to
the
state
attorney's
office
for
further
investigation
to
determine
if
Jackson
should
be
charged
with
simple
battery.
Prosecutors
declined
to
file
any
charges
and
closed
the
case
on
June
11,
said
Mike
Edmondson,
the
agency's
spokesman.
Charges
weren't
filed
because
Jackson
and
McFadden
were
considered
"mutual
combatants,"
Edmondson
said,
and
there
were
no
other
witnesses
to
testify
about
who
initiated
the
fight.
Their
relationship
became
volatile
again
over
the
weekend.
On
Saturday
night,
they
went
to
the
Tiki
Bar
at
200
E.
13th
St.
for
dinner
and
drinks
and
returned
home
around
10
p.m.,
Jackson
said.
But
by
5
a.m.
Sunday,
another
argument
ensued.
Jackson
told
police
he
was
in
bed
when
she
attacked
him,
cutting
his
face,
arm
and
back
with
her
nails
and
ring.
In
response,
Jackson
said
he
punched
her
twice
and
threw
her
off
the
bed,
causing
her
to
bang
her
head.
"When
I
hit
her,
she
fell
down
and
hit
her
head
on
the
end
table.
Otherwise,
she
would've
beat
me
to
death,"
he
said.
"What
was
the
fight
over?
I
don't
know,"
Jackson
said.
"She
wanted
money
for
something,
and
I
wouldn't
give
it
to
her."
Invariably,
he
said,
that
"something"
was
drugs.
He
couldn't
say
what
kind.
"I
don't
know,
the
stuff
they
smoke
in
the
pipe,"
he
said.
"I
was
trying
to
break
her
out
of
it."
McFadden
was
treated
for
minor
injuries
at
St.
Mary's
Medical
Center
and
Jackson
declined
medical
treatment.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Keywords:
CITY
RB
OFFICIAL
GOVERNMENT
VIOLENCE
SUSPECT
ARREST
CHARGE
ABUSE
Tag:
0706260208
==========================================================
All
content
herein
is
Copyright
Palm
Beach
Post
and
may
not
be
republished
without
permission.
News Naked Negotiation in Riviera Beach
How a Riviera Beach official allegedly does business in a very warm climate
By Bob Norman Thursday, Jul 10 2008
Kyle T. Webster
Related Content
• Michael Goelz • Cedrick Thomas • Bob Gregory • Urban Planning • Economic Issues
Nightclub owner Michael Goelz says he received an unusual request from Riviera Beach Commissioner Cedrick Thomas when he requested a meeting about his plan to take over the city marina's popular tiki bar. It involved nudity, the businessman says. "He asked me, 'How much do you want to spend on the tiki bar?' " says Goelz, who has been aggressively pursuing the lucrative tiki bar lease with the city. "I told him north of $25,000 a month. When I said that, his eyes opened up like flying saucers, buddy. We exchanged cell phone numbers, and I suggested we meet at the Cracker Barrel."
This conversation allegedly took place in the city parking lot after a City Commission meeting in April. Goelz's offer was significantly higher than the city's deal with the current leaseholder of the Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina. "That's when [Thomas] said, 'We need to meet in a place where you're going to be able to get naked, so I can check to make sure you're not wearing a wire and we can talk about the tiki bar,'" Goelz says. Goelz, who owns Mr. G's Rock Bar & Grill in West Palm Beach, says he assumed the commissioner had illicit aims. And he says that he's heard such things before (in fact, Goelz served probation in a 1991 racketeering and unlawful-compensation case in Broward County). But Thomas, who's chairman of the city's community redevelopment agency, denies that he ever said anything about stripping down or a wire when he spoke with Goelz that night. He responds to the allegation with pique. "Why would I risk my life, my career, on somebody who is trying to do something in the city?" the 31-year-old politician and former cop asks. "I have one vote. You need at least three. I'm the one he feels like he can pull straws on right now, and after me it will be someone else. I'm very tired of this. Can you, one time, just one time, give the elected official the benefit of the doubt? Somebody stops me in the parking lot, I say yes I'll meet with him. I'm too accommodating because I'm trying to be fair, and all it does is get my name run through the mud. I know one thing: I am never going to talk to anyone ever again without someone else there to listen." Back to Goelz. The nightclub owner alleges that Thomas told him at the time that he would deny it if he told anybody about the request. He also says he's willing to take dueling polygraph tests with Thomas to prove he's the one telling the truth. "I want him to take a polygraph, and let it be the FBI's machine," Goelz says. "I'll be the first one to step up, baby. I'm not playing anymore. The gloves are off. I don't fucking care anymore." What about Thomas? He said he would take a polygraph, er, "if I have to." This is only the latest chapter in the strange and terrible saga involving the northern Palm Beach city's $2 billion-plus redevelopment plan for the public marina, a project that has drawn a substantial investment from local billionaire Wayne Huizenga and is expected to be one of the largest and most expensive waterfront projects in South Florida. The idea is to turn what is now essentially a poor city's blight into rich man's gold — and it has so far involved numerous lawsuits and failed attempts to wrest away homes through eminent domain.
Riviera Beach city government has been wracked with corruption and mismanagement throughout the process, leading to a state audit that, among myriad findings, discovered some dubious dealings at the city-leased tiki bar. The bar has long served as a sometimes-free watering hole for public officials at the same time the officials were giving the current tiki bar owner, Bob Gregory, a ridiculously sweet deal on the bar. He pays only $2,550 a month to rent 11,000 square feet of waterfront property on a popular part of the Intracoastal next to Peanut Island. I recently wrote that the city had likely lost $1 million on the deal during the past five years [see "Riviera Beach Sweetheart," May 22]. The city has since responded by altering the lease to make Gregory pay about $100,000 a year more on the lease. A vote is scheduled for July 16. But Goelz, as he allegedly told Thomas in the parking lot, claims he's willing to pay more than $25,000 a month for the lease — roughly twice what Gregory would pay under the proposed new terms of the contract. Any prudent city, obviously, would put the lease out to bid to get the best bang for the taxpayers' buck. Gregory has already made his mint, and if he's willing to pay as much as Goelz or anybody else, then he should be able to keep the lease. Otherwise, the city should go with the highest bidder. Gregory, meanwhile, hasn't proved to be a wholly above-board tenant. The city recently discovered that he violated city ordinances when he installed his deck and the band stage without obtaining any of the necessary permits.
...continued from page 1
Yet Thomas and a majority of his colleagues on the dais support the new contract with Gregory anyway. Neither Thomas, who has met with Gregory several times, nor any other commissioner has demanded that the tiki lease be put out for bids. "I'm not against that, but city staff hasn't proposed it," the commissioner says. The tiki bar, of course, is tied to the larger marina district redevelopment plan. Thomas recently voted to put out a request for proposal on that project. Considered the leading contender to win the contract is Viking Group, a politically connected yacht company in town. The company, in fact, was already selected for the project, but the plan was scuttled due to lawsuits involving eminent domain issues.
Kyle T. Webster
Two weeks ago, Thomas and the rest of the commission voted to abandon a little-used public street to Viking to assist in its development plans. A little-noticed catch: Thomas is financially connected to Viking. The commissioner owns a company called Cedrick's Charter Bus. One of that company's chief clients is the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy, a charter school founded and administered by Viking. Thomas says he runs two buses to and from the school every day for $97,000 a year, and he had worked for the school for two years before he filed to run for office. His voting on any matter related to Viking — which also donated the maximum $500 to his campaign — would seem to be a glaring conflict of interest, in violation of Florida laws. Yet Virlindia Doss, deputy executive director of the Florida Commission on Ethics, wrote Thomas an informal opinion late last year stating that it wasn't a conflict since Thomas' company received the checks rather than Thomas personally. It's an absurd opinion with no legal standing, making one question Doss' own competence (even the usually reserved Palm Beach Post, which reported on the opinion last year, called it "ludicrous.") Thomas' vote to abandon the public street for Viking stinks — and the idea that he might vote for his client to take over the multibillion-dollar redevelopment of the waterfront is odious. Thomas insists his financial connection to the company wouldn't affect his vote — and he says he plans to dissolve the charter service in the near future due partly to the high cost of gas. "People don't understand that I have to put out two buses, two drivers, and fuel," he says. "I have to do many other things in order to keep this contract. You try to do what you can for the city. I was an Explorer [Scout] for the fire department and police growing up. I became a police officer. I try to serve the city. That is it. I do not need anything personal from the city. I have always made my own money."
The fact remains, however, that the source of the money he's making is Viking. And that doesn't help his credibility on matters involving waterfront development, the tiki bar, or even strip searches.
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Thursday,
August
07,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
E.
COOPER
Jr.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
TIKI
OWNER
TO
PAY
MORE
AS
RIVIERA
EXTENDS
LEASE
The
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
will
continue
to
serve
up
beer
and
fish
under
its
hut
with
the
city
council's
unanimous
vote
Wednesday
to
extend
the
restaurant's
lease
for
three
years.
R.G.
Group
will
maintain
control
of
the
popular
restaurant
at
the
municipal
marina,
200
E.
13th
Street.
The
decision
ends
months
of
debate
over
whether
the
city
was
getting
the
best
deal
after
claims
that
council
members
were
friendly
with
owner
Bob
Gregory.
Those
allegations
prompted
councilwomen
Dawn
Pardo
and
Judy
Davis
to
acknowledge
they
received
campaign
contributions
from
Gregory.
Pardo
and
Davis
were
elected
in
March.
That
didn't
deter
their
support
for
renewing
the
lease.
"The
council
made
a
very
sound
decision
with
a
proven
operator
rather
than
going
with
someone
trying
to
ride
on
the
coattails
of
someone
else's
hard
work,"
said
Gregory's
attorney,
Wayne
M.
Richards.
Under
the
lease,
Gregory's
monthly
rent
will
rise
from
$2,637
to
$6,500.
He
also
agreed
to
pay
$7,000
in
utilities,
a
major
increase
over
the
$800
a
month
under
the
current
contract.
Richards
was
referring
to
businessman
Michael
Goelz,
who
has
lobbied
the
council
to
seek
bids
on
the
Tiki's
lease.
Goelz,
who
operates
a
suburban
West
Palm
Beach
rock
bar,
offered
to
pay
$22,500
a
month
in
rent
to
assume
the
Tiki's
lease.
But
the
council
balked
at
Goelz's
offer,
contending
that
Gregory
had
invested
more
than
$700,000
to
make
the
restaurant
what
it
is
today.
"My
issue
is
loyalty,"
said
councilman
Shelby
Lowe.
The
renewal
comes
as
the
city
is
soliciting
developers
to
redevelop
the
marina
and
surrounding
properties.
The
Marina
District,
as
it
has
been
dubbed,
covers
15
acres
between
the
Intracoastal
Waterway
and
Broadway.
The
plan
calls
for
leasing
the
marina;
revamping
Bicentennial
Park;
relocating
Newcomb
Hall,
a
community
center
used
for
public
gatherings;
and
taking
over
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
Although
the
Tiki
is
located
in
the
heart
of
the
Marina
District,
the
council
agreed
to
issue
a
separate
contract
for
the
restaurant.
Some
residents,
including
former
Councilwoman
Liz
Wade,
reminded
officials
that
Gregory
took
over
a
blighted
building
in
2003
and
turned
into
a
profitable
business.
"When
the
current
lessee
took
over
the
Tiki,
we
couldn't
give
away,"
said
Tony
Gigliotti,
chairman
of
the
Singer
Island
Civic
Association.
"Don't
penalize
the
current
lessee
because
he's
been
successful."
~
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
BUSINESS
UTILITY
COST
Tag:
0808070128
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Wednesday,
August
06,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
GRILL'S
LEASE
GOING
UP
FOR
VOTE
TONIGHT
Patrons
of
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
will
learn
today
whether
the
beer
and
fish
will
continue
to
flow
from
the
municipal
marina
as
the
city
council
considers
renewing
the
restaurant's
lease.
Renewing
the
three-‐year
lease
has
been
the
focus
of
controversy
because
some
residents
believe
the
city
isn't
charging
the
Tiki
enough
in
monthly
rent.
After
months
of
negotiations,
the
Tiki
and
the
city
settled
on
$6,500
a
month,
while
businessman
Michael
Goelz,
owner
of
Mr.
G.'s
Rock
Bar
and
Grill
in
suburban
West
Palm
Beach,
has
offered
to
pay
$22,000.
"I
thought
they
were
people
who
really
cared,"
said
Goelz,
who
has
remained
vocal
about
his
opposition
to
the
council's
refusal
to
put
the
lease
out
for
bid.
"I
am
in
a
position
to
offer
them
a
lot
more
than
they're
getting."
But
the
council,
which
meets
at
6:30
p.m.,
has
remained
firm
on
not
negotiating
with
Goelz
despite
his
offer.
They
contend
because
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory
has
put
up
to
$700,000
worth
of
improvements
into
the
property,
he
deserves
the
chance
to
remain
at
the
location,
off
13th
Street
north
of
the
port.
"When
we
really
needed
it,
the
Tiki
helped
our
marina,"
Councilwoman
Dawn
Pardo
said.
"We
have
more
business
at
the
marina
because
of
them."
In
2003,
Gregory
won
the
contract
to
open
the
Tiki.
He
turned
the
once-‐seedy
Manatee
Club
into
the
thriving
Tiki,
a
popular
hangout
for
locals
and
tourists.
His
lease
expired
in
December.
Since
then,
the
city's
been
charging
him
$2,637
a
month
in
rent.
Gregory's
attorney,
Wayne
Richards,
said
he
contacted
the
city
more
than
a
year
ago
to
start
talks,
but
the
contract
remained
in
limbo
until
recently.
-‐
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
COMMISSION
VOTE
BUSINESS
ISSUE
Tag:
0808060059
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Sunday,
July
06,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1C
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(C)
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
FIGHTS
'MYTHS'
ABOUT
WATERFRONT
REVAMP
Barely
two
weeks
into
the
job,
Ed
Legue
is
already
putting
out
fires
at
the
municipal
marina.
Legue,
who
became
marina
director
June
16,
is
beating
back
the
buzz
that
tenants
are
going
to
be
kicked
out
of
the
marina
to
make
way
for
the
city's
waterfront
redevelopment
plan.
A
week
ago,
the
city
council
voted
unanimously
to
solicit
developers
to
revamp
the
aging
marina
and
the
surrounding
10
acres
of
city-‐owned
property.
Missing
from
the
proposal
was
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill,
a
fixture
at
the
marina
since
2003.
The
council
agreed
to
remove
the
Tiki
from
the
deal
while
they
renegotiate
a
separate
contract
with
the
popular
restaurant
frequented
by
politicians.
The
contract
is
slated
to
come
before
the
council
at
its
July
16
regular
meeting.
With
the
removal
of
the
Tiki,
critics
charge
the
restaurant
is
getting
preferential
treatment
because
of
its
political
ties.
Councilwoman
Dawn
Pardo,
who
announced
her
council
candidacy
at
the
Tiki,
has
been
the
focus
of
recent
criticism.
Pardo,
the
council's
vice
chair,
responded
to
her
detractors
in
an
e-‐mail
last
week.
"I
purposely
removed
the
Tiki
from
the
RFP
(request
for
proposals)
document
because
I
want
to
be
certain
that
the
Tiki
pays
its
fair
share
to
the
City
of
Riviera
Beach,"
Pardo
wrote.
She
also
responded
to
charges
that
the
Tiki
is
getting
special
treatment
while
the
tenants
are
going
to
be
left
to
fend
for
themselves.
"The
language
in
the
(proposal)
makes
certain
that
the
proposer
does
not
come
in
and
clean
house,"
Pardo
said.
"We
will
make
sure
the
live-‐aboards
and
commercial
lessees
are
treated
fairly,
and
given
ample
time
should
they
need
to
be
temporarily
relocated
because
of
the
redevelopment
of
the
marina."
Pardo's
response
is
also
in
light
of
criticism
that
the
city
is
losing
money
on
the
current
Tiki
lease,
which
lapsed
in
December.
While
the
restaurant
has
upped
its
earnings,
the
city
receives
only
$2,637
a
month
in
rent,
plus
$800
in
utilities.
In
the
new
lease,
the
city
will
raise
the
rent
to
$6,000
a
month
and
charge
$5,000
a
month
in
utilities.
Tiki
officials
agree
with
the
monthly
rent
increase
but
want
to
pay
only
an
additional
$10,000
annually
for
utilities.
On
June
25,
city
building
officials
notified
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory
that
his
outdoor
deck
and
bandshell
were
built
without
a
permit.
Gregory
must
submit
a
site
plan
and
pay
a
fee
to
receive
a
proper
permit.
City
officials
are
also
aware
that
state
auditors
will
be
watching
the
Tiki
deal.
In
2006,
a
state
audit
raised
questions
about
the
city's
billing
practice
to
the
Tiki,
including
its
rental
of
dock
space.
In
another
instance,
the
city
overcharged
the
Tiki
for
rent
and
undercharged
the
restaurant
for
utilities
and
slip
fees,
according
to
state
auditors.
Auditors
also
found
that
the
Tiki's
monthly
rent
was
reduced
to
pay
for
$1,042
in
city-‐sponsored
lunches
at
the
restaurant.
There's
no
provision
in
the
Tiki's
lease
allowing
the
city
to
lower
rent
in
exchange
for
food
and
beverages,
auditors
concluded.
The
city
has
been
trying
to
redevelop
its
downtown
waterfront
since
1982.
A
series
of
plans
failed
because
the
council
couldn't
reach
agreements
with
developers.
In
2005,
the
council
picked
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties
to
redevelop
400
acres
along
the
Intracoastal
Waterway.
The
plan
called
for
a
hotel,
aquarium,
shops,
restaurants
and
condos.
But
it
was
quashed
when
state
lawmakers
made
it
illegal
for
governments
to
use
eminent
domain
to
take
private
land
and
give
it
to
developers.
The
city's
plan
relied
on
condemning
land
in
order
for
Viking
to
redevelop
the
400
acres.
Viking
plans
to
bid
on
the
marina
proposal.
