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 suspension: Commissioner Burrows moved, Commissioner DeCarlo seconded, and the board approved a motion to discontinue non-agenda public comments until the county’s reorganization in November 2025. The motion passed 4–1 (Commissioner Goodbread voted no). Commissioner Burrows said he proposed the change because of “the situations that we have right at present time.” • Airport grant: The board approved Resolution 2025-15 authorizing the chair to execute a Public Transportation Grant Agreement (FDOT financial project number 453562-1-94-01) for the Okeechobee County Airport apron rehabilitation project. The FDOT share is $10,675; the FAA portion is $202,825 toward a $213,500 total project. Commissioners moved and seconded the measure and it passed unanimously. • Agri Civic Center and tourism staffing: The board approved reclassifying the Agracivic Center manager position to a park maintenance technician (pay grade change from 19 to 6) and approved establishing a Tourism and Events Center Manager position at pay grade 20. The Tourism position will be funded 80% by the tourism department (TDC) and 20% from the Agri Civic Center/general fund, per the Tourism Development Council recommendation; the measures were approved unanimously.

The meeting also included a full consent agenda that the board approved unanimously, which included warrants totaling $2,938,569.28 and staff authorization to submit several grant applications (notably a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Small County Consolidated Solid Waste grant request of $93,750). The board heard a pre-budget presentation and a separate presentation from a local manufacturer about planned expansions (see separate articles).

What the votes mean going forward: The new ordinance and regulation change how county staff will administer citizen participation and allow the county to issue trespass warnings tied to county facilities; a public-comment limitation was also imposed by the board until the November reorganization. The airport grant moves the apron rehabilitation closer to construction once FAA steps and design are finalized. Staffing changes move the Agri Civic Center to a model that separates day-to-day maintenance from tourism and event promotion.

Formal actions (summary of motions and outcomes): - Motion to accept Mental Health Month proclamation as presented. Mover: Commissioner Goodbread; Second: Commissioner Sumner. Outcome: approved unanimously. - Motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-0004 (trespass at county facilities). Mover: Commissioner DeCarlo; Second: (recorded as Commissioner DeCarlo in roll sequence). Outcome: approved unanimously after public hearing. - Motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-0005 (citizen participation/decency rules). Mover: Commissioner DeCarlo; Second: Commissioner Goodbread (record shows sequence); Outcome: approved unanimously after public hearing. - Motion to adopt amended Administrative Regulation AR 3.09 (meeting rules/procedures). Mover: Commissioner Goodbread; Second: Commissioner DeCarlo. Outcome: approved unanimously. - Motion by Commissioner Burrows to discontinue non-agenda public comment until the November 2025 reorganization. Second: Commissioner DeCarlo. Outcome: approved 4–1 (Commissioner Goodbread voted no). - Motion to authorize chair to execute FDOT Public Transportation Grant Agreement (Resolution 2025-15) for airport apron rehabilitation (FDOT share $10,675; FAA $202,825; total $213,500). Mover: Commissioner Goodbread; Second: Commissioner Sumner. Outcome: approved unanimously. - Motion to reclassify Agri Civic Center manager position to Park Maintenance Technician (pay grade 19 → 6). Mover: Commissioner DeCarlo; Second: Commissioner Goodbread. Outcome: approved unanimously. - Motion to establish Tourism and Events Center Manager position and place it at pay grade 20, with 80% TDC funding and 20% Agri Civic Center/general-fund share. Mover: Commissioner Goodbread; Second: Commissioner Sumner. Outcome: approved unanimously.

Discussion versus formal decisions: The record distinguishes public comment and legal concerns (notably the First Amendment concerns raised by outside attorney Ariel Mitchell) from the board’s formal votes. The county attorney later clarified that the public hearings and adoptions were properly noticed and that the items adopted that morning were in effect following adoption.

Speakers quoted in this summary are taken from the meeting record and are limited to persons who spoke on the record during the hearing.

Ending note: The adopted changes will take effect as the county codifies the ordinances and updates the administrative regulation; staff will implement the grant agreements and personnel changes per the board’s approvals.