Brevard County Board of County Commissioners  
2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way  
Viera, FL 32940  
Minutes  
Tuesday, January 24, 2023  
9:00 AM  
Regular  
Commission Chambers  
Rollcall  
Commissioner District 1 Rita Pritchett, Commissioner District 2  
Tom Goodson, Commissioner District 3 John Tobia,  
Commissioner District 4 Rob Feltner, and Commissioner District 5  
Kristine Zonka  
Present:  
A.  
C.  
CALL TO ORDER 9:00 AM  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Rob Feltner, District 4  
Commissioner Feltner led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.  
D.  
MINUTES FOR APPROVAL  
The Board approved the minutes of the October 6, 2022 Zoning Meeting, October 25, 2022  
Regular Meeting, November 3, 2022 Zoning Meeting, November 15, 2022 Regular Meeting,  
and the November 22, 2022 Regular Meeting.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: Tom Goodson  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
E.1. Resolution: 10th Anniversary of Women In Defense Space Coast Chapter  
Chair Pritchett read aloud, and the Board adopted Resolution No. 23-002, recognizing the 10th  
Anniversary of Women in Defense Space Coast Chapter.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: Rob Feltner  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Inga Young stated on behalf of the Women in the Space Coast Chapter, they give their  
heartfelt thanks; their website is scwid.org; as Chair Pritchett mentioned, they have awarded  
over $76,000 to local Brevard County students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering,  
and Mathematics (STEM) or Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics  
(STEAM) college higher education; and she expressed her appreciation to the Board for the  
Resolution.  
E.2. Resolution Honoring Fritz VanVolkenburgh  
Commissioner Goodson read aloud, and the Board adopted Resolution No. 23-003, honoring  
Fritz VanVolkenburgh for his dedicated service to Brevard County.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Tom Goodson  
Seconder: John Tobia  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Fritz VanVolkenburgh stated he pleaded with Commissioner Goodson not to have this  
Resolution, but he would not have it; he believes the District 2 office is in great shape; staff is  
doing a great job, and he has a lot of confidence in them; he expressed his appreciation to  
County staff as they have been unbelievable to work with; and he noted he means all staff, the  
ones out in the field, in the office, and ones who cannot attend the Board meetings. He advised  
he has a gift for the Board Members, it is under $25, and no government money was used for  
it; and he distributed the gifts to the Board.  
F.1. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contract number FWC21215 -  
Aquatic Vegetation Control Services  
F.1., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Contract Number FWC21215 –  
Aquatic Vegetation Control Services  
Sandra Sullivan stated while she appreciates the importance of addressing aquatic weeds, a  
little background in history, they used to do it via mechanical harvesting up until 2010; during  
the recession, the Governor of Florida at that time switched to broadcast spraying of  
herbicides; as a thought, the goal here is to remove the nutrient loading from the water bodies;  
and from the Florida Wildlife Commissions (FWC) perspective, some of these plants they say  
are not indigenous, actually water lettuce is, but aside. She went on by saying the County could  
have a win-win situation if it mechanically harvested these, because then it would be improving  
the water quality at the same time; there is enough science out that this is very bad and that it  
is time to push back from the local level on the State and say their goal is to remove them, the  
County can remove them better and help improve the water quality at the same time; she  
asked the Board to remember this is being sprayed on the County’s drinking water source,  
Lake Washington; and these are poison. She advised she provided the Board a list of the  
chemicals that are used, the list of places sprayed by the County, data on how amazing Water  
Hyacinth is for uptake of nutrient loading, and the safety sheet of the chemical they primarily  
use; she noted this is maybe fatal with contact of skin; these are not safe chemicals; they are  
very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, along with being very toxic to the soil  
environment; and some of these chemicals persist in the soils, bonding very tightly for decades.  
Commissioner Feltner advised he will be voting no on Item F.1. without comment.  
The Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign the State of Florida, Florida Fish and  
Wildlife Conservation Commission, Contract Number FWC21215 – Aquatic Vegetation Control  
Services.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.2. Waiver Request, Re: Waiver of Wall Requirement for CRS Cocoa-Grissom Pkwy  
(22WV00021)(21SP00041)(District 1)  
The Board granted a waiver of wall requirement for CRS Cocoa-Grissom Parkway, Section  
62-3202(h)(10), to avoid placing the wall in an existing wetland.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.3. Plat Modification and Waiver, Re: Rambling Acres West Addition (District 1)  
Developers: Church Street Realty, LLC; W. Kelly McLendon, Trustee; and  
Hunter’s Brooke Titusville, LLC.  
Sandra Sullivan stated this Item came before Planning and Zoning and it did not pass  
unanimously, it was a bit tight, so to come back and change this one is a concern to her;  
everyone saw a lot of flooding with Hurricane Ian; the issue is that this is on the Zone A Flood  
Map; this is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map that the County is  
supposed to abide by in not doing development on Zone V, Zone VE, which is coastal high  
hazard area, and Zone A is a special flood zone; in the letter that went out by the County, it  
said that the request to replat under Section 62-2805(d) waiving the flood zone limitations;  
actually, when looking up that section, it says the County is not allowed to rezone the flood  
zone, explicitly; and what is being looked at is jurisdictional flood plain wetlands that are not  
allowed to be developed on. She added this is a conservation block for the development in  
yellow; this was mitigation for the wetlands already affected; she urged the Board to say no to  
this, because there is an insurance crisis; she pointed out Florida lost six insurance companies  
prior to Hurricane Ian; the State has lost 10 insurance companies now; and Universal is not  
writing any new policies after May, are looking at leaving Florida, and they are Florida’s largest  
insurer. She commented protecting the most vulnerable areas that are impacted by hurricanes  
that act as a water area to store that water, and the water has to go somewhere; and she  
reiterated she would like for the Board to say no to this Agenda Item because of its own  
requirements, and if it wants to do anything, to send it back to the Planning and Zoning board.  
The Board approved applicants’ request for modification to an approved final plat per Section  
62-2897 and a request to replat under Section 62-2805(d) for Rambling Acres West Addition –  
Developers: Church Street Realty, LLC, W. Kelly McLendon, Trustee, and Hunter’s Brooke  
Titusville, LLC; and waived the flood zone limitations and postponing the lot grading plan,  
drainage plan, and compensatory storage calculations until a request for land alteration or  
building permit is submitted, subject to minor changes, if necessary, receipt of all documents  
required for recording, and developer responsible for obtaining all other necessary jurisdictional  
permits.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.4. Acceptance, Re: Binding Development Plan with Protea Senior Living Melbourne,  
LLC (District 4)  
The Board accepted and executed Binding Development Plan with Protea Senior Living  
Melbourne, LLC, for property beginning at a point on the Westerly right-of-way line of U.S.  
Highway 1, said point being 187.5 feet East of and 875.07 feet north of the southeast corner of  
the NE ¼ of the SW 14 of Section 19, Township 26 South, and Range 37 East, in Brevard  
County.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.5. Approval, Re: Dedication by Warranty Deed for Tract S, Laurasia Phase 1 and Bill  
of Sale from The Viera Company, for the benefit of Lift Station W40 - District 4.  
