Raquel Diaz, always with a smile and always friendly, was the head of our Code Enforcement Department (Compliance Manager) and who reported to William Waters, someone for whom she admired greatly. She is no longer with the city. The details have not yet been announced on this resignation.
The city has been re-organizing the Code Department as well as re-writing many ordinances to give the department some teeth to enforce the many infractions throughout Lake Worth. Many of its employees have left the city; they have been under a lot of pressure ever since the Internal Auditor's report was made public. There seems to be a big shake-up in this department.
All of us who got to know Raquel knew she was trying her best and all who knew her liked her very much. She took the position under enormous odds to effect change. Slum and blight has been going on for way too many years and has been one of my pet peeves as well as every other resident's in this city.
As I learn details, I will publish.
8 comments:
someone told me that it was Scott Maxwell screaming at them
Well, I am sure that the code dept has had hundreds of complaints and unhappy residents, not just Maxwell.
This is a shame. She was the only person in the city who ever gave me the time of day.
Raquel is one of the most ethical people I've ever met...which is why she's gone. She refused to cross ethical and legal lines even when directed to do so by city leaders. Lynn, you recently did a post on all of the staff leaving the city. Have you noticed the same pattern I have? It's all the new staff that is leaving. It seems that anyone with any level of professional credibility is running for the hills...or being run out. Soon we'll be left with only those that can't get employment elsewhere.
Lynn, looks to me that outsourcing code is on the horizon.
Mr. Charles Scott is also gone. Does anyone know why?
Hopefully the City of Lake Worth has made an effort to target the management issues and work for the betterment of the Community. Sometimes in a new regime some good employees are replaced instead of only weeding out the not so good ones. There is definitely a time for change. There are prostitutes doing business on the streets in good view of everyone. There are drug, trap houses and even trap motels. Some motels have offices that are never opened because they fill the rooms with dealers who want status quo. I know of one in particular who doesn't even own a license to operate and has alot of code violations. Who is managing Lake Worth with their eyes closed?
Quality professionals with a stellar work track record like Raquel Diaz don't tolerate being verbally berated by their boss, disrespected and not treated like a professional. It would be interesting to pull a public records request of all of William Waters email communications to Ms. Diaz during her employee at Lake Worth. It is a shame there aren't recordings of some of the atrocious ways he verbally berated Ms. Diaz. I can tell you from sources, some who aren't there any longer and some who still are, who have told me they were surprised she hadn't resigned sooner due to WW's tyrannical rule. Hopefully a blogger, hint hint, will be inspired to pull a public records request of those emails and publish any that may shed light on why this city lost one of its best employees. We deserve to keep our good employees that care about the city and honor respectful communication and fairness with all residents and their concerns, not just the politically connected ones. Raquel was that kind of employee and more. By what I hear from some of the neighborhood association leaders she would even call and reach out to the volunteers of this city and recruit their help resolving some of resident code issues before the issue would get out of hand and end up in Special Magistrate. She wasn't a "hanging judge" she was balanced, fair and just!
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