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Riviera Beach approves Robert C. Felder ceremonial street name; Bishop Masters measure fails
Summary
Council moved quickly through a contentious public-comment period Nov. 3, approving ceremonial signage honoring Robert C. Felder but declining to rename Avenue I for Bishop Thomas Masters after split council votes. A Devin Hester proposal was deferred for further vetting.
Riviera Beach’s city council voted Nov. 3 to install ceremonial signage renaming Avenue S as Robert C. Felder Avenue, while a proposal to honor Bishop Thomas Masters on Avenue I failed after debate and public comment.
The council placed the Felder sign motion on the floor after several family members and community supporters described his work founding J Outreach Ministries and his role supporting men in recovery. The motion to adopt the ceremonial sign passed unanimously.
A separate motion to rename Avenue I for Bishop Thomas Masters drew extensive public comment both for and against. Several speakers — including community leaders and longtime parishioners — praised Masters’ decades of ministry and civic work. Other council members said they were unable to support his nomination because of past allegations that remain part of the public record; one councilmember said those matters would influence their conscience vote. The Masters motion failed with two recorded 'no' votes.
A third nomination, to rename Thirteenth Street for NFL Hall of Famer Devin Hester, was not decided and will be returned to staff for additional vetting. Councilmembers and members of the public suggested alternative locations and asked staff to consider whether portions of the roadway (for example the road into the marina) could be used instead of the full length of Thirteenth Street.
Staff reminded the council that these are ceremonial signs only — the official street names remain in the addressing and emergency systems, and proposed signage will be reviewed by the public-safety/911 team before installation. Staff estimated the initial signage work would cost roughly $28,000–$29,000 for installation costs.
Next steps: the Felder sign will be scheduled for production and installation. Staff will research policy amendments and options for splitting or limiting the scope of future naming requests and return with background information and any recommended changes to the renaming policy.
