Boca seeks ethics advisory on mayor’s ties to developer

Boca Raton officials want assurances that Mayor Susan Haynie doesn’t have any conflict of interest following news reports of her ties to a prominent developer.

In a last-minute move late Tuesday, the Boca Raton City Council voted to ask the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics, via a letter, if it stands behind its 2013 ruling that said Haynie had no financial conflict.

“I think it’s just asking for clarification,” Councilman Robert Weinroth said.

“If the Commission on Ethics says everything is good, then that’s the end of the story.”

But the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics does not give opinions on opinions, said Mark Bannon, executive director.

If there are new facts, the city could seek another opinion on the ties, he added.

“We do not revisit old opinions as a rule,” Bannon said, noting he hadn’t yet heard from the city Wednesday.

Haynie has been under scrutiny after Palm Beach Post news articles reported she had voted on a dozen proposals benefiting James and Marta Batmasian, the largest commercial property owners in the city.

The condo management company Community Reliance, owned by Haynie’s husband, had received payments from the Tivoli Park condo association in Deerfield Beach, which is headed by the Batmasians’ employees.

Haynie was registered as an owner on the company at the time, state records show.

The prompted concern from Councilwoman Andrea O’Rourke, regarding any potential future votes by Haynie on Batmasian projects.

“We are going to be facing other decisions coming forward involving Batmasian property,” O’Rourke said.

City Attorney Diana Grub-Frieser sought the ethics opinion on behalf of Haynie in 2011.

The request did not name the Batmasians, Tivoli Park, Haynie or Community Reliance, instead it used generic terms such as “investor,” “property” and “condominium association.”

The commission concluded the condo association did not have a stake in projects in Boca Raton, so no conflict existed.

Haynie is running for a county commission seat and has pointed to the opinion as her “compass” for being able to vote on Boca projects.

“We have followed this process to the letter of the law,” Haynie said Monday.

Also outstanding is a related complaint to the state’s ethics board from resident Al Zucaro, who ran against Haynie for mayor in March.

The complaint takes issue with Haynie not disclosing the income from Tivoli Park.

The City Council also decided Tuesday to seek advice from an outside ethics expert on ethics procedures, which Haynie said was a “great idea.”

But there was no clear definition on who to consult. City staff will give the council a list of potential consultants at its next meeting Nov. 28.