Ethics panel looks into Haynie County boosts security budget

The Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics is looking into records linking Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie and prominent local developers James and Marta Batmasian.

An ethics commission investigator requested Haynie’s emails from 2013 from the city with terms such as “Batmasian,” “Investments Limited,” “Ethics” and “Condominium Association.”

The ethics commission previously said it could not affirm or deny an ethics investigation.

Haynie has been under scrutiny recently over her ties to the Batmasians.

The connections stem from Deerfield Beach-based Tivoli Park Condo Association. Tivoli was headed by Batmasian employees and Haynie received $24,000 from the association for managing it through the company she coowned at the time, Community Reliance.

Since 2013, Haynie has approved several major development projects proposed by Batmasian-owned Investments Limited, the Palm Beach Post reported. One of the most recent projects is the nearly 300 apartments and condos of Royal Palm Place.

But Haynie, who is running for a county commission seat, has defended herself with a 2013 ethics opinion from the commission that said she had no conflict of interest.

City Attorney Diana Grub-Frieser had requested the opinion on behalf of Haynie. Grub-Frieser’s emails were also included in the records request from the ethics commission.

Despite the ruling, the financial ties prompted inquiries from Boca’s City Council this month — members sent a letter to the ethics commission seeking affirmation that Haynie was clear to vote.

The letter said the city council members are “concerned” about the reports. It included news articles from the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post about the ties, as well as emails between the city and the ethics commission.

But in a response dated Nov. 28, the ethics commission said it could not “affirm or re-address” the opinion.

Mark Bannon, executive director of the ethics commission, previously said the ethics commission does not give opinions on opinions. Alternatively, the city could request another opinion if new facts are presented.

“We do not revisit old opinions as a rule,” Bannon said on Nov. 15.

more travelers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, Broward County is spending more for security at both locations.

County commissioners voted Tuesday to increase the maximum amount of money that can be paid to contractor Allied Universal Security Services.

The county pays the company to provide security at places like the exits at airport concourses to prevent people from entering instead of going through security screening. And the company’s workers help with traffic at crosswalks, loading zones at terminals and in parking lots and garages.

Commissioners approved the contract revision but didn’t discuss it. According to county documents, the maximum that can be paid to Allied Universal in the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, is $23.4 million. That’s an increase of $5.7 milWith lion, or 32 percent.

None of the increase is attributable to the Jan. 6 shooting that left five dead at the Fort Lauderdale airport, said County Administrator Bertha Henry.

The reason for the higher spending, she said, is greater passenger traffic at the airport and the seaport.

County documents said the passenger count is up 20 percent from when the initial agreement was struck in 2015. The airport expects 30 million passengers in 2017, up from 25 million in 2015.

Commissioner Barbara Sharief, who finished a year as county mayor on Tuesday, said it could exceed 32 million passengers this year.

Also, Henry said, the new concourse that opened at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport requires more security staff. The $200 million Concourse A opened in July.

At the port, more security services are needed to handle