Cocoa Beach adopts 30‑day moratorium on enforcement of some temporary sign rules

The Cocoa Beach City Commission voted unanimously to adopt a 30‑day temporary moratorium on enforcing selected temporary sign ordinance violations, giving the city time to refine rules on open‑house, garage‑sale and other short‑term signs.

City Attorney Becky Vos read the draft resolution (Resolution 2026‑03), saying the pause "gives us some breathing time to relook at our sign code particularly relating to temporary signs." The measure sets a 30‑day window during which staff will review possible limits (hours on display, number of signs, retrieval procedures and a retrieval fee). Mayor Capizzi and several commissioners said staff should return with options, including narrower hour limits than the 8‑hour threshold in the draft.

The moratorium grew out of public comments from local realtors and residents who said stricter enforcement by a new code‑enforcement officer led to signs being removed or destroyed without sufficient warning. Olivia Capizzi, who identified herself in public comment as a local seller and realtor, asked the commission to "update the city code enforcement rules for temporary signs" and proposed limited windows and clearer education for sellers. Realtor Debbie Roth urged limits on the number of signs per open house and recommended warnings instead of immediate destruction.

Commission discussion addressed consistent enforcement during campaign seasons and equity for commission candidates. Commissioners signaled they want any changes applied uniformly "so we don't discriminate" during election periods. The moratorium was moved, seconded and passed on a 5‑0 voice vote. The commission directed staff and the city attorney to draft options for a temporary emergency ordinance or permanent revisions before the moratorium expires.

Next steps: staff will return with recommended ordinance language and proposed enforcement procedures, including options for hours, number limits and retrieval fees.