The Board accepted the Warranty Deed and Bill of Sale from The Viera Company for Tract S,  
Laurasia Phase 1, for the benefit of Lift Station W40.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.6. Approval, Re: Resolution and Lease with the Department of the Air Force for  
Land Use at Port St. John Boat Ramp (District 1)  
The Board authorized the Department of the Air Force (Air Force) to conduct environmental  
testing at the Port St. John Boat Ramp; approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-004; and  
approved and authorized the Chair to execute the Lease with the Air Force at the location for  
installation of weather monitoring equipment.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.7. Approval, Re: Property Access License Contract with Jesse O. Duenas-Fay Lake  
Wilderness Park (District 1)  
The Board approved and authorized the Parks and Recreation Director to execute a Property  
Access License Contract and any renewals with Jesse O. Duenas – Fay Lake Park.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.8. Approval; Re: Board directed revisions to the EEL Land Acquisition Manual  
related to the composition of members on the EEL Selection and Management  
Committee (SMC). (All Districts)  
The Board approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-005, amending the EEL Land Acquisition  
Manual Selection and Management Committee to update the membership composition; and  
authorized staff to update the Land Acquisition Manual and Sanctuary Management Manual for  
Board consideration following the February 16, 2023, Budget Workshop to ensure both  
Board-approved manuals are current relative to the most recent referendum and consistent  
with any further direction from the Board regarding program funding and operations.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.9. Approval of Environmentally Endangered Lands (EELS) Limited General  
Obligation Bond Resolution for Bond Validation  
The Board approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-006, authorizing the issuance of not  
exceeding $50,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Brevard County, Florida, limited  
general obligation bonds (Environmentally Endangered Lands Program) at one time or from  
time-to-time, to finance the acquisition of Environmentally Endangered Lands within the County  
and other related capital improvements; providing for the payment of said bonds from ad  
valorem taxation levied in an amount which shall not exceed 0.1465 mills on all taxable property  
in the County; making certain covenants and agreements in connection therewith; providing for  
the rights of the holders of such bonds; providing other matters; and providing an effective  
date.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.10. Resolution of Necessity for Acquisition of Easements for the Mid-Reach Segment  
of the Brevard County Shore Protection Project, Resolution of Authority to Act,  
and Authorization for Related Required Actions  
The Board approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-007, for Mid-Reach Segment of the  
Brevard County Shore Protection Project; approved the County Attorney’s Office and staff be  
directed to proceed with this action in accordance with the statutory requirements set forth in  
Chapters 73 and 74, Florida Statutes, to “quick-take” proceedings; authorized the Chair to  
make the required pre-suit offer to the landowners at the appraised value of each easement,  
and execute all documents in connection therewith, if accepted; authorized the Chair to execute  
all Certifications of Lands for the Mid-Reach of Brevard County Shore Protection Project as  
prepared by the County Attorney’s Office; and approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-008,  
authorizing Mike McGarry, Program Manager for Beaches, Boating and Waterways, Natural  
Resources Department, and Dr. Kevin R. Bodge, PhD, PE of Olsen Associates, Inc. to make  
engineering and project management related commitments on the County’s behalf in  
condemnation proceedings regarding Brevard County Shore Protection Project – Mid-Reach  
Segment.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.11. Appointment(s) / Reappointment(s)  
The Board appointed/reappointed Andy Barber to the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency  
(MIRA), with term expiring December 31, 2026; Debbie Thomas to the Planning and Zoning  
Board, with term expiring December 31, 2024; and Matthew Boucher to the Tourist  
Development Council, with term expiring December 31, 2026.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.12. Letter of support to Representative Tyler Sirois for designating a portion of State  
Road 518 in Brevard County as the “Deputy Sheriff Barbara Ann Pill Memorial  
Highway.”  
The Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign a Letter of Support to Representative  
Tyler Sirois for designating a portion of State Road 518 in Brevard County as the “Deputy  
Sheriff Barbara Ann Pill Memorial Highway.”  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
F.13. Bill Folder  
The Board acknowledged receipt of the Bill Folder.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
H.1. A Public Hearing to Consider an Ad Valorem Tax Abatement Ordinance for Rogue  
Valley Microdevices, Inc.  
Chair Pritchett called for a public hearing to consider ad valorem tax abatement ordinance for  
Rogue Valley Microdevices, Inc.  
Karen Conde, Assistant to the County Manager, stated on December 20, 2022, the Board  
adopted a Resolution authorizing the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Florida’s  
Space Coast to conduct an economic impact analysis, and the Property Appraiser to conduct  
the required financial analysis; both impacts are contained within this Agenda Report; this Item  
is a public hearing considering an ad valorem tax abatement ordinance for Rogue Valley  
Microdevices; the EDC conducted an economic impact analysis of the company, and has  
provided the Board with its recommendation as to the extent and length of tax abatement; and  
the EDC is recommending a 70 percent abatement for seven years. She advised the Board  
that present from the EDC of Florida’s Space Coast for any questions today is Edgar  
Campa-Palafox, the Vice President of Business Development.  
Sandra Sullivan stated she has spoken on this issue a number of times over the last few years,  
so she will keep it real short; when in a recession, she understands the need for tax  
abatements, it stimulates the economy; she just does not understand when the Space Coast is  
literally just rocketing in terms of growth, why the County needs tax abatements; she does not  
think it is fiscally conservative for the taxpayers, especially when the County has so many  
infrastructure needs associated with its growth that the tax money could really be used for so  
the taxpayers do not get burdened more; and looking forward, the ordinances for tax  
abatements should really be revisited by the County and adjusted to where there is more  
flexibility when it is in high growth, it does not need these benefits.  
Commissioner Tobia stated he has a few questions for the representative from the EDC; and  
he asked in the Executive Summary of Rogue Valley Microdevices (RVM), they state that they  
are looking at Arizona, Texas, and Palm Bay, Florida; and he asked if that is correct.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox replied affirmatively; he stated the company is in a competitive position  
looking in Texas, Arizona, and Florida, the only location in Florida is Palm Bay.  
Commissioner Tobia inquired what area, city, and county are they looking for in Arizona, and to  
save time, what city and county in Texas.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded the company disclosed in Arizona they were looking in the  
Phoenix area, and in Texas, they did not disclose that location.  
Commissioner Tobia asked what tax abatement was offered in the City of Phoenix, State of  
Arizona, or whatever county Phoenix is in; and he stated he will be asking the same question  
for the city, state, and county in Texas.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox advised they do not have information from what other states and counties  
do; they operate in different ways in Florida; Florida has a Sunshine Law that requires a lot of  
things to become public; they know they are in a competitive position in those states; he  
reiterated they do not have those packages; however, normally Arizona is a very competitive  
state; and the Board has probably seen in the news that Phoenix has been attracting a lot of  
microdevices and semi-conductors.  
Commissioner Tobia commented he was just looking for a number, and Mr. Campa-Palafox  
was clear, he said he did not have one; the EDC’s own mission statement says to ensure the  
Space Coast remains globally competitive, they must maintain a keen awareness of the latest  
engineering trends, business intelligence, and competitive advantage; and he asked how the  
County competes globally and maintains keen awareness, yet it does not know what these  
other counties and states are offering.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox replied the world of economic development is very competitive, specifically  
Texas and Arizona are states that are very aggressive in economic development; but states  
work in different ways on packages; normally, they are not public; and when engaging with  
companies, they are gaging what tools are available, how they are able to provide a compelling  
package to locate here, and obviously, trying to win the project.  
Commissioner Tobia asked in other words, he does not know.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded for this specific case, they do not know.  
Commissioner Tobia advised in an interview with KOIN 6 News, RVM’s founder and Chief  
Executive Officer (CEO) Jessica Gomez stated that, “Merely throwing money away on a  
problem without objectives, accountability, or deliverables would not be tolerable;” and he  
asked, as Jessica Gomez is the company the EDC is shilling up here for, why the County  
would, in her words, throw money at RVM without knowledge of any incentives from other  
entities.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox replied again, he is not at liberty to comment on comments CEO may have  
made.  
Commissioner Tobia pointed out that was a public comment made on KOIN 6 News.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded he is not able to comment about what another CEO is  
commenting about.  
Commissioner Tobia stated Mr. Campa-Palafox is the company that deals with this agency, so  
he assumed he was dealing with the CEO, apparently that may not be the case; Ms. Gomez  
stated that during her run for governor, she ran for governor, reckless tax and spending policies  
coming out of Washington, D.C. and Oregon have left Oregonians less off, and as governor  
she would advocate for fiscal, responsible budget that funds essential public safety and  
provides tax relief for every day Oregonians who are struggling to get by; and he asked why  
does this apply to citizens of Oregon but not wealthy business owners in Florida.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox advised again, he is not able to comment on what a CEO of a company is  
mentioning.  
Commissioner Tobia noted it is a CEO of a company that he is schilling for; RVM’s average  
wage is quite good compared to the 2020 median wage, it is above; but as sure as he is aware  
of, and he pointed out in the past, these numbers are skewed because there are five jobs that  
have six-figure salaries; and he inquired if it concerns Mr. Campa-Palafox that the average job  
is well-below the average median wage.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox replied on the package the EDC provided, all of the positions are disclosed,  
what they are expecting or proposing to hire.  
Commissioner Tobia advised he just said that, and he will repeat the question, because Mr.  
