It’s a great day Palm Bay!
At the August 18 Regular Council Meeting, Council approved a Road Maintenance Fund Policy providing for a combination of funding strategies that will achieve an annual minimum contribution of $4 million to the Road Maintenance Fund starting in Fiscal Year 2024 and gradually increasing to a minimum of $6 million by Fiscal Year 2029, if not sooner. The funding strategies proposed include an annual budget transfer from the City’s General Fund; the transfer of unexpended Bayfront CRA funds at the end of each fiscal year through the CRA’s sunset in 2024; budgeting for the CRA’s would-be tax increment to Road Maintenance Fund following sunset of the Bayfront CRA; a minimum transfer of 50% or $1 million, whichever is greater, from the previous fiscal year’s unexpended General Fund dollars at the end of every fiscal year; and all proceeds from the sale of City-owned properties.
August 20 marked one year since the City of Palm Bay Police Department lost a member of the family. Sergeant Frank Tobar was best known as the driving force behind the Palm Bay Police Explorers Program. Sgt. Tobar touched the lives of so many in this community, and he will forever be missed. In remembrance, Sgt. Tobar’s family and members of Palm Bay PD gathered in the police department to reveal a memorial built in his honor. The memorial will ensure we never forget how much of an inspiration he was to us all.
On August 25, the City held its first of two workshops for the Comprehensive Plan Update. This public workshop discussed the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan, identified why the update process is important, and provided a platform for members of the community to identify what they would like to see within the Plan's contents. Those unable to attend the in-person meeting still have the opportunity to interact virtually by visiting www.pbfl.org/vision.
Join us November 10th at 6:00pm in Palm Bay Council Chambers for the second public workshop that will include highlights from the first workshop, a brief hands-on exercise geared toward engaging participants in the process, and elicit input in the Plan update. The purpose of this workshop is to get meaningful feedback from the public on the proposed policies that will lay the foundation for the future of Palm Bay. A virtual option will also be available for those unable to attend the in-person meeting. Visit www.pbfl.org/vision for additional information and updates.
The City of Palm Bay has yet again brought back the Military Tribute Banner Program honoring the world’s greatest defenders of freedom, the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. This will be the third consecutive year the city has participated in this program. Beginning this Veterans Day, active-duty military, and veterans with ties to Palm Bay, will be honored with patriotic banners displayed at one of three locations throughout the city.
Last year’s program saw 38 different banners displayed at Palm Bay City Hall and Veterans Memorial Park from Veterans Day through Memorial Day. This year there are expected to be even more banners commissioned.
Palm Bay residents and business owners are invited to honor their beloved veterans, active-duty, reserve, and National Guard members by sponsoring a beautiful 24” x 48” full-color banner featuring a photo of the honoree, their name, service details, as well as the name of the sponsoring family or business. The tribute banners will be displayed at Palm Bay City Hall, Veterans Memorial Park, or Fred Poppe Regional Park from Veterans Day 2022 through Memorial Day 2023.
The cost to sponsor a banner is $110 and reservations will be first come, first served. Participants will receive the banner after it is taken down next year as a keepsake and a “thank you” from the City of Palm Bay. Gold Star families and new enlistments will receive their banner at no cost.
To sponsor a banner and for program details, visit www.MilitaryTributeBanners.org/florida/palm-bay-fl or contact Andy Dimmig at andy.dimmig@pbfl.org.
I am #PalmBayProud to announce the City of Palm Bay will be hosting an inaugural Patriot Day Ceremony at Palm Bay City Hall on Sunday,
September 11, 2022, at 12:00pm to honor the fallen. Each of the lives lost on September 11th had meaning, they all had a purpose. It is our duty and our obligation to ensure that they will Never be Forgotten.
On that wretched day, twenty-one years ago, thousands of innocent people were taken from us. Our nation was left to mourn. The attacks of September 11th were the worst assault on American Soil in our country’s history. They were an attack on the universal ideals of peace, justice, and liberty – the essential human rights that civilized nations like ours embody and strive to uphold.
Patriot Day is a day to honor every life that was taken too soon. We honor the first responders — firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency workers, and service members — who answered the call of duty. We pay tribute to the brave civilians who rushed into action to save lives that day. Their courage represents the American spirit and resilience, and their heroism continues to inspire new generations of Americans.
We will never forget! May God Bless you and may God continue to Bless the United States of America.
I would also like to wish a Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to my fellow Palm Bayers. Here in Palm Bay, we are lucky to enjoy the benefits of a culturally diverse community. From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate and recognize the histories, contributions, and culture of the Hispanic-American community both locally and nationally. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Lastly, on Monday, September 19, 2022, at 11:30am the City of Palm Bay will hold a naming ceremony for Patrick Woodard Memorial Park. Formerly known as Oakwood Park, it is located at 490 Koutnik Road SE. Pat Woodard was a lifelong resident of Brevard County and a longtime Palm Bay resident. He provided dedicated service to the City as a member of City Council for nine years. Please join us as we rename the park in his honor.
