The Melbourne Beach Town Commission on Thursday held a special session to interview three finalists for the town manager post, weighing candidates’ experience with budgets, stormwater and emergency planning, grant administration and staff management. Commissioners recessed for lunch and scheduled a final interview at 1:00 p.m.; deliberations and a vote are expected afterward.

All three candidates emphasized communication with elected officials and residents as a priority. Consultant Jim Deneen told the panel the process was structured so each candidate would be sequestered and asked the same set of 10 questions to ensure fairness: “They’ll all be sequestered so they cannot hear each other,” he said. That format framed the session and shaped commissioners’ follow-ups.

David Bridal, who described roughly 25 years in local government and multiple professional certifications, said his management approach centers on hands‑on oversight and continuous feedback for staff. He described creating a CIP committee to rank projects and said he sends weekly progress updates to reduce commission–staff friction. He summarized his management philosophy with an acronym: “It’s called HOCD, which is honesty, openness, communication, trust, and transparency,” Bridal said.

Bridal cited direct experience on large capital programs and bond work, saying his current role involved “about $84,000,000 in debt for the fund of two fire stations, public safety complex, and the Hopkins Park project,” and described tracking deadlines and penalties tied to bond spending. He also described work on grants that intersect with infrastructure, including septic-to-sewer projects and trail grants that require Davis‑Bacon Act compliance.

Interim Town Manager Lisa Frazier framed continuity and resilience as central responsibilities. A long‑time beachside resident and planner, Frazier described managing multimillion‑dollar grants and updating stormwater assessments, and she said she has worked to align local emergency plans with Brevard County’s hazard mitigation plan. “We are looking at our risks, and we are also making sure it is in compliance and compatible with the Brevard County’s brand new hazard — hazardous mitigation plan,” Frazier said.

Frazier told commissioners she would prioritize getting the town’s budget and CIP in order to support stormwater, fire and resiliency projects. She stressed that grants require administration capacity and cautioned against adopting outside funding without staff resources to report and comply with grant conditions. Frazier also said the staff‑support piece matters in tense public meetings and emphasized direct outreach to residents affected by infrastructure work.

Asanta Maria Smith, who described a project management background and work at multi‑jurisdictional agencies, emphasized process, performance monitoring and pragmatic use of technology. Smith said she has run grant programs and coordinated large, multi‑partner infrastructure efforts tied to federal base realignment and closure work, and cited using pilot programs to test solutions before broader rollout.

Smith described evaluating operations with process maps, then applying technology where appropriate to remove bottlenecks; she cited replacing manual time‑card entry with biometric check‑ins as a cost‑and time‑saving example. She said a budget‑first approach would guide prioritizing projects and that staff stability and clear, written procedures are central to rebuilding trust between commissioners, staff and the public.

None of the candidates were formally discussed in a closed session during the meeting recorded here. The commission recessed for lunch and was scheduled to return at 1:00 p.m. for the final interview; Town Attorney Ryan Knight reminded members not to speak with one another about substantive matters outside the public meeting because deliberation and any subsequent vote must occur publicly.