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Palm Bay council approves easement vacation, raises backyard chicken limit, sets public-hearing time limits and authorizes spill payment
Summary
At its Sept. 6 meeting, Palm Bay City Council approved a second-reading easement vacation for a private pool, adopted an ordinance increasing allowed backyard chickens from four to six, set time limits for public-hearing items, and authorized a $1.124 million payment to resolve a sewer-forcemain spill cleanup; most motions passed unanimously or with recorded abstentions.
Palm Bay City Council on Sept. 6 voted on multiple ordinances and a procurement related to a sewage spill, approving an easement vacation, changing backyard-chicken limits, adopting public-hearing time limits and authorizing final payment for the Claremont Forcemain cleanup.
In a second-reading public hearing, council approved Ordinance 2025-29 to vacate a 20-foot utility and drainage easement in Port Malabar to allow construction of a private pool and deck. Staff recommended approval and the council passed the ordinance; the record shows Councilman Michael Hammer abstained from the vote.
Council adopted Ordinance 2025-31, a textual amendment to Title 17 of the City Code to increase the number of backyard chickens permitted on certain single-family lots from four to six. Staff stated the change was a textual amendment and made no recommendation. During public comment, resident Bill Batten asked whether coops would require inspection; staff replied there is no inspection requirement and enforcement would be complaint-driven, citing Florida Department of Agriculture guidance on recommended coop sizes (66–84 square feet for the increased number). The ordinance passed on final reading, recorded as 4–1.
The council also adopted Ordinance 2025-32 to standardize time limits for public-hearing items outside the land-development code: 30 minutes for applicants, 30 minutes for staff, and three minutes per public commenter. A resident who attends meetings praised the removal of a prior speaker-card requirement. The ordinance passed unanimously.
On procurement, staff presented a final bill related to the Claremont Forcemain spill and requested authorization to pay $1,124,000 plus about $14,533 for street repairs. The staff report noted a pending Florida Department of Environmental Protection fine that the city expects to be reissued and estimated between $15,000 and $40,000; staff said any consent-order funds could be directed toward a local water-quality improvement guided by Turkey Creek area residents. Council members commended contractor Cathcart for its performance; the council authorized the payment unanimously.
Each approved motion included the staff presentation and a council call for the question; where votes were recorded the transcript notes abstentions or the numerical tally recorded by the mayor.
