Maribel Rosa and Jesus Sepulveda presented an aquaculture certificate and argued the activity is agricultural and therefore insulated from county regulation under state law. Jesus Sepulveda cited Florida statute 597.004 and the Right-to-Farm provisions, asserting that bona fide agricultural operations should not be subject to duplicative local regulation.

County staff reviewed the certification and told the tribunal the respondents do not have the property-appraiser classification that would trigger statutory protections. County counsel said the state certificate and county appraisal systems are not automatically linked and that the Right-to-Farm defense requires the property-appraiser agricultural classification in many circumstances. The special master admitted the aquaculture certificate and the respondents’ written material into evidence.

Because the legal question requires statutory interpretation and review of how county property-appraiser classifications interface with state agricultural certificates, the special master continued the matter to Dec. 17 and invited the county to file a brief no later than Dec. 10. The continuation allows both sides to submit targeted legal arguments and authorities for a reasoned ruling.