[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6590780,"mediaKeyId","5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09","parentId",5609109,"title","Riviera Beach council debates fire department leadership structure; investigation separate from recruitment, officials say","audioSeconds",2643,"startMs",482000,"endMs",3125000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09&start=482&end=3125","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09/thumbnail_482000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590780/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Riviera-Beach-council-debates-fire-department-leadership-structure-investigation-separate-from-recruitment-officials-say","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590780-d9aab9e01e24f22d48fa06446257a3c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771094217&Signature=FOMAXBqDb7pk0ncBUcVVTw1zZqaWWCzvYzl~tZIKWD0ymjeXRJC9zpDzr-pTY5k6~8G4DLGBeyI3HYjd8I414ft-NztLBPfs9C7nZOcMPgLB~dkvSoZsO2ZE0V~m5Ngx1cCyd1UhCxHs2hfb5KQ3zAoKBRj40GZ32JChPU4BBJEDbS7OnYPp~36hc9a1UF1TAcTp0XPj2x~7t4cEYe96a256gvkTkpWKTn0d1YeokcBafTp58voy9OR3phWPKssCFR9ZmulkPEbL2CLXEAZydRW7cEKhqjq3D0DRdw5crCHJRJi5Uw8OIeZT9bybqq9g2QRKoB~sakDSoKz9BPWrxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Riviera Beach","date","2025-08-20T20:53:44.457Z","article","Riviera Beach council members discussed proposed changes to emergency‑services leadership Aug. 19, raising concerns about consistency between police and fire department hierarchies and the effect of an ongoing personnel investigation on promotions.

City Manager Jonathan Evans told the council the question before members was whether the city should adopt a more linear police‑style chain of command (chief → deputy chief → assistant chief) or the alternative proposed for fire, which would create two assistant chiefs with parity rather than a deputy and an assistant. Evans warned the board to avoid personnel discussions in public while an investigation remains open and said, if the council reconfigures titles so the two roles are peers, “the recruitment process would have to start over.”

Fire Chief John Curt confirmed allegations related to one senior fire‑department position are under investigation and said the department has not finalized a promotion while the probe continues. Curt summarized the department’s operational rationale for a reorganization as a desire for “span of control” and an incident‑command‑style matrix rather than a single linear chain of command.

Council members asked for consistency across emergency services and questioned whether differing structures would affect service levels. Councilmember Bruce Guyton said the city needs “consistency or justification in any varying structure, as it relates especially to emergency services.” Another council member raised concerns that a previously public campaign sought to block or derail the elevation of a particular fire official; the manager and chief said the investigation is distinct from any recruitment or promotion timeline and that staff would return with a recommended structure for the board to adopt.

What the meeting recorded

- The deputy chief position in the fire department has been vacant for over a year after the incumbent retired; the city previously had only a chief and deputy chief prior to later adding an assistant chief.
- The manager and fire chief said the department has requested a reorganization to create parity among two assistant chiefs to increase span of control; if the board adopts parity the recruitment process would restart for the affected positions.
- The investigation into allegations involving a senior fire official is ongoing and, per staff, is separate from the recruitment process.

No formal personnel action was taken during the workshop; council members asked staff to return with a clear recommendation and cautioned about public discussion of individual personnel matters.

Ending

Staff told the council the reorganization decision is a policy question for the elected board and that any filling of a senior seat will await completion of the investigation or a reconstituted recruitment process if the board changes titles.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget Workshop August 19, 2025 (entire meeting uninterrupted)","oneSentenceSummary","Riviera Beach council members discussed proposed changes to the fire department leadership Aug. 19, and staff said an ongoing personnel investigation is separate from any recruitment or promotion timeline.","taxTitle","Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",68132,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590775,"Barracuda Bay site, county agreement and pool plans surface in Riviera Beach police headquarters debate",249,2491000,2740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09&start=2491&end=2740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09/thumbnail_2491000.jpg","/articles/6590775/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Barracuda-Bay-site-county-agreement-and-pool-plans-surface-in-Riviera-Beach-police-headquarters-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590775-15fae57839647fe789532242df98f1ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771094217&Signature=hq6YqGXA2p3PvFIUr-oqmN-N5~QzQ9T54ZpP66h4Dwoojvaoj-GJBfAjhfD8ypo4jKhoMP0gGNbMpDtfPTqx2XwLp1A~gjksIQJutIpZuqOh3bCsw9oPYrZw3Gg0pr4PBinOlK1MkfV-loYUJWiLA86rVMm-SjsEwH8d6wiBdJ578b68WQvNOYyQAWS4l8un0bqVX3ZElAs2Z4APYyd7pPaEBeDsSFq~sAFhgFinQZlnLJZY-h0x7VX1VWmn0~XmFgaw5T69dpjaZ1aho63uu-3XIu0zRgMsby~JV2l~FehEJjla3nL4JsT7TXrOYGj8jqx~ir8irHOP7yL6Wxabsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council debate over siting the new Riviera Beach police headquarters at the Barracuda Bay parcel brought the city’s long‑running aquatic center issue into focus Aug. 19, with county‑contract constraints, community access concerns and interim swim‑service plans on the table.

The city manager, Jonathan Evans, told the council that county staff and the district’s county commissioner had raised concerns but also offered a possible path forward. County staff advised the city that ending the existing agreement tied to Barracuda Bay could trigger repayment of the roughly $1.5 million in bond proceeds used to build the facility; county officials also described a pathway used previously by other municipalities to hold a county contract in abeyance while the municipality builds a pool and then tack on the remaining years of the agreement once the new pool opens.

The county commissioner for the district, Powell, told the city he wanted a community meeting before supporting a change; Evans said staff is arranging that public conversation. The manager also said county staff had described at least one municipality that paid the full amount to exit an agreement, and that the county had in other cases put an agreement in abeyance while a municipality built a replacement facility.

Swim services and interim options

Parks Director Casey Young and capital projects staff outlined a multi‑pronged interim aquatics strategy to maintain access during a transition from Barracuda Bay to a new pool and to limit service gaps:

- Swim on the Go: partner with homeowners associations that already operate community pools and set up memoranda of understanding to deliver life‑safety swimming lessons locally.

- \"Residents to the Rapids\": a partnership framework to transport residents to regional commercial water parks (the Rapids) for larger‑scale aquatic opportunities and to supplement programming while a new municipal pool is constructed.

Young presented financial estimates showing the city currently operates Barracuda Bay at a small annual deficit; staff estimated running the facility would leave the city about $250,000 short in a typical year while a managed transition and partnerships would reduce that operating burden.

Council discussion and county negotiations

Some council members urged caution and said the city should not demolish Barracuda Bay or commit to a police headquarters at the site until the county’s legal and financial questions are resolved. Others argued the city needs to move forward with a consolidated municipal campus and that the Barracuda Bay parcel is the most viable location for a new police headquarters without purchasing expensive private land. Staff said they plan to bring an item to council for consideration Sept. 17 and to host a community meeting with county representatives to address the commissioner’s concerns.

Ending

City staff recommended a cautious path: pursue community outreach with the county, explore possible abeyance or buy‑out options the county has used previously, and implement interim aquatic partnerships while design work and negotiations proceed. No final decision to demolish or abandon Barracuda Bay was made during the workshop.","Council debate over siting the new Riviera Beach police headquarters at Barracuda Bay put the county agreement for the aquatic center and interim pool plans at the center of the Aug. 19 budget workshop.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590770,"Riviera Beach lays out ambitious road, parks and City Hall campus plans; school district land‑swap remains unsettled",8249,1307000,9556000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09&start=1307&end=9556","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09/thumbnail_1307000.jpg","/articles/6590770/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Riviera-Beach-lays-out-ambitious-road-parks-and-City-Hall-campus-plans-school-district-landswap-remains-unsettled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590770-3cb53edf9acec62226e9cf70e33e4f05/orig.mp4?Expires=1771094217&Signature=OPFvJiBR63Lwjzy9HDDKJI2TL9nkwlHQuHMEWfDjPFwDBnDQGZdevLM1DOtuG35JxDHYswNsOk6oOJgwm84iXbOxmEj06DEV425jWLhw6BYW2VwILLwlB7tYuRzjspzwZpaMLBwnP3POzf4FNZ5N4HHGlo4MoZbO9YbSo5ZLH2Q4Bc~kN7JLIN1D3WCi1Os3drAaQFBg6mEuiV8kNjM3WC9wPWCZAYpDoB6qybmIbluHOvQ~CyjpX279lVpha29FwXuRdL5Md5eh8o~vKSEwkjKgCVbrK38H1cVPG~3uoqsDDI4bACykwfoKypq0Vuk51BPTGOkZGhFgOX7vQF~smA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff used the budget workshop Aug. 19 to present an extensive program of road, park and civic facility investments that would reshape the city’s central corridors and municipal campus — but several items depend on negotiations and additional council direction.

Roads and infrastructure

The capital projects administrator and the finance director walked the board through a data‑driven “worst‑first” road program that scores water, sewer, drainage, pavement, curb & gutter and sidewalks across the city’s roughly 80 miles of roads. Staff said a full corrective program (replacing utilities and rebuilding pavements across the city) would total roughly $478 million; the next‑phase program presented for council consideration would include roughly $135 million in new road construction and a planned mill‑and‑overlay program.

Staff gave district‑level examples: District 1 showed about $26 million in prioritized work; District 2 — which includes long‑deferred streets in Park Manor North and South and Lakeview Park — was listed at about $65 million; other districts carry similarly large price tags. City staff flagged coordination between road work and utility district projects so the city can avoid tearing up newly repaired streets when the utility district installs intercoastal crossings and force mains.

Parks, pools and recreation

The parks director reviewed the 2022 parks master plan and a shorter five‑year implementation schedule. Major items include Brooks Playground, the Callaway Park reconstruction (with community charrettes to define a final program), upgrades at Sadie McCrae and Schultz parks, and a municipal beach concept with entry plaza, signage and amenity improvements. Staff reiterated the interim aquatics strategy (MOU partnerships, Residents to the Rapids and transportation) while the city pursues a longer‑term pool solution.

City Hall, library and school district talks

The city has an active City Hall campus solicitation that covers multiple parcels, including the existing city hall site and other city‑owned land near Blue Heron. Staff said two developer proposals are under review by PFM and that an executive summary is forthcoming; council direction will be sought at the September or October meetings.

Library options: staff said expanding the current library on North Congress would add approximately $17 million to that site; alternatively the library could be incorporated into a new City Hall campus, but building the library as part of a City Hall campus would roughly double that cost and raise questions about how to repurpose or sell the existing library parcel.

School district land‑swap proposal: the manager reported ongoing negotiations with the School District about a 4‑acre conveyance that could allow Inlet Grove High School to shift and would, in return, give the city four acres at the Callaway campus for parks and athletics. Evans said the district had signaled it was “in favor of moving forward” with a partnership concept that could include school funding (the district committed roughly $5 million toward a gymnatorium on the school side). Staff cautioned the council that no land‑swap has been authorized; any conveyance will require explicit approvals and contractual protections before the city commits bond proceeds or capital funds to facilities on property not yet conveyed.

Council direction and next steps

Council members asked staff to clarify whether the city would accept a leased site versus acquiring property outright for major capital projects. Several council members urged caution and asked staff to secure firm, legally binding conveyances prior to committing large capital sums. Staff said they would return with the PFM report on the City Hall solicitation, bring forward design contracts for park projects (Callaway design contract expected in September), and continue negotiations with the school district and county as requested.

Ending

Staff framed the package as multi‑year and contingent on financing, CRA participation and successful negotiation of intergovernmental agreements. Council members asked for clearer policy direction on whether the city should build civic facilities on leased versus owned land and for a formal presentation of the PFM solicitation review in the fall.","Staff presented a multi‑year roads plan, parks master projects and a City Hall campus solicitation linked to potential property transfers with the School District. Road reconstruction needs were estimated in the hundreds of millions; a proposed 4‑acre land swap with the school district is still under negotiation and not authorized.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":91,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590785,"Riviera Beach presents $553 million five-year utility capital plan; water plant, well field and crossings highlighted",863,2170000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5609109-7f21b75ab54918c06da65d401b35bf09&start=1307&end=2170","/articles/6590785/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Riviera-Beach-presents-553-million-five-year-utility-capital-plan-water-plant-well-field-and-crossings-highlighted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590785-605c4cd365851d7c757d485705dc7f4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771094217&Signature=V7jGU~RbzxQbYEU5rnfEMAzg-UJyN-erp7Fc5nTpCOfaean6m8DIhfWwRq3Fr0AOTupmX9SfDp3~DaKePNtk32bvsdzFuMGZdC2FMqQrZWeVS7JuCJT9cdYxdfNEBwYxZcSjvsuPtt5pkZWUohAk6lFhSDQ6w70e6aBMroSnkd29UG2R8lADQuc7~lZ0UZZkS5PvZxRxHrj3GgKa69de8UxeyJr9ZqUsDfG9vEyY2~k4mOoxdI4I1jBK55Z4~eHHm~7YTquTzu~bki7dPvao3grVzkVdGoFzk7JGun3KCNLXmsfIgmTrOJd5WXz1MlMYcA5vEaHFXlJF5CsancH5eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Riviera Beach city officials presented the proposed FY2026 five‑year capital improvement plan on Aug. 19, focusing on large utility projects including a new water treatment plant, rehabilitation of well fields and several intercoastal pipeline crossings.

