Subject:
Title
Speak Up Brevard - 2026 Program Update and Public Participation Process
End
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Dept/Office:
District 1
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners receive an update on the Citizen Efficiency and Effectiveness Recommendations (CEERs) as part of the 2026 Speak Up Brevard cycle.
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
The Susan B. Connolly Speak Up Brevard program provides residents with the opportunity to submit Citizen Efficiency and Effectiveness Recommendations (CEERs) for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. For the 2026 cycle, the County received 61 recommendations from 44 submitters.
On March 17, a dedicated agenda item was scheduled to allow CEER submitters to present their recommendations directly to the Board. Following Board discussion, the Board declined to hear speakers under the agenda item, and submitters were instead directed to address the commissioners under Non-Agenda Public Comment.
Speaker presentations are intended to give Commissioners an advance preview of submitted recommendations and to hear directly from the submitters while County staff complete their review and finalize their written recommendations.
For the April 7 meeting, CEER participants are encouraged to submit a speaker card to address the commissioners for up to 3 minutes under Non-Agenda Public Comment, which is offered at both the beginning and end of the meeting.
Following completion of staff analysis, a separate agenda item will be scheduled in May 2026 for Board discussion and potential action on the 2026 CEER submissions, consistent with the requirement that the Board consider and vote on submissions within 120 days of the close of the CEER cycle on January 31. At the May meeting the board has determined that speakers may speak on their submissions for up to 5 minutes, and that oral presentations will be heard at a time certain during the May meeting.
More information about the program is available at:
<https://sites.brevardcounty.us/SpeakUpBrevard/>
Searchable submissions from current and past cycles:
<https://sites.brevardcounty.us/SpeakUpBrevard/Search>
Related agenda items:
February 10, 2026: <https://brevardfl.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7867209&GUID=0D42A919-6813-43D5-B49B-9C218974CC19&Options=&Search=&FullText=1>
March 17, 2026: <https://brevardfl.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7945852&GUID=AE3477EC-CF40-4F9F-AC9D-FAD5F47A721D&Options=&Search=>
District 1 CEER Highlights (Feb. 14):
<https://substack.com/home/post/p-186665101>
Clerk to the Board Instructions: