Atlantic Beach council tables ordinance tying life-safety inspections to business licensing

The Atlantic Beach Town Council on March 2, 2026 tabled Ordinance No. 13-2025, a second-reading measure that would require life-safety inspections at the time of business-license issuance and set a $150 inspection fee.

Town Manager Adrian Jones told council the $150 fee reflects the cost of contracting certified inspectors and said the town "does not make a dime" on the inspection; he described the charge as a per-visit consultant cost used to ensure visitor and resident safety. "The fee is $150," Jones said.

Mayor Pro Tem John David strongly objected to embedding life-safety inspections within the business-license section and to the fee level, calling it "an additional tax on the residents of Atlantic Beach" and urging the fee remain at $75, which he said had been charged historically. David and other council members also questioned whether inspections should fall under licensed commercial inspectors and building-code processes rather than the business-license authority.

Council discussion revisited earlier language in Ordinance No. 15-2025, which lists a $175 life-safety inspection fee for some businesses, and highlighted inconsistent fee amounts across town documents. Jones explained the town lacks certified in-house code inspectors and must pay contractors to perform inspections, which he said accounts for the fee.

After debate, Councilwoman Carla Taylor moved to table the ordinance to allow staff and the town attorney to clarify scope and placement of life-safety provisions; Councilwoman Jacqueline Gore seconded. The motion carried.