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CRA asks board to bar member from McNabb hearing over social‑media posts; counsel declines to require abstention
Summary
The CRA asked the Planning & Zoning Board to disqualify board member Gigi DuBeck based on social‑media posts; city counsel said Florida law does not require abstention absent a specific ethical conflict, but advised the board to review social‑media guidance for quasi‑judicial proceedings.
A representative of the Pompano Beach CRA formally asked the board to record objections to Board member Gigi DuBeck's participation in the McNabb House hearing, citing social‑media posts they said demonstrated bias and would undermine due process. The speaker read multiple social‑media examples and urged the board to consider disqualification for impartiality. The CRA representative told the board, "As an applicant, Pompano Beach CRA is entitled to due process… We object to her participation in this hearing."
City counsel responded on the record, saying there is no statutory bar requiring an abstention unless the member or a relative stands to personally benefit or an identifiable ethical conflict exists. Counsel advised the board to be careful with social‑media engagement generally for quasi‑judicial matters: "The wisest thing you can do is not engage," and said staff could prepare guidance. The recusal request was noted in the record but did not lead to a board‑ordered abstention; the board proceeded with deliberations and a vote on the McNabb site plan.
