[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6520571,"mediaKeyId","5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894","parentId",5322172,"title","Fort Pierce commission passes contractor and fee ordinances, approves Sunrise Theater equipment budget increases and several resolutions","audioSeconds",263,"startMs",2256000,"endMs",1993000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894&start=2256&end=1993","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894/thumbnail_2256000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520571/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Fort-Pierce-commission-passes-contractor-and-fee-ordinances-approves-Sunrise-Theater-equipment-budget-increases-and-several-resolutions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520571-37d7909178dd19c608d9da6a194949e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842437&Signature=SeJlEv2ALcui2rBFGV9isc9KqGma~r4n0r9iLF3deILuiz7hJvvgbicQyrFWFQc5zFA88R7KhHVDx9Z-u4g4NgcX3WXS7La1gfxydDY0PjkktBt3TEuwKm02mttQIwKO7ZAm9KC5Pc~h-asCecRcrcjlhM4FyaHth03ZV8bSyaqRqpLmHD1az2pV~pRUROREtg8bUIT7d9lI2kPGu9RiWDoT-zCrQHt8BXzA5NyteEIH41SwaYvyw8wcfPVoQvyut6EL-Sp8jr2FuNBOEjCB4HFzVJpYkhODx6g3SKaijAgFjW-VYCFPvXeQSJ7WawapRVkvMErA2sXV~LZ3fQcEoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fort Pierce","date","2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","article","The Fort Pierce City Commission on July 7 took multiple routine and policy actions, including adopting two ordinances affecting the building department, approving extended equipment rental spending for the Sunrise Theater, and passing resolutions updating rules and the fee schedule for contractor licensing.

Ordinances
- The commission completed second readings and adopted Ordinance 25-018, which amends Chapter 103 (buildings and building regulations) to revise contractor-board membership, references to state statute, application requirements and other provisions. The commission also adopted the related fee schedule on second reading.
- The commission also adopted Ordinance 25-019 on second reading, updating permit fees and plan-review fees in Chapter 103.

Resolutions and administrative actions
- Resolution 25-R-42: The commission adopted revised rules of procedure for the City of Fort Pierce Board of Examiners of Contractors. Staff noted this action implements changes made by the adopted ordinance.
- Resolution 25-R-48: The commission adopted an updated building-department fee schedule tied to the ordinance changes.

Sunrise Theater equipment
Commissioners approved increases to purchase orders for rental lighting equipment (item L) and sound equipment (item M) at the Sunrise Theater. The acting executive director, Marissa Quijano, told the commission that rentals provide a more modern lighting rig and a sound package (speakers, subs and a soundboard) necessary for current shows. She told commissioners the rental timeline was extended after an emergency-month-to-month arrangement began in December and that staff is exploring lease-to-own options; Jackhammer Audio (sound) had offered to apply previously spent rental payments toward a lease-to-own purchase. Quijano said combined equipment costs could total about $150,000–$200,000 each for the two systems, and commissioners approved the increases by roll call (Broderick, Gaines, Johnson, Taylor, Mayor Hudson all voting yes).

Other votes and housekeeping
- The commission selected Commissioner Christian Gaines as the city's voting delegate to the 2025 Florida League of Cities annual conference (motion passed by roll call).
- The commission approved the minutes and several consent-agenda items as recorded in the meeting packet; items pulled from consent were handled individually.

Votes at a glance (key roll-call outcomes)
- Ordinance 25-018 (contractor code amendments): Approved, roll-call unanimous.
- Ordinance 25-019 (permit fees): Approved, roll-call unanimous.
- Resolution 25-R-42 (contractor board rules): Approved, roll-call unanimous.
- Resolution 25-R-48 (updated fee schedule): Approved, roll-call unanimous.
- Sunrise Theater POs (items L and M): Approved, roll-call unanimous.
- Selection of 2025 FLC voting delegate (Commissioner Gaines): Approved, roll-call unanimous.

Commissioners recorded roll-call votes for all items listed and did not note any further regulatory appeals at the meeting; staff will carry forward the ordinance and fee-schedule changes into department procedures and permitting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Pierce - City Commission Regular Meeting - Jul 07, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its July 7 meeting the Fort Pierce City Commission adopted contractor and permit-fee ordinances, approved increases to rental equipment spending for the Sunrise Theater while pursuing lease-to-own options, and passed resolutions updating contractor rules and the building-department fee schedule.","taxTitle","Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida","taxId",55008,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520576,"City awards $5,000 public-service grant to End It Corporation amid questions about low applicant turnout",119,1236000,1355000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894&start=1236&end=1355","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894/thumbnail_1236000.jpg","/articles/6520576/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/City-awards-5000-public-service-grant-to-End-It-Corporation-amid-questions-about-low-applicant-turnout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520576-4da87d8902c5337f431da1916a78acbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842437&Signature=EXPLdSGY93-d~YYqFbgkfPGqJcXFVGOHrBPnX9r8UpLCklccxC8mqYhaXNnkx3B7qq90sB1YGez1QVNEARmPSBJ69o81isZDjp7U9pWlWr7wvrfD5RiWNirAJ4da4HJMRhqd3yvC1x2WACC8YljAx8G5zJgnQ5EXcnNKwEJrF9XJsTeVR0dCR67Y5WhoRXpBANfMHll7aIaYGkXgQOKefsy7qutJBNZFRJJDAB-sjs5YgC34Jwg~SeDXzJLHTkL149hqfmxbjAlrbHC94Sw4U06cPdkcUyxILfgCzci-4oOzDa7uFpFJEDOCwObHFIT5xYsKLt4SQ-Iiw7faY0NyOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fort Pierce City Commission on July 7 approved a public-service agency grant award of up to $5,000 to End It Corporation, while commissioners pressed staff about why so few nonprofits completed applications for the funding.

Commissioner Johnson had pulled the item from the consent agenda to ask staff why the competitive process produced just one award. Grants manager Danella Clark told the commission the PSA opportunity was advertised in December 2024 and the application window ran for 30 days. She said 24 applicants started the online application but only two completed and turned in full submissions; 22 applicants did not complete the process.

Grants staff said they posted the solicitation on the city’s social media and website, shared it at the St. Lucie Roundtable and extended the opening period. Kimberly Hinton, reporting and grant specialist, said staff also personally reached out to several social-service agencies and held outreach through local councils but still saw low completion rates. Staff suggested the switch to a new online application platform may have intimidated some applicants and that stringent Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program requirements can complicate submissions.

Commissioner Johnson and others said they were “disheartened” by the low completion rate and urged better front-end training and in-person workshops to help nonprofit applicants navigate the online system, rather than relying on back-end assistance. Staff said they had done phone follow-ups and email outreach and that unallocated PSA funds were used by the city’s leisure services division to run summer youth programming.

The commission voted 5-0 to approve the grant award to End It Corporation in an amount not to exceed $5,000 (roll-call vote recorded: Broderick, Gaines, Johnson, Taylor and Mayor Hudson voting yes). Several commissioners asked staff to review outreach methods and consider in-person or hands-on application training before the next funding cycle.

Grants staff also noted that CDBG rules require certain eligibility characteristics — including service to low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents and census-tract limitations — and that meeting those federal guidelines can narrow the pool of eligible applicants.","The commission approved a $5,000 public service agency (PSA) grant to End It Corporation but several commissioners criticized staff outreach after only two complete applications were received from 24 starters; grants staff said the new online platform and stringent CDBG/HUD requirements may have deterred applicants.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520582,"Commission approves Okeechobee Road flex-space project but limits which conditional uses are allowed",295,2564000,2859000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894&start=2564&end=2859","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894/thumbnail_2564000.jpg","/articles/6520582/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Commission-approves-Okeechobee-Road-flex-space-project-but-limits-which-conditional-uses-are-allowed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520582-5053715487f60097316ec2daf4bd3b69/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842437&Signature=Xw-c5glN~qjTbqS~kXnwmvEJ3D8Wgg48GnyPh8NF9XM51M4tqhk0yqjgewp3ldDbCQLp~5CCMJw~QnHLPCFu2nnSyI1Yi2irZtik-arSnY8eG~eE5YpzZQQDgkRaw6BSQlEIt7y5QG3VNAgHBvCLKOfMTpC15THJqJ0Tisqc62UfDrsh2XgDeNZVc-XwelUXmQd3iywYT~FGwELkC9eXM9~lZmu-g49-Te4Gc6Wb0FpMLkZuEP~-EQtRw49icZrh4rFzYSk3onopLf7hOZOpcVz1TTq6H0LtN0C2MwuSuv1Iyv7EbiIngEwPHVkedECwoOrDFiO3TSgPeaPHCJ71ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fort Pierce City Commission on July 7 approved a conditional-use permit and site plan for a new flex-space development at 4650 Okeechobee Road, contingent on conditions set by the Planning Board and a supplementary condition that limits which conditional uses may operate on the site.

The applicant, HJA Design Studio, representing property owner Saint Lucie Kings LLC, proposed two single-story buildings totaling roughly 37,000 square feet of office and warehouse space on about 3.57 acres in a C-3 (general commercial) zoning district. The planning board recommended approval with nine conditions; the commission approved those conditions and added a requirement that only the conditional uses listed in the applicant’s submitted packet (the list on page 9 of the application) be allowed on the property without returning to the commission.

Planning-board conditions include unity of title and parcel combination, submission of a general address request before land clearing, a landscape maintenance agreement prior to certificate of occupancy, an environmental report before earthmoving, confirmation from the St. Lucie County Fire District on connections before DPCR approval, potential dedication of right-of-way to FDOT if needed, and drainage mitigation for any stormwater impacts within FDOT right-of-way. The planning board also added two conditions: a minimum 6-foot privacy fence buffer on the north edge of the property and a different color palette for the buildings.

During the quasi-judicial hearing, commissioners raised concerns about the broadness of a “flex space” approval because C‑3 zoning includes many conditional uses ranging from light industrial to group living and religious institutions. Several commissioners said a blanket approval of every conditional use in C‑3 could permit incompatible tenants in future (for example, heavy industrial or certain storage uses) and preferred tighter control.

Staff and the applicant clarified that the proposed development targets light industrial and warehouse/office users — to serve wholesalers, local distributors, trade contractors and small makers — and that the site plan as submitted includes parking and loading allocations sized for those uses. The applicant (Erica Beitler of HJA Design Studio) told the commission the project team intends the development for “light warehouse and industrial uses” and that the design includes enhanced buffering and landscaping to mitigate impacts on nearby residential areas.

Planning staff told commissioners the conditional-use approval for this application would, as submitted, allow the listed conditional uses on the site (the applicant listed the uses on page 9 of its packet). After discussion, the commission approved the conditional use and site plan with the planning-board conditions plus the additional limitation: the property may host only the conditional uses enumerated in the applicant’s packet; any other conditional use listed elsewhere in the C‑3 use table would require a separate review and approval by the commission.

The roll-call vote approving the conditional use and site plan (and limiting allowed conditional uses to the packet list) was 5-0 (Commissioners Broderick, Gaines, Johnson, Taylor and Mayor Hudson voting yes). The Planning Board had earlier voted to recommend approval with conditions at its June 9 meeting.

Commissioners said they wanted to preserve control over future tenanting and to require site-plan amendments if a proposed tenant would change parking, loading or other site characteristics. Staff noted that any future use that differs materially from the approved site plan would require a site-plan amendment and additional review.

