UPDATE:
BREAKING: RIVIERA BEACH CITY MANAGER RUTH JONES SAYS WATER UTILITY DIRECTOR LOU AURIGEMMA HAS BEEN FIRED pic.twitter.com/bsPLp89nwK
— Jared Werksma (@JaredWerksma) April 26, 2016
ORIGINAL STORY:
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The people of Riviera Beach are about to learn the fate of the city's water utility director.
Our Contact 5 investigators broke the news of years of water concerns and fines from the Department of Health that were never reported to the public.
On Monday night during a packed meeting to address the problem, the city's mayor recommended firing the utility director.
The decision to fire utility director Lou Aurigemma is ultimately up to city manager Ruth Jones.
Jones said she will announce Aurigemma's fate during tonight's special public meeting which begins at 5:30 p.m.in the City Council chambers of the Riviera Beach City Hall.
Tonight's meeting is not only about the utility director though.
City Council is also trying to figure out how to remedy a chronic issue with low levels of chlorine throughout the water supply. Low chlorine allows bacteria to grow.
One of the things director Aurigemma admitted during Monday night's meeting is that he failed to warn the public repeatedly as required when bacteria tests and state and federal health standards mandated he do so.
"Knowing now, you know hindsight is 2020, my actions have placed the city and utility district in an uncomfortable and defensive position and for this I sincerely apologize," Aurigemma said as he was questioned by city commissioners.
Again, the public meeting begins at the Riviera Beach City Hall at 5:30 tonight. We will update this story as soon as we learn the fate of director Aurigemma.