Update Frankel responds, says she still has plenty of work to do. “We have lots of agenda items and are expecting everybody to do their job 100 percent,” she said. “I still have lots to do, and I will go at it 100 percent until the day I leave office.”
It’s been slow in West Palm Beach politics the last few weeks — eerily slow, according to some city officials. Monday’s commission agenda was the lightest of the year, with nothing major discussed.
Expect the slowdown to continue while mayoral candidates begin to focus on their campaigns and continue to announce their intentions to run. Meanwhile, for Frankel, one city official told me that she’s officially viewed as a lame duck and won’t be able to get anything else major passed during her final five months in office. Digital Domain, which will receive a final vote next month, is likely the last big agenda item on Frankel’s watch. City staffers are now sitting tight to see who is the next mayor, with former city consultant Paula Ryan saying yesterday that she will be the third candidate to declare.
So what’s next for Frankel? Although many believe she’s still planning one final ditch effort to extend term limits and remain in office, the likelihood of that working is miniscule. Frankel said she isn’t planning any effort to stay in office .
Last week, Frankel told me she will have numerous options come March. There have been rumors of Frankel’s interest in heading up the Downtown Development Authority. DDA board members and directors acknowledged that they’re aware of the rumors, but said that current executive director Melissa Wohlust — who has been on disability for much of the year with a respiratory heart condition — has numerous safeguards in her contract. Her disability has been extended, and board members expect her back early next year. Her contract also runs until 2012 (In case you missed it, the DDA office was the target of a raid earlier this week involving an employee’s falsified records).
The only way Frankel would run the DDA is if the board votes her in and Wohlust out. DDA board member Bruce Lewis said he doesn’t see that scenario, unless the next mayor was to replace the board. While the DDA is a separate entity from the City, the mayor selects the board. When Frankel became mayor, the new Frankel-appointed board selected former mayor Nancy Graham as DDA executive director.
Lewis said the DDA misses Wohlust and expects her back early next year. Even if the job were to become open, the board is required to undergo a national search, he said.
Running the DDA would keep Frankel in the downtown loop and in West Palm. The job pays around $120,000 a year, the same as Frankel’s mayoral salary.
In reality, Frankel doesn’t even know what kind of other opportunities she will receive come March. This could be her best option, or something better could come along.
“I completely and totally support Melissa Wohlust, and I think we’re all praying for her and expecting her recovery and her returning to her job,” Frankel said. “I have had no discussions with anyone about me taking that or any other job. There are so many rumors about me, who knows. In fairness to myself, I’m totally focused on what I’m doing. I’m not job hunting right now, and I believe I’ll have lots of different opportunities.”
Frankel wouldn’t rule out a job with the DDA if it were to open up.
“I can’t say yes, I can’t say no,” Frankel said. “I just haven’t even thought about it.”
Raphael Clemente, who’s acting director of the DDA while Wohlust is out, continues to support the current executive director despite the Frankel rumors.
“It’s a rumor that I’ve heard, but from our perspective, our current director Melissa Wohlust has the full support of the board, our staff and everyone is anticipating her return around the first of year. She’s going right back to where she was, and she’s a tremendous asset to this organization and downtown.”