The
New
Jersey
yacht
maker
already
owns
about
$50
million
worth
of
land
in
the
redevelopment
area.
Meanwhile,
the
lot
has
fallen
to
Legue
to
reassure
the
105
wet-‐slip
tenants
that
the
city
isn't
going
to
give
them
the
boot,
at
least
without
proper
notification.
All
of
them
have
month-‐to-‐month
leases
with
the
city.
Legue
has
written
a
letter
that
will
go
to
each
of
the
tenants,
explaining
their
rights
and
the
city's
process
in
pursuing
the
redevelopment
of
the
marina.
According
to
the
proposal,
the
council
plans
to
pick
the
developer
Sept.
9
and
hopes
to
have
a
signed
contract
detailing
the
development
by
Nov.
12.
Developers
must
come
up
with
a
plan
to
lease
the
marina,
overhaul
Bicentennial
Park
and
redo
Spanish
Courts,
a
former
motel
sitting
on
prime
land
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach
on
Broadway.
In
Legue's
letter
going
to
the
tenants,
he
estimates
it
will
take
until
June
2009
before
any
site
plans
are
finalized.
Then,
their
developer
will
have
to
pursue
permits,
which
could
take
another
few
months.
"What
I
can
say
with
confidence
...
is
that
the
ownership
of
the
marina
will
remain
with
the
city,"
Legue
wrote
in
a
letter
that
is
expected
to
reach
tenants
next
week.
"This
marina
will
remain
open
for
public
access
and
open
for
commercial
enterprises."
Community
Redevelopment
Agency
Executive
Director
Floyd
Johnson,
whose
office
is
overseeing
the
process,
reiterated
Legue's
pledge
to
tenants.
"We
certainly
don't
want
to
be
driving
away
tenants
that
are
going
to
be
necessary
for
a
successful
redevelopment,"
Johnson
said.
"We
will
make
every
effort
to
dispel
those
myths."
Johnson
also
said
the
tenants
must
prepare
for
some
period
of
relocation
while
the
marina
is
reconstructed.
However,
the
council
and
the
developer
will
work
on
a
time
frame
that's
fair
to
the
tenants,
he
said.
Despite
the
city's
promise,
the
tenants
are
a
tough
sell.
They've
been
waiting
for
years
for
the
city
to
upgrade
the
marina.
This
latest
plan
comes
a
year
after
tenants
and
the
city
battled
over
requiring
$1
million
in
insurance
for
boat
owners.
The
demand
forced
some
to
leave
because
their
boats
were
too
old
to
be
insured
and
coverage
was
costly.
Andrew
Foss
was
one
of
the
boat
owners
who
stayed.
Foss
lives
aboard
his
boat
and
was
active
in
helping
the
tenants
reach
a
settlement
with
the
city
that
reduced
the
insurance
requirement
to
$500,000.
He's
concerned
that
once
again,
the
tenants
are
going
to
be
forced
out
when
few
public
marinas
allow
live-‐aboards.
He
also
said
the
uncertainty
also
comes
when
boat
owners
are
spending
money
to
renew
their
insurance
policies.
"People
think
we're
going
to
get
the
short
end
of
the
stick,"
Foss
said.
"We've
got
to
get
people
together
so
we
can
do
some
fact
finding."
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
POLITICS
BEACH
CONSTRUCTION
RESTAURANT
Tag:
0807060280
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Sunday,
June
29,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1C
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(B&W)
&
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
TIKI
GRILL
LEASE
STIRS
CONTROVERSY
IN
RIVIERA
When
it
comes
to
political
watering
holes,
the
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill
is
about
as
good
as
it
gets.
Many
city
council
campaigns
have
been
launched
under
the
hut-‐like
structure
at
the
municipal
marina.
Now
its
fate
rests
with
some
of
the
council
members
who
began
their
political
careers
at
the
Tiki.
The
council
will
vote
July
16
on
whether
to
renew
Tiki
owner
Bob
Gregory's
three-‐year
contract.
His
lease
lapsed
in
December,
and
he
has
been
paying
the
city
$2,637
in
rent,
plus
$800
in
utilities
month-‐to-‐ month.
Under
Gregory's
lease,
he
is
eligible
for
five,
three-‐year
contract
renewals.
But
the
council
must
approve
the
extensions.
His
attorney,
Wayne
M.
Richards,
said
he
contacted
the
city
about
a
year
ago
to
start
negotiations
for
a
renewal.
The
sides
have
met
several
times,
but
the
contract
remains
in
limbo.
"He
has
spent
a
lot
of
time
and
money
building
this
restaurant,"
Richards
said.
"We
view
ourselves
as
true
partners
with
the
city,
but
what's
happened
over
the
past
11
months
is
unacceptable."
The
city
has
been
reviewing
the
contract
for
possible
increases,
Assistant
City
Manager
Gloria
Shuttlesworth
said.
A
series
of
events,
including
the
council's
pulling
the
contract
from
the
December
agenda,
prolonged
the
process,
she
said.
"It's
not
like
it's
been
sitting
on
the
shelf,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
"We've
been
gathering
information,
calculating
the
utilities
and
going
over
the
security."
In
2003,
Gregory
took
over
a
seedy
spot
at
the
marina,
where
the
Manatee
Club
used
to
operate.
It
catered
to
a
rough
crowd,
and
city
officials
shut
it
down
because
of
unsanitary
conditions,
said
George
Carter,
the
city's
former
marina
director.
According
to
the
lease,
Gregory
had
to
invest
at
least
$100,000
in
upgrades.
Since
then,
that
figure
rose
closer
to
$400,000,
Richards
said.
But
critics
contend
that
the
city
is
losing
money
on
the
Tiki
deal,
given
its
success.
Some
competitors
want
the
city
to
open
the
contract
to
other
bidders.
"You
got
a
lot
of
people
who
want
to
bid
on
that
property,"
said
Michael
Goelz,
owner
of
Mr.
G's
Rock
Bar
and
Grill
in
West
Palm
Beach.
In
fact,
Goelz
wrote
a
report
contending
that
the
city
has
lost
up
to
$1
million
on
the
Tiki
contract.
He
alleges
the
monthly
rent
is
too
low
and
that
the
city
is
paying
too
much
of
the
Tiki's
utility
bill.
"The
people
on
the
council
are
going
to
sit
up
there
and
give"
Gregory
the
contract,
said
Goelz,
who
has
been
lobbying
the
council
to
open
the
contract.
It's
not
a
done
deal,
Shuttlesworth
said.
Both
sides
have
revised
their
financial
figures,
and
City
Manager
Bill
Wilkins
must
review
final
documents
before
it
goes
to
the
council.
"We
will
request
a
more
equitable
share
of
the
revenue
that
they're
going
to
bring
in,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
Gregory
is
willing
to
raise
the
rent
to
$6,000
a
month,
a
two-‐thirds
increase,
Richards
said.
H
also
has
offered
to
pay
$10,000
more
in
utilities,
which
more
than
doubles
his
$9,600
annual
fee,
Richards
said.
Meanwhile,
the
city
is
drafting
Gregory
a
letter
stating
that
his
utility
bill
will
rise
to
$5,000
a
month,
City
Attorney
Pamala
Ryan
said.
The
hike
comes
after
the
city
reassessed
the
Tiki's
use
of
water,
sewer
and
electricity,
she
said.
The
increase
could
pose
a
problem
for
the
city,
since
there
is
no
electrical
meter
dedicated
to
the
Tiki.
Also,
garbage
bins
are
scattered
throughout
the
marina,
making
it
difficult
to
measure
the
refuse
coming
from
the
Tiki.
The
Tiki's
contract
is
even
more
valuable
now
that
council
agreed
last
week
to
solicit
developers
to
rework
what
has
been
dubbed
the
Marina
District.
It
covers
15
acres
between
Broadway
and
the
Intracoastal
Waterway.
Although
the
Tiki
is
in
the
heart
of
the
Marina
District,
the
council
agreed
to
exclude
the
Tiki
from
the
redevelopment
proposal
and
issue
a
separate
contract
for
the
restaurant.
But
the
remaining
marina
tenants
didn't
get
such
a
status
and
risk
being
evicted
once
a
developer
is
picked.
The
Marina
District
is
the
first
project
to
emerge
from
the
community
redevelopment
agency's
new
master
plan,
which
was
rewritten
this
year.
The
plan
also
includes
overhauling
Bicentennial
Park,
moving
Newcomb
Hall,
a
city
community
center
used
for
public
gatherings,
and
taking
over
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
RESTAURANT
BEACH
CITY
DELAY
DECISION
Tag:
0806290113
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Wednesday,
June
25,
2008
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
3B
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
RIVIERA
OFFER
SUPREVISED
WATERFRONT
REDEVELOPMENT
PLAN
The
latest
plan
to
revamp
the
city's
fledgling
waterfront
asks
a
developer
to
lease
the
municipal
marina,
build
a
public
market
and
overhaul
an
often
vagrant-‐filled
Bicentennial
Park.
The
makeover
also
continues
a
block
south
to
Spanish
Courts,
a
cluster
of
former
motel
cottages
on
prime
land
just
north
of
the
Port
of
Palm
Beach.
In
total,
the
city's
revised
proposal
consists
of
15
acres
of
parcels
between
the
Intracoastal
Waterway
and
Broadway.
It's
a
far
cry
from
the
failed
400-‐acre
plan
city
officials
issued
in
2005.
"We
still
think
the
redevelopment
of
Riviera
Beach
is
very
much
a
reality
that
can
be
achieved,"
said
Floyd
Johnson,
executive
director
of
the
city's
Community
Redevelopment
Agency.
City
officials
believe
the
Tiki
Seafood
Grill,
at
the
marina
on
13th
Street,
will
be
part
of
the
redevelopment,
Johnson
said.
The
Tiki's
lease
with
the
city
expired
in
2007.
There
are
two
possible
options:
the
city
could
renegotiate
a
new
lease
or
the
restaurant
could
team
up
with
a
developer
pursuing
the
project.
The
public
gets
its
first
peek
at
the
proposal
5:30
p.m.
today
at
the
CRA
meeting.
An
hour
later,
the
CRA
commission
will
switch
hats,
becoming
the
city
council
in
order
to
approve
the
redevelopment
board's
decision.
The
back-‐to-‐back
vote
is
necessary
for
the
plan
to
move
forward
with
the
blessings
of
the
CRA
and
the
city.
Developers
will
have
until
Sept.
2
to
submit
responses
to
the
plan.
A
week
later,
the
council
is
scheduled
to
pick
a
developer
and
start
negotiating
a
contract.
City
officials
hope
to
have
the
deal
finalized
by
Nov.
12.
The
proposal
is
Riviera
Beach's
latest
attempt
to
redevelop
its
waterfront.
City
officials
returned
to
the
drawing
board
last
year,
after
former
Mayor
Michael
Brown's
plan
fell
apart
due
to
a
series
of
factors
including
the
loss
of
eminent
domain
and
the
eroding
real
estate
market.
In
February,
the
Treasure
Coast
Regional
Planning
Council
rewrote
the
CRA's
master
plan,
changing
the
focus
from
a
large
project
overseen
by
a
master
developer
to
an
incremental
approach,
using
several
developers.
The
marina
proposal
is
the
first
project
to
emerge
from
the
new
master
plan.
"It's
a
significant
first
step,"
Johnson
said.
"We
hope
it
will
attract
a
number
of
serious
developers."
In
2005,
Riviera
Beach
officials
thought
the
city
was
well
on
its
way
to
turning
its
downtown
into
a
dazzling
waterfront.
That
September,
the
council
chose
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties,
a
New
Jersey
yacht
maker,
to
redevelop
400
acres
of
blight
into
shops,
restaurants,
condos,
a
hotel
and
aquarium.
The
plan
drew
the
likes
of
Wayne
Huizenga
Jr.,
who
went
on
a
land-‐buying
binge
of
properties
near
the
Intracoastal.
Huizenga
continues
to
hold
significant
land
holdings
in
the
redevelopment
area.
By
2006,
however,
the
Viking
plan
was
in
jeopardy
because
state
lawmakers
made
it
illegal
for
governments
to
use
eminent
domain
for
economic
purposes.
Unable
to
condemn
private
property
for
the
redevelopment,
the
city
couldn't
get
Viking
enough
land
to
do
the
project.
After
being
stalled
for
two
years,
the
city
and
Viking
finally
dissolved
the
master
developer
agreement
in
March.
Viking
must
now
compete
for
the
right
to
redevelop
the
marina,
despite
already
spending
some
$50
million
on
buying
land
throughout
the
former
redevelopment
area.
[email protected]
Keywords:
CITY
RB
WATER
AREA
Tag:
0806250067
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Saturday,
July
21,
2007
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
A
SECTION
Page:
1A
Source:
By
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writer
Illustration:
PHOTO
(2
C
&
B&W)
&
MAP
(B&W)
Memo:
Did
not
run
MSL.
Dateline:
RIVIERA
BEACH
THE
RIVIERA
BEACH
MUNICIPAL
MARINA
WAY
OF
LIFE
CITY
TO
BOATERS:
SHAPE
UP
OR
SHIP
OUT
Andrew
Foss
feels
as
if
the
city
is
trying
to
take
his
piece
of
paradise.
It's
a
place
where
suntans
abound
and
the
locals
have
nicknames
like
Puerto
Rican
Don.
And
after
a
hard
day's
work,
friends
share
beers
and
barbecue.
But
that
way
of
life
at
the
Riviera
Beach
Municipal
Marina
is
in
jeopardy.
Foss
and
317
of
his
fellow
boaters
have
received
letters
threatening
eviction.
Unless
they
can
prove
their
boats
are
properly
insured
and
registered
with
the
state
by
Aug.
31,
Foss
and
his
band
of
boaters
must
leave
the
marina.
That's
also
when
the
city
wants
to
make
all
marina
tenants
sign
a
new,
more
stringent
lease.
They
also
face
the
loss
of
the
barter
system,
under
which
some
marina
residents
can
reduce
their
monthly
lease
payments
by
providing
security,
janitorial
services
or
repairs,
or
boat
salvage.
City
officials
are
not
certain
the
work
is
actually
being
done.
The
changes
are
a
blow
to
a
typically
laid-‐back
lifestyle.
Residents
say
many
of
their
boats
are
too
old
to
be
insured.
And
without
the
barter
system,
some
cannot
afford
to
stay
at
the
marina.
"We
live
here,
and
we
have
a
vested
interest
in
what
goes
on
here,"
said
Foss,
whose
lease
is
about
$850
a
month
but
who
pays
about
$450
under
the
barter
system.
"We
agree
with
what
the
city's
trying
to
do
by
upgrading
the
marina.
We
just
don't
want
it
done
at
our
expense."
Don
"Puerto
Rican
Don"
Serrano,
who
has
lived
at
the
marina
off
and
on
since
the
1990s,
said
people
have
the
wrong
impression
of
marina
residents,
and
that
could
be
what's
behind
the
new
rules.
"We're
not
a
bunch
of
bums
sitting
on
our
boats
drinking
beer
all
day,"
Serrano
said.
"We're
working
stiffs,
blue-‐collar
people."
They
live
among
a
mix
of
commercial
boats
that
take
tourists
fishing
and
diving
and
ferry
them
to
nearby
Peanut
Island.
The
Tiki
Waterfront
Sea
Grill,
a
popular
Key
West-‐style
restaurant,
serves
as
the
marina
hub.
David
Bachiochi,
a
construction
superintendent,
cherishes
the
ability
to
work
on
land
and
live
on
the
water.
While
he
can
afford
insurance,
he
fears
that
some
neighbors
may
have
no
place
to
go.
"We
all
help
each
other
around
here,"
said
Bachiochi,
a
regular
at
the
Tiki.
"We
don't
lock
up
our
boats.
That's
the
way
we
live
around
here."
The
city
is
making
changes
after
conceding
that
the
marina
and
its
rules
have
long
been
neglected.
Assistant
City
Manager
Gloria
Shuttlesworth
said
the
goal
is
to
clean
up
the
marina,
make
it
more
profitable
and
reduce
the
city's
liability
for
derelict
boats
left
there.
But
Foss
and
his
friends
argue
that
the
changes
are
especially
unfair
because
they
come
in
the
middle
of
hurricane
season
when
it's
difficult
to
find
space
at
another
marina.
In
South
Florida,
few
public
marinas
allow
boat
owners
to
live
aboard
their
vessels
year-‐round.
Beyond
that,
they
believe
the
changes
are
just
a
tactic
to
rid
the
marina
of
smaller,
less
expensive
boats
to
make
way
for
Viking
Inlet
Harbor
Properties,
the
city's
master
developer,
to
manage
the
marina
more
profitably.
Viking,
a
New
Jersey-‐based
yacht
maker
whose
local
offices
overlook
the
marina,
is
not
shy
about
wanting
to
take
control.
"Absolutely,"
said
Mike
Clark,
president
of
Viking
Associates,
the
yacht
maker's
real
estate
company.
"We
would
like
to
take
it
over
and
make
it
into
a
first-‐class
marina
with
all
the
bells
and
whistles."
Last
year,
Viking
took
steps
in
that
direction
when
it
hired
George
Carter,
the
city's
former
marina
director.
Carter,
who
worked
for
Riviera
Beach
for
42
years,
was
brought
in
to
operate
Viking's
charter
school,
the
Riviera
Beach
Maritime
Academy,
which
teaches
high
school
students
about
the
marine
industry.
Critics
suggest
that
Carter
was
hired
to
manage
the
marina
once
Viking
strikes
a
deal
with
the
city.
"Viking
is
pushing
the
city's
buttons,
and
the
city's
pushing
our
buttons,"
Serrano
said.
City
Manager
Bill
Wilkins
said
there
is
no
secret
plan
to
oust
the
marina
residents
to
make
way
for
Viking
and
its
yachts.
But
the
city
cannot
afford
to
wait
any
longer
to
upgrade.
"We
are
going
forward
with
our
improvements
because
our
marina
needs
to
be
improved,"
Wilkins
said.
"We're
not
slumlords.
We
want
a
first-‐class
marina."
Using
a
$5
million
grant,
the
city
plans
to
add
50
boat
slips,
bringing
capacity
to
200
boats.
The
extra
slips
will
produce
an
additional
$350,000
annually
in
marina
revenues,
city
officials
say.
Interim
marina
director
Doug
Mason
is
spearheading
the
effort.
Mason,
a
Boston
native
who
managed
marinas
there,
was
hired
in
December.
Mason
said
he
immediately
saw
the
potential
in
the
city's
marina,
which
generates
about
$2.3
million
annually.
However,
he
learned
early
that
he
inherited
a
lax
management
system,
in
which
some
boat
owners
failed
to
pay
their
monthly
leases
and
lacked
insurance.
Serious
problems
surfaced
March
15
when
two
boats
caught
fire,
causing
damage
to
two
others.
None
of
the
vessels
had
insurance,
and
the
damage
cost
the
city
about
$15,000,
Mason
said.
In
June,
two
more
boats
without
insurance
sank.
Riviera
Beach
paid
another
$10,000
for
boat
salvage
and
cleanup,
according
to
city
records.
That
prompted
Mason
and
City
Attorney
Pamala
H.
Ryan
to
revise
the
city's
marina
lease
agreements
and
enforce
the
existing
provision
that
requires
proof
of
insurance.
"These
derelict
boats
are
like
ticking
time
bombs,"
Mason
said.
"They
create
a
serious
hazard."
Mason
is
also
caught
up
in
controversy
over
the
barter
system.
Carter
started
the
system
in
the
1990s,
after
the
city
could
not
afford
to
pay
private
security
to
monitor
the
marina.
When
Mason
arrived,
nearly
20
people
were
working
on
the
barter
system.
Not
satisfied
that
work
was
being
done,
he
began
to
phase
out
certain
barter
jobs.
The
decision
made
Mason
the
focus
of
attacks
and
claims
that
he
was
targeting
black
workers.
Those
claims
led
to
an
investigation
by
the
city's
interim
attorney,
Glen
Torciva.
Lara
Donlon,
an
attorney
in
Torciva's
office,
interviewed
marina
staff
and
determined
that
Mason
had
not
made
racial
slurs.
But
the
probe
issued
a
list
of
recommendations
adopted
by
Wilkins
that
include
abolishing
the
barter
system
and
providing
training
for
marina
employees,
including
Mason,
on
harassment
and
discrimination.
Shuttlesworth,
who
is
Mason's
boss,
said
the
city
supports
him.
She
acknowledges
that
some
of
the
changes
he
instituted
produced
a
backlash.
"There
is
always
resistance
to
change
when
you're
making
people
more
accountable,"
Shuttlesworth
said.
One
of
Mason's
most
vocal
critics
was
marina
resident
Fane
Lozman,
an
activist
who
also
was
critical
of
Carter.
Lozman
said
Mason
does
not
meet
the
criteria
to
serve
as
interim
marina
director.
He
also
blasted
city
officials
at
a
recent
council
meeting
for
advertising
the
marina
director's
job
in
December
but
failing
to
interview
any
of
the
applicants.
Instead,
the
administration
kept
Mason
on
board.
Lozman,
who
beat
the
city
in
court
when
officials
attempted
to
evict
him
from
the
marina
last
year,
has
vowed
to
fight
to
keep
the
marina
public,
possibly
through
a
referendum.
"Just
like
we're
not
giving
away
our
public
beach,
we're
not
going
to
give
away
our
public
marina,"
said
Lozman,
referring
to
a
group
of
residents
who
stopped
a
$280
million
deal
to
lease
the
city's
beach
to
builder
Dan
Catalfumo.
Councilwoman
Lynne
Hubbard
has
offered
to
hold
a
meeting
at
the
marina
to
allow
boaters
to
vent
about
the
insurance
issue.
She
also
is
willing
to
invite
insurance
officials
to
discuss
what
options
are
available
to
boaters.
"I
want
to
help
them
find
out
enough
information
to
make
an
intelligent
decision,"
Hubbard
said.
Foss
and
his
friends
are
still
leery
of
the
city's
actions.
They
want
to
enjoy
their
lifestyle,
while
receiving
the
benefits
of
the
much-‐needed
improvements
that
the
city
plans
to
make
to
the
marina.
Foss,
who
works
on
the
barter
system
providing
security
and
bartending
at
the
Tiki,
said
time
will
reveal
the
city's
true
motives.
"This
place
has
a
heartbeat
of
its
own,"
he
said.
"This
is
our
slice
of
heaven,
and
they're
trying
to
take
it
away."
-‐
[email protected]
Keywords:
RB
BOAT
AREA
CHANGE
Tag:
0707210218
==========================================================
THE
PALM
BEACH
POST
Tuesday,
June
26,
2007
Edition:
FINAL
Section:
LOCAL
Page:
1B
Source:
By
ROCHELLE
E.B.
GILKEN
and
WILLIAM
COOPER
JR.
Palm
Beach
Post
Staff
Writers
Illustration:
PHOTO
(B&W
&
C)
Memo:
Ran
all
editions.
PRIVATE
LIFE
OF
OFFICIAL
IS
NEWS
Riviera
Beach
City
Councilman
Jim
Jackson
sat
quietly
Monday
morning
as
the
woman
he
claims
to
love
appeared
in
court
a
day
after
the
two
fought
at
his
Singer
Island
condominium.
Jackson's
43-‐year-‐old
girlfriend,
Barbara
McFadden,
wore
a
blue
jail
uniform
as
she
stood
before
County
Court
Judge
Paul
Moyle,
facing
charges
that
she
battered
the
70-‐year-‐old
councilman.
Moyle
released
McFadden
on
the
condition
that
she
have
no
contact
with
Jackson
and
only
return
to
his
condo
to
retrieve
her
belongings.
After
the
hearing,
Jackson,
cuts
still
visible
on
his
cheek,
lip,
forehead,
eyebrow
and
arm,
spoke
about
their
rocky
relationship.
His
chin
trembled,
tears
filled
his
eyes.
"I
still
love
her,"
Jackson
said.
"I
know
it
can't
continue
like
that.
I
thought
I
could
control
her.
...
This
is
the
end
of
it,
no
matter
how
I
feel."
Jackson's
personal
problems
surfaced
months
after
his
wife,
Geri,
died
in
November.
The
Wisconsin
natives
were
married
for
40
years
and
moved
to
Singer
Island
about
five
years
ago.
Some
residents
believe
that
Jackson
is
still
grieving
over
his
wife
and
suggest
that
his
judgment
might
be
"a
little
off"
when
it
comes
to
starting
new
relationships.
"Here's
a
guy
that
came
out
of
middle
America,
his
wife
of
40
years
dies,
and
he's
all
alone,"
said
Tony
Gigliotti,
chairman
of
the
Singer
Island
Civic
Association.
"I
think
he
got
lost,
and
he
may
have
picked
up
some
bad
company."
Jackson
surfaced
on
the
Singer
Island
political
scene
during
his
2006
bid
for
the
District
4
council
seat,
which
represents
Singer
Island.
The
retired,
blue-‐collar
worker
was
a
wise-‐cracking
candidate
who
often
proclaimed
to
have
gone
to
the
"School
of
Hard
Knocks,"
while
other
candidates
touted
their
college
degrees.
Initially,
few
thought
Jackson
had
a
chance
of
beating
former
city
Finance
Director
Dennis
Widlansky
for
the
seat.
But
Jackson
teamed
up
with
former
Mayor
Michael
Brown
and
then-‐candidate
Norma
Duncombe.
They
took
Jackson
under
their
wing
and
introduced
him
to
the
mostly
black
constituency
on
the
mainland.
Riding
on
their
coat
tails,
Jackson
narrowly
beat
Widlansky
by
29
votes.
In
his
15-‐month
council
tenure,
he's
abandoned
the
base
that
elected
him
and
has
been
courting
the
Singer
Island
vote
for
his
2008
reelection
bid.
He's
been
a
staunch
opponent
of
the
city's
$280
million
deal
to
have
builder
Dan
Catalfumo
redevelop
the
Ocean
Mall.
Jackson
supported
voters
who
beat
back
the
deal
by
amending
the
city's
charter
to
limit
the
Ocean
Mall
lease
to
50
years
and
keeping
buildings
on
the
11-‐acre
site
to
five
stories.
Brown,
who
was
ousted
in
March
after
serving
eight
years
as
a
pro-‐development
mayor,
said
Monday
that
he
warned
Jackson
to
protect
his
role
as
a
public
servant.
The
position,
he
said,
attracts
many
people
who
appear
to
be
friendly
but
only
want
to
exploit
the
position.
"I
hope
this
incident
will
cause
him
to
step
back
and
reevaluate
how
he
has
been
conducting
himself
and
who
his
friends
really
are,"
Brown
said.
McFadden
has
past
battery
and
resisting
arrest
charges
stemming
from
a
2005
incident,
according
to
records
from
the
state
attorney's
office.
She
pleaded
guilty
and
was
credited
with
time
served
after
spending
51
days
in
jail,
prosecutors'
records
show.
Jackson
said
the
two
first
met
at
Buddy's
Cafe
on
Singer
Island.
Buddy's
has
become
a
popular
political
spot,
and
in
March
four
council
newcomers
held
their
victory
party
there
after
ousting
the
incumbents.
Jackson
and
McFadden
started
dating
shortly
after
his
wife's
death.
Then,
they
lived
together
off
and
on.
According
to
Riviera
Beach
police
records,
McFadden
accused
Jackson
of
assaulting
her
on
May
7
after
going
to
the
emergency
room
at
Palm
Beach
Gardens
Medical
Center.
McFadden
tested
positive
for
cocaine
when
she
went
to
the
hospital.
She
told
a
doctor
she
also
used
other
narcotics,
a
police
report
states.
The
next
day,
Jackson
said,
McFadden
apologized
to
him
for
making
the
report,
and
the
two
reconciled.
But
on
May
23,
police
responded
to
Jackson's
Singer
Island
condo.
The
two
were
fighting,
and
McFadden
charged
that
Jackson
had
stepped
on
her
right
foot
and
hit
her
in
the
face.
McFadden
left
the
apartment
before
police
could
finish
the
investigation.
Police
noted
that
she
had
no
apparent
injuries
to
her
face
and
a
small
abrasion
on
her
foot.
Police
referred
this
case
to
the
state
attorney's
office
for
further
investigation
to
determine
if
Jackson
should
be
charged
with
simple
battery.
Prosecutors
declined
to
file
any
charges
and
closed
the
case
on
June
11,
said
Mike
Edmondson,
the
agency's
spokesman.
Charges
weren't
filed
because
Jackson
and
McFadden
were
considered
"mutual
combatants,"
Edmondson
said,
and
there
were
no
other
witnesses
to
testify
about
who
initiated
the
fight.
Their
relationship
became
volatile
again
over
the
weekend.
On
Saturday
night,
they
went
to
the
Tiki
Bar
at
200
E.
13th
St.
for
dinner
and
drinks
and
returned
home
around
10
p.m.,
Jackson
said.
But
by
5
a.m.
Sunday,
another
argument
ensued.
Jackson
told
police
he
was
in
bed
when
she
attacked
him,
cutting
his
face,
arm
and
back
with
her
nails
and
ring.
In
response,
Jackson
said
he
punched
her
twice
and
threw
her
off
the
bed,
causing
her
to
bang
her
head.
"When
I
hit
her,
she
fell
down
and
hit
her
head
on
the
end
table.
Otherwise,
she
would've
beat
me
to
death,"
he
said.
"What
was
the
fight
over?
I
don't
know,"
Jackson
said.
"She
wanted
money
for
something,
and
I
wouldn't
give
it
to
her."
Invariably,
he
said,
that
"something"
was
drugs.
He
couldn't
say
what
kind.
"I
don't
know,
the
stuff
they
smoke
in
the
pipe,"
he
said.
"I
was
trying
to
break
her
out
of
it."
McFadden
was
treated
for
minor
injuries
at
St.
Mary's
Medical
Center
and
Jackson
declined
medical
treatment.
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Keywords:
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