Campa-Palafox is not answering; there are 30 jobs, five of them have a six-figure salary; if the  
executive jobs are taken out and the bulk of the jobs are looked at, the remaining 25, they fall  
below the median average; and he again asked if it concerns Mr. Campa-Palafox that jobs are  
being brought in that are below an average, in fact, there are 16 of them.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded the ordinance of the County does not stipulate that the high-end  
positions need to be removed.  
Commissioner Tobia asked him yes or no.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox pointed out that is his answer.  
Commissioner Tobia commented Ms. Gomez stated in an interview on 2 News, it is great when  
a person runs for governor or any office that there is a lot on the record, “For a struggling family  
to have an affordable place to live and a good-paying job . . . is essential;” according to Dave  
Ramsey, a financial expert, a person should never spend more than 25 percent of their net  
income on housing; he picked one of the lower jobs, $31,000 gross income; he did not make  
this number up, it was on the packet Mr. Campa-Palafox provided to the Board; and that would  
equate to a net, according to the federal government, of $26,668. He went on to say 25 percent  
of that per month means that person who is being incentivized would have to find rent for $555  
a month; and he asked where in Brevard County a person can get even a one bedroom  
apartment for $555.  
Chair Pritchett stated she is not sure that is his . . .  
Commissioner Tobia noted their job is incentivizing.  
Chair Pritchett stated she knows he is making points, and it is good, but she is just not sure this  
gentleman is the right person to answer that; and the Board gets his point.  
Commissioner Tobia explained he would not want to be up here defending low-paying jobs; and  
he thanked Mr. Campa-Palafox for his time. He continued by saying the total abatement  
between the City of Palm Bay and Brevard County will be $1,040,496; dividing that by 30 jobs,  
the City and County would be paying $37,950 per job; that is more than some of the jobs are  
even paying; 16 of these jobs being incentivized are below the median average; and he  
thanked Ms. Sullivan, and stated Governor DeSantis just announced that Florida has an  
unemployment rate of 2 ½ percent. He added he does not know if now is the time the County  
should be foregoing more than $1 million of tax revenue to get 16 jobs that pay below the  
median in the State of Florida; based on the jobs EDC is bringing on, people are going to need  
public assistance; he asked how much is that going to cost the taxpayer; he noted half of these  
jobs are below the median, and the County would be giving over $1 million; and Florida is  
competing with other states. He stated to put this in perspective, when he goes to Las Vegas  
and is sitting at a 10 and a six, he has to make a decision to hit or stand; he does not make that  
decision independently, he looks at what the dealer has handed him; and Mr. Campa-Palafox is  
asking this Board to make a decision without knowing all of the facts, and the facts it does  
know are despicable. He advised he will be voting no on this.  
Chair Pritchett stated she had a conversation in the meeting, and Kathy Wall, Central Services  
Director, had mentioned that during the process she had voted no, but she wanted to give her a  
little bit more insight; and she asked Ms. Wall to elaborate on what she mentioned at the  
meeting.  
Ms. Wall explained the package that was given to staff from the EDC had two exemptions, an  
exemption for real property, and an exemption for tangible personal property; one of the things  
she noticed was the real property was not owned by the applicant, nor did they have a  
pass-through letter from the owner of the property that the exemption would actually be passed  
to the applicant; she asked if this included tangible as well as personal property; they indicated  
yes; and she indicated what her concern was, so she voted no for that. She went on by saying  
when they got the package back from the EDC, Ms. Condi and she worked with the County  
Attorney’s Office to make some changes to the ordinance, which they did; the fourth whereas  
clause, it states they have informed staff that they are either going to purchase the property or  
lease it from the owner of the property; the second change made was in Section 2C where they  
say the County has to get proof that they actually paid or leased, and have a pass-through  
letter that the exemption will go to that applicant; and the problem was where the exemption  
was going, to the applicant or the person who owned the real property.  
Commissioner Zonka stated she understands the County needs jobs in all forms, lower paying,  
median income paying, and higher paying; just as those numbers Commissioner Tobia talked  
about being skewed by the real high wages and the real low wages, everyone has a different  
education and training level, so she is not even having heartburn about the lower paying  
wages, because there is someone who needs this job; this is a voter-approved tax abatement;  
if the Board wants to change it, maybe it may want to put it back on the ballot or to do a better  
job of informing the public before he or she votes on something like this; but she will support it  
because all jobs are good jobs, and the County is in a competitive market. She noted a private  
business is not going to provide the Board with its financials.  
Chair Pritchett stated she sees where they are going to make a substantial contribution in  
capital, and those types of things kind of have to stick around once they do it; she knows if this  
does not go forward, it just stops anyway.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox stated the amount of capital investment they are proposing is $25 million in  
new equipment and lease improvements of that building; as Chair Pritchett mentioned, the  
program is performance-based; if they do not make those improvements in that program,  
basically they do not get anything; in addition, what County staff mentioned, they are putting  
another safeguard there with an incentive agreement, besides just the annual report that  
happens every year, so this program has its safeguards; and just in case a company is not  
performing, they are able to get out of the program and obviously not receive if they do not  
perform.  
Chair Pritchett asked if there are any other microdevice companies in the area.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox pointed out there is one company in Palm Bay; they changed names  
several times, but they are now owned by an international company named Renesas; they are  
allowed 300 employees roughly; they manufacture semi-conductors for a phone, its power  
manager semi-conductor is manufactured by them; and if it is a car, when a person is driving  
and they have a camera, a semi-conductor comes from them as well. He stated the pandemic  
showed people how semi-conductors are crucial for so many aspects in modern life; and even  
for a critical aspect of national security for that manufacturing to be brought to the United  
States, not just for modern life but for national security.  
Chair Pritchett stated she is in agreement with some of the items Commissioner Zonka spoke  
on; and she knows this is the second presence of this type of item, which is a real need  
nationwide, so it is kind of good to get this kind of business into the area.  
Commissioner Tobia asked Mr. Campa-Palafox about the company that has 300 jobs.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded roughly, he does not know specifically how many they have.  
Commissioner Tobia inquired how much incentives from federal, state, county, or cities provide  
to that company.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox replied the company has been in the Space Coast since the 70’s; he  
cannot comment how much support they received when they were originally locating in Palm  
Bay; and Renasas acquired the company later, and is now under that ownership of that  
international entity.  
Commissioner Tobia asked to the best of Mr. Campa-Palafox’s knowledge, that company is not  
receiving any tax abatements right now.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox responded not to his knowledge, but again, he is not able to comment on  
what happened in the 70’s.  
Commissioner Tobia asked if Mr. Campa-Palafox finds any problems that these two companies  
are doing the same service, one providing more than a million dollars in tax incentives, and  
another one not.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox advised from what he is hearing, they are not competitors.  
Commissioner Tobia pointed out Mr. Campa-Palafox said they were in the same industry.  
Mr. Campa-Palafox noted a company can be making automobiles, and can be making BMW’s  
or making Ford’s, and the companies may not be in the same segment selling the same cars,  
so they do make semi-conductors and are in the same industry, but his understanding is they  
are not selling exactly to the same customers.  
Commissioner Tobia stated either way, he appreciates what Commissioner Zonka said, the  
voters did approve this; but he does not think they had the knowledge that the County was  
going to spend millions of dollars incentivizing jobs; it is skewed, not because of low paying  
jobs, a lot of these are low paying jobs, in fact, half of them are low-paying; to be clear, he has  
no problem with a $31,000 job; his first job was $4.15 bagging groceries at Goodings; he was  
proud of that $4.15; and what he is ashamed of, as an elected official, is that he is going to  
incentivize through taxpayers money what could be going to fire, or a whole bunch of  
government programs incentivizing low-paying jobs. He commented the government coming  
out of taxpayers’ expense to bring in low-paying jobs, that is what he finds disgusting.  
Commissioner Zonka commented the County has low-paying jobs, lower than the median wage  
in Brevard County if the Board is pointing fingers.  
Chair Pritchett explained there is a mix of the low and high; at her office, if people come in with  
the skills, he or she gets paid more; but if someone fresh out of high school is looking for a  
beginner job, she does not agree with paying them $50,000 to $60,000 a year as compared to  
people who are already qualified in their industry; the County is already facing a little crisis in  
the nation as far as trying to get salaries with costs going up; and she suggested tightening  
belts and saving.  
