Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrates Reopening of Recently Renovated Greater Palm Bay Senior Center

The Greater Palm Bay Senior Center, located at 1275 Culver Drive NE, celebrated their grand reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 27 at 10:00am.

In the fall of 2019, the Palm Bay City Council, at the recommendation of its Community Development Advisory Board, approved a grant award in the amount of $527,158 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to the Parks & Recreation Department for renovations to the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center, to include ADA accessibility improvements.

Following a competitive bid solicitation, the City of Palm Bay selected Archangel Engineering and Construction to carry out the renovations. The final cost of the project was $429,907.87.  

The renovations completed by Archangel included the replacement and repair of various systems and elements of the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center and adjacent woodshop building. Interior renovations included flooring repairs, the installation of hurricane-rated, insulated windows and doors as well as upgrades to facility doors, bathrooms, and drinking fountains.

Exterior renovations to the facility included the repair of mortar joints, the replacement of exterior siding, LED lighting upgrades throughout the property, and the replacement of the old pedestrian bridge. Repairs were also made to existing ducts and grills for the HVAC system.

Facility features including the sidewalks, outdoor landings, outdoor access ramps, and parking areas were upgraded to ensure ADA compliance and accessibility. Improvements were also made to the woodshop facility to comply with current standards set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Kitchen cabinets and countertops were replaced through a contract with DFI Construction prior to the start of the work done by Archangel. Repairs to the irrigation system were completed by Palm Bay Parks & Recreation personnel as well.

The center is a 501© (3) nonprofit organized in 1987 for the purpose of providing a safe and healthy environment for area seniors to socialize, exercise, learn, and play. For more information, please call the main City of Palm Bay Parks & Recreation office at (321) 953-8912.

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Business Tax Receipts Relocating to City Hall Annex on October 1

Beginning Friday, October 1, 2021, the City of Palm Bay’s Business Tax Receipt (BTR) customer service staff, previously located on the first floor of the old City Hall Building, will move to the second floor of the adjacent City Hall Annex Building, located at 120 Malabar Road SE.

The new location will unite the BTR staff with the Community & Economic Development Department, a move intended to create greater efficiencies for business owners. The Growth Management Department is located on the same floor, just down the hall. This relocation will establish a convenient, one-stop location for many business needs.

The BTR customer service team processes business tax receipts, lien searches, alarm registrations, and passport acceptance. Many services, including BTR renewal payments, are available online. Visit www.palmbayflorida.org/BTR to access online services and additional information. Businesses needing to make changes of location, changes in ownership, a name change, the sale of a business, or the closure of a business, please email the BTR customer service office at biztax@pbfl.org.

For questions, call (321) 952-3419 or email biztax@pbfl.org.

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Mayor Rob Medina Announces Mayor’s Business Spotlight

Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina launched the all-new Mayor’s Business Spotlight Program on October 1, 2021. The program is designed to feature local businesses who foster pride in the City’s thriving business community and strong local economy. The spotlight program will allow businesses to showcase unique information about what makes their business value-added to the local community and residents.

Businesses will be recognized and awarded on a quarterly basis by a review committee consisting of Mayor Medina, a staff member from C&ED, and a staff member from the City’s Communications Division. Eligibility requirements include a commercial business operation located within Palm Bay City limits and a valid Business Tax Receipt. Businesses will be selected on a number of criteria including longevity, growth in revenue and/or employees, innovation, community involvement and recognition. Anyone may submit a nomination. For information on Mayor’s Business Spotlight nominations, call (321) 409-7187 or email econdev@pbfl.org.

The selected businesses will receive the following: an acknowledgement by Mayor Medina on behalf of City Council, a proclamation at a Regular Council Meeting, a spotlight on the C&ED website, recognition in the City’s Community Connection newsletter, and an exclusive window cling to display at the business.

The first recipient will be announced in January 2022.

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The City of Palm Bay Seeks Public Input on Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Palm Bay held its second public workshop for the Palm Bay Vision 2040 Plan entitled “Where do we want to go?” on August 24, 2021. The purpose of these workshops is to engage the community and gather input on the comprehensive plan. 

The first public workshop focused on outlining the existing conditions in Palm Bay and exploring issues revealed during the initial discussions with community stakeholders. The public was encouraged to participate in exercises that focused on existing issues and current trends impacting the City.

Using input received from the first public workshop, five primary themes were derived from the visioning process thus far, and participants were given potential strategies which would implement each theme. The primary themes included:

       • Placemaking and Identity

      • Housing Diversity

      • City Improvements/Investments

      • Advancing Equity

      • Economic Development

Utilizing an interactive polling session, participants were asked to provide comments and feedback to determine which themes and strategies should be prioritized in the comprehensive plan. A complete summary of the first and second workshops can be found at www.palmbayflorida.org/vision.

