Juno Beach council votes to use informal citizen review, not a sunshine-subject advisory committee, in town manager search

The Juno Beach Town Council voted to move forward with an informal citizen review process for the town manager search instead of establishing a formal citizen advisory committee that would be subject to the state sunshine law.

A council member moved “to move forward with the informal citizen review and not scheduling a formal citizen committee for the selection of town manager candidates.” The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote, recorded as 4–0. Mayor Santilli said the council would still seek public input by making candidate materials public and meeting individually with residents who want to share feedback.

The decision followed a detailed legal memo and attorney guidance showing that advisory committees that review applications typically are subject to sunshine laws and that materials prepared, received, or used in connection with the committee’s duties would constitute public records. The town attorney warned the council that such committees carry public-record and sunshine obligations and recommended caution when designing the process. Council members who favored citizen involvement proposed alternatives: individual resident meetings, open houses, and posting resumes online so residents can review and provide written or in-person input.

Staff announced next steps: the application deadline for the position is July 13 at 5:00 PM; staff will compile and post resumes with the July 15 agenda packet and council will consider a shortlist at the July 22 meeting. A public workshop or open house to gather input could take place the week of July 29 if the council chooses to schedule it.