Two members of the public used the council’s public-input period on Oct. 22 to criticize the city’s treatment of small businesses and to describe a local food-truck dispute.

Damien Gilliams, who said he has owned businesses in Sebastian for 33 years, said code enforcement ordered a licensed food truck to be removed from property he said is tied to his commercial business. Gilliams said he and his attorney appealed the enforcement action through the courts and that his appeals were denied at the circuit level and at the 4th District Court of Appeal; he said a petition to the Florida Supreme Court was denied as well. “I have a business here in the community for 33 years… I was brought up on violation of having my food truck on my commercial property that's licensed to my business to be removed by code enforcement,” Gilliams said.

Gilliams also alleged a lack of responsiveness from elected officials and criticized what he described as inconsistent treatment, and he told the council he had sent letters to members. He urged the council for assistance and for consistent treatment of small-business owners. The transcript records his remarks as public comment; there was no council vote related to his complaint during the meeting.

Carol Klein, a resident who said she has lived in Sebastian more than 20 years and has grandchildren in local schools, told the council many previously busy commercial buildings in town are now empty and said permitting and inspection delays have made it hard for small businesses to operate. She said one business had been trying to operate a licensed and insured food truck on its property for months but was constrained by enforcement. Klein also told the council she understood the city had “hired a lawyer for $60,000 to fight him” (the food-truck operator). The city did not confirm that figure in the meeting record. Klein urged the council to focus on infrastructure, public safety staffing and school support as development proceeds.

Council response: The mayor suggested residents having permitting or inspection problems contact planning/building staff member Benton, and Benton responded that he is “always available and responsive.” No formal council action addressing the specific enforcement or permitting complaints is recorded in the transcript.