In a decisive 4-1 vote Thursday night, the Palm Bay City Council halted the city’s automated license plate reader program. Council directed City Manager Matthew Morton to defund the Flock Safety camera contract in the upcoming municipal budget following fierce Fourth Amendment pushback from local residents.
The surveillance reversal headlined an eventful three-hour regular session. Dais members simultaneously cleared Lennar’s 60-foot lot expansion across 829 acres in Emerald Lakes, advanced a major hospital zoning overhaul for Health First, and authorized critical utility and public safety infrastructure investments.
Key Takeaways:
• Council voted 4-1 to direct the city manager to strip Flock funding from the FY 2027 budget and begin removing camera poles.
• Mayor Rob Medina cast the sole dissenting vote, delivering a faith-based defense of the surveillance grid.
• Lennar Homes secured approval to add 60-foot single-family lots and 11 home sites across 829 acres in Emerald Lakes Phase II.
• Health First cleared final readings for institutional rezoning to anchor its planned $230 million hospital expansion.
Read the full investigation, verified transcripts, and public records at The Palm Bayer:
https://news.thepalmbayer.com/news/palm-bay-council-recap-september-3-2026/
