Ousted security firm sues Rosemary Square for $417k
WEST PALM BEACH FL July 29 2020— A security firm that Rosemary Square dropped has sued the retail venue for more than $417,000, for allegedly failing to pay for several months of work.
Professional Security Consultants, the same firm chosen this month to provide guard service for the city of West Palm Beach, filed suit June 8 against Cityplace Retail LLC, operators of the prominent downtown shopping and entertainment plaza now known as Rosemary Square.
In a suit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, PSC alleged that Cityplace failed to pay for security services provided from July to November, 2019. PSC is demanding $417,648 plus interest.
Cityplace, owned by New York-based Related Cos., dropped the company in November. The security firm was embroiled in controversy over a $7.9 million, no-bid contract it won from the city in September, and over a smutty photo its regional director, Willie Perez, allegedly sent to a female city employee.
Perez had been removed from direct responsibilities for Rosemary Square several months before Related dropped the California-based firm, but he remained PSC’s regional director.
A Related Cos. spokeswoman declined comment on the pending litigation Monday. The firm has asked the court to give it until Friday to file its official response to the suit.
Two calls to PSC’s law firm were not returned.
The city last September awarded PSC a no-bid contract based on the administration’s desire to have one security firm, rather than several citywide, to ensure seamless communication between the firm and city police. As PSC already had a contract with the Downtown Development Authority and, at the time with Rosemary Square, officials said it made sense to hire PSC for work throughout the city.
A public outcry arose over reports in The Palm Beach Post that they gave the large contract without competitive bidding to Perez, a man who socialized with the mayor and other city officials.
Allegations also arose from a female city employee that Perez sent a photo of a penis to her and copied it to then-City Administrator Jeff Green, a mutual friend. The woman, Sharagay Esposito, also alleged after her firing in October that Green sexually assaulted her. She sued the city. Green denied the assault allegation.
Mayor Keith James urged Green, to step down from his post in part because Green didn’t take action against Perez for the photo. Green resigned as of Oct. 9, 2019.
Green’s replacement, Faye Johnson, convinced the mayor to toss out the no-bid contract with PSC and to start over, with competitive bidding.
Seventeen firms applied. The mayor and city commission this month interviewed the five top-ranked firms, with PSC represented by Perez.
The mayor quizzed a number of the bidding firms’ officials about lawsuits in which they’d been engaged but didn’t ask Perez about any suit in which he or PSC was involved. His spokeswoman said he didn’t know about the suit.
At the end of the day, PSC, lauded by supporters for its work downtown and previously in the city’s North End, beat out the other firms for the right to negotiate the citywide security contract.
“Mayor James was unaware of any pending litigation, as it was filed after the submission of the responses to the proposal,” Communications Director Kathleen Walter said Monday.
“Mayor James’ focus was on asking the questions that he deemed were most relevant and appropriate to the selection process and the future safety and security of the City of West Palm Beach. The procurement process played itself out in full transparency and, with five out of six selection committee voters ranking PSC as number one, yielded the best firm.
