Riviera Beach council approves outside counsel for six employees named in mayor’s inquiry

The Riviera Beach City Council on Feb. 25 authorized the city manager to retain external independent legal counsel to prepare a supplemental review on behalf of six employees who were named in Mayor Ronnie L. Felder’s July 2024 inquiry into employee complaints and a climate survey. The council approved up to $65,000 for the work and set a 45-day completion target.

Council members and staff framed the vote as an attempt to give named employees an opportunity to respond and to close lingering questions about the earlier report. Councilperson Shirley Lanier moved the measure; Councilperson Kishaba Miller Anderson seconded it. During the roll call Lanier, Miller Anderson, Councilperson Glenn Spiritus and Chairperson Douglas Lawson voted yes and the motion passed.

The supplemental work will be limited to the six employees who asked to supplement the record: City Manager Jonathan Evans; Assistant City Manager Deirdre Jacobs; Lydia Franks; Cedric Clark; Adam Brody; and Anita Jenkins, according to council discussion. City Attorney Wynne said that contract terms would bar the retained counsel from later representing the named employees in any suit against the city on this subject. "That would be, included in the contract for legal services that whoever we retained to conduct the inquiry on behalf of these 6 employees would not be able to represent them in a future proceeding against the city on this subject," Wynne said.

Council debate focused on three issues: whether the same investigator who produced the original summary should be used again; the scope of the supplemental review (whether it should be limited to the six employees); and cost. Councilmember Glenn Spiritus and others said they wanted the supplemental work to permit the named employees to review relevant transcripts or audio and to provide sworn statements, while other members said the original inquiry had procedural flaws and should not be re-used without changes.

Staff and several public speakers said the earlier process left respondents without a meaningful opportunity to respond before the summary was distributed. Assistant City Manager Deirdre Jacobs told the council the earlier process "effectuated gross waste and misuse of tax dollars," and she urged the council to authorize outside counsel so employees could present evidence and sworn statements. Resident and commenter JB Dixon urged the council to pay for a truly independent review, saying the original report "was not properly done" and that people named in it were "maligned."

Council discussion also noted the cost of the prior inquiry. Wynne summarized the earlier spending: "A little over $65,000" was paid for the first, broader inquiry of roughly 33 employees, and councilmembers proposed starting the supplemental work with an initial cap and returning to council for additional funds if needed. The final motion set a cap of $65,000 and a 45-day completion deadline.

Votes at a glance: The council approved a motion to retain external independent legal counsel through the city manager’s office to prepare a supplemental report on behalf of the six named employees related to the document titled "Summary. Mayor Ronnie L. Felder's inquiry into employee complaints/climate survey, July 2024." The motion authorized up to $65,000 and required completion within 45 days. Roll-call votes recorded in the meeting: Shirley Lanier — yes; Kishaba Miller Anderson — yes; Glenn Spiritus — yes (reserving right to reconsider); Douglas Lawson — yes. The motion passed.

The resolution directs the city manager’s office to execute a contract for supplemental legal review limited to the named employees and to return to the council if additional funding or scope changes are needed. The contract language discussed during the meeting will expressly prevent the hired counsel or their firm from later representing the employees in litigation against the city on this matter. The council did not adopt any further investigative directives at the meeting.

Next steps: staff said HR has identified the six employees and will coordinate interviews and access to transcripts or audio at the contractor’s discretion. The supplemental report is expected back to the city manager and council within the 45‑day timeframe approved by the council.

Background: The item continued discussion of a report produced after a mayoral inquiry into employee complaints and a summer 2024 climate survey. Council members and numerous public speakers criticized the original summary for naming individuals without offering those individuals a full, timely chance to respond. Several speakers warned of legal exposure and urged careful, documented procedures; others emphasized the need for administrative follow-up by HR and the manager’s office.