Residents press council on appointments, audits and code enforcement during lengthy public-comment session

Several residents used the public-comment period to press the council about appointments, the city audit and perceived uneven enforcement of local ordinances.

Darlene Puffer said she was disappointed the council appointed an 83-year-old candidate, Norfleet Jones, to the Board of Zoning Appeals without listing his qualifications in the public packet and suggested the selection looked like "friends and family." Puffer asked why other qualified applicants were not interviewed. The chair and city staff responded that applications and resumes were filed with the city, that Norfleet Jones would resign from a conflicting solid-waste post, and that staff would follow up to clarify why his resume was not included in the publicly available materials for that packet.

Multiple commenters also criticized the pace of the city's financial audit, with one resident noting the audit was nearly two years behind. City staff and the city manager said the audit delay stemmed from leadership turnover, a new auditor after decades with the previous firm and changes to financial software; they said progress has been made and the city is close to completing the outstanding work.

Other public commenters asked for additional inspections in new subdivisions, highlighted litter and maintenance needs on Water Tower Road and requested affordable seasonal beach-chair rental options for residents after the city discontinued a lower-cost season pass.

Council members acknowledged the comments, committed to follow-up on application transparency and audit status, and noted staff would circulate answers and continue to work through outstanding issues.