UPDATE:
On Friday afternoon, Commissioner Billy Keel sent an email to City Manager Greg Horwedel proposing that the commission asks the City Manager’s office to send in a request to an independent agency to investigate the allegations that Keel tried to intervene in the investigation regarding Steven Singletary’s termination.
“…The commission by way of unanimous vote (could be included in consent agenda) ask the City Manager to send a request to an independent agency like FDLE, or the Ethics Commission, asking that they review the allegations that have been made against me, and make a determination based on the facts and the law,” Keel wrote. “I would also ask that it be noted for the record, that this request was made by the commission, but was proposed to the commission by me in an attempt to clear my name.”
In the email, Keel admitted that he was friends with Singletary, but that the comments he “had on the matter were simply as a concerned friend.”
“I in no way used or attempted to use in any manner, my position as City Commissioner of the City of Plant City to intervene in this or any other investigation, not now, and not ever,” Keel wrote.
“I believe that the citizens of this community deserve this answer, and I believe I deserve this answer as well. I have spent my entire adult life working for the betterment of this community,” Keel wrote. “I have always done so with honor, pride, and integrity. I will not have that tarnished by these allegations, and I look forward to a day where my name is completely and unequivocally cleared. As always, I will continue to keep the lives of all the people involved in this matter in my thoughts and prayers.”
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Following Florida Administrative Code, the City Manager’s office sent its investigation of former Police Chief Steven Singletary to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Professional Compliance Section today. This action is mandated within 45 days following a police officer’s involuntary separation from service.
Last week, Singletary was terminated from his position for violating code of conduct items that included faking illnesses for sick days and using city property to carry on a there year long affair. Police Sgt. Mark Mathis was also terminated for falsifying a dispatch record to cover up for Singletary.
“According to staff with the FDLE Professional Compliance Section, they will review the paperwork and our investigative materials and subsequently determine what discipline (if any) is warranted in relation to each officer’s certification,” City Manager Greg Horwedel wrote in an email to city commissioners. “The FDLE Professional Compliance Section staff may recommend any of the following: no discipline; reprimand or re-training, with certification retained; certification retained on a probationary status; certification suspended; or certification revoked.”
Investigative materials regarding Singletary also will be forwarded to the FDLE Office of Executive Investigations. That office will determine whether further action beyond the city’s administrative process may be warranted. If the FDLE Office of Executive Investigations staff believes further action is warranted, it will discuss their findings with the State Attorney’s Office.
“We are forwarding this to them because I believe it is problematic for an organization or agency to investigate itself when serious matters like this are involved,” Horwedel wrote in the email. “While our investigation focused solely on city policy violations, an impartial reviewer may have additional questions about Mr. Singletary’s actions. It is better to have an outside agency review our administrative investigation and render an impartial decision on the merits of any further action.”
Horwedel also has received many inquiries regarding to City Commissioner Billy Keel. According to sworn testimony provided by Melissa Hardwick, with whom Singletary had been having an affair, Keel sent text messages to a mutual friend in an attempt to keep her quiet.
Hardwick made the statements to Assistant City Manager of Public Safety Bill McDaniel.
“Did you see the text?” McDaniel asked Melissa in a recorded interview.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Can you tell us what it said?” he asked.
“That his (Singletary’s) job depends on whether or not, I think it said, I testified,” Hardwick said.
Furthermore, according to investigation documents, Singletary left his unmarked police car parked in the parking lot of Keel’s business, Matrix Medical, while he and Hardwick left for daylong trips to Lakeland.
Because Horwedel’s authority as city manager is limited to administrative personnel who only report to him, he will not be filing a complaint on Keel with the FDLE. City commissioners are Horwedel’s bosses.
“Because the allegation of interference relates to an elected official on the City Commission, and because commissioners operate outside the city manager’s authority granted by the city charter, I do not plan to initiate any unilateral or discretionary action regarding a commissioner’s potential involvement in an administrative matter that is now closed,” Horwedel wrote.
However, the commission can make a motion for staff to file a complaint. Citizens also can file a complaint, as long as they provide substantive basis for their complaint, such as the copy of the investigation, which is public record.
Although Keel allegedly reached out to a mutual friend during the investigation, Horwedel said he was not persuaded by Keel to disrupt the investigation.
“Commissioner Keel did not urge me to ignore any evidence, nor did he otherwise pressure me regarding the outcome of our administrative investigation,” Horwedel said. “He asked only that we conduct a fair and impartial investigation, which I believe we did.”
Born and raised in Plant City, Keel left in 1991, to attend the University of Florida. He returned to Plant City and was one of three partners to start Matrix Medical, a medical equipment supply company.
Some say his appointment to the City Commission in 2012 was controversial, because he had business ties with two members on the board. Vice Mayor Rick Lott is a manager of Keel’s company, Matrix Medical, and then-Mayor Michael Sparkman is a former business partner.
Keel released a statement and said he would not comment further.
“In my opinion, it is now time for the city to move forward,” Keel wrote.
Mayor Mary Mathis commended city leaders for their investigation.
“From the time the city manager’s office was made aware of the allegations, they worked hard, long hours and weekends,” she said. “I’m very disappointed in the outcome. But the city manager’s office did a phenomenal job getting to the bottom.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.