Haynie’s family firm got $64K, ethics panel says
Mayor had said firm wasn’t paid in one case for camera installation.
Boca Raton mayor had said the company hadn’t been paid for at least one camera installation job.
BOCA RATON — Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie’s family business collected at least $64,000 for installing surveillance cameras for a developer whose projects she voted on, but Haynie told The Palm Beach Post six months ago that the firm wasn’t paid at all for one of the jobs.
A county ethics investigation that closed Monday revealed the payments. Haynie, a Republican candidate for County Commission, was handed down the harshest punishment within the power of the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics — a $500 fine and a written
reprimand.
A company founded by Haynie and her husband, Neil, installed cameras at five properties owned by James Batmasian, the largest commercial landowner in Boca Raton. She never disclosed the business link and voted on projects that gave “a special financial benefit” to Batmasian, the commission concluded.
The Post learned in September that the company had installed cameras at Batmasian’s downtown pink plaza, 15-acre Royal Palm Place, revealed in video testimonials from Batmasian’s employees on Community Reliance’s now-defunct website.
Haynie said in a September interview with The Post that her business earned no money from the Royal Palm Place job.
“It was just one of those, you know, ‘Come over and assist us,’” Haynie told The Post ahead of its November story revealing Haynie’s financial ties to Batmasian.
But her family business did earn money on that job — about
$22,000, Batmasisan’s wife, Marta, told an ethics investigator.
Haynie told The Post on Wednesday that she wasn’t aware of the payment when she spoke with a reporter in September. Her husband runs Community Reliance, Haynie said, and she plays no part in the company, which she co-founded with him in 2007.
The Post’s November story on Haynie’s financial ties to Batmasian focused on a separate property management contract for about $1,000 a month at a Deerfield Beach apartment complex, called Tivoli Park, mostly owned by Batmasian.
But the $64,000 work constituted the “strongest case” against Haynie, who admitted to violating the county ethics code for the property management work and the security camera installation, said Mark Bannon, director of the ethics commission.
Haynie’s $500 fine and reprimand were for the security camera job. She negotiated a settlement for the property management work in which she admitted to unin- tentionally violating county code because of advice from her city attorney.
On Wednesday, Haynie told The Post “a majority of the security camera installations were at Tivoli Park.” But investigation records, based on testimony from several Batmasian employees, say that since December 2016, Community Reliance earned $20,000 for installing cameras at the Batmasian-owned Boca Bend Marina apartment complex; $22,000 for installations at Royal Palm Place; about $22,000 for installations at Tivoli Park; and two other places for “small amounts.”
Haynie went on to say, “When you interviewed me, I was unaware that security camera work was being performed anywhere except at Tivoli Park Master Association.”
In all, Haynie’s firm made more than $150,000 since 2010 from business deals with Batmasian.
Around the time the cameras were installed, Haynie voted in June to allow Batmasian to open shops and restaurants at an industrial plaza on Northwest 20th Street, raising the value of the 8-acre parcel in an area where Haynie has championed a major revitalization effort.
Haynie voted at least a dozen times on proposals benefiting Batmasian, The Post found, but only four of the votes were cited in the ethics investigation because of a two-year statute of limitations or no evidence of “a special financial benefit.”
Haynie had persistently denied any wrongdoing or conflicts of interest until signing settlement agreements with the ethics commission Monday, admitting she violated ethics code.
Haynie argues she had no involvement in Community Reliance. It is her husband’s business. But Palm Beach County code doesn’t distinguish between businesses owned by elected officials and their spouses.
“I understand her husband runs the company, but under our rules, you have to know (about its dealings),” Bannon said.
Haynie’s business cut ties with Batmasian one month after The Post’s initial story.
Community Reliance no longer does work for Batmasian, his wife, or his business entities, Haynie said.
That clears Haynie to vote on future projects that benefit Batmasian, Bannon said.
Batmasian submitted plans in June to build two highrise apartment buildings downtown.