Palm Bay City Council will participate in a Council Workshop that is scheduled for October 19th at 6:00pm in Council Chambers located at 120 Malabar Road SE, which will allow councilmembers to provide feedback on the process thus far.

For updates on the entire Palm Bay 2040 Vision process and engagement opportunities, such as the online survey, community idea wall, visioning exercise, and capital expenditure game, visit the comprehensive plan update website at www.palmbayflorida.org/vision

Public Workshop #3: “How Do We Get There?”

November 8, 2021 at 6pm in Council Chambers

This workshop will serve as the culmination of the public input process. The Palm Bay 2040 Vision will be nearly complete, which will be based on the issues and concepts brought to light up to this point. Participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the plan that will identify how the City will accomplish the Vision (e.g., through new comprehensive plan policies, new future land uses, locations for employment, location for the new downtown, new roadway corridors, etc.).

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City Executes Purchase Contract for Pelican Harbor Marina

On Friday, August 6th, City staff joined Mike Timmons from Space Coast Marinas, LLC to execute the purchase contract of the three parcels known as Pelican Harbor Marina located on Dixie Highway in the Bayfront area in Palm Bay.

Space Coast Marinas submitted a counteroffer of $1.7 million to purchase the Marina for the development of a dry dock boat storage and service facility, boat launch and wash service, boat club, ship store, tiki bar with an outdoor entertainment venue, restaurant, and retail amenities to include a valet service. Space Coast Marinas intends to renovate the existing marina slips and construct and maintain a public boardwalk along the waterfront.

Space Coast Marinas anticipates the overall capital investment for this development project to be at least $10-12 million and create approximately 302 new jobs. The developer has also purchased two privately owned parcels, a vacant 0.37-acre site located at 4200 Dixie Highway NE and has under contract the Bait & Tackle located at the southwest corner of Dixie Highway and Pospisil Avenue NE.

Under current plans, the buyer will retain Paddling Paradise, which is currently in a month-to-month lease with the City to operate out of the existing 1600 SF facility at 4220 Dixie Highway NE. Paddling Paradise has offered kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals and tours at this site for nearly two years, generating ecotourism to Turkey Creek and the Indian River along Palm Bay’s bayfront.

“This is an exciting development project for the City,” said Joan Junkala-Brown, Deputy City Manager. “The proposed development will add value to what currently exists and further create an environment for residents and visitors to gather, eat, shop, and listen to live music whether arriving by boat or vehicle. This project will encourage further redevelopment of the area and hopefully serve as a catalyst to implement the City’s vision for a Bayfront Village, a quaint waterfront downtown district for the community to enjoy.”

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Inaugural State of Palm Bay Breakfast Event Held August 24

The City of Palm Bay, in partnership with the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce, held the inaugural State of Palm Bay Breakfast on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. The event was held at the recently renovated Greater Palm Bay Senior Center, located at 1275 Culver Drive NE.

During the program, guests enjoyed a catered breakfast as they listened to news and updates from the City of Palm Bay. Mayor Rob Medina discussed economic development and his vision for Palm Bay. Police Chief Nelson Moya and Fire Chief Leslie Hoog delivered remarks on public safety. The event also included a question-and-answer session with the speakers.

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Palm Bay City Council Approves Fiscal Year 2022 Budget

On Wednesday, September 22, 2021, the Palm Bay City Council approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget. The City’s 2022 budget year begins October 1, 2021 and runs through September 30, 2022.

The approved $232,710,575 FY 2022 budget includes $23.9 million in capital investments, salaries and benefits for the City’s 857 full-time employees, and the second $50 million GO Roads paving bond. The approved budget also includes a 3% cost of living pay increase for all employees.

The $83,236,049 FY 2022 General Fund met the voter-approved 3.00% millage rate cap of 7.5995, a reduction from the prior year millage rate of 7.8378. The General Fund also includes Road Maintenance funding of $750,000 and Emergency Contingency Dollars of 4.00% totaling $946,340.

Nearly half, $38 million or 46%, of the City’s General Fund budget is funded through property tax dollars. Property taxes are split between several agencies: 44% goes to the school district, 17% to Brevard County, 3% to special districts, and 36% to the City of Palm Bay.

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City of Palm Bay Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

For the 32nd consecutive year, the City of Palm Bay has earned the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s fiscal year 2020-2021 budget.

The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Palm Bay’s Budget Office, reflecting the City’s commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To earn this recognition, the City budget must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for an effective budget presentation and excel as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool. 

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Upcoming Regular Council Meetings:

• October 21 @ 7:00pm
• November 4 @ 7:00pm
• November 18 @ 7:00pm
• December 2 @ 7:00pm
• December 16 @ 7:00pm

All meetings are held in Council Chambers in the City Hall Complex located at 120 Malabar Road SE. Watch meetings live on the City’s website at www.pbfl.org/watch and on the City’s Facebook page. Meeting agendas are available at www.pbfl.org/agenda.