Atlantic Beach Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz resigned Wednesday due to ongoing racial turmoil within city government and his public works department.
He was public works director less than a year, having been hired last May.
His resignation brings the number of top city jobs now vacant to four. The city continues to look for a chief of police, director of planning and community development and a city manager.
Interim City Manager Kevin Hogencamp said the city has been aware of “racial disharmony” among staff, especially within the public works department.
The city is currently dealing with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission racial discrimination complaint filed by Willie Smith, an African-American Atlantic Beach building maintenance worker in September 2015.
Cathy Berry, Atlantic Beach director of human resources, said Smith claims, in his complaint, that his application for deputy director of public works wasn’t considered for an interview, and the promotion was given to Scott Williams, who is white. Other complaints were also listed, but Berry said they were dismissed because they weren’t related to the promotion.
The city went into mediation with the EEOC in May and both parties agreed to Smith’s request to provide him with more training. However, Smith refused to sign the settlement agreement letter because he felt the training the city offered was inadequate to prepare him for a management position. Now, the city and Smith are waiting for the EEOC wants to do with the complaint.
A second EEOC racial discrimination complaint from another public works employee was filed against the city at the end of March. City officials just received the notice of the complaint from EEOC, and is waiting for the commission to send the detailed complaint.
“I don’t have any tolerance for racism,” said Hogencamp. “It’s disturbing to hear that there’s an allegation of it on my watch. If it’s possible for me to get to the bottom of it, I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”
Berry said that the city plans to split the public works department into separate public works and public utilities departments.
Scott Williams will become the new director of public works and Kayle Moore will become the new director of public utilities. Both currently serve as deputy directors of public works.
Berry said the department has been split in the past, and splitting them again is the best way to fill Jacobovitz’s absence.
Derek Reeves continues to serve as an interim director of planning and community development, and the board of city commissioners will soon vote to move Hogencamp to a permanent deputy city manager position.
