Okeechobee County adopts new decorum and trespass rules, approves airport grant and personnel changes; board votes to suspend non-agenda public comment until re

The Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners adopted two ordinances and an amended administrative regulation addressing citizen participation and trespass at county facilities, approved a public transportation grant for the airport apron rehabilitation, and approved staffing changes for the Agri Civic Center and tourism office at a regular meeting in May.

The board adopted Ordinance No. 2025-0004, creating Article 3 (County Facilities) of Chapter 58 of the Okeechobee County Code to provide for trespass warnings and appeals at county facilities; Ordinance No. 2025-0005, amending Section 2-19 on citizen participation and decorum; and an amended Administrative Regulation AR 3.09 to align meeting procedures with the new ordinance language. All three measures were adopted unanimously during the meeting.

Why it matters: The ordinances and AR change how the county will manage public participation at meetings and how staff may respond to repeated disruptive behavior at county facilities. During public comment an attorney, Ariel Mitchell, raised constitutional concerns about putting a trespass element into local law, saying the trespass component “is now creating a criminal aspect” and could conflict with the First Amendment and Florida statutes. The board adopted the ordinances and administrative regulation after public hearing and discussion.

Other formal actions taken by the board included: • Proclamation: The board issued a proclamation designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month; motion carried unanimously. • Public comment…