Tuesday, June 6, 2017

City Commission Meeting tonight and Mike Bornstein's raise

Some of the items on the Agenda:
  • Spending $197,518 on a street sweeper even though that function is farmed out to U.S. Sweeping.
  • Agreement with Palm Beach County for demolition services up to $25,000 per demolition that must benefit the low to moderate income residents in the area.
  • A Credit...can you believe it--under budget? of $53,317.38 for coming under budget for pump design
  • $36,134 for additional road design on 16,17,18 Avenue North and Terrace Drive.
  • $115,225 for chemicals for our water!
And then we have the City Manager's Raise

You know how retail operations price everything under one penny to make it sound cheaper...$1.99, $5.99 as an example. Well, that's the same gimmick being implemented with the Bornstein raise.

City Manager Bornstein is up for a big raise--16.55%--but this is not surprising considering he just promoted Juan Ruiz to assistant city manager for a salary of $135,000 plus big "bennies."

Second Amendment to Employment Agreement for City Manager Michael Bornstein
SUMMARY:
This amendment will adjust the annual compensation provided to the City Manager, increasing his base annual salary from $145,000 to $169,000.

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:
Under the April 7, 2015 Amendment to the City Manager’s Employment Agreement, the City Commission agreed to review Michael Bornstein’s base salary on an annual basis on or about April 1st of each successive year of employment; however, no increase in compensation has been addressed in the past two years.

In 2015, the City Commission established the annual salary for City Manager Bornstein at $145,000. A recent survey of City Manager Compensation in the surrounding Palm Beach County area shows this salary to be one of the lowest in the Palm Beach County area. The previous City Manager to City Manager Bornstein held an annual salary of $150,000 during her tenure at the City from 2009-2011. (To be specific, she left after 32 months when she was fired by the new commission--The Trio--because she did not "have my vision," said Triolo).

IN ADDITION:
City contributes 10% of salary into 401(k) or now $16,900 a year.
$1,000 for life insurance premiums
Medical and Dental insurance
Paid 12 sick days and 15 vacation days per yea--probably more by now who knows?
Travel and expenses reimbursed to outside meetings
Professional dues and subscriptionspaid
Cell phone and cell service
$500 monthly automobile allowance.
Healthcare

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I remember this well. Scott made the motion to fire her and Scott's puppets went along. She got the city running in the black and they fired her.

Lynn Anderson said...

Susan Stanton well knew that once Scott Maxwell got control, her job would be gone. This commission gave her 3 weeks before the ax fell. Maxwell couldn't stand her...it was apparent...it was the transgender thing that bothered him but most of all, she would not be bullied by him. He could not intimidate her and therefore she had to go. It was a deplorable act. They gave the excuses that the employees didn't like her (she had to lay off many due to austerity measures) and that she didn't get out into the public very often. She interacted with the public just fine but her job was not political and this Trio made it political. It was a bad night but now Stanton is doing extremely well in a wonderful job with lots of responsibility and hopefully surrounded by nicer people. No more crazies coming into her office screaming at her like the nut job who used to live in this city.

Anonymous said...

Street sweeper > coal mining

Anonymous said...

Mike is great. He got the bond finally to pass and he managed to go around the vote of the people on heights, threw them all under the bus as did this commission. This was for the benefit of a private company so that Hudson Holdings would get favorable zoning to build and renovate the Gulfstream. That was 7 months ago and the Gulfstream still looks like crap.

Anonymous said...

This love story is straight out off a Shakespeare tragedy. Good night my strange lover how do I miss thee strong hands.....

Anonymous said...

Saying that Stanton interacted with the public just fine is to ignore she refused to go to neighborhood association meetings without a deputy in tow. She often screamed at employees when her hormones were not in balance for her transition.

I'm happy she is happy in California where she will fit in more.

One of the platforms of at least one of our electeds was to reign in the high salaries of our public servants. It was somewhere in the $1 Million dollar area for just the few top executives of our little city.

The bond passing has breathed a fresh breeze into the coffers and now EVERYBODY is getting raises. How about the little people? Are they getting 16% raises?

But Stanton WAS a nut job. Plain and simple.

Anonymous said...

Shameful. Next time a commissioner or anybody in this city parrots the mantra"we're broke" go vomit on them.

Lynn Anderson said...

@`10:40--Nut job? That's your opinion. Balancing a budget is a conservative principle and that's what she was doing...not dipping into reserves, etc. I knew her and she was NO nut job.

Next, her job was not to be political. It was about running this city. Mike Bronstein ONLY goes to NA meetings when he wants to spend YOUR MONEY otherwise a staff member will attend.

So, unless you are a damn doctor, keep your insensitive and personal attacks to yourself. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

why do we need another street sweeper when the company we have is a farce.when the sweeper comes down the middle of the street the day before vegetation is picked up is lame on someones part.these big raises for theser a-- holes is also lame when it took the employes 8 years to get 4%.whats more important to a city [employes or bow ties]

Anonymous said...

So Lynn we promote an employee to Asst CM and a big raise, We give the CM a huge raise and what do the employees get out of all this? zippo that's what. No respect for the men and women who do all his dirty work for him, keep the city running and take all the hits for him. UNBELIEVABLE

Anonymous said...

James Comey's base salary was $175.000.00

Let that sink in......