🔇 Palm Bay Council Votes to End Public Comment Broadcast

Council approves Ashton Park land use, budget amendments, and policy revisions, notably changing public comment broadcast. ✅

Palm Bay, FL - The Palm Bay City Council took action on several significant items at its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 1st, 2025, including final approval for the Ashton Park land use change, key budget amendments, and controversial policy changes regarding public comments and their broadcast.

The meeting began with opening proceedings, including an invocation by Pastor Mark Miller and the Pledge of Allegiance. Several proclamations and recognitions were presented, honoring Police Chief Mariano Augello, proclaiming the National Day of Prayer, National Small Business Week, Economic Development Week, and National Water Safety Month.

Consent Agenda Approved

The Council unanimously approved the Consent Agenda, which included routine administrative and contractual items. Among these were the adoption of previous meeting minutes, authorization for staff to negotiate master consultant agreements for water/wastewater engineering and CMAR services, approval of a coagulant and polymer purchase, and the first reading of an ordinance to add a filing fee for utility agreements. Amendments to the Classification and Pay Plans and the Five-Year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) were also approved under consent.

Public Hearings Conclude with Key Decisions

Several ordinances had their final reading following public hearings:

• Ashton Park Land Use (Ordinance 2025-08): The large-scale Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map amendment for the 133-acre western portion of the Ashton Park development was approved by a 5-0 vote. This changes the designation from Brevard County's Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-1 to the City's Urban Mixed-Use, aligning it with the larger development plan that includes a "downtown" district, residential units, and commercial space.

• LDC Definitions (Ordinance 2025-17): An ordinance amending definitions in the Land Development Code was approved 5-0.

• Second Budget Amendment (Ordinance 2025-18): The second amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, incorporating various financial adjustments, received final approval with a 5-0 vote.

• Easement Vacations (Ordinances 2025-20 and 2025-21): Two ordinances related to vacating portions of easements – a rear utility/drainage easement for a pool and a drainage right-of-way for fencing – had their first readings and were approved 5-0.

Procurement and New Business Items

Under procurements, the Council approved the cooperative purchase of a Claw Truck for the Public Works Department by a 4-0 vote.

New business items led to significant policy decisions:

• Sacrifice Park Memorial Wall Policy (Resolution 2025-21): A resolution establishing eligibility criteria and procedures for adding names to the Sacrifice Park Memorial Wall was approved 5-0 with amendments. The policy outlines that eligible first responders from Brevard County agencies must meet specific line-of-duty death criteria. An amendment was approved removing the requirement for a governing body resolution if the death meets DOJ or state statute criteria, provided the sponsoring agency funds the plaque. 🤝

• Co-Sponsorship Policy (Resolution 2025-22): A revised policy governing City support for non-profit community events was approved 4-1. The approved option (Option 1) limits waivers to non-labor rental fees only, maintains a $10,000 per event limit and $50,000 annual cap, establishes two application windows per year, allows administrative approval for small requests (under $1,500), and proposes future fee schedule updates.

Interlocal Agreement for Intersection Improvements 🚦

The Council considered and approved an interlocal agreement with Brevard County for intersection and traffic signal improvements at Babcock Street and Eldron Boulevard/Grant Road. This item was added to the agenda under New Business.

The agreement outlines a partnership where Brevard County will lead the project design, permitting, construction, and administration for the intersection improvements. The cost-sharing for the estimated $2.5 million project is split 80% for the City of Palm Bay and 20% for Brevard County. The City's portion, up to $1.5 million, and the County's $500,000 contribution will come from transportation impact fees collected within the 32909 zip code. The project is anticipated to be completed by December 31st, 2028. Upon completion, the City will take over ownership, operation, and maintenance of the traffic signal and intersection improvements. The agreement was approved by a 5-0 vote.

City Council Policies & Procedures: Public Comment Broadcast Ends, Submission Rules Revised Amidst Unanimous Opposition 📢

A significant discussion took place regarding proposed revisions to the City Council Policies and Procedures, particularly concerning public comments and their broadcast. While the agenda item presented several potential changes to meeting rules and decorum standards, the motion that ultimately passed by a 3-2 vote enacted specific policy changes within Chapter 7:

• Revision to Section 7.3.1(C) (Order of Business - Video Broadcast): This change modifies the City's video broadcast schedule to exclude the portion of the meeting designated for non-agenda public comments. The official City broadcast will now begin after the Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call, Proclamations, and the non-agenda Public Comments section has concluded.

• Revisions to Section 7.8 (Public Comments): The motion also approved revisions to the rules governing public comments in this section. This includes the change requiring electronic visual presentations to be submitted to the City Clerk forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting for screening. The approved revisions to Section 7.8 also include adding definitions for "Obscenity," "Incitement speech," "Fighting words," and "True threats" as they apply to public comments.

It is crucial to note that while the initial proposal for this agenda item included broader revisions, such as expanded authority for the Presiding Officer to manage comments based on detailed definitions of terms like "irrelevant" or "obscene," these specific, more extensive revisions to the Presiding Officer's duties (Section 7.1.2) were not included in the motion that passed. The approved changes primarily pertain to the process and, most notably, the broadcast of public comments (Section 7.8) and the corresponding adjustment in the broadcast schedule (Section 7.3.1C).

Every member of the public who spoke on this agenda item voiced strong opposition to the approved policy changes, particularly the decision to stop broadcasting public comments and the new submission deadline for presentations. Concerns were raised about the impact on transparency and the potential chilling effect on free speech.

Stay Informed

Residents are encouraged to review the official meeting minutes and agenda packets on the City website for full details on these decisions.

Visit the official City of Palm Bay website at https://www.PalmBayFL.gov to access City Council meeting information and stay informed about local government actions.

The decisions made at the May 1st City Council meeting address long-term development, financial management, and operational policies impacting both city administration and community interaction.

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Curated by AI and fact-checked by The Palm Bayer.

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