Seminole County weighs moving legal public notices online as statute allows

Assistant County Manager Melanie Coontz briefed the board on legislative changes (House Bill 7049 and amended Florida Statute 50.0311) that allow counties to post legally required public notices on a prominent county web page rather than in a newspaper. Coontz summarized statutory requirements: notices must be easy to find, the electronic option must be less costly than current newspaper spending, and residents must be allowed to register for mail or electronic notice.

Coontz provided 2023 cost figures and examples: BCC notices cost about $40,000 and tax‑collector delinquent tax notices about $32,000, and noted counties take different approaches (in‑house, shared platforms or outsourced vendors). She recommended creating a scope of work and seeking quotes to host and administer notices on the county website or outsource the function.

Commissioners discussed municipal and school‑board interest, transitional advertising in print to notify readers, and whether the county should build in‑house capability or outsource. One vendor quote cited in discussion was roughly $5,000 per month; commissioners asked staff to return with cost scenarios including transition advertising and options for outsourcing or in‑house implementation.