There being no further comments or objections, the Board conducted a public hearing and  
denied consideration of adopting an ordinance for an economic development ad valorem tax  
abatement for Rogue Valley Microdevices, Inc. for seven years at 70 percent of the real and  
tangible personal property that the company invests in Brevard County, Florida, and is added to  
the County’s property tax.  
Result: DENIED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: Rita Pritchett  
Ayes: Pritchett, and Zonka  
Nay: Goodson, Tobia, and Feltner  
J.1. Approval, Re: Contract for Sale and Purchase from PMJL LLC for 5041 Martin  
Lane, West Melbourne, as an Advanced Acquisition for the Hollywood Boulevard  
Widening Project - District 3.  
Marc Bernath, Public Works Director, stated this Item is a contract that was presented to the  
County by PMJL LLC; it is for 5041 Martin Lane in West Melbourne, as part of the advanced  
acquisition for the Hollywood Boulevard Widening Project; it is in District 3; the appraisal value  
for the home is $185,000; and Mr. Cooper from PMJL LLC has offered $250,000.  
L. S. Cooper stated he is trying to make his life a little easier; if he waits for the County to take  
it over in a year or two, unfortunately, his wife has cancer and he will be the caretaker; and it  
would be a bad time to deal with business at that time. He explained the reason they are asking  
more than the appraisal is he does not think the appraisal was an adversarial relationship with  
them; he did not understand the whole process; he would not even meet him at the property;  
but they do a lot of work with Section 8; and a three-bedroom home with Section 8 he can get  
$2,300 rent. He went on to say they work with the foster kids program; they work with the group  
that has like two people on social security and one person dies, they cannot afford, they work  
with helping people on the Section 8 side; for him to buy a house, he showed a realtor  
appraisal that they work with would cost him $225,000 to $235,000, so he cannot understand  
the appraisal price; they did not count it as a rental property; and he worked hard to get where  
he is, he just wants to remain whole. He noted if they can find a place where they can work  
together on this, make a win/win for both the County and he; if he waits until the County takes  
over, he can get the shysters, and he hates lawyers, but he talked to them and they told him  
what he could get; that is not right; on his own to make his life simpler knowing the County will  
take over this property; and he is trying to move the time up. He added he was hoping he and  
the County could meet somewhere in the middle and he can remain whole, so he can keep  
helping people in the County.  
Commissioner Tobia stated he has been here six years, and the Board has never had an  
applicant come up here and bargain for something; Mr. Cooper pointed out he had some  
concerns with the appraisal; and he asked if Mr. Cooper has another appraisal for this Board to  
look at from a certified public appraiser.  
Mr. Cooper replied no.  
Commissioner Tobia stated Mr. Cooper has probably noticed that housing prices are on their  
way down as interest rates are going up, so it is fair to say that prices on housing are largely  
coming down; and he inquired if Mr. Cooper were to sell it through an appraisal process, would  
he have to pay real estate commissions.  
Mr. Cooper responded yes.  
Commissioner Tobia stated traditionally, it is three percent to a buyer’s agent, three percent to  
the seller’s agent, plus closing costs, so somewhere in the area of eight or nine, plus the fees  
the County would have to pay for, so he would receive that $185,000; and he asked if Mr.  
Cooper understands that.  
Mr. Cooper replied affirmatively.  
Commissioner Tobia advised he appreciates Mr. Cooper showing up here, he loves firsts; and  
he will not be supporting this, because he is way out in left field, and he has not provided the  
Board with any other data.  
Mr. Cooper pointed out he cannot buy a three-bedroom rental in today’s market at that figure.  
Commissioner Tobia mentioned that is not an appraisal; and the Board is using public dollars,  
so it has to go by that. He went on to say the County is millions of dollars away from doing this  
whole project, whether it does it whole hog or if it is cut into thirds; this is not the one final  
remaining piece; there are market declines; the Board does not know what that appraisal will be  
when Mr. Cooper decides to sell; and he thinks accepting this value at above appraisal with no  
number attached to it, sets a very terrible precedent for the other properties out there that will  
inevitably come to the Board and ask for several thousand dollars more than the actual  
appraisal. He commented if this was the last property that would be one thing, but the County  
does not have the money to cover all of that; while he greatly appreciates Mr. Cooper for  
coming here and fighting for his property, without any definitive numbers, he will most likely  
choose Section 3 and reject the offer.  
Commissioner Zonka asked staff if they have an idea of eminent domain what it would cost in  
attorney’s fees, or an estimate of those additional dollars.  
Morris Richardson, County Attorney, replied it is very difficult to know right now because the  
County would not be condemning this property at the current time, it would be some time  
down-the-road before it would be looking at land and acquisition, so a lot of it would obviously  
depend on where the appraisal comes in at the time it was done.  
Commissioner Zonka asked for an approximate range.  
Attorney Richardson advised talking about the current appraised value, the County offered an  
appraised value, and they did not accept that, it may cost the County, if it offered $185,000, a  
likely outcome would cost between $215,000 and $285,000 to acquire it through eminent  
domain with much of that going to the seller’s attorneys, and then it would have the opportunity  
costs and time involved in litigating it.  
Commissioner Zonka asked if the County has paid more than the appraised value in the past.  
Mr. Bernath advised for this particular project, the County has not; and in the order of 30  
properties, there is about 90 in total, whether it is the full take or partial take.  
Commissioner Zonka noted the County has taken it in other areas, just not for this project.  
Chair Pritchett stated she is comfortable not doing this right now, and then coming back later.  
The Board considered the acquisition of 5041 Martin Lane, West Melbourne as an Advanced  
Acquisition for the Hollywood Boulevard Widening Project, and selected Option 3 to reject the  
offer.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Rob Feltner  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
J.4. Carry forward FY 2021/2022 balance into FY 2022/2023  
Tim Bobanic, Supervisor of Elections, stated the purpose of the Agenda Item is to request a  
carry-forward of excess funds of Fiscal Year 2021/2022 of a balance of $555,925.06 into the  
current Fiscal Year 2022/2023; the purpose of this is two-fold, one is to implement  
recommendations by the Department of Homeland Security to implement security measures for  
the front of their elections support center; many of the Commissioners have served on the  
canvassing board and know the elections support center was really never designed to house  
the public; due to recent legislative mandates, they have an increased presence of public  
meetings and election observation; and in addition to this, they also are requesting money to  
move their server rack, which is still located in the Viera office, where they originally conducted  
tabulations, and to move that over to the elections support center.  
Commissioner Tobia explained he is in support of this under two conditions; he asked if Mr.  
Bobanic is willing to commit to establish that the 2022/2023 baseline budget, the adopted  
budget should not include this amount being carried forward.  
Mr. Bobanic replied affirmatively.  
Commissioner Tobia asked if Mr. Bobanic commits, when developing the Fiscal Year  
2023/2024 request, that the Supervisor of Elections should not exceed the 2022/2023 baseline  
budget by the lesser of three percent or the change in Consumer Price Index (CPI).  
Mr. Bobanic responded he does not know if he can commit to that right now, simply because  
the budget year that is being worked on will consist of really three and one-half elections, which  
is the most elections they have; they go through four-year cycles, so they have a November  
municipal election, they have a March presidential preference primary election, which only  
happens every four years, the August primary election, and then they have approximately a  
quarter to one-third of the cost of the general election all occurring in the budget year they are  
going to be working on; of course, like his predecessor, they want to be good stewards of  
taxpayer money; they apply for any grants they obviously have available to them, which run the  
process right now with the State; but, until he gets into the actual budget, because he  
processes, especially since this is his first one, looking at some of the unfunded mandates that  
might come from the legislature this year, there is a lot of talk of additional election legislation,  
so once they get into that, he can pledge they will have the most cost-effective budget they can  
possibly have.  
Commissioner Tobia expressed his appreciation to Mr. Bobanic, but he stated the Board is  
under a mandate to come in, regardless of extraneous factors, to come in at three percent, or  
whichever is less; he appreciates him trying to do that; but without making that commitment  
and asking for a carried-forward budget, it is very difficult that he would be asking for even  
more, plus that $500,000 is a little hard to stomach that he will not come in at three percent; the  
same three percent the majority of the Board is willing to do; and he has never voted for it. He  
noted if he comes in under that three percent, he would greatly appreciate that; but since he is  
not willing to commit, he unfortunately cannot support it.  
