Carolyn DiPaoloChairperson Lanier postpones discussion of former mayor’s investigation of top staff.
A Riviera Beach special City Council meeting was abruptly canceled Monday afternoon, hours before it was set to begin.
The single item on the agenda was a discussion of a nearly 2-year-old investigation of top city staff launched by former Mayor Ronnie Felder.
A note posted on the city website at 4:53 pm and a sign taped on the locked door of the meeting location notified residents that the 6 pm Monday meeting was canceled.
Council Chairperson Shirley Lanier said in an interview Monday night that she called off the meeting because council members are still waiting on the final report on the investigation from outside council, Tayson Gaines.
But council members have another high-profile meeting scheduled for 6 pm Wednesday, when they are expected to discuss ending the city’s employment contract with City Manager Jonathan Evans. Council Member Bruce Guyton tried to fire Evans at the March 18 meeting, but the rest of the board agreed to put off the discussion until this month.
Lanier described Gaines’ report as a rebuttal to Felder’s investigation.
“I wanted council members to have a chance to form their questions before the meeting, but we did not get the report in time,” she said.
Lanier said the rebuttal will be released to the public when it is complete, and she will set another meeting to review it.
As Stet News’ Joel Engelhardt reported when the former mayor’s investigation was released in 2024, it is a collection of complaints from 33 employees or former employees who agreed to air criticism of their managers in exchange for assurances they would not face retaliation.
The former mayor’s report does not offer the other side. The two bosses most prominently maligned, Evans and his top lieutenant, Assistant City Manager Deirdre Jacobs, were not interviewed.
I am a co-founder, writer and editor for Stet News. I am also a former senior editor at The Palm Beach Post. For 20 years, I oversaw some of the most consequential stories published by the paper, including the “Corruption County” reporting project that led to multiple arrests of elected officials. I am a member of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2013. I live in West Palm Beach with my husband, Bill DiPaolo.