The applicant’s packet listed these conditional uses (page 9): light industrial/service, manufacturing, warehouse and freight, environmental research and education facilities, day-care center, medical facilities, social-service institution, building maintenance facilities and services, microbrewery, marine-related industrial, and vehicle storage. The commission’s approval binds those uses to the site’s approval and requires that any other conditional uses be brought back to the commission for consideration.","The City Commission granted conditional-use approval and site-plan acceptance for a 3.57-acre flex-space development at 4650 Okeechobee Road, adopting planning-board conditions and limiting the site’s conditional uses to the specific list in the applicant’s packet to avoid a blanket approval of every conditional use in the C-3 zoning table.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520586,"Fort Pierce Commission approves parking, dumpster and floor change orders but rejects window replacement",107,208000,315000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894&start=208&end=315","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322172-50a1889df7c6861fb87ecc73c50a0894/thumbnail_208000.jpg","/articles/6520586/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Fort-Pierce-Commission-approves-parking-dumpster-and-floor-change-orders-but-rejects-window-replacement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520586-be9b69aab80ce41504dfa1dcea4d6826/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842437&Signature=UHYnngtdL4QTH39q46~qmZV2VwY1Hggb1ZuvpgWzk8O9Z7--oIcfbIETyUe6aP9zIDeUONKaDWKAuXX7-9cCi9Qq5re6shhaFKZDzenjDBMl~coGeioj6zmTZx49VN4Vt8s2lG0sFxEnbbX2zN3xVN7mKCPwUY6dR2LBrTH2EqSp5GG~MkEkdWIzZXNNCyj~FXSsppo98Qqq7cZcZuup18LH0n3rkPisBUaKkSBCztwiYVEd5Wqt~vwSv66~wBN8qDZceBEhyuFuqrncxitevpfxoonoXPud0lamb-IdXCmlEAslLVJFcRSvIK52lBtW4pMM6JmyT45praImRAgbaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fort Pierce City Commission on July 7 approved three final change orders for ongoing renovation work at a city-owned building — covering floor leveling, a dumpster enclosure and expanded parking — but unanimously denied a separate change order to replace existing impact windows.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to deny the window replacement change order after several members said they had inspected the building and found functioning impact-rated glass that met the Metro-Dade standard discussed during the meeting. The commission then voted 5-0 to approve change orders for second-floor floor leveling, a dumpster enclosure and parking-lot work, with conditions that include interim inspections by the city engineer during the parking work.

The window change order was described during discussion as approximately $26,000 to replace existing impact glass with new impact glass. Commissioner Curtis Broderick said he did not support spending the money where “perfectly functional” impact windows already exist, and Director Thomas and other staff agreed the current windows met the applicable code at the time they were installed.

The parking-lot work drew extended discussion from commissioners. City staff said the civil designer’s plan calls for grading the lot to establish a positive pitch toward an existing storm drain in the southeast corner to keep water away from the building entrance. Commissioners and staff agreed the plan reduces the scope of work (removing and lowering only the material necessary rather than replacing the base), saving money compared with full reconstruction. The commission asked that engineering staff or the city engineer perform interim inspections of the regrading and compaction before new asphalt is placed; staff agreed to coordinate a courtesy inspection on aggregate compaction.

Commissioners also questioned the cost estimate for a dumpster enclosure, with one commissioner saying in public comment that dumpster enclosures normally cost far less than the quoted amount; staff did not provide alternative pricing at the meeting but proceeded with the vote to approve that change order.

Director Thomas and the project manager told commissioners these were the final change orders expected to complete the project. Commissioners said they wanted to be sure the approved parking-lot work would be durable and not require early rework, and several members emphasized they preferred to “spend once and be done.”

The commission recorded roll-call votes on the items: denial of the window replacement (item E) passed 5-0 (Broderick, Gaines, Johnson, Taylor, Mayor Hudson voting yes). Approval of the other change orders (items D, F and G) passed 5-0.

Commissioners said the city will require permit inspections for the paving work and will coordinate with engineering to document compaction and drainage prior to final paving.

The denial applies only to the change-order line to replace the existing impact glass; the rest of the renovation package remains approved so the contractor can finish work under the other change orders.","City commissioners approved three final change orders for renovations to a city-owned building while unanimously voting down a $26,000 window replacement after staff and commissioners said existing impact glass met code. Commissioners also directed interim engineering inspections for the approved parking-lot work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Fort Pierce commission passes contractor and fee ordinances, approves Sunrise Theater equipment budget increases and several resolutions

City awards $5,000 public-service grant to End It Corporation amid questions about low applicant turnout

Commission approves Okeechobee Road flex-space project but limits which conditional uses are allowed

Fort Pierce Commission approves parking, dumpster and floor change orders but rejects window replacement