The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners voted Jan. 15 to adopt Ordinance No. 2026, which defines designated public forums, limited access forums and nonpublic areas in county‑owned or controlled facilities and establishes enforcement and trespass warning authority.

County staff said the ordinance grew out of training with the Florida Association of Counties and review by county legal counsel. Miss Parsons, the board’s legal representative, told commissioners the ordinance is legally sufficient and provides a written foundation for the sheriff’s office to issue trespass notices in nonpublic areas when necessary for public‑safety reasons.

Commission discussion focused on clarifying that the ordinance does not broadly deny the public access to county government functions but instead describes which internal spaces (for example, administrative offices) can be limited and how those limits will be enforced. Commissioners asked for examples and staff pointed to other Florida counties that have adopted similar provisions after encounters with individuals who sought unlimited access to internal offices.

Following the reading of the ordinance title, the board approved the ordinance and authorized the chair to sign the document. Staff will publish the ordinance, identify and post designated public forum areas in county facilities, and coordinate with the Sheriff’s Office to describe enforcement procedures and trespass warning processes.

What’s next: Staff will finalize ordinance text, post the ordinance and the map/description of designated public forum areas, and brief the Sheriff’s Office about enforcement roles and statutory procedures. Legal counsel advised that rankings and formal actions that affect rights of access should be recorded publicly when implemented.

Source material: Adoption and discussion of Ordinance 2026 were read into the record during the meeting. All legal and procedural statements in this article are attributed to staff or counsel as recorded in the meeting transcript.