Subject:
Title
Legislative Intent and Permission to Advertise an Ordinance Amending Chapter 2, Brevard County Code of Ordinances, to Create a New Article IX Relating to Publication of Legal Advertisements and Public Notices on a Publicly Accessible Website.
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Fiscal Impact:
Based on prior year actual costs provided by Charter Offices, Municipalities and the Brevard County School Board (agencies that plan on participating in posting legal ads on the County’s website), the cost of administering this program will be less than the cost of placing ads in the newspaper.
Dept/Office:
County Attorney’s Office
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners approve advertisement of the Board’s intent to consider an ordinance amending Chapter 2, Administration, of the Brevard County Code of Ordinances, to create a new Article IX, Legal Advertisements and Public Notices, relating to the publication of advertisements and public notices on a publicly accessible website in lieu of a newspaper when newspaper publication is required by Brevard County ordinance, resolution, board policy, or administrative order.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
Effective January 1, 2023, Chapter 50, Florida Statutes, Legal and Official Advertisements, provides that a governmental agency may publish certain statutorily required legal advertisements, publications, or notices on the publicly accessible website of the county in which it lies if doing so would cost less than publishing legal notices in a newspaper. Section 50.0311, Florida Statutes, defines “publicly accessible website” to mean a county’s official website or other private website designated by the county for the publication of legal notices and advertisements that is accessible via the Internet. The county intends to publish statutorily required advertisements and public notices on a publicly accessible website pursuant to this authorization.
However, various Brevard County ordinances, resolutions, board policies, and administrative orders also require publication of certain legal advertisements and public notices in a newspaper. The proposed ordinance will allow for these county-required newspaper advertisements and notices to be published on a publicly accessible website instead of in a newspaper.
Advertisements and public notices published on a publicly accessible website pursuant to the proposed ordinance must be in searchable form and indicate the date on which the advertisement or public notice was first published on the website. A link to advertisements and public notices published on the website shall be conspicuously placed on the homepage of the county’s official website.
Clerk to the Board Instructions: