Vero Beach vice mayor and Kilted Mermaid prompt hours of public comment; supporters and critics clash

Dozens of residents and local business representatives used the public-comment period at a Vero Beach City Council meeting to address performances at the Kilted Mermaid — a downtown venue owned by Vice Mayor Linda Moore — with speakers both defending Moore and calling for review or resignation. Jennifer Pippen, who identified herself as an Indian River County resident, told the council she had filed complaints with state offices and said the office of statewide prosecution had opened an investigation and issued a subpoena to Moore; Pippen urged Moore to resign.

Why it matters: The owner of a private downtown business also serves on the council, and several speakers asked the elected body to consider whether city codes or state law apply to live adult performances held at the venue and whether children’s attendance was appropriate. Others pressed the council to avoid local action and instead defer to state enforcement or to parents’ choices.

Vice Mayor Linda Moore opened the public-comment portion by describing the Kilted Mermaid’s event policy, saying the venue presents family-friendly programming early during Pride events “until the drag show starts, at which time we transition to a later at night, more adult portion.” Moore told the council, “in my opinion, and in the opinion of Kilted Mermaid, there is no difference between a man in a dress lip syncing a song or a woman in a dress lip syncing a song.”

Thor Hovati, who identified himself as the Kilted Mermaid general manager, said the venue previously asked parents to leave when drag portions began but that the business had received an outpouring of community support after recent complaints. “We received such an outpouring of love from our community that it's kinda changed our mind on not poking the bear. And so expect more poking in the future,” Hovati said.

Several speakers defended Moore and the venue as valuable community gathering places and said they had not observed lewd or illegal conduct. Bridget Macchia said customers “vote with our wallets” and called demands for Moore’s resignation an inappropriate use of the council. Emily Gutierrez described the venue as a safe space she used to build community ties. Lisa Elso said she had never witnessed sexual acts at the Kilted Mermaid and urged the council to consider parental responsibility when bringing children to events.

Other speakers remained critical. Jennifer Pippen said she had provided the council with “photos, videos, and supporting documentation related to minors at the drag queen events” and described complaints filed with the attorney general’s office and local law enforcement. A speaker who identified himself as Thomas said the 2023 state law governing adult live performances is being litigated and that such performances, if regulated under state law, may be restricted to certain zoning (he referenced “Zone M Heavy Industrial” as an example for adult live performance locations). Former mayor Tony Young and Council Member John Carroll said the matter raised questions about community standards, whether local code (a council member referenced “section 67.06” of the city charter) might apply, and whether the city should ask staff or code enforcement to review specific events.

Council members did not take formal disciplinary action against Moore during the meeting. The mayor closed public comment after an extended discussion and the council resumed its agenda. Several speakers asked the council to treat specific allegations through state authorities rather than by local ordinance enforcement; others asked the council to evaluate local code and enforcement practices. The meeting record shows no formal motions or votes on the Kilted Mermaid issue during this session.

What’s next: Commenters urged either state-level law enforcement or local code enforcement to act; multiple speakers asked about zoning or age restrictions for adult live performances. At this meeting, the council noted the public debate and moved on to agenda items without issuing a finding or directive in open session.