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Pahokee city manager outlines steps after displacement of about 40 residents from Park Building
Summary
Pahokee’s new city manager, Brenda Bryant, told Palm Beach County commissioners the city is compiling a timeline of prior actions, tightening code enforcement protocols and will present a history and action plan within two weeks after conditions at 169 Adams Place displaced roughly 40 residents.
Brenda Bryant, newly appointed city manager for Pahokee, told the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners that her city is taking immediate, rules‑based steps after unsafe conditions at 169 Adams Place—known locally as the Park Building—led to the displacement of about 40 residents.
Bryant, speaking during the county’s workshop on HUD programs, said the city is finalizing a comprehensive timeline of prior enforcement actions and is implementing a "more proactive, data‑driven approach" to identify properties that may threaten resident safety or quality of life. "These are not conceptual ideas. They are steps already in progress," she said.
Bryant said Pahokee has begun strengthening coordination across code enforcement, building, planning and zoning, is preparing ordinance updates to allow a special magistrate to act more swiftly on unsafe structures, and will formalize notification protocols with Palm Beach County to enable earlier county‑municipal coordination. She also said the city will present a history of prior actions and a formal action plan within two weeks.
Mayor Sara Baxter confirmed earlier in the workshop that all 40 families affected by the Park Building incident have been re‑homed. Commissioners and staff offered assistance: Baxter and others suggested county legal staff help the city review code and ordinance changes; Commissioner Gregg Weiss and other commissioners praised Bryant’s rapid engagement and offered support for technical and financial coordination.
Bryant also thanked county staff and several partners including James Green, Tammy Fields, Jonathan Brown and William Freeman of People on Purpose for hands‑on support. "We are treating this matter with the highest level of urgency, accountability and intention," Bryant said.
The county workshop included the HUD Annual Action Plan presentation and broader discussion of CDBG and HOME allocations; staff said they would continue to coordinate with Pahokee as the county finalizes competitive and municipal allocations in the coming weeks.
