During the public comment section of the meeting, four speakers urged the commission to consider a range of priorities for the county charter and for the commission's recommendation letter to the county council.

Vivian Lord, an Ormond Beach resident, offered a multi-part list of items she said the charter should address, including support for museums, theaters and festivals; explicit conservation language to protect parks and springs; climate resiliency strategies (low-impact development, floodplain management, electric public transit); water management priorities; and language supporting quality K-12 and higher education and housing affordability.

"We value museums that display all forms of science and art," Lord said, and she urged the commission to draft charter language that protects those community assets.

A second commenter, identified in the transcript as Greg (Greg Denver), told the commission he intends to pursue a citizen petition to ban potable (direct) reuse of treated sewage and asked commissioners to consider lending their names to that effort. "Potable drinkable reuse sewage, drinkable sewage, I don't think so," he said, describing the planned petition drive and warning that state preemption efforts make timely action important.

Matt Mason, a resident of Ormond Beach, urged the commission to create a subcommittee to study a citizens' bill of rights or preamble for the charter to enshrine access to government, public records, notice and budget transparency.

Catherine Pante asked that any disposal of conservation lands require voter approval rather than a council supermajority, offering to submit proposed language for the commission and staff to review.

Commissioners acknowledged the public input and, later in the meeting, voted to withdraw one cultural-funding amendment from the ballot draft and to move the conservation-coordination proposal into a recommendation letter for the county council, a step consistent with several public requests.

Next steps: Subcommittees will consider public suggestions and staff will prepare draft language or recommendation text for the commission to review.