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Fernandina Beach code board reviews proposed hearing procedures, debates public-comment limits
Summary
The board reviewed a circulated draft of code-enforcement procedures, discussed changing "meetings" to "hearings," clarifying chair duties, time limits for quasi-judicial testimony, and whether to allow public comment on items not before the board; staff will circulate a redline and return the item for further consideration.
The Fernandina Beach Code Enforcement & Appeals Board spent a substantial portion of its hearing reviewing a circulated draft of procedural rules staff and the city attorney prepared and recommended for adoption.
The board attorney said the draft draws on the city commission's procedures but needs tweaks for quasi‑judicial hearings, including changing references from "meetings" to "hearings," clarifying the chair's role, and adding time limits for presentations and rebuttals. The attorney said staff noted the draft could be made less cumbersome while preserving due-process protections.
Members raised practical questions about allowing public comment on matters not on the board's agenda, how speakers would register, and what the board could actually do with comment items that are not formal cases. Staff recommended using a front-of-room speaker form to capture names and contacts and suggested limiting public participation to parties with an interest in items the board hears or leaving general complaints to the city commission.
Board members also discussed quorum and membership: the board currently has five seated members and two alternates but no immediate prospects to fill vacancies to reach the full seven-member complement. Michelle Forstrom, introduced as code enforcement director for the City of Virginia Beach, commented on the need to fill seats; staff said they would prepare a redline version of the proposed procedures and bring it back for the board's review.
The board scheduled its next hearing for Jan. 8 at 5 p.m.
