MADEIRA BEACH — City Manager Jonathan Evans planned to meet with Riviera Beach council members twice this week to discuss whether he would accept an invitation to return as that city’s manager.
Evans was ousted by the Riviera Beach City Council in 2017 following disputes with former council members there. An election last month replaced them with new council members who campaigned on bringing Evans back to the Palm Beach County city.
He confirmed that Madeira Beach commissioners have encouraged him to stay, but said he is “open” to the possibility of returning to Riviera Beach.
The City Council there met Monday and voted unanimously to open contract negotiations with Evans to again become their city manager.
“He was fired unjustly. Let’s do the right thing. Let’s bring him back so we can move this city forward,” Mayor Ronnie Felder said Monday to loud applause from Riviera Beach residents.
Evans said Tuesday: “I have not made a decision yet and will meet with the council to hear their vision and perspective for Riviera Beach. Then I will have a conversation with my board here next week and make a decision.”
The Riviera Beach council also voted at a special meeting last week to eliminate a section of a $190,000 settlement between the city and Evans that barred him from ever returning as an employee of the city.
Evans approved the change Friday, opening the way for negotiating a new contract with the city, which has about 33,000 residents — nearly seven times the size of Madeira Beach.
He stressed that he thoroughly enjoys working for Madeira Beach and does not “take lightly” being given the opportunity to serve as the city’s manager.
He also said he wants to be assured the prior events leading to his firing in Riviera Beach don’t happen again.
“I don’t want to relive those moments and that emotion,” Evans said.
Madeira Beach Mayor Maggi Black said Evans has been “a huge asset” to the city.
“He has accomplished so much during his time here and his job is not finished,” she said. “It would be a tremendous loss to Madeira Beach if he should decide to leave.”
Monday’s Riviera Beach council meeting revealed that, while a majority of the audience strongly wanted Evans to return, some residents did not.
Some wanted Evans to first return the $190,000 in settlement money, while others warned that former council members who had signed that agreement might sue the city.
There also were calls for publicly advertising for a new city manager instead of just offering the job to Evans.
By the end of the meeting, most of the more than 50 residents and a unanimous City Council opted to negotiate directly and immediately with Evans, who planned to meet with Riviera Beach officials on Saturday.
“It is certainly humbling,” Evans said. “I am losing sleep and am torn between both opportunities. It is a tough decision.”