Melbourne Beach commission restores finance clerk, creates full‑time code‑enforcement role and asks voting delegate to prioritize grants

The Town Commission approved several staffing and process changes at its December 18 meeting aimed at shoring up municipal operations and grant-seeking capacity.

Finance clerk: Commissioner Quarry moved and the commission voted 3–1 to direct the town manager to hire a finance clerk to assist the finance manager with accounting, procurement and JLAC compliance work. Public commenters asked where the funding would come from; the town manager and staff said a budget analysis would follow and that reserves could cover the position in the near term.

Code enforcement: Commissioner Butler proposed eliminating two part‑time code enforcement roles and creating a single full‑time code enforcement officer position responsible for short‑term rental enforcement and nuisance/code work. Commissioners amended the job summary to explicitly include Deckard (STR compliance) duties; the motion passed unanimously. Commissioners and public commenters stressed the difficulty of enforcing STR rules without dedicated, full‑time staff.

Grants: Commissioner Corey proposed that the commission’s annual voting delegate to the Florida League of Cities serve as a point person to work with the town manager to identify grants and free funding opportunities. Commissioner Reid, who serves as the current delegate, said he already monitors the Florida League of Cities grant emails weekly and will assume responsibility for pursuing opportunities; the motion passed unanimously.

Workshop scheduling: Commissioners agreed to target a January 7 workshop to outline the year’s priorities, budget timelines and grants policy; commissioners also discussed a facilitated session in February to address workplace culture and alignment.

Direct quote: Commissioner Reid said he is “already a registered user on the Florida League of Cities grant system” and reviews opportunities weekly.