NPB may have its manager (Jimmy Knight) (PBP) 4-14-07+ 4C THE PALM BEACH POST • SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007 N
North Palm" Beach may have its manager
The village will try to reach a
Pact with the acting manager
By ANA X. CERON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
NORTH PALM BEACH — When Public
Safety Director Jimmy Knight first took
on the role of temporary village man-
ager, he said he didn't want the position
full time.
He already had the job he loved.
Three months later, Knight could
be on the verge of changing his mind.
The village council on Thursday asked
Knight to reconsider, and after he
agreed, the board unanimously voted to
start hammering out a contract.
"I would be remiss if I didn't tell you
I've enjoyed my time serving in this ca-
pacity," Knight told the council.
He followed that up by saying he was
willing to discuss whatever would work
out best for the village and his public
safety department, but he couldn't fin-
ish his speech. Applause had stopped
him short.
As long as everyone agreed to the
negotiation terms, Knight said Friday,
he'd take the job.
For Knight, the key issue in the con-
tract talks will be forging a working
philosophy that he and the council could
follow.
In the meantime, council members
are happy to see their top candidate
give the post a chance.
"We had our man right in front of us
the whole time," Vice Mayor William
Manuel said. "We just had to convince
him it was the right decision."
If hired, Knight would replace the
man who gave him his current job. In
2004, former Manager Mark Bates
brought Knight in to become the public
safety director.
The two had worked together previ-
ously in North Lauderdale where Bates
was city manager and Knight the police
chief under a city contract with the
Broward County Sheriff's Office. Then
Knight retired in June 2003, ending 25
years with the sheriff's office.
As the village's public safety director,
Knight, 49, earns a salary just under
$129,000, plus a $5,000 monthly stipend
to fill in as temporary village manager.
When Bates resigned in January,
Knight was tapped to take over tempo-
rarily while the council searched for a
new manager.
Officials hired recruiting consultant
Colin Baenziger for $16,500 to help find
candidates. There were 59 applicants,
and on Thursday the council was sched-
uled to pick five finalists.
Instead, the board asked Knight to
reconsider taking the job.
Mayor Edward Eissey said the village
had its pick of "wonderful" people, but
officials preferred to hire someone they
already knew. "He's done a magnificent
job as our chief of police and our safety
director," he said.
Councilman Darryl Aubrey said that
in his short months as manager Knight
had improved the village employees'
morale, which Aubrey said had suffered
during the last months of Bates' tenure.
"We've been extremely impressed
with how well he has calmed things
down," Aubrey said. "I think Jimmy has
an easy way with people."
Councilman David Norris, one of the
officials who will negotiate with Knight,
said he hoped to have a contract before
the council by its April 26 meeting.
0 ana_ceron@pbpost.com