FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Members of the Fort Pierce City Commission held a special public meeting Thursday, one day after Fort Pierce City Manager Nick Mimms was arrested on charges of bid manipulation and abuse of office.

WPTV was the first station to report on Mimms’ arrest on Wednesday and is continuing to investigate the details surrounding the arrest.

Commission members voted unanimously to place Mimms on leave with full pay and benefits.

They also voted to hire an independent investigator with no ties to the city to investigate the allegations against Mimms.

Several city officials and commissioners said they still hadn’t been informed of the details of his arrest, including the specific project. Commissioners like Michael Broderick said they were asking the public not to rush to judgment.

“A hasty judgment is not only unfair, it is also unwise,” Broderick said. “Everyone has a right to a fair hearing.”

Broderick said he wanted to present the independent investigation to the public. He wanted to make sure the public not only heard the report, but also learned about it.

City Attorney Sara Hedges said Mimms cannot currently access the city system through his devices. She also said he does not have an access badge.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to appoint Fort Pierce City Clerk Linda Cox as acting city administrator.

WPTV

WPTV reporter Ethan Stein attended Thursday’s meeting and said the council chamber was mostly occupied by several officers. Officials also set up an area for the media, which is unusual compared to regular meetings.

Mimms faces up to 15 years in prison after rigging the bidding for two vacant lots in northwest Fort Pierce for a nonprofit organization, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Although officials did not specify the project in question, details in the FDLE press release point to the group Rooted in Change’s proposal to build a community center. State records show that the nonprofit’s leadership includes a city employee and Caleta Scott, Mimm’s niece.

Watch WPTV News on levels 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11 for continuing coverage of this story.