Florida Sentry

City manager Dennis Beach angrily hung up on a Sentry reporter Monday when he asked questions about an apparent city policy ordering employees to be silent regarding special treatment for a Rec department supervisor.
Reports that Rec Supervisor Chris Sisto, whose driver's license was suspended after a DUI conviction in June, 2010 was given a personal chauffeur by officials until he could obtain a hardship license to use his city vehicle, were not denied by Beach before he slammed down his phone ending the call.
Attempts to verify official documents obtained by the Sentry were thwarted when the city's public information officer Sandra King ordered employees and Sisto's supervisor not to speak to reporters or discuss this latest scandal.
Beach is apparently following the same playbook used by former City Manager William Hargett when he was caught red handed by reporters orchestrating a coverup of fake water samples at the city's $30 million water plant. A State investigation canceled the city's right to test its own water because of the falsified results when state officials stepped in to uncover the ongoing corruption in water testing at the plant.
At that time, King posted flyers ordering city employees not to speak to reporters seeking information about lead and chromium contaminating the city's water supply "to avoid misunderstandings".
The Sisto story follows in a memo from Recreation department head Mark Beaudreau to the city's Human Resources department regarding an incident involving Sisto and outside operators of the city's Amphitheater. Beaudreau told the Sentry he was not allowed to discuss the matter under direct orders from King.
Since neither Beach nor King will allow us to verify the information contained within we will print the memo in its entirety while we continue to try to verify the facts.

On 10-5-09, I was alerted about a situation that occurred on Saturday evening, 10-3-09, at a planned event in the Amphitheater. Previous to that date, I had a meeting scheduled with Joe Nieman, Senior Vice President and Brandon Berry, General Manager both of Live Nation to introduce myself and the new staff that would be working with their group regarding Amphitheater events. The meeting was set for 10-6-09. I was made aware of the concern by a Fire Official that has a good relationship with the Live Nation staff. It was brought to my attention that at the meeting with the aforementioned individuals they were going to officially lodge a complaint about the conduct of City employee Chris Sisto. On 10-5-07(sic), I relieved Mr. Sisto from his duties at the Amphitheater (show on 10-6-09) until I had time to meet with Live Nation and some other witnesses regarding the allegations. At that meeting with Mr. Sisto, he simply stated that he was present at the event on Saturday and he didn’t have a pass allowing him access to certain areas in the Amphitheater. He stated he tried to convince Live Nation employees he was a City Employee however he was turned away along with two other guests he had with him. He stated he spoke with Capt. Adkins seeking his assistance to identify him as a City employee.
On 10-6-09, I spoke with Capt. Adkins, who claimed he did not speak to Chris Sisto that night but he would get back with me when he checked with his staff about the incident. Capt. Adkins called back and confirmed an incident and provided access to two of his deputies who were knowledgeable about what happened. I spoke with Deputy Glen Genovesee who stated he intervened in what appeared to be a dispute between Chris Sisto and Live Nation staff members. He stated that Mr. Sisto was intoxicated, with an open beer in hand, wearing a city employee shirt and had two guests with him attempting to gain access to restricted areas in the Amphitheater. Deputy Genovesee claims he forbid Mr. Sisto to enter the area since he could not produce identification authorizing him to do so. He claims Mr. Sisto was agitated and stated he was going to contact Capt. Adkins. Deputy Genovesee states that Chris Sisto’s body language and gestures prompted him to state to Mr. Sisto that he (Chris) didn’t want to go there and should leave.
I then spoke with Deputy Allen Adkins who stated he encountered Chris Sisto that evening. He states that Chris Sisto was intoxicated and was wearing a shirt with a city emblem on it. He states that Mr. Sisto improperly engaged him in a conversation about Special Events and personnel issues that were clearly not under his purview and found his comments to be inappropriate.
I met with Joe Nieman and Brandon Berry (Live Nation), Joyce Jackson and Pete McGinnis at about 5:00 pm yesterday, where they did confirm the incident. Their statement was that Chris Sisto was intoxicated, in possession of an open beer container, used profanity, used threatening and derogatory language toward their employees. They were disturbed about his conduct at the event and were concerned about his presence at any future shows. They were apprehensive about bringing it to my attention because this was supposed to be a “get acquainted meeting” but felt the seriousness of what occurred on Saturday evening compelled them to bring their concern forward because it created anxiety on their part as the new person handling Amphitheater events, Chris Sisto, demonstrated conduct that was offensive and inappropriate.
I would like to now turn the investigation over to you at this point. I have some contact information below if you need to contact the individuals involved.
Deputy Glen Genovesee, 954-740-4445
Deputy Alan Adkins, I spoke with him while he used Capt. Adkins phone 954-914-4504
Joe Nieman, 561-793-7552
Brandon Berry, 305-938-2500
Joyce Jackson, 954-913-4017