Mr. Bobanic advised he would be very happy to do his absolute best, but until he gets into the  
budget process, he does not want to guarantee something.  
Chair Pritchett stated she is going to support this, especially since it is not being carried forward  
with the baseline; she knows Mr. Bobanic is getting his grounding right now; it is really hard to  
understand how he is getting a budget going; for him to say a certain thing right now would be  
irresponsible; and she appreciates the fact he is going to do his best to try to keep it as low as  
he can. She went on by saying they had some discussions about some items, he is already  
willing to look at those things and to move things where they should be, and to try to fix the  
items he has to cut costs.  
Commissioner Zonka stated it is impossible for Mr. Bobanic to know what is coming down from  
the State, so she thinks he would be disingenuous if he could have a crystal ball and say the  
State will send him a bunch of unfunded mandates that are going to exceed the three percent.  
The Board approved a request by the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections to carry forward  
the excess FY 2021/2022 balance of $555,925.06 into FY 2022/2023 for the buildout of the  
vestibule at the Election Support Center for $475,000 and the server infrastructure relocation  
for $75,000.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: Tom Goodson  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Feltner, and Zonka  
Nay: Tobia  
I.1.  
Board Consideration, Re: Appointment to the Affordable Housing Advisory  
Committee  
Chair Pritchett asked if Ian Golden, Housing and Human Services Director, was here to provide  
the Board with some ballots regarding this item.  
Mr. Golden stated this item is for the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; it is a  
State-mandated board to receive State housing initiatives partnership funds; it has 11 members  
which are prescribed by Statute; each member sits in a specific category; and this position is in  
the category for an advocate for affordable housing. He went on to say there are four  
volunteers who are applying for that position; in front of the Board is a revised ballot, which staff  
tried to make similar to a ballot the Board will see later, it is a ranked ballot; it will have each  
Commissioners name already on it; he asks the Board Members to vote two points for his or  
her number one selection; one point for the number two selection; and staff will tally it, and  
bring it back to the Board with the results. He added the Agenda Item does provide options, the  
Board can obviously just choose whoever it wants to, and direct staff to go back out and  
re-advertise.  
Commissioner Zonka stated she is sure the Commission had a chance to look at the  
applications; with that she chose Vinnie Richardson; and she would like to make a motion to  
appoint Vinnie Richardson.  
Motion died due to lack of a second.  
Chair Pritchett advised the Board will come back to this after staff tallies the ballots.  
I.2.  
Approval RE: Request Approval of Brevard Energy LLC Landfill Gas Purchase  
Contract, Lease Contract, and Lease Resolution.  
Tom Mulligan, Solid Waste Management Director, stated he is asking the Board to approve and  
authorize the Chair to execute the amended and restated landfill gas purchase contract,  
amended and restated lease contract, and a lease resolution with Brevard Energy, LLC; this is  
a continuation from October 11th when the Board directed Solid Waste to assemble a  
negotiation committee to work out modified terms to the contract and the lease; he believes  
they have reached a mutually advantageous situation; the major bullet points in the  
modifications can be found in the Agenda Report; and they do have representatives from  
Brevard Energy, LLC if the Board has any questions.  
The Board approved and adopted Resolution No. 23-009, authorizing the lease of County  
property; and approved and authorized the Chair to execute the Amended and Restated  
Landfill Gas Purchase Contract and Lease Contract with Brevard Energy, LLC.  
Result: ADOPTED  
Mover: Rob Feltner  
Seconder: John Tobia  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
I.6.  
I.3.  
Approval; RE: Final ranking and appointment of EEL Selection and Management  
Committee (SMC) Members  
Chair Pritchett advised that Robert Jordan removed himself from the list; and while staff is  
looking at the data on that, the Board is going to Item I.3., Dissolution of the Building and  
Construction Advisory Committee.  
Dissolution of the Building and Construction Advisory Committee  
Commissioner Tobia stated on January 10, 2023, the Board decided to take a further look in  
dissolving the Building and Construction Advisory Committee, the Historical Commission, and  
the Marine Advisory Council; as a side note, he strongly disagrees with keeping Arts in Public  
Places; but he will not mention that again, because according to Commissioner Goodson, the  
Board is willing to give up somebody’s whole key to life, and they should enjoy it. He expressed  
his appreciation to staff for the ongoing conversations in his office, the County Attorney’s Office  
for their timeliness with the dissolution documents; he stated the Board has the unique  
opportunity to decrease government; these three boards can be absorbed by staff; and the  
Board can see by the one pagers he has attached, and they can be gone over separately. He  
continued by saying before he does that, and he appreciates the Chair jumping all over the  
place on this, and he is still in shock by one of the votes that came previously; with the Chair’s  
permission, he would like to ask Commissioner Goodson which of these boards are most  
important to him, because these are pennies compared to the amount of savings that was just  
provided.  
Commissioner Goodson advised all of them are important; these people serve for no money,  
and they are not government; if Commissioner Tobia wants to call this a governing board, the  
only government on this board is County staff; if they do one good thing for the community, he  
would say they are warranted; and he reiterated they all are important.  
Commissioner Tobia reiterated he is still in shock for the vote, and the Economic Development  
Commission (EDC) is probably in shock as well is a matter of importance; he strongly  
disagrees with Commissioner Goodson; there are numerous historical commissions out there  
that can do this; the group that is going to get short changed on this is his office staff who has  
worked very diligently on this stuff; but he wants to thank not only Commissioner Goodson, but  
Commissioner Feltner; and he is giving Commissioner Goodson a pass here because he  
greatly appreciates his support on the more important thing. He noted had he known that, he  
would not have wasted his staff’s time, these people’s time, and Commissioner Goodson’s  
time; and he would like to pull Items I.3., Dissolution of the Building and Construction Advisory  
Committee, I.4., Dissolution of the Historical Commission, and I.5., Dissolution of the Marine  
Advisory Council from the Agenda.  
The Board removed Item I.3., Dissolution of the Building and Construction Advisory Committee,  
from the Agenda.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Kristine Zonka  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Commissioner Goodson stated he wants to compliment Commissioner Tobia on his wisdom; he  
is extremely intelligent; he asked Commissioner Tobia not to always give him a pass; and at his  
age, he kind of likes when he beats him up.  
Chair Pritchett expressed her appreciation to Commissioner Tobia for this; she stated the  
Board has spent numerous months’ really compacting boards and making a lot of changes; she  
expressed her appreciation to the advisory boards and all they do; she noted these boards  
probably save the County a lot of money, because they help staff with a lot of the things staff  
has to do, so it may save the County one or two staff members down-the-road; and many of the  
people on these boards are very qualified and professional people.  
Commissioner Tobia explained he will not be bringing this up again under his tenure; he hopes  
people do not worry about that; he asked to please get the County’s seal date correct; and he  
mentioned that does still bother him.  
I.4.  
I.5.  
Dissolution of the Historical Commission  
The Board removed Item I.4., Dissolution of the Historical Commission, from the Agenda.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Kristine Zonka  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Dissolution of the Marine Advisory Council  
The Board removed Item I.5., Dissolution of the Marine Advisory Council, from the Agenda.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Kristine Zonka  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Board Consideration, Re: Appointment to the Affordable Housing Advisory  
Committee  
Ian Golden, Housing and Human Services Director, stated staff tallied the votes and it ended  
up with a tie between Robert Klimkowski and Vinnie L. Richardson, so they have a second  
ballot if the Board would like that.  
Chair Pritchett stated she would love that.  
Mr. Golden asked the Board to please choose one person.  
The Board appointed Robert Lee Klimkowski, Jr. to the Affordable Housing Advisory Council,  
with said term expiring June 30, 2024.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
J.2. Solar PV Permitting Fee Waiver Extension  
Commissioner Tobia stated Brevard County Solar PV permitting fee waiver will expire on  
February 24, 2023; on February 25, 2020, Chair Pritchett expressed concerns about potential  
cost increase; she was 100 percent correct on this one; however, pointing out that an increase  
cost is good two-fold; one, there is more than one-half a million dollars for fee savings for  
constituents; and two, more than 2,400 permits have been pulled showing a strong forward  
motion of clean energy in reducing negative environmental impacts and energy independence.  
