🏛️ Palm Bay Mayor Highlights City's Progress; Council Tackles Packed Agenda
Key achievements shared, followed by council decisions on development, appointments, and public safety. 📅
Palm Bay, FL - Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina delivered an optimistic State of the City address on Thursday, May 15, 2025, showcasing the city's advancements over the past year.
Mayor's Vision: A Thriving Palm Bay
Mayor Medina began his address by emphasizing Palm Bay's strength and resilience. He highlighted the city's commitment to values such as integrity, service before self, and transparency.
Key achievements and focuses from the Mayor's State of the City address included:
Economic Growth: Nearly 14,000 building permits issued in 2024, valued at approximately $1.4 billion. This included a $144 million increase in commercial project valuation.
The Compound: Efforts continue to revitalize "The Compound," including joining the Resilient Quarters Coalition which secured a $1.5 million EPA grant for environmental testing. The compound was also nominated for land use revitalization technical assistance.
Infrastructure Investment 🏗️:
GO Roads Initiative: Over 418 miles of road improvements completed under the $150 million program as of February 2025.
Utilities: Significant progress on the New South Regional Water Reclamation Facility (nearing completion in summer 2025), expansion of the South Regional Water Treatment Plant, and the new North Regional Reverse Osmosis Plant.
Building E: Groundbreaking in March 2024 for a new 39,142 sq. ft. building at City Hall to house Utilities Customer Service, the Building Department, IT, and serve as the city's Emergency Operation Center.
Public Safety Enhancements 🚨:
Fire Department: Groundbreaking for Fire Station 7 in August 2024 (ribbon-cutting expected Fall 2025), which will serve as a prototype for two future stations. Progress on Fire Station 8 and approval for a temporary modular Fire Station 9.
Police Department: Reinstatement of the General Crimes Unit in 2024, which has managed approximately 375 cases in less than a year.
Community and Quality of Life:
Recreation programs served over 304,000 participants.
Numerous park improvements, including the all-inclusive playground at Fred Poppy Regional Park.
Launch of the "Ask Palm Bay" multilingual city website chatbot.
Over half a million dollars in funding secured for enhancements to Sacrifice Park to honor fallen first responders.
New City Manager: Welcome to Matthew Morton, who joined as City Manager in May 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience.
Mayor Medina concluded his address by expressing his dedication to continue working towards a vibrant and prosperous Palm Bay.
The full address can be viewed here:
The address was immediately followed by a regular City Council meeting where key decisions were made impacting local development, community boards, and public services.
City Council Addresses Key Local Matters
Following the State of the City, the Palm Bay City Council convened for its regular meeting (2025-15). Key actions and discussions included:
Agenda Revisions and Early Public Hearings
The council approved several agenda revisions at the outset. Notably, public hearing items five, six, and seven concerning economic development were continued to the August 21st meeting to allow City Manager Morton more time for review. Two public hearings were moved to the beginning of this section:
Ordinance 25-20: Approved the vacation of a public utility and drainage easement on lot two, block 416, Port Malabar unit ten, for a swimming pool.
Ordinance 2025-21: Approved the vacation of a drainage right-of-way near lots in Port Malabar unit 46, allowing a property owner to consolidate and fence their land.
Proclamations Recognize Community Efforts
The Council issued several proclamations:
Kids to Parks Day: May 17, 2025, was proclaimed Kids to Parks Day.
National Safe Boating Week: May 17-23, 2025, was recognized.
Public Works Week: May 18-24, 2025, was proclaimed, honoring city public works professionals.
Public Comments Highlight Citizen Concerns 🗣️
Several residents addressed the Council:
Bill Batten voiced concerns over transparency, particularly regarding the consent agenda and changes to meeting broadcasts.
Kim Rozanka, an attorney for the "Essence of Palm Bay" affordable housing project, requested an appeal hearing due to ongoing disagreements with city staff over development requirements. The City Attorney stated no appealable decision had been made. Dora Lee, representing the "Essence of Palm Bay," urged the city to help move the 118-unit affordable housing project forward. The Palm Bayer has generated a comprehensive report on this issue, available here.
Darryl Wattenbarger and Mark Miller expressed concerns about changes to meeting broadcasts and public participation. Mr. Miller also invited council to a Salt and Light Council meeting.
Robert Stein emphasized the need for better communication and questioned the city's plans to address declining quality of life issues like traffic.
Susan Connolly highlighted a new locally designed solar-powered vehicle and the need for appointments to the Sustainability Advisory Board.
Chris Lansana corrected a previous statement on the Flock ALPR contract, advocated for year-round swim lessons and an indoor pool, and criticized the vote to limit public comment broadcasts.
Ruth Kaufhold questioned unnotified digging on Douglas Street and expressed opposition to a new subdivision.
Consent Agenda and Pulled Items
The main consent agenda passed, but several items were pulled for separate votes or discussion:
Ordinance 2025-19 (Utility Fee): An ordinance to add an application filing fee for utility agreements was denied by a 4-1 vote, with council members and staff suggesting existing fees were sufficient.
Quasi-Judicial Hearing (Development Plan Change): A minor change to an already approved final development plan for a model home center, involving moving a lot line by ten feet, was unanimously approved.
Councilman Hammer pulled two items (related to wastewater treatment plant capacity and another unspecified important item) from the original consent agenda to thank staff and highlight their importance before they were unanimously approved.
Unfinished and Old Business
Charter Review Commission: Ten residents were appointed to the Charter Review Commission (two by each council member):
Ron Norris
Tyler O'Neill
Pastor Mark Miller
Thomas Gaume
Eileen Sepp
Ruth Kaufhold
Jordan Chandler
Phil Weinberg
Pastor David Myers
Pastor Kenneth Wayne Delgado
Council also approved seeking a consultant to assist the commission.
Community Development Advisory Board: Rebecca Thibert, who has served on the board for the last eight years, was unanimously reappointed to the Community Development Advisory Board.
New Business Decisions
A resolution to establish a utility agreement application fee was deemed moot as the underlying ordinance was denied.
A budget workshop for fiscal year 2025-2026 was scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 6:00 PM.
Council approved a waiver of the procurement process for the Mock Alert fire station alerting system hardware, to ensure timely installation for new fire stations.
Council Reports and City Manager Updates
Council members provided updates on TPO meetings, with Councilman Hammer and Deputy Mayor Jaffe reporting successes in prioritizing Palm Bay projects like Babcock Road and the Malabar/I-95 assessment. Councilman Johnson spoke on unity and the need for transparency, suggesting revisions to the Sunshine Law. Deputy Mayor Jaffe expressed hopes for the Charter Review Commission to consider district representation and candidate qualifications.
Mayor Medina thanked retiring staff member Joni Giancola Brown for her service and announced City Manager Matthew Morton would fill the vacant EDC appointment. He also reported on a recent structural fire and a firefighter's injury, wishing him a swift recovery.
City Manager Morton reported he has been actively meeting with community members and staff. He also clarified that Land Owner Relief Act (LORA) requests could be handled administratively by staff with council's consent, which was informally granted.
You can watch the full City Council meeting here:
Email Your Thoughts: Share your feedback directly with the Mayor and City Council via email: Email City Officials
Editor's Note: A Quick Heads-Up on Council Coverage
You might see fewer updates from The Palm Bayer about City Council actions in June. This is because, according to the Palm Bay City Charter (which voters approved in November 2022), the City Council doesn't hold its regular meetings during June.
Don't worry, city departments will still be working hard, and we'll continue to cover other important local news and events. We'll also let you know if any special council meetings or urgent city news comes up.
Thank you for reading and for your continued engagement with The Palm Bayer.
Curated by AI and fact-checked by The Palm Bayer.
Thank you Tom for publishing public comments (since a majority of the Council believes broadcasting them is somehow detrimental) .