The city manager, Jonathan Evans, told the council the package flows from the “reimagine Riviera Beach” initiative and that the city and Utility Special District have prioritized “addressing some of our ailing infrastructure” in the presentation to the board. Chief Financial Officer Randy Sherman summarized the five‑year stacks: about $142.2 million in general‑government projects currently in process and roughly $186 million recommended across five years; on the utility side staff listed about $472 million of projects underway and roughly $552–553 million across the five‑year horizon, which includes financing previously authorized for the water treatment plant.

Why it matters: the utility investments affect drinking‑water treatment, sewer conveyance and storm resiliency across the city and Singer Island. Several projects are already under design or in procurement and carry both construction cost and schedule risk.

What staff described

- Water treatment plant: the water plant remains the program’s centerpiece. Staff and the city's owners’ representative said a final guaranteed maximum price (GMP) package will be subject to review; the contractor team said it will deliver a full GMP package to the city in September and acknowledged the city should expect review activity to continue through late 2025 with a final GMP likely around December–January.

- Well‑field rehabilitation and controls: staff said the city operates 28 surficial wells and has two more being drilled. The utility director, Joshua Neiman, said a comprehensive well‑field master plan and follow‑up rehabilitation contracts are planned, with a target procurement for well‑field rehab and controls in January 2026. The plan includes immediate actions to increase quantity and a longer program to address water quality and transmission line condition.

- Pretreatment / micro‑filtration debate: the utility director described a course that combines well rehabilitation with plant pretreatment; the city’s owners’ representative, Nigel Grace (Brown and Carville, owners rep), relayed a recent cost estimate that adding the pretreatment package would add “approximately $28,000,000” to the project. Neiman said rehabbing wells in parallel might reduce or eventually remove the need for that pretreatment, but the owners’ rep said water‑quality improvements could not be guaranteed within the plant’s schedule and recommended proceeding with pretreatment as a near‑term mitigation.

- Intercoastal crossings and force mains: Neiman described an intercoastal water main and force main crossing project sized to serve Singer Island and to replace older, exposed lines. He put the crossing’s five‑year cost at about $14.5 million and said design is under way; staff anticipates construction and completion by December 2027. A related C‑17 and M Canal subaqueous crossing was noted as grant funded and under contractor mobilization in September 2025 with completion projected by August 2026.

- Lift Station 47: staff labeled Lift Station 47 one of the district’s most critical and oldest lift stations. Neiman estimated about $16.2 million for rehabilitation plus roughly $6.2 million for emergency generator work; the project will require updated design because building codes have changed and staff expects preliminary design in November 2025 and construction procurement in the spring of 2026.

- Marina and permitting constraints: the marina phase 4 project was shown at $22.3 million across the five years and remains vulnerable to permitting (seagrass mitigation) and schedule risk.

Funding, schedule and next steps

Sherman and Neiman walked the council through the capital stack: a mix of bonds (utility financing), grants, renewal & replacement contributions and pay‑as‑you‑go sources. Sherman said the district has bond capacity in the five‑year forecast and that renewal/replacement funding targets about $71 million over five years to sustain plant and system assets. Staff outlined a sequence of procurements: intercoastal solicitation targeted in mid‑2026, Lift Station 47 procurement in spring 2026, the well‑field rehabilitation contract around January 2026, and a final GMP for the water plant expected around December 2025–January 2026 depending on the review timeline.

What the council asked

Council members pressed staff on whether well rehabilitation could remove the need for the $28 million pretreatment package and on schedule slippage for the GMP; staff answered that well rehabs should proceed in parallel but could not promise pretreatment would become unnecessary within the plant’s procurement schedule. The owners’ representative advised prudence in assuming quick water‑quality gains.

Ending

Staff recommended proceeding with parallel paths: continue design and GMP review for the water treatment plant while contracting a well‑field master plan and targeted rehabilitation work and advancing the intercoastal crossings and Lift Station 47 design work. The board was scheduled to receive additional budget and procurement detail at upcoming budget hearings and in USD monthly updates.","City staff and the Utility Special District reviewed the FY2026 five‑year capital improvement program, emphasizing the new water treatment plant, intercoastal water/wastewater crossings, Lift Station 47 rehabilitation, well‑field work and a contested $28 million pretreatment estimate for micro/ultrafiltration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Riviera Beach council debates fire department leadership structure; investigation separate from recruitment, officials say

Barracuda Bay site, county agreement and pool plans surface in Riviera Beach police headquarters debate

Riviera Beach lays out ambitious road, parks and City Hall campus plans; school district land‑swap remains unsettled

Riviera Beach presents $553 million five-year utility capital plan; water plant, well field and crossings highlighted