Melbourne Beach reviews options after permit technician resignation; considers extending town manager applicant window

The Melbourne Beach Town Commission discussed next steps after a recent resignation by the building permit technician and reviewed options for temporary permit-processing support. Town Clerk Amber Brown said she had "reached out" to outside firms (referred to in the meeting as CAP and other companies) and planned to send draft agreements and request pricing and contact details for the individuals who had attended a prior meeting.

A price of $68 per hour for a permit technician was mentioned in the discussion as one company's quoted rate; commissioners noted that other firms proposed administrative processing models that could reduce on-site technician time. The commission discussed advertising for a temporary permit technician, with one commissioner recommending the position be advertised as temporary with potential to become permanent; the meeting record shows the town’s budget currently includes a full-time permit tech position, so any long-term change would be a future decision.

On a related staffing matter, commissioners discussed extending the application window for the permanent town manager. The current deadline (noted in the meeting as Oct. 10) could be extended to allow the incoming commission to participate in vetting. Commissioners asked the town attorney and recruitment staff (referred to in the meeting as Jim and his staff) to advise on whether the deadline could be extended and whether doing so would have cost implications. No formal motion or vote was recorded on extending the deadline; the commission assigned follow-up to the town attorney to consult with recruitment staff and report back.

No formal votes were taken at the special meeting on hiring a permit technician or changing the manager recruitment timeline; commissioners noted the town manager has authority to post for positions and staff would proceed with outreach and pricing collection. The clerk will provide updates to commissioners as vendors respond.