City staff provided several operational updates to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board on Oct. 23 and fielded extended board discussion about the local register and the so‑called “50/50 rule.”

Rachel Berry, the city’s zoning official, said the AC Freeman House contract from the builders association had returned to the city and was under final attorney review; she expected it to appear on the Nov. 19 City Council agenda for council approval. “It has been it's come back to the city. The attorney is doing a one more look over and it should be on the next council meeting for their approval, which will be on November 19,” Berry said.

Danielle Burhill of Urban Design briefed the board on City Hall work: roof work is underway, an updated assessment and construction plans for the historic portion are being procured, and planners are developing cosmetic options for council chambers that could return that portion of the building to use sooner than major historic restoration work.

Board members then discussed the list of properties that currently trigger a certificate‑of‑appropriateness requirement. Berry said she had compiled a revised list that merges entries on the Florida Master Site File, the National Register district boundary and individually listed National Register properties; staff has not yet posted the updated list publicly but distributed copies to board members.

Several board members pressed staff about properties added to or removed from the list in December 2023 and asked for clarity for property owners who received conflicting notices. One member stated a preference to revert to the 2022 list for clarity for owners affected by the 2023 changes; Berry said the city is coordinating with regional planning councils and will pursue workshops and LDR updates as part of a broader process.

Board members also renewed criticism of how the “50/50 rule” is applied and urged further discussion. The board asked staff to add a future agenda item about elevation design requirements associated with Elevate Florida projects so that the board can recommend guidance for how elevated foundations should be treated in the historic district.

The board concluded the staff updates with agreement that staff will continue to refine the property list and bring a discussion of elevation design standards to a future meeting.