Following the event at the Amphitheater, the Sentry obtained a Florida Traffic Crash Report that alleges on October 17, 2009, Sisto was involved in a crash at NW 3rd Street and Copans Road at approximately 10:40 pm.
According to the report, Sisto was traveling east on Copans Road when he crashed into a vehicle stopped for a red light.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue transported three of the six people in the stopped car to North Broward Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The report states that BSO responded to the scene and conducted a DUI test on Sisto before he was transported after being taken into custody.
The report says Sisto provided a breath sample that tested out at .251 and later at .240.
Sisto was charged with DUI, DUI property damage and DUI with a breath alcohol level greater than .15
But many questions remain about the city's handling of the matter and in particular whether Sisto was given a chauffeur at city expense after his license was revoked.
The Sentry will continue to probe this matter despite the efforts of the City Manager and the Public Information Officer to coverup the events involved.

Still trying to polish the Pompano turd:
City to pump $75,000.00
into PR for new logo

The city is hiring Wilesmith Advertising & Design of West Palm Beach to figure out how to attract investors to Pompano Beach by creating a logo for the city. Their hope is that more hype about Pompano Beach will induce investors to build a hotel here.
City Hall regulars dismissed the move as more corrupt nonsense at the hands of a left wing City Commission attempting to distract voters from a cascade of failures across town.
"A logo for Pompano?" said one Commission regular. "How about a dead fish or a pile of crap with flies circling around."
Critics were quick to point out that Pompano Beach already has an international reputation as a viciously corrupt community that spent millions trying to destroy hotel developers Jim and Tom Stephanis because Commissioner Herb Skolnick and later Beach Commissioner Nate Braverman could not dictate their own terms to the former owners of the Yardarm Restaurant.
After spending millions blocking the hotel project at Hillsboro Inlet the developers declared bankruptcy and the city later bought the property. It remains empty to this day.
Investors have expressed interest in developing restaurants and even hotels at the site but quickly backed away when they researched the history of the property.
"Pompano Beach is well known from New York to Dubai as a place to avoid," said one hotel developer who asked not to be named.
Pompano politicians have spent many thousands of tax payer dollars buying "honors" like 'All American' City awards in a vain attempt to change the city's reputation as a foolish place to invest.
Now city commissioners claim they want Pompano Beach to have a brand that will set it apart and help the city promote tourism and economic development.

The commission, acting as the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, gave the firm the go-ahead Tuesday to begin its work. A $75,000 contract will be presented to the CRA in September.
“I don’t think you’re going to have an easy job here. We don’t have just one thing,” Commissioner Charlotte Burrie told company President Margaret Wilesmith.
Beach property owner Gerard Reitano saw a different problem: "What’s the point?" Reitano told reporters, “I don’t know what the logo’s going to do and how that’s going to attract a hotel here,” Reitano said. “I hope it’s better than the image. We’ve got no image. No one wants to come here.”
That’s the purpose behind branding, Wilesmith said — to give the city an image and to define what it is about the city that should be promoted.
She did not explain how she will promote Pompano's public beach with its foul smelling sand along Briny Avenue, filthy bathrooms, sidewalks and an abandoned fishing pier that has driven most local beach goers to use the public beach in Deerfield rather than risking exposure to Pompano's often sewage tainted surf.
“A brand is not a logo. A brand is your DNA,” Wilesmith said. “It may be a feel. It may be an attitude. A logo is just your visual representation of it.”
Wilesmith has done branding projects for a range of groups, including the American Orchid Society and the city of Tavares. Tavares also had many different possibilities, but finally settled on the brand “America’s Seaplane City,” which could then be used as the focal point for promoting the city, she said.

East Atlantic Boulevard has become the elephant's graveyard of business. While City Hall has been funding one grand sounding organization after another to bring businesses here, just the opposite has been happening. The prime tourist area lacks tourists and the annual Seafood Festival is derided by area residents as the "Public Urination Festival."