He continued by saying this is extremely important to him, so he suggested the Board  
implement some parameters that it can maintain the liability of this program; he expressed his  
appreciation to staff for helping come up with this so the Board can encourage this type of  
behavior, but again, putting some safeguards in it; one, excluding commercial, this should be  
focused in on residential, so much applications are residential in nature, yet commercial  
projects come at a much higher cost with a much higher permitting fee; these waivers are more  
likely to be unnoticed by 10 builders and much higher dollar projects, but have a bigger hit on  
the Planning and Development budget; and number two, put a cap on the amount waived per  
permit. He pointed out the amount he came up with was $250; 71.6 percent of permits would  
be completely waived; that $250 permit would cover the bulk of housing projects or projects on  
houses anywhere in the neighborhood, depending on the amount per kilowatt, $70 to $150 a  
month; many applicants may not be aware that they qualify for a waiver, because the contractor  
is issuing the permit and does not necessarily remit the savings to the homeowner; and his  
initial thought was to refund an amount to the homeowner, however, using a refund system  
would cause all sorts of problems. He went on to say it is not just sending a check; there are a  
bunch of State fees, surcharges, and record keeping that make that an impossibility; he asked  
how does the County rectify this by making sure the business is not only collecting but not  
remitting that; two-fold, the Board requires that the builder check a box stating that they will  
remit the savings created by the permit fee to the homeowner; following up, upon completion of  
the permit the County also sends a letter mailed to the homeowner thanking them for their use  
of clean energy, and informing them by Board’s decision that they should have received a  
rebate in the amount of that permit savings so they are aware of it. He explained this is not  
saying that the contractors do not do this, but this double-checks that the homeowner is aware;  
he is not going to screw up twice, so instead of making this in perpetuity, he would like to put in  
those parameters, and have this come back to the Board in a year to see how putting these  
safeguards in has any impact on this program; these three changes, plus the year, he thinks  
can make this good program viable, saving constituents money and furthering good  
environmental decisions at the same time; and that is the idea, and he is open to suggestions.  
Chair Pritchett stated she thinks the process got a little complicated; she would be more apt to  
either remove it, because the County is getting more tourism, and it was almost a quarter of a  
million dollars last year, which has to be absorbed somewhere; she thinks people are getting  
either more prone to doing solar or it is just the incentive that is helping them; she guesses the  
data would have to be looked at, but she does see the increases; and she would be willing to  
just split the permit costs of people applying for it, and that would get the County back to the  
year before dollar amount. She went on by saying if it keeps going up, she is going to be in  
favor of removing it; everyone else has to start covering these fees somewhere; that is what  
she would support if Commissioner Tobia is okay with it; she appreciates him bringing this  
back; she was actually not going to do it again this year because of staffing costs, because it is  
becoming a very good, reliable energy source program; and that is where she is.  
Commissioner Goodson inquired how Commissioner Tobia would treat it if the contractor pulled  
the permit for the homeowner and then the contractor said they figured that $250 in their price;  
he stated there is always going to be that unscrupulous contractor who is not going to give  
away any money; and he asked how he would approach that.  
Commissioner Tobia replied that would be a conversation between the contractor and the  
homeowner; if the homeowner saw that $250 deduction when they received the letter in the  
mail at the end of the project saying there was a $250 permit fee waiver, the homeowner would  
be aware of that because of the conversation they had with the contractor that, that $250 would  
come off of the top; what he is concerned about is the contractor either not remitting that or not  
deducting, and just keeping that; he is not saying that is happening, but the County can  
safeguard that with one letter that would go out; and at .50 cents a letter, or whatever it is, it  
would cost about $1,000.  
Commissioner Goodson asked if staff were to do this letter all over the County to every  
homeowner that asked for solar power and asked for a credit, and does staff have a number  
available that this will cost.  
Chair Pritchett advised it is a competitive market, and the builder has to get prices down  
anyway, so what the County is trying to do is solar going in if the builder is willing to do it is still  
a plus for what the Board is trying to do for clean energy, so that is why she thinks it is getting a  
little complicated.  
Tad Calkins, Planning and Development Director, stated he believes the item is for a resolution,  
and it would come back to the Board; he does not have a cost that it would be for the letter; he  
believes Commissioner Tobia’s estimate is close, but staff does not have a specific cost; and  
staff can take a look at that and bring it back with the resolution if the Board was to go forward  
with this, along with any information it would want to see.  
Commissioner Goodson pointed out the Board just spent two to three months talking about  
advisory boards costs, and now the Board is adding costs to another agency, but it is for the  
best.  
Commissioner Tobia noted he estimated $1,000; in 2022, according to Planning and Zoning’s  
numbers, there were 1,081 permits pulled; the County collects the homeowners’ address, so he  
estimated with postage, time, and all that stuff a dollar per, it will be in that $1,000 range; and  
he did not want the Board to think this was a number, willy nilly.  
Commissioner Zonka stated talking about money lost to the County to do services, this is  
money lost to staff; oftentimes homeowners are granted special tax incentives through their  
state and through their government; she does not know why they will need local government to  
subsidize permits; she will have to think about this when it comes back; but she does not know  
that she will be in favor of it.  
Commissioner Tobia asked if he could get Commissioner Goodson or Commissioner Feltner  
on this, because if he does not have support on this one, he does not want to waste staff’s time  
on this, it can just be ended the way it is.  
Commissioner Goodson advised he has no problem with it at all.  
The Board approved extending the Solar PV Permit Fee Waiver Program for one calendar  
year; and directed staff to draft a resolution including the following new criteria: applies to  
residential applications only, caps the waiver amount at $250 per permit, send a letter to the  
homeowner that their permitting fee has been waived, and bring it back to the Board in one  
year for renewal.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Rob Feltner  
Ayes: Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Nay: Pritchett  
Approval; RE: Final ranking and appointment of EEL Selection and Management  
Committee (SMC) Members  
Mary Ellen Donner, Parks and Recreation Director, stated for the four seats for science that the  
Commission ranked, number one ranked was Lisa Toland, number two ranked was John  
Shepherd, number three ranked was Maryann Civil, and number four ranked was Elizabeth  
Becker; the Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommended appointment, which is Mac  
McLouth; and for the business, finance, or real estate applicants, the number one selection was  
Jim T. Swann, and there was a four-way tie for the second seat under business, finance, or real  
estate. She continued by saying the four-way tie was between Jason P. Miller, Lisa M. Neal,  
Sara T. Stern, and Sandra Sullivan.  
The Board reviewed and ranked applicants; and appointed the four highest-ranked science  
applicants Lisa Toland, John Shepherd, Maryann Civil, and Elizabeth Becker; and appointed  
the recommended Tourist Development Council (TDC) appointee Mac McLouth.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: Rob Feltner  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Ms. Donner stated Jason P. Miller was the number one ranked for the final seat under  
business, finance, or real estate.  
The Board reviewed and ranked applicants; and appointed the two highest-ranked business,  
finance, or real estate applicants Jim T. Swann and Jason P. Miller.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: Kristine Zonka  
Seconder: John Tobia  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
Discussion, Re: Negotiate with County Manager to Continue in His Position  
Chair Pritchett stated Commissioner Zonka has to leave for a very important appointment; but  
before she leaves, she wants to include her in on this discussion; the Board is either going to  
have to go out and look or find a way to keep Frank Abbate, County Manager; and from the  
process she has been through since she has been on this Board of trying to ascertain the right  
person, she wants to see what the Commission’s thoughts are. She went on by saying she  
would love to negotiate something with Mr. Abbate past the time period; what this means is he  
will have to come out of Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) and lose a whole bunch  
of money; she talked to him earlier, and he loves the County enough that he would be willing to  
negotiate some ideas; she wants to see if the Board Members would allow him to come back  
with some ideas; she knows it will cost him money down-the-road, but would like to hear ways  
the Board can negotiate to keep him past the amount of time with the DROP; and she  
reiterated he would lose a lot of money coming out of DROP.  
Commissioner Zonka stated she has spoken to Mr. Abbate; there is no secret trick; he is not  
asking for more money; he is committed to the County; and she would be amicable to that.  
Commissioner Tobia stated he would like to make a motion to give the Chair authority, it is  
probably a lot easier than having the rest of the Board negotiate with Mr. Abbate, for her to  
negotiate with him and bring a work product back to the Board to look at.  
Commissioner Goodson asked if there is a time period on this; and for how long does the  
Board wish to retain Mr. Abbate.  
Chair Pritchett advised she would like to keep him for the time period in which she is here; she  
does not know about the rest of the Board, but it would be a strong advantage to keep him as  
long as he will work; as Commissioner Zonka says, this one time a person is always three  
votes away from being unemployed; it is the County Manager’s job to serve the Board; and that  
is what the Boad is trying to do as elected officials.  
The Board authorized the Chair to negotiate with the County Manager to continue his position  
with the County, and to bring a work product back to the Board for its consideration.  
*The Board recessed at 10:31 a.m. and reconvened at 10:40 a.m.  
Result: APPROVED  
Mover: John Tobia  
Seconder: Rob Feltner  
Ayes: Pritchett, Goodson, Tobia, Feltner, and Zonka  
K.  
PUBLIC COMMENTS  
Commissioner Zonka’s absence was noted at this time.  
Gregory Miller stated he wants to address the changes being applied to the Brevard County  
campgrounds; he did some research to look at how taxes are structured in the County of  
Brevard; they are looking at a price increase in the campgrounds; he can justify some of the  
increases because the County residents are probably paying taxes, and they do not; and he  
reiterated he looked at the taxes and how they are calculated. He went on to say he looked at  
the website taxrate.org from Brevard County; the tax rate here is .87 of one percent of the fair  
market value of a home; the fair market value is $186,900; that translates into $1,618 property  
taxes a year for the resident of Brevard; by looking at that monthly, it is $135 a month; and if  
that is translating into what is being paid, the residents are paying $807 to camp, and they are  
paying $1,186, so they are paying $379 premium, much more than the people locally are  
paying. He noted if a person is looking at equity, they are out of equity; that is discrimination  
against them being on the outside by the amount of $379; in addition to paying more taxes than  
they are, in terms of their rent, they are also looking at a difference of how much time they have  
to rent the property; they have 12 months to the day to book a site, residents have 13 months,  
so they are discriminated against with rent and amount of time they can book the site; and  
economically, if the snow birds are not coming in, the State of Florida has $40 billion of revenue  
coming into the State per year from tourism, from people outside. He stated he does not have  
the breakdown of how Brevard County shares in that but nevertheless there is going to be a  
significant amount of breakdown.  
Commissioner Tobia asked if Mr. Miller is from Michigan.  
Mr. Miller replied affirmatively.  
Commissioner Tobia advised it is a wonderful state, great education system; University of  
Michigan, just to put this in perspective, they did not raise rent for residents higher than  
Consumer Price Index (CPI), so Mr. Miller is concerned about out-of-state; he wants to pick  
Michigan because he hears people complaining over and over again; assuming the University  
of Michigan determined he would be a decent applicant, if he was in the State of Michigan, the  
tuition this year is $16,178; if he was, as he is, a Florida resident, that same tuition is $53,232;  
and he understands where he is coming from, but Michigan does the exact same thing as  
Florida. He went on to say he appreciates everyone’s concern up here, but this is how Florida  
structures taxes; they give benefits to in-state and charge just costs out-of-state; Michigan does  
it to Florida residents, and he is just now feeling it this way; he appreciates Mr. Millers’ time, but  
it is disingenuous to come up and say Brevard County is the only one who does it when in fact  
it is his state that charges three times more; someone who goes to Michigan would end up  
paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 more in tuition and get that same degree  
four years later; and he wants to put things into perspective, not only for the Board, but  
certainly all of the residents of Brevard County that are listening. He added their rates did not  
go up more than three percent.  
Mr. Miller asked if he can offer a rebuttal.  
Chair Pritchett replied no, to move on; and she noted she is not going to let the Board talk  
anymore until it is completely done with public comment.  
J. Barry Monaghan stated his concern is staying at Wickham Park with what is referred to as  
the Wickham shuffle; he has seen people come in and spend one day in a spot, have to move  
over to the next site in one day; a person is constantly moving; sometimes he or she stays for a  
while, sometimes it is a day; and he suggested the Board consider making part of the park for  
short-term visitors, so that when there is an opening of say a month, and somebody comes in  
and wants to take one or two days in the middle, it means that people have to move every other  
day.  
Dominic Ciarlello stated he has been coming to Wickham Park for 24 years; he started out  
when it did not have anything, they were promised a lot of stuff, and they did not get a lot of  
stuff; he would like to keep coming here; he is 82 years old now and he does not want to stop;  
the Board is almost like telling him he cannot do it anymore, coming to this great park; he has  
family in the area; and it is part of what their life is. He went on by saying he has a home up  
north and he has an RV down here; and the cost has been doubled with what they were paying.  
Lawrence Smith asked if the Board considered writing a letter to its local businesses of the  
money the Board’s new rules will effect; in a quick estimate, their group at Wickham would  
probably buy 1,000 meals outside on the market every month, times five, times cost of an  
average meal; they receive medical procedures here; they have surgeries done here; and he  
has had two surgeries done here himself. He continued by saying the money they bring in they  
pay for maintenance on vehicles, their trailers, and it is quite an economic impact he believes  
they have to the County; the amenities, the County has not done a thing in 16 years since he  
has been coming here; they have a broken down corn crib that they maintain for winter use by  
doing their tarps and so forth; but there is no swimming pool. He noted the gentleman who  
came to talk to them about the changes said the County went out to 40 campgrounds to try to  
align its fees, but by looking at what it got for those same fees at those campgrounds, they  
have large recreational halls, swimming pools, and Wickham Park has none of these; it just  
seems to be an economic loss to the County; it certainly impacts their lives; and the fees are  
acceptable as to average campgrounds, but those amenities are not in that price range. He  
stated there is a 90-day limit; the officials at Wickham Park are quite surprised when they say  
next year will be their last year; and he asked why they would come back for 90 days.  
Betty Bennett stated she wants to reiterate on Mr. Smith’s points about how much money they  
spend down here; it has to be advantageous to the County; her major point is the 90 days and  
not being able to stay longer than that, leave for two days, just so a resident can come in for  
two days and take that spot; and they are not guaranteed to be able to come back again after  
the 90 days is her main concern.  
Claude Black asked the Board to call Kristine Gustke to speak before him.  
Chair Pritchett stated no, Ms. Gustke will be next.  
Mr. Black advised Ms. Gustke has some information to present to the Board that would be  
helpful before his presentation.  
Chair Pritchett pointed out she cannot do that.  
Mr. Black stated he and his wife appreciate the opportunity to come to Florida in the wintertime;  
he would, however, question Commissioner Tobia’s analogy here; he just finished 25 years at a  
private college, and they do not charge Florida residents more to come there than anybody  
else; and Georgia does not charge Florida campers who may come up during the summer, so  
that analogy really does not work very well. He asked the Board to reconsider the rate increase,  
as his next speaker will point out to the Board, some extensive research; these increases were  
far greater than the cost of any other private or commercial campgrounds in the area; he stated  
he would like the Board to reconsider the 90-day restriction; most other private campgrounds  
do not have that reservation, that one can stay as long as one wants; based on the information  
the Board is going to receive from the next speaker, to look at this 118 percent rate increase;  
and it is way over the top, and puts this fee way outside of many of the other commercial and  
private campgrounds in the area. He asked the Board to reconsider for the convenience of  
people who drive thousands of miles to visit Florida, the 90-day restriction; and it works a  
tremendous hardship on these folks.  
Kristine Gustke provided the Board with a handout; she stated at the last meeting, many of  
them spoke of the changes in length of stay, reservation policy, and increase in fees; the  
discount for stays 30 days or longer was also estimated; they told the Board how much they  
treasure their winter home and what they add to the community and economy of Brevard  
County; attached is a list of local campgrounds in the area with prices and other information;  
and as the Board can see, the new rates for the County parks are much higher. She continued  
by saying they realize that a price increase is necessary but asks that the Board please  
reconsider the amount of that increase and/or bring back the discount for longer stays; and she  
asked the Board to reconsider the length of stay and reservation policy. She stated she thinks  
the State of Michigan gives money for that to make up for the non-residents, and as far as she  
knows, she does not think Brevard County gives money to make up for the non-residents.  
Robert Abbott stated many of his compatriots have already expressed a great deal of his  
sentiment, so he will address just a couple of things; Commissioner Tobia is talking about  
Michigan State and its wonderful education, and that is great; they offer the amenities to  
support that, as does Florida State here; the amenities, and he will speak specifically to  
Wickham Park because that is where he has his experience, are sad; the restrooms are way  
beyond compare; Manatee Hammock has much nicer restrooms than Wickham Park; there is  
no pool; and he does not care about that. He went on to say to address really one important  
thing to him, and that is security in the campground; he asked if the Board has looked at the  
theft reports around Wickham Park from the last couple of years, the amount of property that  
has been stolen, because there is no security in that park; he asked if the Board has  
considered that; he asked if it knows there is a family currently being terrorized and vandalized  
by one individual who waltzes in and out of the park day and night anytime he wishes to; and  
he advised that is not security and not keeping the County’s customers safe. He concluded by  
saying most of the snowbirds who come down here are retirees; they are on a fixed income; he  
asked what has happened to that fixed income over the last few years with all of the inflation;  
he stated another price increase is outrageous; and all they ask is that the County subtly raise  
the prices, and project it out for many years. He pointed out it gives people the opportunity to  
make better decisions; he asked why the park has not been expanded as it has tons of room in  
that area to put in new campgrounds; he stated they have been told they are coming in; there is  
a security pad put in three years ago; and there is no security there, but there is a pad put in.  
He asked the Board to consider having part of the campground for long-termers and others for  
short-termers; that way the people who have to come in for the weekend soccer game have  
Saturday and Sunday; he stated these people coming in from the County are not going to stay  
for any period of time, even if the rates are being doubled for them when they come in for the  
weekend, it is only covering four days of the County’s seven-day revenue; the park is going to  
sit empty most of the time as it does in the summer; and the staff and maintenance people at  
Wickham Park are outstanding, and he hopes the Board gives them a great deal of credit.  
Commissioner Goodson stated if a person is watching the State right now, the Senate is going  
through the same thing with its State parks; they are making it friendlier to taxpayers rather  
than out of State users; and he hopes the Board will be able to come to some sort of  
agreement that everybody will like.  
Chair Pritchett stated government is not in the business of residential, and somehow she thinks  
if it gets too long-termed it will be setting up residential communities; it is really not something  
the Board should be doing; she still has heartburn with doing competition with the private  
sector; there are plenty of people out there trying to earn a living by owning these properties  
and renting them; they had the same issues with golf courses in the past; and she is probably  
not likely going to vote for a long-term stay, because that should be getting out more in the  
private sector. She continued by saying as far as the County parks, they are for people to enjoy  
for a small period of time; as far as the cost, the County had to raise costs because it is costing  
it more money, and it cannot put that on the backs of the homeowners; and maybe by coming  
back later and if inflation goes down, who knows. She advised she hopes the people are still  
able to come and enjoy it and find a place where he or she is comfortable; her heart goes out to  
them, because they are the nicest people who show up to the meetings; and she moved on to  
the next comment card.  
Larry Stewart stated he does not have an address currently, primarily because of the position  
taken by this Board, mostly Chair Pritchett, and Public Works staff; February will make two  
years that he sold his family’s home to try to build a home on a piece of property; he was lead  
to believe that he could get granted a waiver that is outlined in the Municipal Code; there are  
five qualifying criteria for this waiver; he explained why he qualifies for those criteria; and he  
came before this Board in 2021. He went on to say in that meeting, Chair Pritchett demanded  
he obtain engineering that was not made as necessary in this particular Code, engineering he  
will never be able to obtain; he just wants to be granted the Code as written, and to be able to  
build his family’s home; and he asked if anything is being done in order to make that happen.  
Chair Pritchett asked Mr. Stewart if he was done with his public comment.  
Mr. Stewart advised he is homeless because of this Board; he has done nothing wrong; he has  
given over 20 years of public safety service to this County as a firefighter/Emergency Medical  
Technician (EMT), and as a Brevard County Deputy; he is no longer employed as either of  
those, but he feels like he is being discriminated against; and he is looking for some help.  
Chair Pritchett stated the day Mr. Stewart came forward, she was going to vote no on the  
waiver, but she needed him to get with County staff and figure it out.  
Mr. Stewart noted he has tried to get with County staff.  
Chair Pritchett stated that is what he is going to have to do, to comply with those things to do  
the path he is doing.  
Mr. Stewart asked what the path is that he is doing.  
Chair Pritchett stated he has to get with County staff, and he has hired a lawyer to figure out  
what he can do legally.  
Mr. Stewart stated he hired an attorney and he assumes he is working for him; he does not  
know; maybe he is the County’s attorney; Commissioner Zonka advised in May that she had  
reached out to him for advice during the time he was his attorney; and that was just admitted in  
email. He noted he is just looking for some help here; he wants to be granted the waiver as  
written in the Code that has been granted for numerous others in the past; and he reiterated he  
does not understand why he is getting discriminated against with this.  
Sandra Sullivan stated she is very concerned about the Lagoon; she spoke at the Citizen  
Oversight Committee; she provided documentation showing the sea grass declining; she noted  
the Brevard County Lagoon Plan is focused on water nutrient level; and even where it is good,  
it continues to decline. She went on to say what is missing from the Lagoon Plan is pollution;  
she has spoken before about the National Estuary Program, and the ordinance references  
following that plan, which includes pollution; the voters were promised citizen oversight and  
audits; when looking at COC, by reading the ordinance it says they evaluate projects and then  
they re-evaluate the performance of the projects and read just the plan; and the second part is  
not happening. She stated there is no performance data until this year where there is some on  
Grand Canal and Turkey Creek; when looking at those projects, they are not performing; in the  
plan it says this is experimental technology; this is a developing science that is being developed  
as the County has been doing it; if the Board Members are investing his or her portfolio, they  
would be putting it in good, performing investments; and it is the same thing for the Lagoon, to  
put the Lagoon tax into performing investments that are going to deliver. She explained the  
accountability in them not performing, the plan is not adjusted; to put it in risky investments  
really concerns her rather than tried and true approaches like stormwater treatment areas  
capturing that water; she showed the Board a picture of the Lagoon Plan that has been  
approved by the COC; she stated in 2019 when the plan was presented, it was rolled back from  
66 percent muck tax, back to 26 percent; a fudge number was put into this plan that changed  
the numbers; and when removing the inflationary number, the County has increased this year  
from 26 percent to 36 percent for what she calls the muck tax. She pointed out people did not  
vote for the muck tax, they voted to clean up the Lagoon; this technology is risky; it is not  
developed science; the County should be deploying more of what the people were promised  
like AWT plant upgrades, infrastructure; they know infrastructure is a problem; they know  
during that timeframe there was huge amount of sewage going to the Lagoon; and she asked  
the Board to reject the Plan and bring it back to the 26 percent muck.  
L.4  
Report, Re: John Tobia, Commissioner District 3  
Commissioner Tobia expressed his appreciation to the Board for granting the Chair the ability  
to send letters to both the City of Melbourne and the City of Cocoa; the Board heard back from  
the City of Melbourne, and they have signed off; he expressed his appreciation to Mayor Paul  
Alfrey, Vice Mayor Mark LaRusso, Council Member Tim Thomas, Council Member Yvonne  
Minus, who was here last time and he forgot to recognize her, Council Member Rachael  
Bassett, Council Member Mimi Handley, and Council Member Julie Sanders; the City of Cocoa  
does not have to do this, but 18 other cities have signed on to end a board that long since  
should be extinguished; and he just wants the Board to remember that its partners in local  
government many times are not partners, and Cocoa is a darned good example. He advised he  
wanted to blame this on the staff of Cocoa, but when the letter was sent from this Board to  
each member of that Council, it is clearly not a staff-driven thing, this is an elected official  
driven thing; the towers were built; in fact, they are being upgraded now; this should have been  
done so long ago; and the City of Cocoa will not sign that they want this board ended. He  
commented the Chair was accommodating and allowed him to get something on the big screen  
in under a 24-hour period because it appeared in the Florida TODAY; this is on the bottom  
section of the newspaper; he would like to point out his niece is on the bottom half of the  
newspaper not the top half; his wonderful sister-in-law is the Parent Teacher Organization  
(PTO) president at Indialantic Elementary, and did an amazing job for the school getting  
donations put together and some wonderful artists; and he expressed kudos to her.  
Upon consensus of the Board, the meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.  
ATTEST:  
______________________  
RACHEL SADOFF, CLERK  
________________________  
RITA PRITCHETT, CHAIR  
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS  
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA