If you wish to speak to any item on the agenda or during the public comment portion of the meeting, please fill out a speaker card. Each person addressing the board shall have three minutes to complete his or her comments on each agenda item for which he or she has filled out a card. The chair has the discretion to determine or alter the time limits on any agenda item. The Board of County Commissioners requests that speakers appearing under the public comments section of the agenda limit their comments or presentations to matters relating to county business that are within the board's control, authority, and jurisdiction. I'd like to recognize Jeffrey Gross, Reverend Jeffrey Gross, with the Cocoa Beach Community Church. Gracious and loving God, we gather today in service to our community, be mindful of the responsibility entrusted to those who lead and make decisions on behalf of the people. Grant our county commissioners wisdom to consider the needs of all residents, courage to make difficult decisions, humility to listen to differing perspectives, and compassion for those whose voices are often unheard. May their deliberations be guided by integrity, fairness, and a commitment to the common good. Help everyone gathered here to approach one another with respect, even when opinions differ, and to seek solutions that strengthen our community and improve the lives of those who call it home. May our discussions today reflect not only what is possible, but what is right. We ask this in the spirit of service, justice, and peace. Amen. Thank you, Reverend Gross, for that wonderful invitation. Good way to start the meeting. I'd like to ask Commissioner Feltner to lead us in the pledge. Please join me in the pledge. Okay. I think a motion would be in order to authorize Commissioner Goodson to join us by phone. I'll make the motion, sir. I'll second. There's a motion and a second to approve Commissioner Goodson attendance via telephone. All in favor say yay. Yay. Yay. Here's unanimously. Thank you. Okay. Our first item on the agenda is E1, resolution recognizing October 2026 as Filipino American History Month. And I know we have some representatives here. I'd love to ask them to come up to the podium. And I'll read the resolution. As Filipino Americans have been a part of the American story for more than four centuries, with the earliest documented arrival in the continental United States on October 18, 1587, at Moreau Bay, California. And whereas the Filipino American National Historic Society recognizes 1763 as the year in which the first Filipino settlement in the U.S. was established at St. Malo, Louisiana. And whereas the Civil War to – whereas from the Civil War to the Afghanistan conflicts, Filipinos and Filipino Americans have a longstanding history of serving in the American Armed Forces of the United States, including 250,000 Filipinos, including 250,000 Filipinos who fought in World War II. And whereas Filipino American farm workers and labor leaders like Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Ittilong played an integral role in the multi-ethnic United Farm Workers movement alongside Cesar Chavez, Dolores Hereta, Dolores Hereta, Dolores Hereta, Dolores Hereta, Dolores Hereta, and other Latino workers. And whereas the Filipino American community has played a vital role in shaping the cultural, economic, and civil life of Brevard County and the Space Coast, sharing traditions, values, and talents in business, education, sports, and arts through organizations like Florida's S-F-A-C-E-F, Inc., Shen Lai, Inc., Space Coast Pinoy's, Inc., and Space Coast Filipino American Chamber of Commerce. And whereas October is recognized across the U.S. as Filipino American History Month, a time to reflect on the resilience and achievements and heritage of Filipino Americans in highlighting their role in building a more inclusive and vibrant community. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida does hereby recognize October 2026 as Filipino American History Month and calls upon the residents to join in recognizing and celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of the Filipino Americans here on the Space Coast, done, ordered, and adopted in regular session this 20th day of October 2026. A motion to be a note. I'll make a motion, sir. Motion and a second. Thank you so much, sir. All in favor, say yay. Yay. Thank you. Thank you. Carried unanimously. Thank you. Would you like to say a few words? Ms. Jonah is the president of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce. Good morning, honorable Chairman Todd Atman and distinguished members of the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners, respected community leaders, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of my Filipino brothers and sisters in front of you, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Chairman of Court at Atman for sponsoring this resolution and the entire Board of County Commissioners for this meaningful recognition of our Filipino American community. Thank you so much for giving us a voice, for recognizing our contribution, and for reminding us that every culture, every small business, and every community has an important place in growth and success to Brevard County. Our chamber, and on behalf of all the organizations we have, our mission is strong. Our mission is to support, connect, elevate our Filipino community and also American communities to be one. And we believe that when a small group like us, we become stronger, community, prosper, and opportunities grow for everyone. Today, I also stand proudly as a woman in leadership alongside so many remarkable women along with me here today, serving our communities with dedication and compassion and strength. As a Filipino, we have a beautiful word, Bayanihan. It means coming together, helping one another, and carrying the weight of a shared dream. This is the spirit behind our chamber. We are not here simply to build a business organization. We are here to build bridges between cultures, businesses, leaders, and communities. To Chairman Altman and the entire board, thank you for opening your doors and recognizing our community. To our fellow Filipino American leaders, our executive officers and board and directors, ambassadors, members, and supporters, this moment belongs to us all. May this recognition inspire us to continue serving, not for titles or recognition, but for the positive difference we can make in the lives of others. Our mission, one mission, one team, one Filipino community. May God bless you all, and may God bless the Bard County. Maraming salamat to. Thank you. We are so blessed to have a vibrant Filipino community, and we just want to thank you for being who you are. I just love your culture and your people and just some of the friendliest folks, and you contribute so much to our community. One, health care, and one we didn't mention here. I know the Filipino community plays such a huge role in Central Florida in providing quality health care. I know it's affected my family. So we appreciate you, and thank you, and we're just looking forward for this community to continue to grow. Thank you. Thank you. I'm coming down to get a picture. Okay. Thank you for being here. Next item, E2, District 4. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have members today for Native Heritage Month. Martha, you're welcome to bring your group up, and I'll read your resolution, and then we'll present it to you. Good morning. Good morning. I'll read the resolution, and then we'll pass it, and then you'll be invited to speak, and then we'll present you with the resolution and take a picture. Native Heritage Month resolution. Whereas the contributions of Native Americans and their descendants have significantly enhanced the freedom, growth, prosperity, and greatness of the United States, and whereas Native American Heritage Month was approved by President George H.W. Bush in August of 1990 designating the month of November as a time to celebrate and honor Native Americans, and whereas the customs and traditions of Native and Indigenous Americans are respected and celebrated as an integral part of a rich cultural heritage across the United States, and whereas the celebration of Native American Heritage Month creates an opportunity to educate our public about the many tribes and to raise awareness of the unique contributions and challenges of the Native people both historically and in the present, and whereas in honor of Native American Heritage Month, Native Heritage Gathering, Inc. will host the 18th annual Native Rhythms Festival from November 13th through the 15th at Wickham Park, honoring the Indigenous peoples of the Americas through music, dance, arts, and cultural exhibits. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of County Commissioners in Brevard County, Florida, does hereby recognize the month of November 2026 as Native American Heritage Month, done in order to adopt in a regular session this 20th day of October 2026. And with that, Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to approve. All in favor, say yay. Yay. Here's unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. This is an honor and a gracious understanding of what we are about to do here at Wickham Park. Coming up on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of November, we will be celebrating Native American Heritage Month with the 18th annual Native Rhythms Festival. Family friendly, free of admission, welcome to all. And I'm going to let Claire talk a little bit about what the programs entail. Thank you, Martha. This is a beautiful, family-friendly event. And family-friendly, because it's a Native event, means there will be no alcohol. So everybody's smiling, happy, enjoying themselves. Families, bring the children. The beautiful Native village with several demonstrations during the day. Free workshops for anyone to enroll in any of the workshops. Nativerhythmfestival.com and see what all the wonderful workshops are being held. Beautiful music. Top entertainers. Native entertainers from all over the country will be performing. Fry bread, other food vendors, just bring a blanket, a couple lawn chairs, stay during the day, into the evening, and enjoy a beautiful, beautiful educational weekend. Thank you, Claire Ellis. And now, we're going to have a small taste of the music of the Native American flute played for us today by Bart Lipofsky. He's going to do a rendering of the Cherokee Morning Song. This song has been played across the continent, to the north and the south, the east and the west, and the International Space Station during the mission of John B. Harrington, our first Native American astronaut. He brought the first Native American flute into space. This song was played aboard the International Space Station. And today, we're going to hear it here in the chambers of the Brevard County Commission in Brevard, Florida. Take it away, Bart. Thank you. Thank you very much, Martha. This is a Plains-style Native flute, and it has the woodpecker theme on it that relates to the legend that the woodpecker put holes in a hollow branch to make sounds as the wind blew across. This flute is handmade by John Ellis. The Cherokee Morning Song is also known by the name Wendayahoe, which broadly translates, I am of the great spirit. It is so. I would like to play a short verse once for the commission and again for the audience. Okay, Martha, I have a copy of the framed resolution for you. Okay. Thank you very much. That was fantastic, and the flute had what a great resonant sound. Good job making that. Thank you so much. Very good job playing it. Thank you. Okay. Thank you so much. Next is E3 presentation from District 3. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amber Carroll, the Executive Director of the Homeless Coalition, would you mind coming down and giving us the presentation? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. My name is Amber Carroll, and I'm the Executive Director for the Brevard Homeless Coalition. We serve as the lead agency for the Brevard Continuum of Care. And if you're not aware of what that is, we serve as the administrative and leadership arm for our community's coordinated response to homelessness. We apply for and receive federal and state funding to support programs that help prevent and end homelessness in our community. We work alongside developers, housing providers, service organizations, and community partners. Our vision is to see a housed and healthy Brevard. And so at the heart of that vision is the very simple truth that a safe and stable home is the foundation for good health. This is why I'm excited to share with you this morning that Brevard County has been selected for a one-time HUD Continuum of Care Builds Award. And that's to put the development of permanent supportive housing in communities. This will bring nearly $9 million to our community to expand that kind of housing. And it's been a journey. In the second round, HUD identified projects for $75 million nationwide. Congress was notified that Brevard County was one of those selected, the only project in Florida, for approximately $5.7 million. But that selection never resulted in an award letter, and the application process reopened. So we kept going. We updated our application. We responded to the changing requirements and continued to advocate for this opportunity. A couple of rounds later, HUD announced not $75 million, but $97 million in awards nationwide. And we won. Brevard County got $9 million this time. So I guess patience is a virtue. We came away with $3 million more than our earlier selection. So that is going to help us expand to the number of housing units we can put on the ground. To put it in perspective, this was a nationwide competition for every continuum of care. There are over 450 continuums of care in the country. And so 13 projects were selected nationwide. And so we got one, and there were two selected in the state of Florida. So this puts Brevard on the national stage. It demonstrates the strength of our system, the work of our community, and our partnerships. Our partner, Car4 Supportive Housing, is central to this success. They develop and operate supportive housing across Florida. Other communities sought their support in their applications, but they chose to work with us. And we are grateful because we've accomplished great things together already. Over the five-year grant period, this investment is expected to help create 64 new permanent supportive housing units. To put that in perspective, on January, in January 2026, this past year, we did our point-in-time count and identified 1,039 people who were experiencing homelessness in our community. Of that number, 339 were considered chronically homeless. And what that means, these are neighbors living with disabilities who've experienced prolonged or repeated homelessness over their lifetime. An affordable home with the right support can give them a path towards stability and health and greater independence. The new supportive homes will directly address that need. They build on the work of our partners already in the continuum of care. So partners like Providence Place, Orchid Lake, and Heritage Park. This is what a housed and healthy Brevard means in practice. Homes that people can afford, support they can access, and partnerships that make a difference. So I'm here to thank Car4. I'm here to thank you, commissioners, for your continued support in our work. And we look forward to turning this award into new homes and opportunities for our neighbors taking another step toward a house and healthy Brevard. So thank you for the opportunity to celebrate this today. Thank you, Amber. Yes. Fantastic. 9.4 million will go a long way. Fantastic. Okay. I'd like to move to the next agenda item is consent agenda. Do we have any items that the commission would like to pull from the consent? I have one for discussion and just a recognition, F6. And I don't think we have anything. We do have one card. We'll hear the card, then we'll have a vote on the remaining of the items. Richard Heffelfinger. Yes. Rick Heffelfinger, 2000 Juniper Drive, District 1. I only pulled one card today looking to set a new record for the shortest meeting, so I will make this brief. F9 was a budget change request. I had a request or a question earlier about one that happened in April. The way I understand this is that this is money that was not allocated to the proposed budget, but is funds that is still left over from 2526. I think that's correct. What that means is, and this is all related to the sheriff, so that means that the sheriff has come into some money that he didn't know he had when he did budget requests, and hopefully I think I'm going to see this when we get to the proposed accepted budgets. These monies will show up in some of his line items somewhere. But I think that the real wonderful thing here is there is an opportunity now that the sheriff came into some money he did not have to allocate prior to fact-finding and prior to you approving his budget. There is $18.1 million here. That's a big chunk of change. There's multiple items. Now, I imagine that some of this stuff may be fenced, which means you can't just spend it on whatever you want to. But it appears there's some flexibility here. So the sheriff's come into some extra money that he didn't know he had before you gave him $5 million for the animal shelter, right? And you gave him the animal shelter, fine. I'm not going to fight that anymore. But my point is, that $5 million that you allocated, do you have the authority as, I mean, we're approving this. You approved his proposed budgets to say, hey, sheriff, or go to the sheriff and say, hey, I realize you guys are coming into $18.1 million. We'd like to know where you're putting it in your line items. And then we'd also request that you give us some ability to pull back the $5 million. We're going to get that. You already approved that budget. It's in the millage. We'd like to pull the $5 million back that we told you we would give you, since you now have $18. And we'd like to take the $5 and put it toward the six-story building. Because we heard at one of the meetings how drastic that situation is at multiple meetings. I do not know if you have the authority to do that, if you're willing to do that. But I see this as a windfall for the sheriff. And I would like to think he would take some pity on those people working in the six-story building now that he potentially has money to move. If he doesn't, fine. But I'm just asking if you would, if it's in your authority, to go ahead and do that. Because this is a budget change request that I don't think it was in his original proposal. So he's got $18 million more. You should at least have some authority to say, hey, sheriff, where do you think you're going to spend that? Because we did approve the budget before. But are you going to higgly-piggly let him stick it wherever you want? I don't. Because even some of the language here is a little bit vague that said essential law enforcement operations, the use of the money, essential law enforcement operations and purchasing of much-needed equipment. Well, that's pretty vague. I don't, I would have thought he'd fact-found for that equipment. So my ask is just to consider possibly going back to the sheriff and considering reallocating budget, which I think you have the authority. Thank you. Okay. All right. Any questions, comments, actions on that item? I think we'll vote on the item. I'll talk a little bit about F6, and then we'll vote on the consent. F6, I just thought it would be nice to take a moment to recognize, basically is the acceptance of donations from John F. Steinwalk and his wife Susan Steinwalk, a revocable living trust. It directs the assets to be deposited into accounts specifically designated for Brevard County Public Libraries, Catherine Swainberg Group Public Library. I thought this gift is a very, very generous gift, and I think it goes to show what great constituents and visitors we have here and what great service we provide, and I'd like to read a little bit about the Steinwalks. I'd like to truly recognize and celebrate this remarkable act of generosity. It's a story that has now become a lasting gift to our entire community, and this is very, very good news for us. John Francis Steinwalk, affectionately known to many as Big John, and his beloved wife Susan shared 43 wonderful years before Susan passed away in November of 2021. Big John passed away in Brevard in 2025. Originally from Rochester, New York, the Swainbox spent many happy winters visiting Micco, Florida. John recognized a dream that came true when they moved to Melbourne and built a home. John could finally sit in his own backyard and watch rockets fly. From their state, John and Susan have left an extraordinary unrestricted donation of nearly $267,000, over a quarter million dollars. They left it to the Catherine Swainsburg Rood Central Reference Library in Cocoa. Unrestricted gifts are among the most powerful contributions that a library can receive because there are no strings attached. They have trusted us and our staff to spend the money as we desired. This generosity gives the library the flexibility to direct funds precisely where they're needed the most. So whether that means expanding our collections, upgrading technology, or enhancing programs that serve our community as a whole. While the Swainbox generosity supported many organizations, this gift is a powerful reminder of the vital role our libraries play in the sanctuaries of learning, connection, and community. This is an incredible gift, and please just join me expressing our deepest gratitude for the life and legacy of John and Susan Swainbox. I wanted to at least recognize that. You know, at time, we've received other gifts, and hopefully we're going to be receiving more, and I just thought we should take a moment and remember those. We hear a lot of negative things, and there are people that care so much about Bavard County and the services that we provide. They're really willing to share their treasure and some of their lifelong earnings. Did you have some? I thought, okay, good. Thank you so much. So a motion would be in order. For consent? Yes. I'll make a motion for consent. Motion. I'll second. Second on the consent agenda. All in favor, say yay. Yay. Yay. Yay. Carries unanimously. Okay. We will move on. Do not have any public comment cards. We have no public comment cards for our public comment section. So we will move to no unfinished business, new business, item J-1. H-1. H-1. H-1, I'm sorry. We have one card on H-1. You do have one card. Max Taylor. It'll be me. Okay. My neighbor couldn't make it. Okay. I'm going to do this real quick. I'm going to go home. My name is Max Taylor. I live at 8850 South A1A in the unincorporated South Brevard. For those of you unfamiliar with South Beaches, it's about two miles north of Sebastian Inlet on the lagoon side. I've lived at that location. My family and I built that home there in the mid-1960s. I believe I can say without equivocation that I have a vested interest in the future of the South Beaches. I've been following this proposal since Ms. Atkinson put it up on her website back in July. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed when the commission rushed it through the drafting and advertising vote, despite citizens' concerns over the proposal, on the first day of business back from the 4th of July weekend. After the county attorney was tasked with drafting this proposed ordinance, I tried to compile some information about where it came from, who was behind it, what properties would be involved. My initial thought was to file a Freedom of Information request and get some public records. When my first effort at that came back, I asked for the name and location of the 25 properties bought on the South Beaches with the Beaches and Riverfront funds back in the 80s. I got a reply back from the county saying, we can supply that if you'll give us $8,300. I realize that under Brevard County, information about our political leadership isn't public and it definitely ain't free. I did not feel like hocking my home to continue what's going on there. Consequently, I have no idea where this proposal came from, why it's needed, and who's behind it. What I do know is that this ordinance is put out there, and I quote, ordained by the Brevard County Board of Commissioners. It would establish a municipal government on the South Beaches run by a council of five unelected individuals who don't even live on the South Beaches. They can tax us, put us in debt, buy and sell public and private lands, hire a new bureaucracy, and then appoint another unelected group to make recommendations on how to run this new town. I suspect this still unappointed advisory group was behind a couple of meetings hosted on the South Beaches where we were told, in effect, this new town was a done deal and we should sit down, shut up, and do as we were told. Worse still is that this proposal is so vague and nonspecific that there is a possibility that this same unelected governing board, am I out of time? Yeah, but we'll let you finish that thought. We'd impose more unspecified taxes in institute eminent domain if they so desire. I'd like to make a suggestion at this point. Let's put this to a vote for the people down there. There's 9,000 registered voters in three precincts down there. We can put it to the vote, see if they want this town. If they do, let them vote on who's going to represent us. We've been doing this in this country for 250 years. It's worked out well. I'd like to see it continue. I'm done. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, back to the board. Mr. Chair, if I may? Yes. So, just to be clear, we're not creating a new town. I want to thank Morris and Justin, the county attorney's office, for helping make this reality. I also want to thank the group of citizens who came to my office repeatedly to make sure that the people in the South Beaches had a voice. I grew up in the South Beaches in the 70s, so it's near and dear to my heart. And one of the things that's really important to me is that they have a voice. We have an opportunity here to make sure that the people of the South Beaches can speak directly to the commission, right? We have this area of state critical concern with no voice. I want to make sure it has one. So, a couple of things that are important I want to share is this board will be in charge of the South Beaches, but we're going to have a group of five people who are from the South Beaches. And that's my main point is that they will be residents of the South Beaches who will be able to bring concerns directly to this board. So, they'll have a direct line of communication, which is really important to me. I would also like to make sure that the board is compromised of scientists, people who recreate, all different types of people who live there so that they can share what they need, what they want. So, that's the impetus of this board, this land authority, and the advisory board that will come with it. So, with that, I'd like to move to approve the ordinance establishing the Brevard Barrier Island Land Authority and authorize the county manager and county attorney's office, I'm sorry, the county attorney, to take all necessary actions to implement the ordinance, including collecting the surcharge at Sebastian Inlet Park. I have a question, sir. We have a question. County attorney, is this in the same kind of format as the Port St. John Advisory Board? It's very different. It's a specific statutory body that's created by Chapter 380 to further the purposes of the area of critical state concern. And the land authority, although it was described as unelected, the land authority is actually the board of county commissioners. It's one of those instances where you will just wear a different hat. The ordinance does provide for an appointive advisory board, as the commissioner said, of citizens who reside in the South Beaches. There is a provision in this ordinance that says, at some point in the future, the board of county commissioners may consider, by ordinance, authorizing that advisory body to give advice on matters such as zoning and other things, like Port St. John Dependent Special District. But this ordinance does not do that at this point. It's just something that the board may or may not do in the future. But regardless, this land authority nor the advisory board will ever be a zoning authority. It will never be an entity that is an additional or different development approval. So, at most, it would be an advisory body as to those matters. Is this just asking to advertise for intent at this point? The board gave legislative intent previously. So, this ordinance has been advertised, and this is the ordinance. This is the adoption. Okay. So, question to the commission. Y'all brought it up last time. Is this something you want to wait until after elections for you guys to do as a new board moving forward? I don't think it's going to change much. If you want to wait for some reason, you can. I don't know. It was kind of y'all's thought last time with a few things. So, I don't know if it's something that's going to be a major impact. That might be something you would like to do. I'd like to pass it now. Okay. Any other questions? All right. I think a motion would be in order. I move to approve the ordinance establishing the Brevard Barrier Island Land Authority and authorize the county manager and county attorney to take all necessary actions to implement the ordinance, including collecting the surcharge at Sebastian Inlet State Park. All right. I'll second. Okay. Motion and second. Any discussion? All in favor, say yay. Yay. Opposed? Carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Now, we'll move to J-1. Good morning, Commissioners. J-1 is the request for approval for contract and sale of purchase from GammaPen LLC as part of the West Cocoa Master Stormwater Improvements Projects. This project will increase flood storage to assist in mitigating downstream flooding in the West Cocoa area. There were two appraisals and the offer is between those two and has been accepted by the group. Okay. If there are any questions, I'll make a motion to approve. I'll second. Yes. Motion and second for approval. Any discussion? All in favor, say yay. Yay. Yay. Carries unanimously. Thank you. J-2. I see. We have one card. Dr. Stephen Rivett. Hello, Commission. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this morning. I'm Steve Rivett. I'm mayor of the town of Malabar. I am here with the unanimous approval of our town council to strongly oppose the sale of this property to the environmentally endangered land program. I think you've got our letter, our official response from the town in your packets. I'd just like to hit a couple of the important points from that letter, which is essentially the core of our argument against this acquisition. It's an incredible impact on our tax base. And currently, approximately 30% of the land area in Malabar is conservation property. Malabar has more than carried our share for conserving land in Brevard County. In fact, you know, that's a very important part of who we are, okay? The message approving this sale would send to other municipalities in the county is that you better hurry up and develop willy-nilly before, you know, the opportunity is snatched away from you. Other municipalities have done that. We have tried to preserve, you know, control development and preserve lands. And it's really come back to bite us. One of the only areas in town where we have zoning for high-density residential is the property that, you know, you're considering for purchase. So that really takes away the opportunity for any high-density housing. The expansion of water infrastructure to allow development of that area of our town is going to be pretty much, you know, that throws a major monkey wrench into any opportunity to extend the water line and enable further, you know, further development there. Also, EELS has shown incredible contempt for, you know, Malabar residents and leadership. We proposed several compromises, you know, with the existing property that they've converted to scrub jay habitat. And we came up with a compromise that would give EELS about 90% of what they wanted. Malabar would have got about 70% of what we wanted. And they just said, no, our way or the highway. It is really important to us to live in an area among nature, you know, surrounded by nature. We are not opposed to conservation. It needs to be done in concert with, in cooperation with, you know, the people that live there, okay? Now, Ms. Atkinson, the person that held your seat previously, you know, basically when questioned about why he was taking such a hard stance against the town, he sat on that dais and said, it's because I like to cause pain for the people in Malabar. Now, we've got a whole new crew up here. I don't think there's anybody that thinks like that. But I am asking you, stand up for your residents in Malabar. This is extremely important to us. This is a do or die, you know, for us. I cannot stress how important it is that we are able to manage the development, including conservation land of our town. Thank you. Could I ask a question? Sure. Mr. Mayor, thank you, sir. If this didn't happen today, I might understand that Malabar would, because it's already zoned for multifamily. Is that correct? That is correct. So if this didn't go through, Malabar would approve how many units, apartment, we're talking about apartments, right? Yeah, we would have to see a site plan, but it's basically up to three-story apartments is the type of building that would be allowed. And not for nothing, I can appreciate that you don't have a large commercial base. And certainly, we're all looking at consequences of Amendment 3 and such. I'm sure that's weighing into your calculus. Obviously, that's a concern, yes. And so this is one of the opportunities that you have for, I mean, that would be commercial. Those wouldn't be, you know, homesteaded residents there. Right, and essentially, the U.S. 1 and Malabar Road corridors are the only areas that really make sense. Because, again, we want to keep most of our town rural and, you know, low-density development. But there's a few places where it makes sense, specifically Malabar Road and U.S. 1, which is really the only place in town that that makes sense. Understood. All right, sir, thank you. Okay, thank you. Mr. Chair, if I may? Yes. So, I've had the mayor in my office, and I've talked to a lot of the residents. And I would really like to hear from Ian about this purchase and how, correct me if I'm wrong, Ian, but didn't a large majority of the people of Malabar say we want eels, just in general? Please. Yes, Commissioner, thank you. Of the five voting districts in Malabar, all of them voted, on average, above 62% for the last eels referendum. So, the mayor did mention that they are supportive of environmental and conservation. I'm not going to rehash some of the things and issues that happened. I will say that eels management is by state guidelines for most of their lands. And so, a lot of the state guidelines don't take much accounting of local requests if they violate those state guidelines. This particular purchase has been a high priority for the SMC and eels for a long time. If it was developed, the rubric or analysis that the board approved for us to use to look at impact on Lagoon, the nitrogen, it would cost, if it was developed, approximately $88,000 annually to remove the nitrogen that would go into the Lagoon from any kind of residential development. We did three appraisals on this property, mainly because the first two were widely divergent. The first one did not take into account the magnitude of funds that would be necessary to bring utilities to this property. One of the things that was brought up was about utility easements and interrupting expansion. Eels has a long history of working with utility companies to grant easements across their properties. They have a strong track record of managing their lands, like I said, in accordance with their state guidelines and other guidelines that they utilize. This current acquisition is at $2,425,000. The eels portion of $1,875,000 is within the two lowest appraisals, with the remainder coming from a grant from the Nature Conservancy. And this is a willing seller? It is a willing seller. Someone who owns the property wants to sell it? Correct. Yes. So right now it's owned by a private person, and the property is for sale? It is owned by an LLC who put forward the willing seller application. I believe our first offer on the property was $1,950,000. They countered with about $3.2 million. And between the negotiation process and the appraisals, it got down to the $425,000. Okay. And somebody else could have bought it within this process. Okay. And the eels function was voted in by a majority of the taxpayers to buy these types of properties, whether it's individually something we want to do. It's what the will of the people are, is in Brevard County. And I remember that last one. I'm not sure I heard anybody say they want to call you a pain. I think they were trying to save the scrub jays. And I think that ended up having a great result with a lot of work through a period of time. So, again, this is already private property. It's not something that can be used other than what the owner is letting it for. So, I'm in support of this because this is a high-priority property for the eels, and they have put a lot of work into it. So, I'm going to vote in favor of this. With that, I'd like to make a motion to approve. Okay. There's a motion and a second for approval. Any discussion? All in favor, say yay. Yay. Yay. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you so much. Okay, now we'll move to, I just want to, H3, J3. Sorry, J3. Good morning, Commissioners. J3 is new appointments to the Opioid Misuse Abatement Advisory Committee. On July 7, 2026, the Board approved removal of the Opioid Review and Recommendations Committee from TIP and established a creation of a standalone Opioid Misuse Abatement Advisory Committee. And so, today, we are asking you to vote on the four vacant seats that we have. There are six applicants that are before you on your ballot. So, if you would go through and just select four. Mr. Chair? Yes. If you'd like, we can go to the next item. Why Juanita and crew tallies the votes for you. I'm sorry, say that again? If you would like, we can go to the next item on the agenda to give staff a little bit of time to tally up the votes for you and then report it back. Okay, that would be good. All right. We'll take appointment members of the DeVar County Education Facilities Authority Board. Yes. Trade four. And, Commissioners, this is a board that's used by the Florida Institution of Technology, or Florida Tech, to help non-tax, tax-free financing for their construction, financing, and refinancing educational facilities projects. They are asking to reappoint Colonel William Porter to the board. They've liked working with them before. Potter, excuse me. It's not Porter. And so, if you'd like to reappoint him, that's option one. If you choose not to reappoint him, then there's two other alternatives on the agenda. I make a motion to reappoint. Reappoint. I second. Colonel Potter. There's a motion and second to reappoint Colonel Potter. All in favor say yay. Yay. Yay. Yay. Opposed. Carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Okay. If you're still tallying, we can – All right. We'll move on to – We have no public comment cards. No public comment cards for the second public comment sector. So, we'll go to board reports. County Manager. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do have one item. We received an email, a nice letter from a citizen who was receiving a program to help fix their housing through the Department of Housing and Human Services. She pointed out she wants to thank Myrtle Smith and helped her through the application projects. There are no words to express how much gratitude I have for Myrtle. Secondly, she pointed out that Amanda Foltz is an amazing inspector and pointed out everything in detail and helped her point out everything that needed to be fixed in her house. Peter and the rest of the staff answered questions. The citizen is Mrs. Kilbourne. She said she's proud to live in Brewer County, and she wanted to point out that we have a terrific team, and she really gives them all the praise in the world. So, I just want to thank Amanda, Myrtle, and Peter and crew for helping a citizen to get their house fixed the way they needed to get done. That's it, sir. Okay. Great. County Attorney. I have no report, Mr. Chair. All right. Commissioner Pritchett. Commissioner Goodson. No report. Commissioner Atkinson. No report. Commissioner Felton there? No report, sir. Okay. I have just one quick. On the issue of the Space Academy, the state proposal deadline was October 26 for general state bids, but they have now moved November 16, 2026 for the governor's designated submissions. So, we still have a little time. I know Space Florida's been working with the governor's office, and we'll be following up with more information on that. And that's the only report I had. Are we ready? Yes, Commissioner. We are ready. And there's no tie, so we don't have to have another ballot. So, the four committee members are Zalpa Vega, Crystal Duncan, Katie Tennis, and Tina Edwards. Okay. Great. So, we just need a motion from the board to that effect. All right. I make a motion to approve the selected members. All second. Motion, second. All in favor say yay. Yay. Opposed. Carries unanimously. Okay. And just, I'm sorry for the record, and for the clerk, all the ballots have the commissioner's names on them, and those will be filed with the clerk. Fantastic. And I think, seeing no further business, we're adjourned. The opinions expressed by any member of the public during any period of public comment do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida. Space Coast Government.