Council receives FY2024 audit, approves police camera purchase and Sheridan Road sidewalk partnership

The West Melbourne City Council on March 18 received and filed the city’s fiscal year 2024 audit, approved a purchase of five in‑car camera and five body camera systems for the police department, and authorized an interlocal agreement with Brevard County to construct a section of sidewalk along Sheridan Road.

Auditors from the firm that conducted the city audit reported a clean (unmodified) opinion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024, and highlighted several routine findings and subsequent events. Lindsay Aviles, the audit partner, said the city ended the year with total net position of about $156.6 million and an unrestricted net position of roughly $54 million. At the fund level the general fund’s unassigned fund balance was about $20.8 million. Aviles also noted a subsequent event: the city approved revenue bonds for approximately $54 million after year end to support the water treatment plant; that financing appears in next year’s records rather than the FY2024 statements.

The auditors recorded a small number of compliance and accounting findings, including: timing/cutoff issues on some grant reimbursements (amounts the auditors described as not large but requiring adjustment), inventory‑counting weaknesses in the utilities parts inventories that the city plans to address with software and procedural changes, and a bookkeeping reclassification tied to an old asset disposal. City staff told the council they have already hired or designated a grants manager and will implement controls and inventory tracking to resolve the findings.

Councilmember Bentley moved and Councilmember Adams seconded a motion to receive and file the FY2024 audit; the motion passed 7‑0.

Separately, the council approved the police department’s request to buy five in‑car camera systems and five body cameras for vehicles ordered last October. Police leadership said Motorola was selected after vendor testing because the department could migrate previously captured data and because the system fit the department’s IT hosting approach; the purchase price presented to council was $40,326. Councilmember Voltz moved the purchase; Councilmember McGuire seconded. The motion passed 7‑0.

The council also authorized the city manager to sign an interlocal agreement with Brevard County to participate in construction of a phase‑2 sidewalk extension on Sheridan Road. The county’s project design is complete and the portion within West Melbourne city limits is about 1,300 feet; the city had budgeted $370,000 in FY2025 for its share of the work. Councilmember Soltz moved the agreement; Councilmember Gaylord seconded. The motion carried 7‑0. City staff said final construction contracting will return to council after the county completes bidding this summer.

Votes at the meeting were unanimous on these items. The audit acceptance, camera purchase and interlocal agreement are subject to the standard administrative steps the city follows for vendor contracting and grant/funding administration, and staff said they will return with required procurement documents or project agreements as needed.